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The original Knack had gamers hoping for so much, but failed to deliver. Thankfully, the little guy from launch has been fleshed out in Knack 2. The game is full of improvements and is a much more enjoyable experience (especially in co-op). It's well worth checking out for platforming fans.
This is a perfect start to a new Life is Strange saga and left me wanting more as the original series did so expertly. If you're already a fan of the series you'll feel right at home (although I do miss Max…) and if you're new, it ain't a bad place to start. If anything I would envy the chance to play this first before the original game, as my final choice and decisions throughout the original might have been very different having become attached to Chloe before Max.
After a lengthy wait, we finally have the long running Everybody's Golf series on Playstation 4. The new elements aren't quite as expansive as hoped, but the core game is still incredibly delightful
Ubisoft have crafted something extremely special in Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, and it's absolutely worth the time, effort, and patience to see it all the way through to the end. The references, the tone, and the way it all works with the Switch's portable nature makes it one of the platform's best by a good mile.
Despite its flaws, Sonic Mania is the type of game that players can keep going back to over and over. It has the replayability of the classic Sonic games with minor modernisations for current day gamers, and is sure to appeal to old and new players alike. For a franchise that for a while seemed to flounder and suffer from subpar titles, it offers hope to fans that there will be more to return the series to its former glory.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a great standalone adventure featuring two extremely charismatic personalities. There's a story here that's brilliantly told with intertwined gameplay/narrative design that I've not seen in a game in some time. The intriguing relationship of Chloe/Nadine made playing through the game more than worth it, and some questionable new gameplay mechanics couldn't detract from an otherwise brilliant experience.
If subtlety was a person, I'm pretty sure the Agents of Mayhem would tell them to "suck it". It flies its flag of in-your-face attitude with pride and does it so well, that you can almost forgive it for making really lame jokes about things like Uranus. If you're looking for some unadulterated adult fun, then I recommend becoming an Agent of Mayhem today.
Matterfall is the kind of game Housemarque does best – easy to learn, but a little harder to master. Achievement hunters will find themselves speedrunning and shooting through for the high score points, while other players will have loads of fun with the zero-G and Matter mechanics. Matterfall's quick and frantic gameplay won't be for everyone, but for those who really dig sci-fi and shooters, it is definitely a must-get.
Fullbright captured lightning in a bottle with Gone Home, and I began Tacoma wondering whether they could hold onto it, as rare as that is. Thankfully, they did. The core mechanics are simple, yet they make sense within the game's world. Most importantly, they do not over-complicate matters. It allowed us to take in another magnificent Fullbright narrative.
I know Hellblade won't be the catalyst to us understanding mental illness overnight, but, again, it needs to be stressed that Ninja Theory took a bold risk here and their art is going to change perceptions somewhere down the line. It's a game where the difficulty of its subject matter trumps its combat, which is unfortunate. How a group of twenty people can make one of the most affecting games of the year, when teams of hundreds routinely fail to do so, is beyond me.
In 2017 we are far enough divorced from what was expected of a Final Fantasy title in 2006 that we can really appreciate how XII shook up a series steeped in tradition, giving us a uniquely interesting RPG that still holds up today.
I don't know if my expectations were too high, but due to a unforgettable soundtrack, lacklustre strategy mechanics and largely boring gameplay, Patapon is an interesting concept, which couldn't decide whether to focus on the music or strategy elements and ended up in an awkward and messy middle ground.
Overall, Splatoon 2 is more of the same goodness that the original provides, with some graphical and gameplay improvements and additional game modes and maps. New players will find the game quite easy to adapt to without being out of their element, and experienced players will be able to dive straight in and get shooting.
The action that takes place in the arenas of Pyre is explosively fast-paced and laced with magical allure. While the action that occurs off the field is a satisfyingly slow unravelling of dense lore and affecting individual tales. These contrasting styles interchange flawlessly throughout the game's duration - creating a rhythm for the journey that consistently feels unpredictable and exciting. Even with all its blemishes, Pyre is a rousing expression of exceptional high fantasy. The PC version of this game was played for the purpose of this review.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a somber and peaceful game. Its gorgeous visuals, astonishing environments and the fun core mechanics of discovery make for a joyful experience. However, despite the polish and the variety of things to do, the game lacks finesse in its storytelling and personality in its characters. This keeps Yonder from being an incredible game, but it's still a great one.
Rugby League Live 4 is a step in the right direction. There's a level of polish that we haven't seen in an Australian sporting game in some time and whilst there's still some A.I issues, I never felt that they changed the result of the game. Attack is more realistic, which can lead to frustration when trying to get over the line, but the game rewards you for spending time with it and learning the new offensive/defensive mechanics. If you liked the last game, there's no reason why you won't like this one even more.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is completely at odds with itself. At times, it doesn't feel like an expansion – featuring just more of the same rote quest designs that you've seen in Elder Scrolls Online. At other times, the writing is some of the best in the entirety of the Elder Scrolls Online world. Nostalgia for the region aside and Battlegrounds that'll surely flourish with updates, Morrowind doesn't do anything aggressively offensive, but doesn't quite innovate either.
The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has exceeded my expectations as an overall package. Vicarious Visions have done a really good job at improving the overall presentation of all three games as well as fine-tuning things such as the save system and added time trials. Above all, they've accomplished this whilst maintaining the core platforming aspects that made Crash so memorable to begin with.
It's a rarity these days that you come across a game which feels like nothing you've ever played before, but ARMS is exactly that. It's fresh, vibrant and genuinely a lot of fun to play. It's a fighting game with depth, which even non-fighting enthusiasts can get into. I have some concerns about how long it will take for the game to become stale in its current state, but I'm equally excited to see where Nintendo takes the franchise.
It's brutally old school and will push your hand-eye to the limit, but Wipeout Omega Collection represents style, substance and value for money in equal measure. This is a glorious homecoming of a flagship PlayStation title, an unmissable synaesthetic treat for your ear and eye holes that earns its light-seizure warnings. Your Star Wars prequel memes are mistaken. THIS is pod racing.