SIFTER's Reviews
Ultimately, the jury is out on if this will all come together and click as a satisfying longer-term live-service experience. There are a lot more activities, progression systems, and interesting loot ideas and actual endgame here to sink your demonic claws into. For now, Vessel of Hatred continues to be in dialogue with its own legacy, from setting its story campaign in the jungles of Diablo II’s Kurast to looking back at some of the key progression and power systems of the franchise’s own past that clicked with players and bringing them back with a new spin.
STAR WARS OUTLAWS had me giddy in points. I was walking down the dusty streets of Mos Eisley, past the hanger where the Millenium Falcon would have been parked up. Walking into the cantina and spotting the blaster mark on the wall which confirmed who shot first. Lots of little details make this visit to the galaxy far far away one of the most memorable of the last couple of years, but these cities felt real in a way I've never experience before, teeming and lived in, this open world game from Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment feels expansive and intimate at the same time.
BLUD is a game that knows what it wants to be and fully embraces its quirky, nostalgic identity. It’s clear the developers have a genuine passion and fondness for the fun of its inspiration material. And that fun comes through in the final product. Its art style and thematic elements will strongly resonate with those who fondly remember the era it draws from. However, the slow start, frustrating combat, and sometimes tedious social media aspects can detract from the overall enjoyment. If you’re drawn to the cartoon nostalgia and don’t mind a heavy dose of schoolyard drama mixed with your monster slaying, #BLUD might just be worth your time. For those less enchanted by its stylistic choices, there may not be a lot to keep you coming back.
CHILDREN OF THE SUN is a brutal revenge story wrapped in a neon-hued package of chaos and self-imposed challenge, curving bullets through the air to take out enemy after enemy in one deadly arc. This indie first-person puzzle-shooter left me conflicted, I both wanted more whilst also being pretty happy that it was over. Whether or not the broad strokes of vibrant violence and a jarring chaotic soundtrack is for you, well I'll let you decide, but I can guarantee there are some players out there who will return time and time again to take their revenge.
Until now there has been a weird gap where playing the Metal Gear Solid series legitimately was trickier than it needed to be, and it's fantastic that you won't need to go pricey second hand stores to go on another adventure with Snake (Solid, Liquid, Naked and the rest).
You know when I knew Assassin's Creed Mirage had got me? I found myself searching for the historical places and people just to learn more. That's something I remember fondly doing when playing the original on my Xbox 360 and Ubisoft have done a great job of recreating that feeling from all so long ago. If you've bounced off previous titles, this could be the game to bring you back the world of the Hidden Ones.
In a game where narrative is everything (and the only thing) - does the game succeed? Is this a story worth embodying? Are the conclusions satisfying? I think for me, the answer is yes.
Diablo IV offers a strong opening impression. It has a rich, detailed story campaign, filled with spectacle and gore. Its combat and game-feel is so satisfying. The classes feel distinct and play quite differently from each other. It feels so good to burst down screens of demons with spells and swords. Will it live up to other competitors in the ARPG space? It’s too soon to tell, but what’s here so far is extremely promising especially for players looking to enjoy an impressive horror story.
If you've worked in retail you'll recognise the little snapshots of a regular customer's life as they pop in and out of your life. It's those little relationships that this game captures so well and that still works well the second time around, but I did find myself feeling like the magic of the first game didn't hit quite as hard the second time around.
There are real monsters in the deep blue sea, and Black Salt Games' fishing adventure keeps pushing to dive in deeper and deeper. With a perfect balance of risk and reward DREDGE is compelling in short bursts perfect for the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch
MEG’S MONSTER is the perfect game for a parent, it’s a succinct experience that draws heavily on the 16bit era with a colourful cast of loveable characters. It might even make you cry, I’m warning you and if you're like me you'll find yourself smiling as you play.
Channeling some of the best moments of Assassin's Creed SAIL FORTH is a fun and light adventure that feels really fun when you've made that perfect line, approaching each island chain strategically, managing and outfitting my fleet and adjusting tack to make sure my crews didn't succumb to the briny depths.
The scifi horror game can't escape it's clear insipiration but it might have been better for it to try something new, it's an enjoyable science fiction horror story if you can power through some of the rougher elements of the gameplay design.
The one person passion project from German developer Matthias Linda re-works and banishes some of the genre's more frustrating staples and presents an exciting, fleshed out fantasy world meshed with some of the best strategic turn-based combat the genre has seen in years.
PENTIMENT is the sort of game that I don't expect is going to appeal to everyone, the point and click narrative game from Obsidian Entertainment (THE OUTER WORLDS, PILLARS OF ETERNITY) is very dense and it takes its time unfolding. Fans of history and the evolution of culture are in for something pretty special as you walk the labyrinth in contemplation of God, each decision weighing heavily on you, each decision determining what survives and what gets painted over. A masterclass in meticulous storytelling and design
SONIC FRONTIERS is clearly inspired by some of the best games of the last five years and on the whole is a fast, fun experience, with the odd speed bump along the way. It ties nostalgic classic Sonic courses with modern 3D platforming in a way that mostly works but isn't always seemless.
God Of War: Ragnarök then has some hefty God-sized shoes to fill and thankfully it not only lives up to the expectations of its predecessor - it exceeds them. Ragnarök is a bigger game, not just in size and scope, but in the ambitions of its story and the goals of its narrative. This is a story about cycles of revenge, prophecy and fighting fate, being allowed to make mistakes and of course - parenthood.
Playing THE LAST OF US PART 1 makes me wish this was the very first time I was playing the series, taking my first steps into post apocalyptic cordyceps infected world. If this game came out for the very first time in 2022, it'd easily make everyone's game of year lists it'd be collecting high marks everywhere, it's a thoroughly excellent game with some unforgettable storytelling and gripping gameplay. But this game is for better and worse the ultimate version of that 2013 title, which means if you've experienced Joel and Ellie's first story, you've played this game already.
CULT OF THE LAMB will have you jumping back and forth between base management and roguelite dungeon crawling with such ease and pleasure, you'll definitely see hours disappear as you craft the perfect cult. Each of the systems in this surprisingly packed sandbox game build up slowly, steadily and in no time you'll be racing off to catch some fish, cooking up a hearty meal, cleaning out the latrines, tending to your farms all before church. What is most surprising is how well meshed all these systems are, I never felt while playing that either of the two main components, random dungeon crawling "crusades" and the town simulator base building, ever took over, they kept alternating perfectly.
You won't find a better representation of a cat in a video game, this stylish narrative adventure innovates strongly overall but feels derivative in others, but Stray is at its best when you're just being a cat roving through this compelling world