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RICO is a charming game little game which is good fun to play if you can overlook some of its flaws.
Hitman HD Enhanced Collection is a messy bundle of fun. It houses two incredible games—one vastly more entertaining than the other—but it doesn’t feel like enough effort was put in to make them feel enhanced. Better lighting, framerate and resolution help during gameplay, but low-quality pre-rendered cutscenes make the experience feel rather rushed.
Farming Simulator 2019 fails to improve on its predecessors in any meaningful way. It adds horses, customizable farms and slightly improved visuals, but many of its fundamental flaws are still lingering underneath. If you like Farming Simulator, you’ll like this – it’s pretty much exactly the same.
Call of Cthulhu is an interesting and intriguing, mystery adventure with a tortured detective. The investigation alongside the use of the RPG systems are the strongest highlights of the game, but poor stealth mechanics, boss encounter design and questionable endings fail to take the game to greater heights.
Gunfire Games have done well in providing an engaging and satisfying third entry in the Darksiders franchise. With meaty, fast combat and fantastic character designs, I want everyone to play a version of Darksiders 3 that doesn’t feel like it’s imploding. As enjoyable as it is, it can’t escape from its technical shortcomings. It’s a sinking ship but the band is still playing – at least the song sounds good.
At its core, Mages of Mystralia is fun and appealing. If you can get past the lack of instructions and the poor pacing, it’s a fun little journey into a well-built world.
Rebellion has returned to a good-enough sub-series with a better-than-average sequel. Better visuals, better combat and better creativity has created an enjoyable game, but it still struggles against an always-increasing sea of undead competitors. While removing local co-op leaves a sour taste, it’s not a deal-breaker, but that core feature removal isn’t replaced with any feature that feels as substantial. It’s diminishing returns.
Overpass isn’t a great looker; it’s only an adequate player – if that’s an accurate descriptive. Playing it for more than half an hour at most still leave you craving for something more nuanced, interesting, and far more polished. However, this is likely to be the only experience like it for quite a while.
No matter how you look at it, Resident Evil 3 is a stark fall from grace for Capcom. With the developer firing on all cylinders ever since the return-to-form release of Resident Evil 7, this is the company’s first blunder in years.
Little Town Hero is a very unique RPG. It’s short, unadventurous and not that grand, but its quaintness is admirable. It’s enjoyable enough, and for a budget price-point, it certainly is worth the price of admission. For players who were hoping for a grand adventure similar to Pokémon, Game Freak isn’t aiming for that. This is a smaller experience, and it’s far from perfect, but it’s at least a refreshing entry in a crowded genre.
Sandbox mode is a wonderful way to pass the time but only if you can get past the constant lag. If you’re looking to relive childhood nostalgia but with a more modern set of features, I’d recommend getting RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic instead.
Claybook is a game that looks beautiful and plays well. It’s just a shame that once you scrape the clay off the surface, it’s a short experience with somewhat repetitive tasks.
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is a slice of gaming nostalgia that’s been neatly polished to fit with the modern age. If you can look past the price tag, or if you played the original when you were younger, or even if you were a fan of other Eurocom games such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, then I’d heartily recommend adding it to your gaming library, regardless of whether it’s the Nintendo Switch or the desktop version.
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl makes for a tremendous NES game, which might make it a great addition to your retro collection, but might come across as more of a novelty when played on modern hardware. Enjoying this game is a matter of context – if you’re playing on original NES hardware, then you’re likely going to be more forgiving of any inherited clunky mechanics. Regardless of how you play, there’s a lot of heart in this mall brawler, with lots on offer to enjoy for retro enthusiasts and Kevin Smith fans alike.
Is XCOM: Chimera Squad as good or as deep as XCOM 2? Not by a long shot. But I do appreciate Firaxis willing to try new things in the lead up to whatever comes next.
Despite some awful balancing, repetitive environments and other niggling issues, Resident Evil Resistance is a game I keep coming back to, when the arduously long wait times to find a match allow me to. It’s not an amazing game – its inclusion as a pack-in multiplayer mode for the underwhelming Resident Evil 3 speaks volumes – but goddamn is it unique. Well, it’s Fable Legends, but then Fable Legends doesn’t exist.
Long story short, unlike my journey across the not-so savage planet: if you’re looking for fun with a hearty helping of a challenge, you’re in the right place. If you’re looking for a serious game with deep lore, you’re in the wrong place. Journey To The Savage Planet is a short but sweet and fun romp across a shallow pond, not to be taken too seriously but to be enjoyed without thinking too hard about it. I’d love to see a more in-depth sequel in the future but, for now, I’ll remain content with slapping rocks and loving my Pufferbirds.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a different kind of survival game, one that's ambition sees it continually ride a fine line between being enthralling and infuriating. To refine 10 million years of human history into roughly 50 or so hours of playtime (providing your clan survives) is a staggering feat, for sure, but some mechanics are so abstract that it'll leave certain players at a loss. Providing you have the patience for it, however, Ancestors can be a rewarding trip throughout human evolution.
If I was to summarise F1 2019, it’s basically F1 2018 with a little more fan service thrown in for good measure. For some, that’s all they’ll have wanted and expected. For me, this year’s minor additions just weren’t enough.
Sniper Elite has only evolved since this game’s original version, but the foundations here are still strong.