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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a mesmerizing experience that manages to capture the beauty and essence of the movies perfectly. The gameplay is a lot of fun too, and whilst it does fall under the typical Ubisoft open world design formula, some refreshing explorative elements and action-packed set pieces ensure it never gets tiring or repetitive. It can be guilty of being a bit more ordinary on the combat front and there were some little flaws here and there, but Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora really does live up to the high standards set by the movies. It’ll be a treat for fans who have been excited to play a part in the fascinating world of Avatar, but I think even those who are fresh to franchise will find their experience to be pretty special.
Born of Bread is a charming RPG that might not always nail every aspect of its design, but will still stand out as a treat for fans of the genre (and ESPECIALLY those who loved Paper Mario). Whilst I wasn’t overly invested in the storytelling and exploration could feel a little clumsy, the beautifully designed world and creative combat makes up for it. There are better RPGs to play out there, but if you want something that manages to feel a bit more unique whilst also wearing its Paper Mario inspirations like a big badge of honour, Born of Bread is definitely worth checking out.
Arizona Sunshine 2 is a thrilling zombie escapade that easily stands out as one of the best titles available on PlayStation VR 2 right now. It improves upon the original in just about every way, whilst new additions such as the realistic reloading, your canine companion, and the co-op gameplay help make it even more exciting and immersive to play. Sure, it does have a few missteps here and there, but they’re minor issues in what is otherwise another brilliant release from the team at Vertigo Games.
Knuckle Sandwich is uniquely bizarre across all facets of its design, but it helps it stand out as one of the more creative and enjoyable experimental RPGs out there. Sure, its humour won’t be for everyone and some of its mini games could be a little frustrating, but for the most part it, stands out as a memorable and anarchic experience that feels different to almost every other RPG out there. It’s finely crafted, full of funny moments, and gives players plenty of quirky little tasks to complete, with Knuckle Sandwich’s weird adventure always an entertaining one.
Pinball M offers a spooky take on Zen Studio’s established pinball formula, with the creepy table designs and sinister atmosphere ensuring it stands out as an exciting experience. Each table utilises its IP perfectly, whilst the clever missions and visual details do a great job of keeping the player enthralled in the pinballing action. Add to that the variety of game modes, the clever campaign missions, and host of unlockables, and you’ll quickly find that Pinball M stands out as a meaty (and blood-soaked) pinball extravaganza. It is worth noting that you’ll have to pay for the individual tables outside of Wrath of the Elder Gods – Director’s Cut, but with a low price-point for each one, you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck here.
Gangs of Sherwood is a pleasant surprise, with the stylish combat and rewarding co-op play ensuring it stands out as a multiplayer treat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s rough around the edges and is a chore to play solo, but if you get a few friends together to join you, it can be a really fun experience. There are certainly better third-person action games out there, but if you’re looking for something fresh to scratch that multiplayer itch, Gangs of Sherwood is worth checking out.
Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn maintains the high quality of the base game, but lacks the new content to stand out as a substantial expansion. Don’t get me wrong, the storytelling is great, the combat is still fantastic, and the world looks amazing, but the lack of new playable characters, Artes, and areas to explore does leave it feeling a little underwhelming. I’d still highly recommend playing Beyond the Dawn if you enjoyed Tales of Arise the first time around (and it still gets a good score because it’s a really fun experience), but maybe keep your expectations in check if you were hoping for something that evolves and expands upon what made the base game so good to begin with.
In Stars and Time in an innovative time-looping treat that’ll keep players engrossed with its satisfying sense of progress and fun combat. It’s always rewarding to discover new ways to progress, learn more about the world, and venture forward that bit further on your journey to defeat the King, whilst the deaths you suffer add a fun twist to the formula thanks to their unexpected yet comical occurrences. And sure, the process of looping through some events over and over again can be a little tedious, but at least the game does try to streamline the process for players. It’s just a very creative, clever, and fun experience, with In Stars and Time taking an established time-looping gameplay mechanic and giving it its own unique sense of zing thanks to its quirky RPG approach.
The Pale Reach stands out as an impressive piece of DLC for Dredge, with all of its extras complementing the satisfying (and endlessly eerie) fishing action of the base game. It is worth noting that it doesn’t try to change things up too much and its two-hour runtime is on the short side, but with a £5.99 price point and the same rewarding sense of discovery players would’ve experienced in the base game, it’s hard to complain too much. It has certainly got me excited to see what else Black Salt Games have up their sleeves for Dredge, with its future a bright one if this is anything to go by.
Persona 5 Tactica offers a refreshing twist to the formula that brings in some cool ideas, even IF it can get a bit repetitive over time. The combat is intuitive and tactical, it looks fantastic, and the storyline managed to hook me in, so it’s clear that it does a lot right. It just has a few missteps too, with some repetitive showdowns, a lack of exploration, and an overfamiliarity with the Phantom Thieves letting it down a little. I still had a really good time with the game and it’s exciting to see the series take a different direction, but I think I’m ready to move on from these characters and see what the future of Persona really brings.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is shorter than other titles in the series, but still offers another gripping adventure that’s packed with twists and thrills. Kiryu is a real treat to play as thanks to his colourful personality and brutal combat skills (his ‘Agent’ abilities especially stand out this time around), whilst Sotenbori is packed with fun things to do across its mini-games, colosseum, and substories found in the Akame Network. It is guilty of padding things out with some of its duller fetch quests and the smaller size of the world does get noticeable when you reach the later hours of the game, but there’s still plenty going on to ensure that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name stands out as another impressive release in the series. It offers an appealing throwback to the series’ action-focused origins and once again proves that Kiryu really is one hell of a badass.
Lake: Season’s Greetings adds a festive twist to the wonderful gameplay loop of the base game, and somehow, it makes it even better to play. I loved seeing Providence Oaks covered in snow and Christmas decorations, whilst getting to experience the town and its inhabitants from Thomas’ perspective felt refreshing – even if the narrative didn’t feel quite as impactful as the first game. It just felt great to be able to return to Providence Oaks and experience the joys of the town once more. And when you add Christmas to the mix? It just feels really special. If you enjoyed the game the first time around, you’re in for a real treat with Lake: Season’s Greetings.
I loved American Arcadia, with the zany narrative and clever blend of 2.5D platforming and first-person puzzling making for a unique and memorable experience. There are plenty of twists in the comical narrative to keep players wholly invested in Trevor and Angela’s plight, whilst you’re constantly put into creative scenarios that’ll test both your platforming and puzzling skills. You’ve got to be on the ball if you want to succeed in your journey, and whilst there were a few puzzles that fell short of the mark, I found it hard to put the controller down when playing. American Arcadia is just really, REALLY good and definitely stands out as one of the best platforming-puzzlers that I’ve played this year.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an excellent remake that introduces plenty of new ideas whilst embracing the nostalgic charm of the game’s original release. I loved the unique visual style that blends 2D sprites and 3D environments wonderfully, the combat was more satisfying than ever thanks to its intuitive new mechanics, whilst the countless other additions such as fishing, quest markers, and voice acting go a long way in making Star Ocean: The Second Story R stand out as a VERY impressive release that deserves the attention of all RPG fans.
Salt and Sacrifice isn’t as good as its predecessor, but still offers an enjoyable Souls-like experience packed with rewarding combat and exploration. The world is still wonderful to explore and offers a myriad of secrets to uncover and vicious enemies to vanquish, whilst combat is intuitive and gives players more creative options thanks to the likes of the grappling hook. It looks beautiful too, whilst the boss battles are once again a highlight of the experience. The new features just fall short of the mark a little, with the multiplayer fiddly and Mage Hunts a little bit boring to complete, whilst the lack of a map and proper fast travel can make traversal a drag. They don’t make it a bad game at all though, with Salt and Sacrifice still maintaining the overall quality of the original to stand out as an engrossing 2D Souls-like experience.
Little Goody Two Shoes has a bit of a learning curve, but the tantalising narrative and variety of gameplay mechanics ensure it’s an engrossing experience. It was easy to root for Elise through her daily struggles in her fairytale-inspired life, whilst the eerie undertones and focus on managing her well-being will certainly keep players on their toes. There are lots of creative scenarios to find yourself in on a daily basis too, and whilst they can admittedly get a little formulaic, they never stop being entertaining. The nighttime sections can be a little frustrating and it can get a little overwhelming managing every aspect of Elise’s wellbeing early on, but there’s a good time to be had playing Little Goody Two Shoes. It’s one of those games that’s a little hard to describe with words alone, but only because it’s so varied, creative, and, most importantly, fun.
The Invincible is a wondrous retro sci-fi escapade that’ll hook players in with its intriguing story and gorgeous presentation. It’s hard to talk about all of the things I liked about it without giving away too many little spoilers for players, but with plenty of surprises to encounter as you shape your story on Regis III, it’s easy to find yourself fully invested in Yasna’s journey. It did suffer from a few technical hiccups during my time playing and I’d be lying if I said the movement speed wasn’t a little bit slower than I’d like, but they’re minor issues in what is otherwise an alluring sci-fi experience.
Robocop: Rogue City keeps things simple, but the chaotically fun action and authentic use of the source material ensure players will have a good time roaming the streets of Detroit as the iconic law-abiding hero. I never stopped enjoying unloading lead into enemies, throwing them through windows, and causing destruction throughout the environment, whilst the engaging side quests add a neat twist to the formula where your actions will determine how others view you. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing you wouldn’t have seen before, but it was deeper than I expected. The game is far from perfect, whether that’s with the dumb enemy AI, the lack of originality, and its repetitive nature, but it still makes for a really good time. I’m probably being half a point generous in my scoring here, but given that this is best it has felt to be Robocop in a video game, I think it deserves that bit of extra praise.
You Will Die Here Tonight wears its Resident Evil inspiration like a badge of honour, but still manages to stand out as a unique and entertaining survival horror experience. Everything about the world and character design, the narrative, and the puzzling will take you back to Capcom’s iconic release, but the game has enough of its own clever ideas with the first-person combat, the time loop, and the unravelling of the ‘true’ ending to ensure it deserves plenty of praise on its own merits alone. I had a really good time playing through it, and whilst the combat was guilty of being a little easy at times, it never stopped being fun blasting away at the vicious undead and finding out just what the hell is going on. Just be warned: you will die here tonight, but it’s the only way you’ll find a way to survive the ordeal.
I don’t like the idea of criticising a game so heavily, but Quantum Error is boring to play and has a lot of technical issues that need fixing. It’s clear that the small development team put a lot of heart into the game (and there are moments where it can shine), but a blend of over-ambition, poor design choices, and a lack of polish severely hold it back. There are some interesting ideas on show (especially with the firefighting) and the experience will be a lot more tolerable if the technical issues are fixed, but Quantum Error just isn’t a good game. Hopefully, TeamKill Media can take some lessons from it, rein in the ambition, and lean on the game’s strengths for future entries in this planned trilogy. But as it stands? It’s a tough title to recommend.