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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a refreshing take on the traditional Borderlands formula. It’s not so far different that I can recommend it to people that don’t like the design of Borderlands, but if you are, or you’re a fan of fantasy games or looter-shooters then there’s a lot here for you to like. It’s incredible writing, performances and endless amounts of customisation will keep players coming back to replay the game or enjoy it’s endgame content for a long time to come. If Gearbox decide to make Tiny Tina’s world a staple series alongside releases of core Borderlands games, that’s something I’d fully be on board with.
Ghostwire Tokyo is a brave new direction for the team at Tango Gameworks. It still retains that unsettling spooky vibe at it’s core but the team have shown that they can make environments that look stunningly beautiful at the same time. The game’s setting and combat system won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but after the first few hours the game really grows into something that I really enjoyed exploring and is fuelled primarily by it’s sense of mystery and supernatural weirdness.
Elden Ring is a masterclass in design and worldbuilding. The challenge certainly won’t be for everyone but it’s rich world and incredibly rewarding gameplay has me wanting to spend so many more hours discovering everything that’s on offer. The team at FromSoftware have combined and enhanced the systems that made their previous games loved so much and injected more to make this game feel large and fresh. Above all else I’m glad the collaboration with George R.R Martin hasn’t been wasted, as the story is some of the best that FromSoftware have put out thus far.
Sifu is a Kung-fu masterpiece that puts you right in the shoes of a martial arts master. Though you’ll have to put in the hard work to get there, it is a rewarding ride that comes with a real sense of accomplishment when you reach the end. It’s striking art style, fluid animation, brutal combat, combined with it’s unique death & rebirth mechanic comes together to create a game that is truly fun and rewarding to play.
Whether you’re jumping into these 2 games for the first time or not, they’ve never looked or played better than they have in this new collection for the PS5. I was a little disappointed with the lack of any new content and the removal of the core game’s multiplayer mode, but for those that play Uncharted purely for the single player experience this is clearly the definitive way to play the (currently) concluding chapters to the series.
Ultimately, Skyrim Anniversary Edition offers more options for player choice. It’s the same core game we’ve been enjoying for 10 years but now with some new quality of life enhancements and a bunch of content that can be activated to modify the game. There are over 500 new elements that can be activated to tweak your experience. Some of the content may be for you and some won’t be, and that’s fine, you have the choice to use what you want.
Death’s Door absolutely deserves all of the praise I’ve been hearing about over the last few months. It’s a gorgeous game that has an interesting premise and is really well paced, allowing you to complete the main story in around 8 hours and not overstaying it’s welcome at any point. Now that it’s on more platforms than ever, you really have no reason not to check it out. Death’s Door can certainly stand alongside any of the biggest games of the year when it comes to overall fun and quality and will no doubt win plenty of awards as we head into awards season.
Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy was a fantastic surprise. I was sceptical going in but I was quickly blown away by the visual quality and art direction of the game, it’s great writing and its incredible soundtrack. Guardians of the Galaxy is another hit for Marvel Games and I can easily see it showing up on many game of the year lists at many outlets later this year.
Overall, Far Cry 6 is a great entry in the franchise and is suitable for first time players or series veterans. It retains many of the core features players expect from a Far Cry game, but it’s introduction of many new systems, graphical improvements, along with another iconic villain makes it a strong contender for the best Far Cry game yet. While I wasn’t completely sold on all of it’s RPG inventory mechanics, it’s a great modern entry and the most engaging title in the series for myself since Far Cry 4.
Metroid Dread is an absolute joy to play. It’s roughly 10 hour adventure is well paced, the controls are buttery smooth which further helps Samus feel like an extension of yourself and by the end of the game you feel unstoppable with how second nature unleashing Samus’ abilities becomes. It contains the great enemy and world design we’ve come to expect from the series and retains the stunningly detailed Metroid art direction. I continue to love this world and characters and really hope it’s not many many years before we get another great adventure with Samus.
I really enjoyed my time with House of Ashes, as I have done with the Dark Pictures titles thus far. Much like horror movies, they won’t be for everyone and there are certainly characters here too that fall into many of the known tropes we come to expect from the genre, but it’s setting, character choice, technical improvements and replayabilty makes it all a fun horror experience. I’m still aboard the Dark Pictures train and I can’t wait for the next entry that will hopefully hit us around the same time next year.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is a pretty great first video game entry for the Demon Slayer series. While it’s exploration and roster is a little thin, it’s presentation of the story and it’s flashy, engaging combat had me addicted to both it’s main adventure and online modes. I’m interested to see how the game expands and is balanced over time with new fighters continuing to be added in post release updates, but most of all I’m interested to see what features and tweaks can be implemented in a sequel.
Jett: The Far Shore delivers a tranquil, discovery based sci-fi experience that allows you to feel what it may be like to colonise a brand new planet. Everything is new and you’re unaware what is friend or what is foe but the experience is all about gaining knowledge. While the game certainly has some flaws, and some quality of life improvements would be much appreciated, I still enjoyed uncovering the game’s twists and mysteries enhanced by Jett’s soothing soundtrack.
Alan Wake Remastered has not only enhanced the existing game, securing it as the best way to currently enjoy it, it’s also made the game accessible to a wider audience as it’s launching on the PS4 and PS5 for the first time. I’m a fan of well paced stories, filled with twists and turns and Alan Wake ticks all the boxes there, while also gripping you within a well developed yet unsettling world. I for one am hoping the recent rumours of Alan Wake 2 are all true as I can’t wait to experience more from this world and see what the talented folk at Remedy cook up next.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an incredible debut effort from the clearly talented team at Ember Lab. It’s stunningly gorgeous, has a great cast of characters, varied enemy types, has a well paced story all backed by an engaging soundtrack. It certainly has me excited to see what could be implemented into a future sequel if that’s what the team decides to do next, but regardless I’ll be there to check out what Ember Lab launches next.
Whether you’re an existing fan of Life Is Strange or a series newcomer, there’s a lot for you to love here within True Colors. The story is the strongest to date and my personal favourite of the franchise, and when backed by it’s stellar soundtrack, there are many moments that deliver such a powerful emotional punch. I thoroughly enjoyed my time adventuring through Haven Springs as Alex and I’m incredibly excited to see where the team at Deck Nine take the series next.
Overall, Deathloop is an absolute joy of a game. It’s 60’s aesthetic, combined with a fun and unique take of the time loop genre allows the game to be played in many different styles. If you’re a fan of time loops, or any of Arkane’s previous games, you’re going to have a blast with Deathloop. It certainly has me keen to see what we’ll get from the studios after Redfall, but in the meantime I’ll be jumping back in for a few more loops.
Tales of Arise is a notable step forward for the series, and it’s actually made me want to go back and investigate previous entries I’ll need to add to my gaming backlog. It’s full of fantastically written characters, a well developed world and drastically different biomes that assist in keeping everything visually interesting. I’ve had a great time with the game and can’t wait to see what’s next for these characters I’ve already fallen in love with.
Ultimately, the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is more of the same great game I already loved, and truthfully, it’s really all I wanted and expected. The Iki island itself provides a fresh environment to explore and spend time within and playing through the game on the PS5, I loved the added immersion the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers were able to provide. Whether you’ve played through the whole main game, or if you’ve never jumped into Ghost of Tsushima, there’s plenty new to love here and is undeniably the definitive way to now experience Ghost of Tsushima.
After playing through Hades, I can 100% agree that all of the praise and awards have been absolutely warranted. The game is a masterpiece when it comes to game design, with all of it’s systems existing so cohesively they create one hell of an addicting and insanely enjoyable experience. It’s rare that a game manages to tick all of the boxes, but with Hades’ incredible writing and cast of characters, rewarding systems, it’s music and the way that it provides a fresh take on the roguelite genre, it’s certainly done it for me. Hades is a rare masterpiece in gaming and I certainly can’t wait to see what the talented team at Supergiant cook up next.