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With its smooth and bright visuals, catchy soundtrack and easy gameplay, LocoRoco Remastered is a great way to unwind and play something a little less serious. Not much has changed in eleven years since its initial release, but that goes to show how simple and solid a game it was at the time of release. Prepare to get stuck with earworms over the soundtrack though!
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.
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.
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.
Forza Motorsport 7 has a few issues under the hood that need to be addressed, but the strengths outweigh its weaknesses as the game offers the most diverse and well-presented title in the franchise to date, along with a contender for the racing game of the year.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has a better idea of what it wants to be when compared to The New Order, and feels like a slightly better game because of it. The action is solid, the set pieces are memorable, and the visuals are a delight. And yet, the stand out here is the story and writing. The New Colossus humanises B.J. Blazkowicz and his comrades in a way I'd never expect and is easily a game worth playing because of it. An amazing, unique shooter that does its own thing without compromise.
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.
Metroid: Samus Returns is an outstanding reinvention of Metroid 2 and a great game in its own right. After all these years and missteps, Samus is back.
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.
FIFA 18 is the most solid entry in the series in several years. The presentation has never been better and the game has never been more realistic. EA have made subtle improvements to the Frostbite based gameplay that was introduced in FIFA 17, but If you weren't a huge fan of the gameplay last year, then chances are you're going to still be quite unhappy with what is on offer here. There's major changes to The Journey for those that enjoy the single player portion of the game. FIFA Ultimate Team and Career Mode have also seen several changes that will be sure to impress the most hardcore of FIFA fans too.
I fell out of love with Assassin's Creed a long time ago, but Origins has recaptured the magic that made the series a powerhouse all those years ago. With its humble protagonist, whose outlook on life is clouded by relateable and crushing heartbreak, and a world so detail-rich, it's hard not to be floored by everything Origins manages to be. Assassin's Creed Origins is the definitive action-adventure game of the year. It's a wild power fantasy that satisfies not only a curious thirst for knowledge but both bloodlust and wanderlust to such lengths it's almost gluttonous.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds offers more of what I loved in the base game. There's an amazing new location, fantastic story and gameplay which continues to be fun. Thanks to the new locales, and expanded colours that feature in the world, the game looks more stunning than ever. If you enjoyed the base game, you will love what is on offer here. The Frozen Wilds is a fantastic victory lap on the way to a well deserved sequel.
With the 3DS nearing the end of its lifespan, games like this are often left to the wayside; but for loyalists and those not quite ready to upgrade, Monster Hunter Stories is definitely a game worth picking up. With a fun battle system that doesn't rely on grinding to level up, and a bright and open world to explore, Monster Hunter Stories takes its namesake in a completely different and impressive direction.
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.
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.
There's more reason to play Shadow of the Colossus than ever before. The presentation improves the incredible spectacle that the game is. The core gameplay can still be a little bit clunky at times, but the satisfaction from taking down the Colossus is greater than ever. At the cheaper price of admission ($54.99) that you'll be playing for this game, it's near impossible not to recommend it even if you've played it before.
Skyrim is exactly the kind of game that demonstrates the power of the Switch and what it wants to be. It’s a huge open-world, console-quality adventure you can with you anywhere. The port is fantastic, too, and the Switch-specific additions appreciated. Newcomer or not, Skyrim is a classic deserving of a revisit on Nintendo Switch.
Just like Rocksteady did for Batman, Arc System Works has carried Dragon Ball to the upper echelon, crafting a tag-fighting game that captures not only the series' distinctive style but its spirit. FighterZ stands alongside other versatile, yet accessible, games like Marvel vs. Capcom with ease in what is the best fighting game in recent memory. It's a shame the servers hamstring the experience so badly, rendering the game's online a bit of a mess.
Celeste not only joins a long list of phenomenal platforming royalty, but it stands as a mighty pillar among the very best of them. Its message is clear albeit clumsy, though that doesn't detract from its very real and relatable cast of flawed characters. It's challenging in ways many games aren't while managing to maintain an endless supply of magic.
God Of War is a cinematic masterpiece that manages to reinvent and push an already fantastic series to new heights. Barring some pacing issues in its narrative, Sony Santa Monica have breathed new life into Kratos and the God of War series, and I can't wait to see what's next.