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Whilst Pentiment promises to give players a fascinating narrative that takes all choices and actions into account, whilst exploring the themes of Politics and Religion in Europe in the 1500s, the uninteresting introduction, as well as the countless meaningless interactions throughout the title, makes itfeel much too long for what it is trying to achieve. There is an interesting plot to uncover here, but you will have to sift through quite a few hours worth of tedious dialogue with the occasional unnecessary minigame thrown in for ‘good’ measure.
Somerville left me with many more questions than answers, but the journey was well worth it in the end. Taking around 5-6 hours to complete, this puzzle adventure game revels in obscurity and almost completely forgoes dialogue, text and traditional HUD elements. The whole game is a tonne of fun to play and doesn’t hold your hand at all, making the tricky brain teasers mighty satisfying to conquer.
Even though this new remake contains some outdated RPG design elements and mechanics, the core gameplay is still as addictive and challenging as it was back in 1995. Almost every major battle is a true test of tactical prowess, and the new modernisations like stat buff cards, map rotation and trajectory prediction are simply the icing on the cake. Couple this with a fully remastered soundtrack and a great story full of political and personal intrigue, and you're in for an RPG experience that easily stands the test of time.
Sifu is a great game for those who love fighting games. Lots of combos to learn, and some awesome finishers to go with it. However, the story is a basic revenge story and the levels are very linear. If this doesn't sound like your kind of thing, don't bother. However, if it does, maybe get it on something other than a switch, just a suggestion.
It’s been 5 years since the last mainline 3D Sonic game, and the wait has definitely been worth it. The open-world structure really plays into Sonic’s strengths and it only contains a couple of gameplay issues that have plagued the series’ past. It’s just so satisfying to jump and run around these massive playgrounds while not having to worry about suddenly switching gameplay styles (like in the Sonic Adventure series) or turning into a godforsaken werewolf.
God of War Ragnarok is a perfect example of how a video game sequel should be done. Featuring a narrative that faithfully continues the story from 2018’s reboot, Ragnarok has many surprises hidden away in its stunning realms. Each realm looks breath-taking and takes full advantage of the PS5’s hardware. The gameplay is exactly what you would expect, with various touch ups and upgrades to make this feel like a true next gen experience. If you own a PS5, this belongs on your shelf!
This action-focused, survival horror take features a number of magical attacks, enemy-specific consumables and the balancing of mind, body and spirit to brave the storm. However, Jess’ story isn’t memorable in the slightest, while other main character arcs come and go faster than green grass through a goose. There are some enjoyable puzzles and music scattered throughout, and the fast-travel, bestiary guides and skill tree upgrades complement the game quite nicely. But overall, The Chant doesn’t offer anything spectacular. It’s still worth checking out, especially considering the game’s low price point. Although, the best practice should be to keep your expectations in check.
The Shadows of Rose DLC is a decent conclusion to the Winters family saga. Since you can finish this expansion in around 3 hours, Capcom packed the experience full of fresh puzzles, tight corridors and monsters that want to eat your face. Quite literally. Rose’s ability to freeze multiple enemies at once and counter their attacks is balanced very well. Making for some tense encounters and puzzle-solving moments where you need to freeze specific objects on the move. However, Rose’s story is quickly over before it ever gets off the ground, and the recycling of several assets and locations from Resident Evil Village may turn off some players. But for the low price this DLC is going for, it still may be worth checking out.
Signalis wears it’s survival horror badge proudly, with only a couple of gameplay and item-related issues that hold it back from nirvana. The anime and retro-styled presentation are a marvel to witness, and the story will definitely keep audiences intrigued. However, the narrative can seem a bit hazy at times and the focus is often placed on the sci-fi-themed lore of Signalis, rather than Elster’s personal journey. But if you can look past these concerns, this 15-hour trek through dark, desolate locales and eldritch-looking monstrosities is more than worth taking the plunge.
Creating a sequel to one of Telltale’s best games isn’t easy, but New Tales from the Borderlands gave it a red hot go. It’s characters are reminiscent of the original, while also being funny and likeable in their own unique way. The story is no slouch either, even though it does drop off in the latter half. Still, if you are a big fan of interactive movies and QTEs, then this new tale is certainly worth experiencing.
Gotham Knights successfully gives players a great new Batman title, without a heavy reliance on the Caped Crusader himself. The gameplay is fun, with combat feeling excellent, and the co-op really adds a whole new layer to the game. With an intriguing narrative that sees the Dark Knight’s understudies take up the mantle, Gotham Knights provides an exciting and emotional experience that is definitely worth picking up!
If you were ever on the fence about the original, now would be the best time to jump on board. The numerous updates to the formula expand Amicia’s toolkit in all sorts of fun and dynamic ways, making each encounter and puzzle to be solved an absolute treat. While the story and character development don’t leave too much of a mark, there are still some genuinely great scenes that bounce naturally between extreme tension and silly moments of levity. It isn’t every day you see such a tightly-focused stealth game like A Plague Tale: Requiem. So even if it’s only for the gameplay, this dense 18-20 hour journey should not be missed.
LEGO Bricktales fails to live up to its potential. The game’s building mechanic is really tedious and annoying. The LEGO pieces are often difficult to maneuver into specific positions and the controls are quite awkward. The level exploration is bland and the narrative is simplistic and uninteresting. Overall LEGO Bricktails is a real disappointment and not worth the time investment.
Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief should have stayed a Japanese exclusive. Multiple mechanics fall flat and the tedium of go-fetch quests quickly starts to stack up several hours in. Constantly spamming one button for a full minute to steal valuable items isn’t fun. Neither is repeating the same generic mission setup with extremely vague target instructions. Doesn’t help that the branching storylines and characters aren’t particularly interesting either, apart from a few interesting designs here and there. So if the wacky, over-the-top silliness can’t grab your attention, it’s hard to say what else will.
Valkyrie Elysium is a decent action RPG that’s rather short in length, but it’s combo-based combat grows stale hours before the credits roll. The game nails the melancholic, Norse-inspired atmosphere of the series, although the story, characters and side-quests that appear in these lands are anything but legendary. So if you don’t enjoy the combat, then there’s little else to latch onto.
FIFA 23’s gameplay feels so good to control, as EA has implemented a whole host of touch-ups within the presentation and mechanics for it’s final take on the series. The new inclusions to Career Mode like player personalities, transfer tips and being able to select a real-life manager really go a long way as well. While Volta Football still feels tacked on, the addition of full cross-play support for current and old-gen consoles makes it easier than ever for friends to jump into a match.
The DioField Chronicle effortlessly combines real-time strategy and tactical turn-based gameplay. Featuring a very approachable battle system that streamlines several elements of it’s presentation, so the focus always remains on combat. Albeit, the story is often too preoccupied with politics and plot-specific events that the audience probably won’t care too much about, along with a steep difficulty curve that forces players to complete optional content and AI that makes some rather silly decisions at times. If you can get past these issues however, the addictive hybrid gameplay should keep you hooked throughout.
Foretales is a great entry into the deckbuilding genre. Featuring a very simple gameplay style, this title is really easy to get into, but can still be challenging at times. The narrative is intriguing and the visual design is gorgeous. Foretales is definitely worth giving a go, whether you have played deck builders before or not.
Destroy All Humans! 2 does a great job of faithfully recreating the world that captivated so many fans back in 2006! The gameplay mechanics have been refined to make some aspects, particularly the psychokinesis, feel a lot more natural and slick to execute. The massive overhaul to the visuals makes the game look fantastic on modern hardware, whilst still keeping the semi-cartoony art style that was present in the original.
Deep Silver Volition took a bold step in setting Saints Row around a whole new crew, and it absolutely paid off. Featuring a cast of interesting and entertaining characters, this narrative reverts back to the more serious nature of Saints Row 1 & 2. Add to this some really slick combat and driving mechanics, as well as a world filled to the brim with fun side quests and areas to explore, and you have an absolutely stellar entry into the Saints Row series!