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I doubt I’ll be playing Knockout City long into the future. But I think I’ll enjoy it for a few more weeks. And as a PlayStation Plus freebie, I’d certainly recommend you check it out.
While there’s a notable lack of plot and some frustrating performance blips, I’m glad I gave it a chance. If I hadn’t, I’d have missed out on what’s undoubtedly one of the more memorable co-op experiences of the year.
Fans of stealth-action Assassin’s Creed will be satisfied with Mirage as a game that delivers on its central promise to revisit what first made the series so special all those years ago.
This compilation isn’t quite what it could have been, but it is a worthy tribute to an iconic series beloved by millions. While it won’t blow you away, rest assured that it delivers the exact Metal Gear experience you remember.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a solid effort from FromSoftware. The problem is, we’ve come to expect a lot more than “solid” from this company. It does most things right and performs like a dream, but there’s an unmistakable sense that FromSoftware considered it less important than, say, Elden Ring and Bloodborne.
Call of Duty: Vanguard does everything except Zombies very well. The problem is, we’ve seen it all before. Over and over and over again. While WWII can still be enjoyable in CoD, it very much feels like Activision relies on the same bag of tricks.
In trying to capture the best of both worlds, Resident Evil Village is a game of two halves. And they are equally hindered by their jarring differences and incompatible foundations.
Valhalla would’ve benefited from being smaller in scope. This is something that is blatant throughout. Even at 20 hours in (a third of the overall 60-hour length), the game begins to feel repetitious.
If it’s a blazing hot few hours of combat you’re after, you’ll find it in Modern Warfare 2. This is an enjoyable campaign buoyed by deep pockets and good looks. But it plays it too safe. Perhaps the inevitable third Modern Warfare 2 will bring change more akin to the first. Because the second missed its golden opportunity.
Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure is an action-packed few hours that’s showing its age. But if you’re a Borderlands fan and didn’t check it out nine years ago, you probably won’t be disappointed.
The Callisto Protocol is about as close to Dead Space as it could possibly be without bearing the same name. And for many players that will be more than enough to leave them satisfied... Nevertheless, the more you play of The Callisto Protocol the more its flaws stand out.
Atomic Heart is worth checking out for its incredible setting alone – especially if you’re a Game Pass subscriber. But its disappointing gameplay lets down the exciting promise of its awe-inspiring world.
Hogwarts Legacy is a testament to the dedication of its creators and is worthy of its source material. But it could’ve been so much more. Instead, it settled for everything we expected and is destined to be remembered for the poisonous debate that preceded it.
Ready or Not is a remarkable yet hollow achievement that should have aspired to be more than it ended up being: fun and flawed in equal measure.
Ghostwire: Tokyo‘s biggest flaw is its one-dimensional gameplay. I cannot stress enough how simplistic and repetitive it is. And that diminishes any replay-ability once the main story is over. Unfortunately, this makes Ghostwire: Tokyo a largely forgettable experience and one I’m in no hurry to revisit. This is a game best left until it receives a substantial discount.
I’d say wait until Deathloop is on sale. I’m sure plenty of people out there will enjoy its chaotic gameplay and wacky humour. But this isn’t the perfect game some are saying it is. And it certainly didn’t blow me away.
Scarlet and Violet would probably go down as two of the best games in the series if not for these [performance] issues. Instead, all anyone will likely remember are the viral glitch montages that have swept across social media. And that’s regrettable because at their core is an imperfect yet charming and highly enjoyable adventure.
For people who have the time to sink into it, they’ll likely find some enjoyment in Hunter’s Arena: Legends. The steep learning curve will unquestionably put casual players off, though. And if it wasn’t a freebie, I wouldn’t recommend it for that reason.
While there’s fun to be had with the deep combat and competitive multiplayer, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is let down by underwhelming graphics, poor sound design and the critical lack of any story.
Layers of Fear is an acceptable package of horror stories, but that's about it. Its few scares do just about enough to earn a title that includes the word "fear", however it isn't in the same ballpark as other genre titans.