NextPlay's Reviews
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.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is an incredible game, that implements many quality-of-life improvements to the Persona formula, while enhancing that experience to create an exceptional fantasy RPG. Metaphor delivers a captivating and memorable villain, with a lovable ensemble cast, and brilliant soundtrack, all of which work together to craft a compelling fantasy adventure.
Max Mustard is one of the best VR platformers of all time, up there neck-and-neck with Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Moss VR. Everything is brimming with charm, from the character designs to the fast-paced and engaging gameplay. This cohesive and genuinely enjoyable experience allows me to say that Max Mustard has set a new benchmark for the VR platformer genre.
Visions of Mana is an exceptionally well made JRPG and a perfect entry into the mana series for those looking to finally dive headfirst into this great and beloved franchise. The Mana games are finally back, and Visions of Mana is what I hope will be the first of many more games to come.
A game that offers gameplay surrounding a vast number of classic franchises seems like a perfect concept on paper, but Funko Fusion is held back by not really knowing the audience it’s targeted towards. This, piled on with a number of bugs and performance issues, means we can’t really recommend this to the average gamer.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster feels more like a Remake than a Remaster, with a hefty visual upgrade and some quality-of-life improvements to refine the original experience. This title will be the perfect entry point into the Dead Rising series for any fan of the zombie-slaying action-adventure genre.
They say cats always land on their feet, and Copycat proves this theory. Copycat brings a grounded and often heartfelt narrative to an authentic Australian setting and brilliantly tells a story of self-discovery. It may be far from purr-fect, but even with a few missteps in the pacing of the narrative and preciseness of the platforming, this is a charming experience that will stay with you for years to come.
Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis – The Answer is the perfect narrative conclusion to this incredible adventure. Each character gets time to shine, as deep and meaningful themes are tackled effectively. Aigis is an endearing character and her transition into narrative lead works incredibly well, with an emotional send off that will leave Persona 3 fans very happy. However, I found the repetitive aspects of exploring the Abyss of Time quite noticeable, which left me wishing the expansion was condensed further to avoid the unnecessary padding of completing each dungeon.
Even without the PlayStation references, delightful cameos, and iconic imagery, Astro Bot would still be considered one of the best 3D platformers ever made, but with all these lovely additions scattered throughout this charming adventure, it becomes something even more special. While I cherish those childhood memories of playing Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, it brings me joy to know that current players will now be able to cherish their own incredible memories, all due to the masterful adventure Team Asobi has managed to develop.
At its peak, Conscript is a wonderfully harrowing ordeal that will keep you on your toes, and at worst, it’s a drag designed to feel as dread-inducing as the setting it’s built around. The rest of the game lingers somewhere in the middle, and whether you’re an avid fan of survival horrors or not will most likely determine your enjoyment with this experience.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is what the fans have been waiting for. The captivating story and characters, as well as the generous offering of weapons and customisation do the heavy lifting, as the repetitive combat is an acquired taste that won’t satisfy everyone.
Emio: The Smiling Man – Famicon Detective Club delivers a gripping, genuinely creepy and intriguing detective themed adventure, which will satisfy both adventure and visual novel fans. The mature subject matter feels fresh and unique, especially for Nintendo Switch owners looking for a more adult experience in-between Nintendo’s usual family friendly titles. While some minor technical issues and a forgettable soundtrack do hinder the overall experience, Emio: The Smiling Man succeeds in providing players with an enthralling detective story, which will leave a lasting impression.
The Casting of Frank Stone embodies the Dead by Daylight universe exceptionally well, providing a revelating taste of lore unexplored within the universe. This is one of Supermassive’s best, an experience that promotes replayability and one that will capture the attention of horror fans across the world.
Star Wars Outlaws is a game you will tip your hat to. Ubisoft’s open-world formula is stripped back to a more palatable level and explores an intriguing story from a new perspective in a galaxy far, far, away. From the action, stealth, space battles, and juggling of cartels, there are elements in Outlaws that will appeal to just about everyone.