GamePitt's Reviews
To me, 343 Industries have succeeded with Halo Infinite in two of the most important gaming aspects, its brilliant gameplay and story. Graphically it may be underwhelming, on the Series S at least, and it could have at least done with six months more of polish, but this was easily the most fun I’ve had with a Halo game since Halo 3. The open-world setting of Zeta Halo breathes new life into the series and gives players the freedom to explore with plenty of opportunities to fight the Banished in whatever way you wish, whether on foot, via ground vehicles or by air. This is a major return to form for the Halo series and it’s great to see Master Chief back to finish the fight!
If you love interactive stories, such as the ‘Walking Dead’ era of games from Telltale or the Life is Strange series, then you’ll really enjoy Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo.
Beyond a Steel Sky is a brilliant sequel to the 1994 classic point-and-click game, Beneath a Steel Sky. The gameplay and mechanics have been perfectly modernised without losing the humour and style of the original game, reuniting both Robert and Joey once more with the same witty dynamic. The new hacking mechanic greatly enhances the puzzle elements, combined with good old-fashioned inventory and environmental puzzles, offering a fun distraction from the well-written narrative that’ll have you hooked. It may have been 26 years (ten in-game), but it was worth the wait – let’s just hope we don’t have to wait that long for their next adventure!
Overall, Forza Horizon 5 is easily the champion of racers. The variety and freedom on offer, from the vast quantity of activities to vehicles and the different biomes of Mexico, all create the most enjoyable racer I have ever played. The Showcase events feel epic and are greatly complimented by the games’ gorgeous visuals, especially the dynamic weather system that adds an extra layer of excitement with dust storms that can engulf you and the tropical storms that you can see rolling across the sky for storm chasers to seek out. Whether you’re a racing enthusiast or not, Forza Horizon 5 will have you belted in for a complete joyride!
Thanks to the addictive gameplay, fantastic visuals, and interesting story, Chorus is easily one of my favourite games of 2021. The gameplay is solid, smooth, fast, and very exciting, hooking you immediately with the mechanics yet keeping you addicted via the engaging and intriguing story. Even if you’re not a fan of the dogfighting genre, or you’ve not played one before, if you have any interest in arcade-style combat enclosed within a mysterious and exciting narrative, then you’ll love Chorus.
Personally, I’d say that Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is one of, if not THE, best game from Frogwares so far. It takes the open-world and immersive quest gathering aspects from The Sinking City and brilliantly combines them with the charm and quirky nature of Sherlock Holmes. Although the performance isn’t perfect at launch, it never impacted my enjoyment of the very interesting story, intriguing cases, well-written conversations, and wide variety of missions. Having to be mindful of what you wear, who you talk to, and what you talk about, makes you feel like Sherlock himself, it’s a level of immersion and interaction we’ve not seen in any of his prior adventures.
Petoons Studio must be commended for creating such an authentic Peppa Pig experience with My Friend Peppa Pig. My daughter loved playing along with Peppa Pig and her friends, she was fascinated that she was controlling a game that looked identical to the cartoon that she enjoys so much.
Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View is a brilliant thriller that fully immerses you as you spy on your neighbours and take a look at what secrets they have hidden behind closed doors. Each of your suspects has something to hide, but is it related to the attack and kidnapping which you’re unofficially investigating? With very little hand-holding, you must observe, investigate, and piece together just what is going on in Dahila View – overcoming your physical disability and letting nothing stand in your way of discovering the truth. Simply one of the best narrative adventure games I’ve played all year, enhanced by fantastic voice acting, well-written dialogue, and an exciting and intriguing story.
Overall, for my first time playing a game specifically aimed at children, I had a great time playing PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls with my daughter. It’s the first game that has truly captivated her and she could pick up and play herself. She would never fully complete it or find all of the collectables without my help, but as she grows older the game will at least help teach her the mechanics that she will need for more complex games. There is a good amount of variety within each mission and a fun selection of mini-games to keep my daughter wanting to keep coming back to play the game. The PAW Patrol team is most certainly ‘on a roll’ and it’s well worth visiting Adventure City to enjoy this child-friendly game.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is a very emotional and engaging narrative adventure, complete with very entertaining characters and a brilliant story. Every chapter is an emotional rollercoaster, bringing both highs and lows when you least expect it. Visually the game looks fantastic, in both 30 and 60fps modes, and Alex’s unique ability adds an extra layer to the already interesting and exciting experience. The Wavelengths DLC was a great experience, expanding on Steph’s time between Before the Storm and True Colors, but the lack of trophies makes this more of a bonus for hardcore fans of the franchise rather than those new to the series.
Pumpkin Jack is a brilliant throwback to old-school 3D platforming action games, providing a colourful adventure with a twist on the good vs. evil concept. Although you’ll most likely complete the game within six hours, if you’re very observant within each stage and find all the collectables, it’s a very enjoyable experience which anyone of all ages will find amusing and entertaining. The free next-gen upgrade greatly enhances the visuals over last-gen, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice half of the framerate – personally, I feel there should have been a third visual option as framerate and quality trump resolution every time. If you’re looking for a themed game to play this Halloween, and you’re not too keen on games filled with jump scares, gore, or intense spooks, then Pumpkin Jack is perfect. It even has the hidden Christmas mode which adds new content automatically during the month of December.
Alan Wake Remastered looks and feels like a 2021 game, despite technically being 11 years old with a new coat of paint. The gameplay is solid and still holds up today, the story is interesting and keeps you hooked, and the modern visual upgrades enhance the already thick and creepy atmosphere. I’m annoyed I overlooked this game upon its initial launch, but I’m also glad that I got to experience it at its very best on the PlayStation 5 – highly recommend for existing fans and those who have never played it before.
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases is a great game for those who wish to keep their brain and ‘little grey cells’ active. Although the exploration and investigation portion of the game is linear and guided, logically working out what key information links together is very satisfying and rewarding, especially when you get it right the first time. The story is very loyal to the source material, offering a new Poirot adventure that feels like Agatha Christie wrote it herself, complete with brilliant voice acting which is slightly let down by the inconsistent volume levels and quality. If you’re a fan of the famous detective and logical thinking, you’ll really enjoy stepping into his shoes and mind as you solve the mysterious cases within Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases.
Song of Iron brings together a visually beautiful rendition of Nordic environments and music, which is complemented by weighty combat gameplay that makes you feel like a true Viking, and while the game’s puzzles and traps are a little rough around the edges, they thankfully don’t hinder the overall experience. If that’s not enough to draw you in, simply pick it up to experience the story’s twist alone – it had me thinking I was drunk on Viking mead, it’s that crazy!
Psychonauts 2 is easily one of the most entertaining platformers that I have played in recent years. The level design is so impressive and constantly throwing new ideas at you that creates a fresh gameplay experience throughout the games lengthy story. Once again, Double Fine Productions have instilled themselves as some of the finest writers on the gaming scene with a narrative that successfully manages to walk the fine line of merging comedy with sensitive mental health themes and being completely respectful of the subject matter. Raz has equally become one of my all-time favourite gaming protagonists and I really hope we won’t have to wait another 16 years to jump into some new mind-bending experiences.
Murder Mystery Machine is a thought-provoking puzzle game that requires you to think outside of the box if you wish to obtain the best grade. Rather than having you solve the crimes committed by simply talking to and arresting the suspects, you must piece together the who, why, where, and how through the use of the initiative crime board mechanic. However, in order to get the best result, you must leave no stone left unturned and ensure you link every possible clue and conclusion to the correct reason and motive – which is very hard, even for veteran puzzle gamers. It delivers an interesting story over eight cases, full of suspects, clues, red herrings, beautiful dioramas, and victims, but can a rookie solve one of the biggest cases of her career?
Timothy’s Night is the much prettier, dolled-up twin-sibling to the original colour-less 2018 edition. Instead of simply porting the same game to the PlayStation 5, the developers have added more content, changed the whole colour scheme, updated various mechanics, boosted the visuals, and expanded the world, so despite being technically the same game, it felt fresh and new. Due to the ambitious visual overhaul, the game feels like it dips below 60fps at times, but not enough to distract you from the brilliant use of the DualSense controller and fun gameplay. Whether you’ve played the original game or not, Timothy’s Night is a fun game to replay or experience for the first time. There is no free upgrade, as it’s more of a remaster than a 1:1 update, but the 6-8 hours is well worth the price of the game. Also, it’s great to see a small indie developer fully utilise almost everything the PlayStation 5 offers in order to enhance their game and deliver a product closer to their vision, rather than a simple port with no changes.
I have to agree, Hades deserved every single award and critically acclaimed review it received, it’s one of the best roguelike games I’ve played on PlayStation. The visuals, voice acting, music, and gameplay all work perfectly together, creating a very polished, addictive, and challenging, yet rewarding experience which you’ll instantly become hooked on and find hard to put down. The game does suffer from a lack of variety when you’re playing in long sessions, but that’s because the game is beautifully hand-crafted rather than procedurally generated, so it’s to be expected. If you’re not mesmerised by the satisfying combat, strategically planning your upgrades and boon pick-ups, or wiping your sweaty palms after an intense boss fight, you’ll be fully engaged with the brilliant narrative and interesting NPC interactions.
Microsoft Flight Simulator offers the most detailed, realistic and impressive flight simulator package which is also an absolute marvel to play on Xbox consoles, whether it be the Series X or less powerful Series S. Asobo Studio should be congratulated for their accomplishment in bringing this game to consoles, especially with the fact that the game offers the whole world to explore, including real-time mapping and weather systems. For newcomers to the series, that may initially find the thought of a flight simulator daunting, you can be assured that the accessibility and assistance options, along with the flight training challenges, all help to offer an experience that is enjoyable whilst still feeling authentic. For flight enthusiasts, you don’t need me to tell you that Microsoft Flight Simulator is an absolute must-buy!
The Falconeer: Warrior Edition is one of the best dogfight games I’ve ever played, it looks beautiful, plays brilliantly, sounds amazing, and contains a lot of interesting gameplay and story to keep you entertained. If you feel the combat or missions are getting a little repetitive, go exploring and seek out hidden ruins and settlements, then return to the main story when you’re ready to progress, there’s no pressure to stick to a linear path. Casually take your time, bond with your warbird and enhance your abilities, then help out another faction as you uncover more of the story – it’s one of the best indie games I’ve played this year.