Press Start
HomepagePress Start's Reviews
Far Cry 5 is an absolute blast from beginning to end, chock full of things to do and involve yourself in. The narrative is interesting, and everything you do in Hope County feels meaningful in some way or another — making for an experience that feels as rewarding as it does enjoyable.
On the heels of Brothers, Josef Fares has given us A Way Out, a rich and thoughtful independent darling that delivers on a story that respects its characters and remains grounded, hardly ever resorting to nonsense action just for the sake of it. Though we predicted the game's ending before it happened, the conclusion hit us like a truck. With its extremely reasonable pricing and share play, A Way Out is a must play from one of the industry's most talented small teams.
Yakuza 6 is an incredible title. While in certain moments it remains so over the top it's hard to take seriously, Kiryu's story of evolving as a person despite his sordid history makes for a relatable protagonist. Knowing that a real member of the Yakuza has played a game in the series and found it to be more accurate than he anticipated just adds to the authenticity of Yakuza as a title. Every part of the game was a delightful surprise and I've found myself absolutely addicted to the game, even post-story. Every time I come back to Yakuza 6, I find something else absolutely charming about it.
Devil May Cry HD Collection is one of the most lackadaisical remasters that I've ever played – featuring little improvements on the same collection that released for older consoles back in 2012. That being said, the sheer strength of the games included (Devil May Cry 2 notwithstanding) and the modest asking price still make it a more than viable way to experience these games before an inevitable sequel.
Ni No Kuni 2 is a wholesome adventure that improves on the first game. New additions like the kingdom building adds another to the franchise. The art design and visuals are some of the best on the PS4 and the combat and exploration are both fun and engaging.
Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered is a modest remaster but a good one. While some other options would've been appreciated to prioritise frame rate over resolution, the game itself still stands up four years on. It's missing some of the bells and whistles that games like Origins have since introduced, but its unique premise and concept means it's an experience most Assassin's Creed fans shouldn't miss.
Attack on Titan 2 is a great dive into the brutal world of Shingeki no Kyojin, and is a blast to play on the Switch. While held back by some annoying technical bugs, what's on offer here should be enough to appease both series veterans and newcomers alike.
Burnout Paradise is unarguably a stellar racing game and it paved the way for the likes of Forza to do what it has done with its Horizon franchise, so for that there'll always be a place in my heart for it. It's a tough sell for returning veterans as the visual buffs are minimal and the game itself is unchanged. Though if you were too young and didn't get to play Paradise, there's enough here, especially with all of the extra content on-disc, to justify the price of admission.
Kirby Star Allies is a cute and chaotic traditional Kirby game with fantastic buddy AI and strong potential as a co-op experience. It pays fantastic homage to its roots while adding in new mechanics that work well. Unfortunately, the length of the experience will have some doubting whether it's truly worth it, but Kirby Star Allies is one of the most wholesome Switch games you can try right now.
At the end of Curse of the Pharaohs, I was very happy to have spent another weekend in Bayek's world. Ubisoft have offered exactly what you loved about Origins plus some fun twists from the afterlife on the side.
I can confidently say that Nightdive's remaster is the best way to play Turok after twenty years. All the issues that most would've had with the original version are gone – better draw distance, a smooth framerate and smoother controls all improve a game that was in dire need of a fresh coat of paint. From a design perspective, it still suffers from some ups and downs though, and ultimately will only appeal to those who adored it when it first released in 1997.
There is no denying that Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is a more refined game than its predecessor. That much is certain. With Nightdives efforts, Seeds of Evil plays better than it did twenty years ago. There are some things players will have to overlook – particularly the dated visuals and some samey looking level designs – but Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is still a blast to play.
Moss builds a world and draws you into it with gusto, confidently using some of the best visuals and art direction I've ever seen on Playstation VR. Despite this, technological limitations of the control scheme hold it back from being truly great. New developer Polyarc are on to something special here, utilizing VR ingeniously to provide satisfying puzzles and tense platforming, though it's a crying shame that it's over much too soon.
Metal Gear Survive had the potential to grow into something unique but now it's just an uninspired mish-mash of poorly balanced systems that translates to an experience that feels like a chore. The story is frustrating, the only aspects that are great are the ones carried over from Metal Gear Solid 5 and the overall gameplay loop is monotonous. Metal Gear Survive ironically won't survive the test of time, though in several years' time you'll probably not be able to play it anyway.
Payday 2 is a very competent FPS game that allows you to tackle it in just about any way imaginable. Unfortunately, when it comes to the Nintendo Switch version, the price, performance and the fact that content is lacking behind versions that have been out for years will only make it worth purchasing for gamers who are desperate for a new FPS on the go.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition does almost everything it sets out to do; it breathes new life into an absolute classic, and allows us to put on those rose-tinted glasses for another long campaign across the map, dominating through any means possible and constructing an empire very few could dream of. It still suffers from a few issues that the original did, but what more can you ask from a game that is older than half the people you play against online these days? It's definitely worth purchasing, if only for the nostalgia factor.
I haven't been touched by a love story like this since reading Scott McCloud's The Sculptor, a wonderful and affecting graphic novel. Fullbright is probably the only other developer that could claim to do love right with Gone Home, but Mountains can stand proudly alongside them. In a medium so fixated on hurting others, it's refreshing to enjoy a slice of life story about the complexities of love, romance and life itself.
Like Unravel before it, Fe is another triumph for the EA Originals program as Zoink don't hesitate to flex their creative muscle. Despite a few foibles, the core mechanics are sound enough. Though it's in its world-building and artistic direction that Fe truly shines, with a spacious map that sparks the kindling of exploration and ignites that love for adventure.
Whilst I think that it's a little bit overpriced (and should include Bayonetta 1 on a physical cartridge), it's almost impossible to deny the brilliance of both Bayonetta games. Bayonetta herself is one of the sassiest characters in gaming and the combat is simply better than any hack and slash action game that I've ever played (and still is to this day). The game is only made better by the enhanced performance and portability provided by the Nintendo Switch and it's one that every Switch owner should have in their collection.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has clearly had a lot of love and effort put into it, but it's unapologetically appealing to a very specific niche. The authenticity and realism is like no other, and that niche is bound to be pulled into its world for hours on end. Unfortunately, this dedication to realism is ironically what really stopped me from immersing myself into the well realised world of Bohemia, which is a huge shame.