GameCloud's Reviews
Available for free, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a straight up must-play. Whether you’ve played any of the previous Life is Strange games, or are a newcomer to the series, Captain Spirit caters for all audiences regardless of exposure. More importantly, however, is the manner in which Captain Spirit tackles challenging issues while also being able to maintain a spirit of innocence at the same time. In all honesty, it manages to do this with a grace and style that very few other mediums, let alone video games, have been able to achieve with artistic integrity. Thank you sincerely Dontnod, for making me remember both the difficulty and innocence that comes with being a child.
Praise must be given to the developers at Codemasters for creating something truly original – a “racing” game that’s not about racing at all. It would have been easy for them to create another Motorstorm clone. Instead, they took elements of arguably one of today’s most popular genres, hero shooters, and combined it with fresh thinking of what a vehicular combat game can be, resulting in one of the most fun arcade “racers” on the market. Despite its lean offering and sometimes questionable presentation, Onrush is a fun ride and worth recommending to those looking for a different racing experience.
Unforeseen Incidents is a smart, funny, engaging, thoughtfully-designed adventure game, probably one of the best traditional point-and-click mysteries that I’ve played in years. In story, dialogue, artwork, puzzle building, pacing and accessibility, it cuts well above its newbie-studio weight. It’s more than the sum of its parts, and its parts are all outstanding. I wholeheartedly recommend it both to fans of the genre and curious newcomers alike.
While instituting a host of unique and exciting ideas, the problem is that Vampyr doesn’t offer you much more than that at its foundation. Performance issues instituted repetition, and minor mistakes make for a game that smacks of potential but never manages to stick the landing properly. A problem that seems endemic to the gaming industry are games that promise too much and often fall short of our expectations, and this is the case here. Vampyr is okay, and some will find enjoyment in playing it, but it’s far from the great game it could’ve been.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (and to be fair, the Wii U and 3DS versions before it) are a brilliant example of borrowing some toys from the big kids and still having fun even when you know you have to give them back eventually. Hyrule Warriors comes at you hard and fast with entertaining gameplay, a hefty amount of challenge and a myriad of content that would take even the most dedicated completionist a while to knock out, or more than a cross-country train trip anyway (kooloo-limpah!). If you're looking for something to scratch that Zelda itch or you want to smash some baddies and groove to some excellent tunes while you're out and about, you'd be hard-pressed to find a game that delivers so much in such a tight package. Even though it's not official Zelda, it's official that Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is definitely the best version of this game and that alone is enough to give this legend a look.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire knows its audience and understands their focus, delivering its best content where it matters most; the story. The world of PoE2 is alive and breathing and teems with hundreds of characters ready to pull you into their own plot threads. Though it is let down a little by its reverence to ancient combat mechanics and an attempt to tack on new systems, the game shows off the love and care of its creators in the complex, interwoven class systems that allow for incredible diversity in combat approaches, as well as the beautiful design and graphics work that sees the Deadfire Archipelago glowing as few settings have done before. PoE2 is a title that every serious RPG fan needs to spend some time on.
The best part of Detroit: Become Human is without a doubt the story, so it’s a huge shame I can’t talk about it in detail. If you’re not into story-driven games, then the gameplay certainly won’t engross you enough to make it worthwhile as the narrative is all Detroit really has. However, if you are interested in giving it a go, it’s a fascinating experience as the game explores AI and opens a dialogue about the impact they’ll have in society, their humanity and exactly what rights they should have if they were to become sentient. The story does have its up and downs for sure – there are plenty of tropes, clichés and a bit too much melodrama that stops it short of being a literary masterpiece. It also doesn’t bring any new ideas to the table about AI going rouge – but then again, as a piece of entertainment it does as described – it entertains. While it doesn’t excel as a “game” in the sense of the word, it’s easily one of the best experiences of its kind I’ve played, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
If you’ve played the original Dark Souls before, or the Prepare to Die Edition on PC, there really isn’t much here for you in the way of new content. So unless you’re dying to see Blighttown and Lost Izalith run at a steady frame-rate, I’d only recommend it if you’re looking for an excuse to replay the game. However, if you haven’t played this game before, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to pick it up. A lot of things that kept it from ageing well have been ironed out and make Dark Souls Remastered the definitive way to play this game. If you’ve ever been remotely interested or have played and enjoyed other Souls games, now is the best time to try it.
The Shin Megami Tensei series is exactly where you should be looking if you’re after a real test of your RPG abilities in an unusual setting, and Strange Journey Redux continues to justify this well-earned reputation. Between complex party management, difficult battles and an excellent mapping element, you’ll come through the other end so very satisfied with your accomplishments. The port’s extra features also fit flawlessly, meaning this is the best way to experience this game. Admittedly, it might not be the best entry for newcomers, and it does experience a slump in the mid-game, but it’s still easy to recommend to any established SMT fan.
It’s not uncommon for sequels not to live up to the hype established by their predecessors, but State of Decay 2 comes in below even those expectations. Both the design and the way it plays are so similar to the first game that it feels like an expansion to the original rather than a sequel. It even still has all the same bugs and technical problems of the first. The only major difference being that State of Decay 2 feels more aimless than its older brother because it had loftier goals that it couldn’t even begin to live up to. When the basic survival mechanics are a grind, chore, or straight up don’t work, you’re left with another stock-standard zombie survival game.
God of War is an exceptional game that modernises an antiquated formula while carrying forward and expanding upon the conventions that gave the series its own identity. Everything God of War is known for is here, but in brand new, elaborately constructed ways. Such reverence is given to the series’ history without fear of reinventing it, and the result is an incredibly high-quality experience far surpassing those that came before.
Ultimately, Yakuza 6 is a confident, self-assured game. Despite some of its technical issues and simplified combat mechanics, there is no other game currently available on the platform which quite combines its mature story, multi-faceted characters and offbeat side missions. The story is full of heart and charm and is bound to stick with players long after the credits roll. Yakuza 6 is a fitting send-off to series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu and is one of the more memorable games on the PlayStation 4 in recent memory.
For the most part, Frostpunk is exactly what I hoped it would be, and more besides. It's an aesthetically realised addictive management game, and it cleverly pulls in disparate gameplay elements to craft a feeling of isolated, desperate warmth against the crippling cold. I like it a lot. It also provides avenues for tyranny, if that's your thing. Its main issue at the moment is a slight lack of content, as its three scenarios suffer a bit in terms of replay value, but given the devs have already committed to future (hopefully unpaid) extra content, I'm hopeful this won't remain a problem for long.
For fans of the BattleTech IP, this game is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it's still worth a go but not the best game out there. While the core gameplay is fun enough, the difficulty of entry can be off-putting until you wrap your head around everything. Thankfully, the freedom of customisation that has kept so many BattleTech fans loyal to the series is on full show. Though its execution leaves much to be desired, the game is a solid entry in the BattleTech video game line-up that'll satiate your need for another Mechwarrior game for a while yet.
I could go on all day about the things I enjoy in Sea of Thieves, and even the things that get my blood boiling, but, suffice to say, I’m happy the game is as good as it is even with such a long journey ahead of it. As future months of content begin showing up, from new AI threats, to what sounds like another ship type, more mission types and even weekly events, I’m fully committed to updating this review to reflect the changes. I’m hoping Sea of Thieves hangs around for a while to come and continues to shine as bright as the golden age of piracy it calls home. Weigh anchor, set the sails! All aboard for adventure and for booty!
Far Cry 5 is by no means a perfect game. There are inconsistencies in its tone, the villains are forgettable compared to those in the series’ previous entries, and some of the mission design can be repetitive in nature. The co-op also comes with disappointing compromises. Ultimately, though, these shortcomings are made easier to bear in light of the game’s excellent gunplay, well-designed world, and stellar presentation. Planning and mounting the many assaults in the game never gets old, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is exhilarating and always makes you want to come back for more. This is what great games are all about, and what makes Far Cry 5 so easy to recommend.
Metal Gear Survive builds off of an excellent game to create something fundamentally different. Journeying through the dust and uncovering more of the map piece by piece is a rewardingly dangerous progression system, not unlike the save room style of Symphony of The Night or Resident Evil. Earning stronger and cooler gear while fitting out your base with bigger and better defences and resources is equally engaging, with new challenges consistently arising to replace those you’ve outgrown. It’s not a Kojima game, and it’s not a Metal Gear Solid game, but it’s a lot of fun and never fails to reward the time you put into it.
Chuchel is absolutely a game you might want to pick up if you have young kids, or if you want a couple of hours of good, unbridled cartoon humour. It’s otherwise not essential. Fans of Amanita’s other games may find something to like here, but also something lacking. For others, give your time to Amanita’s older titles first, particularly Botanicula and the Samorost series. These showcase a similar vein of creativity and humour to Chuchel but are overall more affecting and rewarding, if not quite as thematically or functionally child-friendly.
Much as Final Fantasy XV’s opening line suggests, this is a game for fans and first-timers alike. If you’ve not played FFXV before and want to give it a try, this is (probably) the best way to experience it so far. For those who’ve already played the game before, there’s so much to come back for after a year in post-development. Even if you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before, this is such a departure from the series’ usual style that I implore you to give it a try. Many of the major “improvements” promised by the development team have already been implemented, and there is a heap of extra content in the included DLC. As it stands, the only major issue with this otherwise solid port are the technical issues being faced by a minority group of players, and I suspect this won’t be the case for very long. If the quality of the future content holds up, I’ll likely be coming back for a third playthrough in another year’s time.
A Way Out offers a well-made game with a functional but dull story. There’s certainly fun to be had, but depending on who you’re playing the game with, you might want to stick to Fortnite instead. There’s nothing particularly profound about the game, and the story doesn’t stand up to the immense pressure the game forces on it. If you’re looking for a 5-hour detour into cinematic gameplay with a buddy, I’d say try A Way Out, but don’t expect an Oscar-winning performance.