NextPlay's Reviews
Contra: Operation Galuga brings the Contra series back to its former glory. This run-and-gun shooter is best enjoyed with friends; however, newcomers to the series may struggle to be drawn in.
Pentiment was developed by only 16 members of the Obsidian Entertainment team, which is truly mind-blowing, especially when considering the incredible amount of depth found within its world and cast of characters. Pentiment’s main selling point is its story, and, in this regard, it absolutely delivers. This is a fantastic story with brilliant twists, historically relevant themes, and great writing across the entire 15-hour journey. Pentiment is also very pleasing on the eyes, with a truly gorgeous hand-painted 2D style. However, Pentiment lacks in many other areas, with a lack of gameplay features and a mostly silent audio experience.
WWE 2K24 doesn’t add a lot to the existing formula but refines what already works. With a roster of over 200 WWE Superstars, including homegrown Aussie Rhea Ripley, WWE fans will find endless hours of entertainment playing the latest title in the series. This is the best the franchise has looked on console.
The Brothers Remake allows new players to experience an incredible story, one that will stay with you for many years to come. It also gives fans of the original release an excuse to re-play Brothers with improved visuals, additional tracks, and for many, their first chance to experience this adventure cooperatively. However, this is not a Remake that updates or alters any other elements. The story (thankfully) and gameplay mechanics are faithful to the original release, but the major selling point of this Remake, is the visual upgrade. For me, I was satisfied with the visual upgrade, but other fans may find the lack of extensive changes disappointing.
Another Code: Recollection is a good remake package that cosy gamers will love. While Two Memories was engaging with its well-crafted storyline, Journey Into Lost Memories loses that spark with a less endearing protagonist and magic lost from the capabilities of the Nintendo Wii.
The Outlast Trials is completely messed up in the best way. From crazed ideas of torture to obscene amounts of guts and gore, any fans of the previous Outlast titles or the psychological horror genre will love this game. If you’re after something that steps it up compared to Resident Evil or the newly released Silent Hill: A Short Message games, then The Outlast Trials is a game you need to check out! Just remember to have a spare set of underwear close by.
P3R is an incredible game in its own right, and it is an experience that has encouraged me to venture back to the original release to truly appreciate all the quality-of-life improvements this remake offers. It contains a phenomenal soundtrack, a memorable story with a brilliant cast of characters, as well as the fantastic side stories provided by the Social Links on offer. The turn-based combat delivers high-quality fun to both Persona ventures and new players alike, but exploring Tartarus eventually does become an extremely repetitive task.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a brilliant remake of a beloved classic. The vibrant reimagined levels are short and nostalgic but still encapsulates the standard of Mario games we see today. The 5-8 hour game may not provide as much satisfaction to veteran gamers, but younger and casual gamers are sure to love this.
Justice League: Kill the Suicide Squad started as a divisive game out there in the gaming community but I truly think that once people give this a go, they will enjoy the single-player aspects and potentially be won over by its continued support as a live service game. There are a few annoyances that are remedied by variety, but with a few side missions getting stale by the end, the long load times are to be rewarded after each mission. But this was not enough to spoil my fun time with the game.
Silent Hill: The Short Message is a solid entry into the franchise that hammers down heavy themes onto the player, while still offering a tense atmosphere and engaging story. This game won’t please all fans of the series, but may just bring new ones in ahead of the next phase of releases.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth excels at showcasing the organised chaos that the Like A Dragon series encapsulates. The change in scenery from Japan to Hawaii makes Infinite Wealth feel like a totally brand-new experience that old fans and new ones are sure to love. RGG Studios expands the series even further with a healthy assortment of mini-games and, of course, the game within a game – Dondoko Island Resort.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a faithful port from handheld to console, which boasts new quality-of-life features, graphical enhancements and, of course, fun courtroom battle gameplay. Much like the Resident Evil series of late, you can tell CAPCOM loves to give their games the royal treatment when it comes to remasters and ports. This is well worth your money if you love whodunit stories.
Tekken 8 is worth the nine-year wait with this entry featuring epic visuals packed with a roster of franchise favourites that will have fans of the series more than satisfied. The return of Tekken Ball alongside new modes like the Arcade Quest are fun additions, but the real star of the show is the engrossing Story Mode, which may be one of the best of the series.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown shines a bright light on a beloved series showing that it can thrive no matter what genre it expands to. New and old fans will be thrilled to find an epic and captivating journey with gameplay that will have you saying “just one more try”. While this wasn’t the Sands of Time remake fans have been longing after, The Lost Crown is a wonderfully crafted game to help relive the wait.
A solid experience for those truly interested in an action-adventure rhythm game. Best played in a group or cooperatively, but solo is totally fine just a little more difficult. Fun, charming and at times chaotic, totally recommend this for a night of fun.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora should have been a home run of a game using the Far Cry pedigree with an interesting world and franchise, but I couldn’t help but become frustrated by some of the mission designs and story progression. While the game excels technically, it is sometimes drawn back by the lack of enjoyability. I truly believe if they had dialled back some of the explorations and trimmed the mission fat from the game, I would have been much more engaged in this title.
In Stars And Time is a one-of-a-kind RPG adventure that will have you hooked. Whether it’s the fantastic story, loveable cast of characters, or the unique battle system, there is something here that almost every RPG fan will find appealing.
Fans of The Phantom Thieves from Persona 5 will find a lot to love from this new adventure, and while it may not rival the sequel-worthy excellence of Persona 5 Strikers, it is an enjoyable experience for all comers. The tactical gameplay elements are challenging and interesting enough to provide tactical veterans with some difficult encounters, while it also provides an approachable and enjoyable offering for tactical newcomers. While the visuals can be a mixed bag, the music is downright brilliant and helped intensify battles and emotional moments. The narrative is fantastic, and Erina and Toshiro are equally memorable, but if you haven’t played the original Persona 5 adventure, go play that first before playing Persona 5 Tactica, and I guarantee you will appreciate this experience a lot more.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R reinvigorates a classic game with a beautiful blend of 2D and 3D graphics. While the game requires a bit too much grinding to progress in the story, the narrative and core gameplay make it all worthwhile. Square Enix has delivered one of their best remakes with Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
Konami has brought some of the greatest games of all time to modern consoles in Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1. The games, while still legendary, are let down by Kojima’s absence and Konami’s greed.