NextPlay's Reviews
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii delivers a Majima-centric adventure with over-the-top pirate flair and a likeable cast of characters. I can confidently say this instalment provides the best combat in the series, with Twisted Metal-style ocean battles and exhilarating hand-to-hand combat. Despite some forgettable villains and slow ship-based exploration, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is genuinely fun and makes me crave more Majima games in the future.
Don’t Nod is SO BACK with Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. Not only does Swann and the camcorder feel new and exciting, but with a location like Velvet Cove oozing that neon-soaked Twin Peaks realness, one can’t help but be along for the ride.
Avowed offers a serviceable RPG experience that relies a little too heavy on its ravishing combat and compelling world-building. The story, while distinguished, can falter occasionally due to some unfair dialogue choices and suffered writing. Despite this, Avowed is still a game worth playing because it capitalises and personalises action-RPG tropes and mechanics found in its peers.
Eternal Strands has so many interesting ideas packed into its world. While none of the mechanics may be perfect, the ambition is clearly present, and that should be celebrated. Every person is sure to find something they love about this game, whether it be the over-the-top boss fights, layered character moments, or creative sandbox combat. I do hope we see more from Yellow Brick Games and Eternal Strands in the future because there’s a rather large spark here that I believe could build into a wildfire next time around.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great remaster of a 2D platformer that shines the most with its engaging gameplay, likeable characters, story and slick performance. Albeit, the control mapping, some graphic changes and other small unfavourable elements drag this fun game down.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is a tried and true long-range shooter that’s comfortable being just that. Expansive mission areas allow players to engage at their own pace despite the stealth side of the game being a bit lacklustre. The sniper gameplay is certainly the main draw as you eviscerate Nazis with brutal X-Ray cams of devastating shots showing that force in all its glory!
Synduality: Echo of Ada is a ton of fun but ultimately struggles to capitalise on the addictive and satisfying gameplay loop it has with a subdued story.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle hits the exact spot with a whip-cracking precision, even if the fascist enemies are a bit one note. Troy Baker’s performance is incredible, which only furthers the game’s focus on immersion and exploration. MachineGames has more than proven just how incredible a first-person Indiana Jones game can be without sacrificing that tender and earnest aspect of the films. Fans will certainly appreciate this new era.
Sorry, We’re Closed is a marvel, not only visually with its ostentatious character design and gaudy depictions of heaven and hell, but in its daring storytelling of the warped depictions of love that we can get caught chasing. Its mix of fixed camera angles and swapping of third and first-person perspectives makes for tense scenarios throughout, and Michelle’s third eye and Heartbreaker are both satisfying additions to the combat. Sorry, We’re Closed is one hell of a survival horror!
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic game that is made with such love and understanding of what a Sonic game should be. It relies on three major components that drive its main gameplay. That is its own history from its 2D past, 3D present, and the future. It integrates these components expertly, and it keeps things entertaining and fresh while trying to push the Sonic formula even further into a new realm.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings back a classic series in a way that fans will adore. The short but sweet levels and tight controls are great, with a wide variety in levels to maintain interest. Though where it lacks polish is the online multiplayer, which was an ambitious move for the series that unfortunately falls flat compared to the solo adventure.
While it’s not quite your usual LEGO game, it does feel like it’s still standing on its own as a fresh take on the formula. LEGO Horizon Adventures refines it back, opting for a jovial run at the Horizon Zero Dawn story that feels like a fun reintroduction to the series, especially for younger players. Seeing the world of machines brought to life in LEGO speaks volumes to just how well it translates, and undoubtedly while this isn’t what many might expect, it still feels like a fun time for the series if you can brave the price tag.
"Dragon Age: The Veilguard delivers a good action-heavy RPG, with moments of greatness buried in the second half of an extremely lengthy and linear opening. Veilguard does very little to revolutionise the RPG genre, and at times it feels like an RPG simply following the standardised template of what an RPG should be. But does that make it a bad experience? No, it just provides a less memorable adventure when compared to its genre counterparts. I could see Dragon Age veterans absolutely loving what Veilguard has to offer, but I can also see many players abandoning their adventure due to the extended linearity of its opening."
While Max Caufield’s return to the series has been long awaited, it seems like Life is Strange: Double Exposure might be a bit too ambitious for its frame. With new powers and another dead girl to save, she’s back but with two timelines to balance as she snoops around. It does feel like the episodic structure could be given more time to breathe so as to fully realise what the game seeks to achieve. Players will enjoy returning to the series but may find this entry to be a bit too ambitious at the cost of fully developing the characters and narrative.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 pushes the boundaries of what one would expect from a Call of Duty campaign – delivering a robust, versatile, and captivating experience from start to finish. What makes Black Ops 6 special is the fact that the Campaign, Zombies, and Multiplayer modes are all equally as polished as each other, enhanced even further by the new Omni movement.
Until Dawn is a riveting experience not unlike the original 2015 release. While the game looks fantastic, the adjustments to the game direction impacts some of that tension that had the hairs sticking up on the back of our necks in the original. These changes feel like a desperate attempt cater to modern audiences despite the fact the original game continues to remain relevant today.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom strikes a fantastic balance between player agency and rigid game design. The Hyrulian heroine’s first proper foray into the spotlight avoids feeling like a cheap spin-off of the main title and instead feels like an evolution of it, although at times it does come across uncommitted to this new transformation. While minor inconveniences such as poor menu navigation and frame rate drops are prevalent throughout the game, Echoes’ positives heftily outweigh its negatives.
Unknown 9: Awakening is an ambitious debut title from Reflector Entertainment that is brimming with charm. It has a world worth exploring but fails to capitalise on that with a plot that leaves a lot to be desired.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a spectacular love letter to the franchise, including many key moments that have kept fans captivated over the long life of the franchise. These moments are nostalgic and warrant a playthrough alone, but the meticulous care and polish put into developing this game makes this one of the best fighting games of this generation.
When Neva’s combat system, memorable soundtrack, and gorgeous visual style all come together to enhance the moment-to-moment gameplay, Neva is simply stunning. It utilises each and every sense to intensify the world on screen, and due to that, Neva isn’t merely an artistic expression; it is a true interactive work of art. The game does falter by not capitalising on some creative concepts, which feels like a missed opportunity to create some memorable puzzle platforming. Neva’s overarching story of a world suffering from decay is provocative and relevant, but those core themes take a backseat to what is essentially a powerful story of a relationship between a parent and their child, or in this case, a warrior and her wolf.