GGRecon's Reviews
THE FINALS is some of the most fun I’ve had with a first-person shooter in years. The impressive technology that enables real-time destruction on such a scale creates a playground that’s joyous to experiment with and rewards creativity. With a core gameplay loop that stands solid and a decent foundation to build upon, Embark Studios is all set to support a shooter that can finally rival the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Asgard's Wrath 2 is the most impressive showcase for any VR headset I've seen and is a game I'm desperate to get back to even after writing this review. Packed full of secrets, layered with systems, and likely to get even better over time with new in-game events, it's a huge RPG that's worth exploring.
Ready or Not is a game that is designed to make players feel uncomfortable. In one way, its tense gunfights and the uncertainty of what's behind the next door achieve that in spades. On the other, the locations and missions will cut a little too close to reality for some.
There are lots of design choices I didn’t mesh with in Frontiers of Pandora. I love the world, but barriers blocked me from fully immersing myself in it, and it’s littered with activities and outposts plucked straight out of the 2010s and planted in Pandora’s soil.
Arizona Sunshine 2 is the closest VR has come to a popcorn action flick, and I found myself loving it for that. It's more than a little rowdy, and a tad rough around the edges, but it also offers some of the most delightful interactive elements of any Quest 3 game I've played so far.
Despite some gameplay issues that hold the game back from greatness, it is the evident love and care that has been poured into Realms of Ruin that carries the game high up the list of the best Warhammer games. While it probably won't win over hardcore strategy fans, the Warhammer community will feel right at home in the wastes of Ghur.
Let's Sing 2024 is a must-have for musical families. Its eclectic song selection surprises, delights, and occasionally frustrates, but if you're looking to live your singing superstar fantasy from the comfort of your own home, there's no better way.
A fun tactical RPG for newcomers and veterans to the genre, Persona 5 Tactica is a must-play for any Persona 5 fan thanks to its wonderful cast of new and returning characters, alongside an approachable yet deep combat system. Whilst the story and gameplay aren’t as gripping as its source material, Tactica is still the best Persona 5 spin-off by far. If you’re starting to feel the itch waiting for Persona 6, this latest stint with the Phantom Thieves will help make the holdup a little bit easier and will have you come away smiling.
Modern Warfare 3 is disappointingly mediocre. However, as any CoD fan will tell you, the legacy of MW3 will be determined over the course of its multiplayer lifecycle, and how Sledgehammer chooses to respond to community feedback.
Risk of Rain Returns might not be quite as free-flowing as its 3D successor, but it's a brilliant recreation of the original title that started it all. It hooks you and keeps you playing, dying, then playing again.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a throwback and a step forward, putting a potential end to what came before on the way to something new. As it does so, it is a shorter, but still truly excellent example of everything that has made the Like a Dragon series so great for so many years.
Football Manager 2024 is a true return to form for the series. Every addition we have seen feels important, more so than in the last couple of years, whilst the frustrations of FM23 have been left behind. The debate about annual releases will always rage on, but in this case, it’s justified. The narratives that develop throughout a save, the relationships you create with players and the joy of a last-minute winner are as prevalent as ever. Sega and Sports Interactive often tout this series as the most authentic, complete footballing experience - and this year, it's hard to argue.
My Time at Sandrock is a game that you’ll have no trouble getting into if you’re a fan of the genre. If you’re new to cosy games on the whole, though, it’s also one that is easy to pick up and play - making it a great entry-level title for those checking out something slower in the colder months and dark nights.
From the moment you fire up Robocop: Rogue City and see his cruiser’s bumper scrape up the ramp, it is clear who the game is for - if you’re a fan of the 1980s classic you’re in for a treat. Otherwise, the poor performance and uninspired gameplay make it hard to recommend the game to someone who isn’t already a fan of OCP's finest. One thing you can’t take away from Teyon is they have delivered a true-to-the-film Robocop experience, but whether you'd buy that for a dollar is up to you.
Alan Wake II is Remedy’s most significant achievement so far, and if it can carry the same aura into the winding halls of the Bureau in Control’s upcoming sequel, then there is little doubt that Remedy Entertainment will deserve to be heralded in the upper echelons of single-player mastery with the likes of Insomniac, Santa Monica Studio, and Naughty Dog.
With a unique art style, gorgeous soundscapes, and a world you’ll want to keep exploring, Jusant is one game I’ll likely remember and regard highly for quite some time.
Song of Nunu will certainly be a fun and cosy adventure for players looking to get started with League of Legends, veterans of the series excited to see the story expanded, or a younger audience looking to experience a family-friendly platformer.
For hardcore competitive players, the gameplay improvements might be enough to coax them across. As for the regular fans who want the next evolution in UFC games, I'm not so sure they will find enough here to justify the purchase. If you have been away from MMA games for as long as I have, UFC 5 is a fantastic way to jump back in - but UFC 4 might be just as good.
The more I played Super Mario Bros Wonder, the more I fell in love with its whimsicality and endless redefinition of what Mario can be. It’s a glorious reimagining of Nintendo’s most iconic franchise. It takes the ingenuity and innovation that made Mario’s 3D escapades some of gaming’s greatest achievements and finally introduces them into the side-scrolling world. Wonder is everything I wanted it to be, and might be the most inventive 2D platformer Nintendo has ever made.
Ghostrunner 2 is exactly the kind of sequel you'd want after the first game - expanding on the concept with more gameplay options, encounters, and mechanics to great effect...Not all the improvements are straight home runs, and some bugginess does occasionally frustrate - but they aren't big enough deals to distract from what is an overwhelmingly fun gameplay loop.