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Haven’s engaging storytelling and alluring world help make for a unique and enjoyable experience – I just wish there was a little bit more to do on Source. Sure, gliding around feels wonderful and the instances of combat can make for some fun sequences, but it doesn’t take long for a sense of repetition to kick in. It probably doesn’t help that the land itself can be a little bit vacant, making it more difficult to find the areas you need to reach to progress. It certainly has its flaws, but I still had more of a more positive experience with Haven than a bad one. With a bit of extra fine-tuning it could easily stand out as a really special little game, especially with its endearing take on relationships in the video game landscape and its outstanding presentation. As it stands though, it doesn’t always manage to replicate the same sparks that are flying between its two main protagonists.
Sam & Max Save The World Remastered’s anarchic adventure is just as fun to play today as it was when it first released, with some revamped visuals and improved controller support making it a joy to play on the Nintendo Switch. Sure, it does have the occasional obtuse puzzle that’ll be tricky to solve and the fact that you can’t skip through dialogue is a bit of a pain, but it doesn’t stop the game from offering a quirky and enjoyable mystery for point-and-click fans to really sink their teeth into. Here’s hoping we’ll also see the sequels hit the Nintendo Switch sometime soon…
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes offers a darkly entertaining Soulsborne-like escapade that’ll hook players in, even IF it could do with a little bit of fine-tuning here and there. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad to find in the game (well… except maybe the inventory system) and the grisly combat remains methodically fun throughout – the AI of enemies just needs to be fixed up a little to make encounters feel a little less easy to exploit. With its excellent boss encounters and impressive world design though, Morbid: The Seven Acolytes offers more than enough to keep players enthralled until they reach the end of their journey. It’s a lot more accessible than similar titles in the genre too, so it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the punishing yet ultimately satisfying style of play that it offers.
Visage offers a genuinely frightening and utterly engaging experience that’ll keep players on the edge of their seat as they unravel its eerie secrets. Fans of horror will love uncovering more of the haunted house and seeing what creepy sights are lurking in the shadows, whilst the puzzle-design is solid and will force you to think outside of the box. Sure, some puzzles could be a little frustrating and there are a few visual glitches in place when examining or using items, but they’re minor issues in what is otherwise a compelling (and at times disturbing) horror escapade. Fans of the genre will NOT want to miss out on Visage.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a must-buy if you don’t already own the game, with the next-gen enhancements and plethora of content making for a brilliant package. There’s so much to see and do across the base game and its ‘Aftermath’ expansion, whilst having all of the DLC characters (including the newly released Mileena, Rain, and Rambo) is a real treat. It also helps that the game is brilliant anyway, so it’s great to be able to play it in its ‘ultimate’ form. Already own the game? Upgrade for free to the next-gen version and enjoy sharper visuals and much faster loading times. It’s a win-win really, so even existing players can benefit from the improvements brought by this fantastic fighting package.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an outstanding example of what the PlayStation 5 is capable of, with the thrilling adventure brought to life by some stunning visuals and an emotionally-driven tale. I loved the new combat mechanics brought on by the Venom powers and the cloaking, whilst the streamlined mission design made everything feel a little bit more meaningful. Add to that the instantaneous loading times and the Activity Card integration and you’ll quickly find that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is easily one of the best launch titles available on the PlayStation 5. It’s worth noting that it’s a lot smaller in scale that its predecessor, but Spider-Man: Miles Morales still improves upon its greatness. Whether you’re a fan of the web-slinger or not, you won’t want to miss out on this one.
Godfall is guilty of being a little repetitive in design, but the fantastic combat mechanics and satisfying loot system more than make up for it. I had a whole lot of fun slicing away at enemies, whilst seeing my gear and skills constantly improve brought with it a rewarding sense of progress – especially when comparing my loadout with friends when playing through the campaign in online co-op. It is a shame that a lot of time has to be spent grinding and seeing the same environments again and again could be a bore, but there’s enough going on outside of those flaws to still make Godfall worth your attention. It might not necessarily be the best launch title on the PlayStation 5, but those who enjoy slick sword-clashing action and building up their own armour-clad warrior will definitely want to give it a try.
Part Time UFO is a delightful puzzling experience that shows that even the simplest of jobs can be incredibly wacky and fun when there’s a UFO involved. There’s so much to do and see across the game’s varied tasks, whilst the extra objectives will keep you coming back for more – I’ve poured hours in already and I STILL haven’t unlocked all of the game’s achievements and costumes, but I’m having a heck of a good time working towards it. With additional game modes to tackle that spice up the experience and the manic (but wholly enjoyable) co-op mode that allows players to attempt to work together ‘efficiently’, I can’t see me quitting Part Time UFO’s claw-grabbing escapade any time soon…
Postal Redux lives up to its reputation of ultra-violence, but its dated gameplay mechanics means it’s not always all that fun to play. I’ll admit that it certainly isn’t an awful game and the revamped visuals and controls go a long way in modernising the experience for new players, but outside of the initial shock value there’s nothing about the game that’ll keep you hooked in for hours on end.
Amnesia: Rebirth marks a triumphant return to form for the series, with the horrifying story and eerie atmosphere sure to send plenty of chills down gamers’ spines. Whilst there’s no denying that it doesn’t feel as innovative as it did back in 2010, there’s still scares aplenty as you embark on Tasi’s unnerving journey to not only survive but maintain her sanity at the same time. If you’re eager for an eerie treat this Halloween, you needn’t look any further than Amnesia: Rebirth.
The Red Lantern may not be for everyone, but its hands-off narrative driven survival escapade through the Alaskan wilderness certainly kept me entertained. Sure, the reliance on luck could prove frustrating at times and the graphical hiccups could be a little weird, but the tension that comes with your preparation and decision-making ensures that each attempt to survive brings with it plenty of thrills. Plus, I love snow and lovely doggies… The Red Lantern delivers PLENTY as far as those aspects of the game are concerned.
With its tantalising world, epic soundtrack, and relaxing gameplay, Cloudpunk has the recipe to be a pretty special experience – it’s just a shame that it’s also riddled with bugs. I’m sure Cloudpunk’s gameplay won’t be for everyone, but I really enjoyed soaring through its cyberpunk world. There’s something genuinely relaxing about it, whilst the intriguing stories interwoven across the city through its colourful cast of characters means there’s always something to invest yourself in along the way. Did I mention that Nivalis itself is beautiful too? It’s always a plus. As it stands though, it’s hard not to be disappointed by the stuttering frame rate and the odd glitches with the quests repeating – it could be argued that the draw distance isn’t quite as impressive as on the PC version of the game either, but that’s neither here nor there. Whilst Cloudpunk is certainly an enjoyable game right now on consoles, it needs a few fixes before it will be able to fully live up to the potential that’s clearly there.
Cake Bash is a wonderful and varied party game that is fun to play with both your family in local play and complete strangers online. Who’d have thought that the grand battle to determine the best sweet confectionary would be so entertaining?! With its varied blend of objective-based battling and silly mini-games though, Cake Bash will certainly provide hours upon hours of sugary sweet enjoyment for players to chomp away at.
ScourgeBringer offers a fast and frantic roguelite adventure that’s a blast to play – it’s just a shame that it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. Between the slick combat, solid level design, and satisfying sense of progress though, there’s plenty here to keep players completely hooked into Khyra’s adventure. Even after spending an hour dying over and over, I kept coming back for more, which really does show the level of depth offered by the gameplay mechanics. Still, with the roguelite genre a crowded one, it is a bit of a shame it couldn’t offer that ONE unique hook. It shouldn’t be a problem for most and if you’re a fan of the genre you’ll definitely want to play it – it does make ScourgeBringer feel more like a ‘very good’ game as opposed to an ‘unmissable’ one, though.
I Am Dead is a wonderful and vibrant experience that gives players a different look into the afterlife, with its delightful world hosting some truly heartfelt tales. Exploring the island of Shelmerston and using your x-ray ability to closely examine every object around you never stops being satisfying, whilst learning more about the ghosts you are seeking remains touching throughout. It is guilty of being a bit simple in places and you won’t come across any real challenge during your journey, but it doesn’t make the experience any less compelling. I Am Dead is simply a special game and one that should definitely be experienced if you like to play something that feels a bit different.
Ikenfell offers a wonderful journey for players to embark on, with the charming narrative and creative combat mechanics coming together to make for a memorable escapade. There’s plenty of variety to be found across the game world too, whether that’s when exploring the countless dungeons, battling the monsters that run rife throughout the magical school, or just when tinkering with your party setup – there really is plenty to uncover in the game and it ensures that you definitely won’t grow bored as you see the lengthy tale through to its conclusion. It does have its flaws, most notably with the easy-to-solve puzzles and the learning curve of the battle mechanics, but for the most part Ikenfell’s adventure is a charming treat that RPG fans are sure to enjoy.
The core mechanics of This is the Zodiac Speaking and the mystery that it offers are intriguing, but the ugly visuals make it extremely difficult to recommend on the Nintendo Switch. I can’t deny that actually enjoyed investigating the case and seeing how it affects Robert does add a neat personal touch to proceedings, but the fact that it has such a blurry resolution, dark environments that are difficult to make out, and terrible pop-in that springs objects into your viewpoint from out of nowhere just soured the whole experience for me. This is the Zodiac Speaking is certainly playable on the Nintendo Switch and in fairness it does have its moments where even the graphics are passable (even if they are few and far between) – if you really want to enjoy the clever concept of the game though, I’d implore you to try it on a platform where the awful visuals won’t ruin the experience for you.
The adventures offered in Prinny 1•2 Exploded and Reloaded are bizarre yet fun to venture through, even if they are held back by slightly cumbersome controls. Don’t get me wrong, they can be pretty tough and certainly aren’t for platforming newbies, but each level offers plenty of enjoyable moments and they never feel unfairly difficult – just slightly frustrating when you end up losing one of your valuable Prinnies because the game didn’t offer enough precision with your jumping. You do get used to it the more you play though and, whilst the controls are never perfect, they’re adequate enough to get through both of the unusual but ultimately entertaining escapades featured in Prinny 1•2 Exploded and Reloaded.
Game Dev Tycoon offers an addictive and enjoyable taste of what game development feels like, with plenty of thrills to be had as you establish your own (hopefully successful) studio. There’s a whole lot of depth to be found in how you build your games thanks to the experimentation you can dive into when mixing up different genres and topics, whilst actually managing your studio and bringing improvements to the team adds a rewarding sense of progression too. It really is a lot of fun, even if it can be guilty of getting a little repetitive at times. With its balance of accessibility and depth though, there are enough mechanics to play around with in Game Dev Tycoon to keep both simulation veterans and those new to the genre happy as they build their own repertoire of ‘amazing’ game releases.
Whilst The Walking Dead: Onslaught’s showdowns with zombies offer plenty of thrills, the repetitive nature of its mission design could grow a little tiresome after a while. Having to grind supply grinds to progress the story could be a bit of a drag, especially since they often consisted of the same tasks in the same areas over and over again. The way that the zombie horde is represented by a red cloud could be a little lame too, even if there wasn’t really a shortage of bite-happy zombies around you looking to get a chunk of your flesh for lunch. Still, with intensely satisfying zombie-killing action and an authentic world based around the TV show, there is plenty here for fans to enjoy. Just be ready to do a lot of the same things over and over again as you progress through its gruesome escapade.