VGC's Reviews
Marvel Spider-Man 2 is an incredibly confident sequel and one of 2023's best games. Incredibly fun to play, fast-paced and full of heart, it takes the best of the Spider-Man lore, and the best of Insomniac's penchant for excellent gameplay sequences, and combines them for arguably the best Marvel game ever.
Total War Pharoah doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does introduce a handful of promising and sometimes deep new ways to approach the familiar formula. Combat is still hit-and-miss, but the approach to history and empire-building are among the best in the Total War series.
The new Forza is the best in the series to date when it comes to the look and feel of serious motorsport racing. Its relative lack of modes means it's something of a one-trick pony at launch, but that trick is an impressive one.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is a short, sharp trip through the blood soaked streets of Baghdad. A welcome return to the series' roots, Mirage is a breath of fresh air in the endless sea of open world adventure games.
Detective Pikachu is full of simple puzzes, witty dialogue and Pokemon to discover. It won't thrill older fans from a gameplay perspective, and it's visually inconsistent, but it will likely introduce throusands of young fans to a whole new genre of video games.
EA Sports FC 24 isn't the huge departure that we'd hoped for. While Ultimate Team devotees will likely be happy, the rest of the game feels like an afterthought in the transition away from the FIFA license.
Starfield is the ultimate Bethesda game. It takes what people loved about Fallout and Skyrim, and casts it across an enormous galaxy filled with captivating characters.
The Making of Karateka is a powerful statement of intent for what promises to be a superb series of interactive documentaries. Not everyone will click with the idea of focusing on a single game rather than your typical retro compilation, but those interested in the creative process will be fascinated by the content provided here.
Immortals of Aveum delivers high-octane magical action and a world we're fascinated by. While the narrative itself is predictable and the dialogue between characters can border on excruciating, the rock-solid gameplay is a magical foundation for EA to build on and develop into something special.
Disney Illusion Island looks and sounds incredible and doesn't do much wrong in terms of gameplay. It doesn't really do much to advance the Metroidvania genre, though, and while it's clearly designed to appeal to younger players the convoluted ending and hit-and-miss jokes mean we ended simply enjoying it, rather than loving it.
C-Smash VR is engaging, exhausting and exhilarating. A VR staple that we'll be showing friends for years, it nails the aesthetics, gameplay, and most importantly, the vibe of everything that's great about VR.
Pikmin 4 is a smart and content-packed refinement of one of Nintendo’s most underrated series, but long-time fans may be put off by how long its generous campaign takes to get going.
Final Fantasy has never played better, and 16’s cast is destined to be fan favourites. We just wish that when they are outside of the Hollywood blockbuster-tier adventures of the main quest, they were given some more interesting adventures to pursue.
Diablo 4's always-online requirement is a shame, and a few of the classes are somewhat slow to kick into high gear, but we're only able to muster minor complaints for what is easily a game-of-the-year frontrunner, and Blizzard’s best game since Diablo 3.
With the three titans of the fighting game space all releasing mainline entries this year, competition is going to be stiff, but Capcom is putting its best foot forward. The publisher’s incredible run continues with one of the most feature-rich, stylish, and enjoyable entries in franchise history.
Humanity’s invention and weirdness makes it the perfect tonic to an increasingly risk-averse industry, offering a welcome return to the kind of eccentric oddities that endeared millions to PlayStation in the first place.
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom reinterprets Breath of the Wild for the better. Instead of removing all the aches and pains of that game, it completes the circle by adding gameplay-based solutions to annoyances and encourages you to let your imagination run free. Easily one of the very best games on Nintendo Switch.
Redfall is a compelling adventure with killer combat and an atmospheric setting in which you can easily lose a weekend. Even though it feels watered down by Arkane’s systemic standards, it’s an ambitious, primarily successful experiment full of narrative nuance and unique ideas. Hopefully, Redfall’s shakeup of the genre will pave the way for more inspired looter shooters in the future and, selfishly… another immersive simulator?
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is Star Wars at its very best. A thrilling adventure with a stellar cast tied together with smart, expansive combat, and huge new worlds to explore. Performance issues aside, it's easily one of the best Star Wars games ever made and only makes us wants more tales from the adventures of Cal Kestis and BD-1.
Wayforward's generous remake package keeps much of what made the original Game Boys titles great, with some significant improvements to presentation and multiplayer.