NextPlay's Reviews
Elden Ring Nightreign takes the best elements of Elden Ring and applies an engrossing core gameplay loop that will have Nightfarers in a trance. Everything is better with friends, and this makes Elden Ring Nightreign the best multiplayer game of the year.
Days Gone Remastered offers a solid graphical and performance upgrade with the help of the PS5’s beefy hardware and has some nice additions to help onboard new and inexperienced gamers. Horde Assault, in particular, is a wonderful and exciting addition worthy of your time. Unfortunately, the rest of Days Gone’s core issues are built directly into the DNA of the game and cannot be mended. As a fully-priced remaster of a 6-year-old game (unless you upgrade your PS4 copy for $10), I simply cannot recommend Days Gone Remastered. If you are still desperate for a hit of Deacon St. John, I implore you to go and buy a second-hand copy of the original and upgrade for $10; the asking price is just too steep to justify.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition brings one of the best JRPGs of the 2010s to the modern era, with an expansive and detailed world to explore among some exceptional side quests and engaging combat.
RoadCraft is challenging, realistic, and frustrating at times. Yet, it’s one of the best games I’ve played in recent years due to how engaging the mechanics and visuals are.
Skin Deep brings a fresh spin to immersive sims with its witty, comical tone throughout both gameplay and story. Its levels are approachable, short, and rarely demanding, allowing you to let out your silly side without risking too much progress. Although the campaign is a little short and the humour won’t be for everyone, Blendo Games has crafted something genuine and charming that I would recommend to anyone.
Initially, I had some mixed opinions on The Precinct, but after half a dozen hours or so the world of Averno City began to grow on me. I started to appreciate the ethical policing system, I began to enjoy the campaign missions (though, I wish there were more) and I fell in love with the synthwave styled soundtrack. There’s no doubt The Precinct is a little rough around the edges, with some inconsistent AI, some bugs and glitches, as well as the fact daily shifts lean towards repetition. But overall, if you loved classic 80s cop movies and want to live out some of those thrilling adventures, The Precinct has you dead to rights.
The Midnight Walk is a light horror adventure that is brimming with personality and charm thanks to the worldbuilding and exceptional art design. Fans of horror akin to Tim Burton’s wheelhouse will love this game and the peculiar characters in it, but the choice to create a game with a non-VR and VR mode, while admirable, may have been to its detriment.
I have been playing the SteamWorld series since SteamWorld Dig, and regardless of the genre, this unique universe continues to deliver fun and charming adventures. SteamWorld Heist 2 is no exception. It offers a deceptively deep turn-based tactical adventure with a flexible job system that emphasises player choice, and an awesome soundtrack that frequently made me hang around the local tavern more than I needed to. While the overworld exploration feels like an afterthought, especially when compared to the deep turn-based combat, I would love to see this concept fleshed out in a future sequel.
Blue Prince’s endlessly clever design, crafted to gently assist you as you push for that 64th room, coupled with a bottomless well of riddles and secrets, make this one of the greatest experiences this year. It’s been over 15 years since I last set foot in my grandparent’s house, and having that same sense of wonder and intrigue evoked after so long makes this a strong GOTY contender in my books. Prepare a notepad and pen, and expect more challenges than you can possibly anticipate!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a solid collection of games that will appeal to long-time fans of the iconic franchise. Though this will hardly bring in new fans, half the titles in the collection offer incredibly engaging and varied gameplay and stories within the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe.
Atomfall has the foundations of a fantastic game but falls short by being a jack of all trades and a master of none. While the combat and survival mechanics often feel underbaked, the narrative structure and investigation mechanics offer an experience worth playing.
South of Midnight is a triumphant entry into Compulsion Games’s library, offering a captivating narrative with likeable characters in a sheer spectacle of a world that you just wish you could spend more time in. The combat, while robust, may not satisfy all gamers, but the narrative and compelling worldbuilding are more than strong enough to shoulder that burden.
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a solid party game that can be a fun way to pass some time, solo or with friends and family. The neat animations, visuals, and top-tier physics are very strong and are best showcased in Multiplayer. Its foundations are something to admire, and with a few quality-of-life updates and additional games, this game will be at the top of the list for your next family games night.
Pollard Studio has created something special in KARMA: The Dark World, perfectly depicting Lynchian surrealism with Orwellian dystopian themes in this unique psychological thriller experience. Featuring lifelike character portrayals, ingenious environmental storytelling, and stunning visuals, it delivers an unforgettable journey that will resonate with you long after the end credits roll. While the final hour feels rushed, I loved how the game challenges you to confront the complexities of control, identity, and the human mind, making it a must play for fans of the genre.
Hazelight Studios elevates the benchmark for cooperative games, excelling at level design, story concepts, and admirable technical achievements. Split Fiction is the best co-op game on the market, an experience that will create core memories to share with family or friends.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a great entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise and a perfect entry point for newcomers. Its dual protagonists are fantastic and distinct, and while the villains are forgettable, the personal stories of Naoe and Yasuke help deliver a strong narrative. Shadows is visually stunning, with excellent cinematography, beautiful open world, a unique soundtrack and immersive sound design. However, a sparse open world, inconsistent parkour, and a disappointing hideout system, ultimately keep it from reaching true greatness.
Everhood 2 is a phenomenal journey shrouded in mystique and intrigue. It may not make a lick of sense up until the very last moment, but it remains enjoyable throughout regardless. The foundation that the game is ultimately built on, the soundtrack, is unsurprisingly mind-blowing and while the lean into more mainstream RPG elements didn’t do it for me, I can see a swath of the community having a blast with it. If you’re a sicko that enjoyed the first game, I think you’ll have at least a good time with this one.
"Two Point Museum is exactly what this series does best. Blending simulation game elements with that signature quirk of the Two Point series leads to this game being my favourite yet. The museum setting showcases that charm with ease while players get to curate their own collections full of wonders. It feels like that sim formula the series does so well, with some great new tweaks, such as the expedition system that really drives the game’s progression. My hype around curating my own museum has definitely been met, and I’m very excited to continue pouring my time into Two Point Museum."
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s PC release boasts impactful graphical and performance enhancements that allow one of the greatest Spider-Man games to glow gold. While riddled with a few very minor performance issues, the dynamic combat and engaging narrative slings this game to the top of my favourite Action/Adventure games.
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.