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The result of merging together Diablo and Golden Axe should have been brilliant. It's a shame then that Moonfall Ultimate falls a long way short of that expectation. With more of a focus on explosive arcade combat this could have been a fun diversion, as it stands however there's far too many frustrating issues to see you to the end of its limited run time.
Into The Breach is a fantastic example of how you can play around with an established genre. Taking turn-based strategy and letting you see what is about to happen changes everything about what would normally play out. The feeling of intellectual superiority you feel when you outsmart the aliens is incredible and will keep you playing through every loss you will experience. Best of all the bite-size maps fit onto the Switch so perfectly that the idea of playing it on a PC is absurd. This is a game made for a handheld, and damn is it good.
While Freedom Planet doesn't hit the same dizzying heights as Sonic Mania, it is still an incredibly enjoyable platformer that just about manages to carve out its own identity. The great visual style really helps to build the world it is set in and the three playable characters help to give some replay value as you explore their abilities. By the end of the game Freedom Planet establishes its own way of doing things that puts it apart from its inspirations, it's just a shame that it doesn't do more to differentiate itself straight away.
I often feel like video game adaptations of anime are great entry points for people unfamiliar with the source material. Punch Line, however, is hard for me to recommend to anyone but the most hardcore fans of the original anime. While this game has interesting ideas that approach the same genre as cult-classic Ghost Trick, the sloppy presentation and pacing make it more of a chore than a pleasure to play through. A lot of the appeal of the original anime has also been lost in the switch of mediums. Fans of the anime will likely get enjoyment out of the new stories and beautiful character models. Anyone else is better off starting with the original television series or simply avoiding Punch Line altogether.
There's still plenty of potential left in the rogue-lite and I doubt these kinds of games will be going away anytime soon. As video games grow and evolve, we'll come to remember the select few roguelikes that truly shook up the genre and presented a polished, ultra-satisfying product. Hypergun will not be one of those games.
There are few games that can boast the level of personality and humour that Two Point Hospital does while still giving you something serious to sink your time into. For anyone with fond memories of Theme Hospital, this is the silly hospital management sim you've been waiting for.
Strange Brigade is a jolly good wheeze. The 1930's matinee cinema styling makes it unlike any other game on market and that's a rare treat. The campaign, although dragging in a few spots, is just the right length and has replayability thanks to the many hidden treats to discover, while the score attack mode and horde modes are pleasant, if rather flimsy, distractions. Tuning the accuracy of the weapons would make me very chuffed, but as it stands this is a sterling effort from Rebellion. I look forward to the further thrilling adventures of (dramatic pause) The Strange Brigade! Tally ho!
While Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age doesn't push the boundaries of RPG design in any new way, it is an enjoyable and refined return to the Dragon Quest franchise. Some might decry its lack of ambition, but for fans of the genre and the series, new experiences like this are few and far between.
Divinity Original Sin II: Definitive Edition is almost certainly the finest RPG experience on the current generation of consoles. The sheer range and depth of the combat coupled with the interesting and well written dialogue and story produces a vast and rewarding experience that continually surprises and delights. Ironically, the only real negative aspect is that the sheer size of the game is overwhelming and many will not see it through to the end.
For golf fans, The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour should be an essential purchase. It's the refinement of all of HB Studios previous work, and while the series may have started out as an indie underdog it now feels like a AAA sports franchise.
Death's Gambit is almost an above average 2D hardcore title, with challenging bosses and some solid environmental design. However the game lacks atmosphere and the story just doesn't quite take hold. The world is compact enough that repetition is unavoidable, and repeating the same steps can you wear down. Death's Gambit isn't a bad game but it simply doesn't have the spark that others in the genre do.
Since the release of Yakuza Kiwami, I've been dreaming of a remaster of Yakuza 2 to give what is easily my favourite game in the franchise the same level of modern day polish. Sega has delivered on that dream with Yakuza Kiwami 2, creating an incredible package that takes the best game in an incredible series, and makes it even better. You were already doing a disservice to yourself before by not playing Yakuza 2, but now there are no excuses. This is a must play.
Bad North has a lot of potential, but it wastes most of that by doubling down on simplicity over depth. In many rogue-lite games starting a new run is an exciting prospect, as you know your newly acquired player skill will carry you through, but the slower pace here makes it feel a lot more like having to do the hoovering again because someone ate a pastry with no regard for your nice clean carpet.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season is off to a terrific start. With the best graphics of a Telltale game to date, excellent characters who are all superbly performed and a central mechanic that sees the challenges of being a responsible parent come to the fore, this is the most excited and engaged I've been about The Walking Dead in years. Thanks to a clever character setup that sees Clementine and AJ's relationship echo that of Lee and Clementine from the original series, a palpable sense of foreboding has already been established. Will Clementine meet the same fate as her father figure before her?
I'm not going to lie, Guacamelee! 2 is easily one of the most fun games I've played this year and it's hard to fault it even at its most infuriatingly challenging moments. The game has incredible presentation, great level design and is just as good whether playing solo or in co-op. If you're looking for a light hearted Metroidvania or 2D platformer to play on the PS4, then you need Guacamelee! 2 in you life.
As far as nostalgia goes, plenty of aging gamers will fall for Shenmue's shonky charms all over again, and revisiting Ryo's tale of revenge can be a deeply enjoyable experience. However, newcomers will face an uphill struggle to get past the poor controls, terrible English voice acting and grinding repetition. It's still a great primer for the third game, but only if you've been here before.
F1 2018 takes the existing blueprint and adds many small elements to create one reasonably sized step forward. There are enough differences here to warrant a purchase over last year's edition. F1 2018 is easily the best Formula 1 game yet, but next time, small changes may not be enough.
Aces Of the Luftwaffe: Squadron does a lot of things right over its short duration. Tight gameplay, small innovations to the shoot 'em up genre and terrific local co-op. Unfortunately, the grind to level up characters and lengthen the playtime turns what was once fun into a tedious and frustrating slog.
Solid is the word I would use to describe H1Z1: Battle Royale on PlayStation 4. It's not the prettiest of games or the most clever, but it does what it does really well and it is a great alternative for those who find all the tree chopping and base building in Fortnite very tiresome. H1Z1 is off to a great start on PlayStation 4 and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
If you're someone who lives a life of danger, if everyone you meet is a stranger or perhaps you find that with every move you make another chance you take, then Phantom Doctrine is ideal for you. For everyone else, this is a deep and compelling tactical strategy game that provides innovation in a stagnant genre. I'll be playing it long after I've finished reviewing it, and I can think of no higher praise than that.