Reviews

When last year’s iteration of 2K’s WWE series came around, I was incredibly cynical about the title. For a long time, the games have followed largely the same formula, with a few graphical tweaks here and there. WWE 2K19 is different, representing a significant leap for the franchise – although, not enough of one to…

The World Ends With You is frequently spoken of as one of the greatest games developed for the original Nintendo DS, with a killer story and gameplay that used the full capacity of the innovative touch screen. Despite how well-received it was, TWEWY also went somewhat unloved in the wider gaming scene, and has come…

The Mario Party franchise has long established itself as a ruthless destroyer of friendships. From its earliest, controller-ruining days on the Nintendo 64, the series has sought to emulate the classic board game shenanigans of something like Monopoly. But, like Monopoly, a core part of its design involves regularly screwing over anyone unfortunate enough to…

I wouldn’t blame you if this indie point and click puzzle adventure slipped through the cracks, especially with the extreme amount of indie titles being released each month. The Low Road follows a new spy hoping to get her foot in the door so she can get out and do some field work. It comments on…

Before we begin, a personal note: Between Nintendo and Ubisoft, I have had to write out the word “Odyssey” so often over the last two years that I’ll never misspell it again. Big thanks to both companies for that little toward self improvement. One year on from Ubisoft’s drastic reconstruction of its most popular franchise,…

It’s been three weeks since Forsaken, the latest expansion for Destiny 2 launched, and in many ways I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the enormity of it. I’ve got a life outside of my work on this website — I have a side job, I have obligations to friends and family, I have…

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a Japanese war-time strategy game with unique combat elements. I’ve never played a Valkyria Chronicles game before but I’m willing to try any game at least once, and I’m glad this is the one to introduce me to the franchise. Valkyria Chronicles 4 follows the story of Squad E, many of…

I’ve come to look forward to new entries in the Forza Horizon series more than any mainline Forza Motorsport title. Eschewing the more serious simulation of its sister franchise, the heart of Horizon is built around a single question — are we having fun? In Forza Horizon 4, the answer is still yes. It’s just…

The NBA 2K series is back for its 20th anniversary, which seems like a long time for a video game franchise, but has proved to be time well spent, with the NBA 2K franchise becoming the preferred platform for many NBA fans, including myself. It is with great satisfaction that I can say that while…

Gaming and physical disabilities have a long history of not working well together. Back in the early days of arcade joysticks and two-button controllers, the hurdles disabled players had to overcome in order to enjoy a video game were fewer. Even if you didn’t have great dexterity in your fingers, you could rest your palm…

The closest media analogue I can think of for Shadow of the Tomb Raider is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I’m sure I’m the latest in a long line of critics to make this comparison, but it’s an apt one on just about every level. Shadow represents a stark shift in tone, character…

Pro Evolution Soccer has always been appreciated by fans for its uncompromising, detailed and rewarding structure and gameplay; and with PES 2019 the series continues this tradition. Thanks to some fantastic overall gameplay, admirable presentation and slight adjustments to modes PES 2019 may scratch that football itch as a valid alternative to the wildly popular FIFA series….

Phantom Doctrine is a turn-based strategy game set during the Cold War. You play as either a retired KGB, rogue CIA, or an unlockable secret identity, in charge of a secret operation to stop a world-ending conspiracy. Basically, it’s X-COM set in the Cold War, but with an enticing spy twist. The game itself has…

Ok, first things first? Do you like going fast? I mean really, really, really fast? Well then F1 2018 may just be suited to you. The latest iteration of developer Codemasters’ premiere Formula 1 franchise may just be the best we’ve seen so far, thanks to some handy improvements presentation and controls, all while holding…

As a game, Insomniac’s Spider-Man is a bit like it’s hero. Spidey is good (but not great) at his job, and you forgive him his missteps because his heart’s in the right place. If you created a checklist of tropes and mechanics found in open world adventure games, Spider-Man would tick every box. It doesn’t…

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers feels like a massively missed opportunity for a fun and robust multiplayer Naruto game. Building off the success of the Ninja Storm series, Shinobi Strikers is a weak follow up that rarely capitalises on the unique appeal of the Naruto franchise. Essentially, Shinobi Strikers is a multiplayer fighting game that…

The Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a warts-and-all look at a series that began with an instant classic and ended with a sad trombone sound in the mid-00’s. I don’t think it was Capcom’s intention when they created a retro package of all eight games in the X series, but it’s…

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate was a game never intended to release in the West. This was all but confirmed by Capcom at E3 2017, where a company representative stated that there were no plans to bring the original Japanese-only port, Monster Hunter XX, to English audiences. Following the global release of Monster Hunter World, which…

It will help if you read this introductory par in the voice of a 1930’s movie serial announcer. Greetings fellow adventurers, and welcome to Strange Brigade, the new cooperative shooter from developer Rebellion. Right out the gate, Strange Brigade prides itself on blending Indiana Jones with Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy franchise in order to create…

The BenQ Zowie range of esports monitors has become something of a quiet achiever in the world of PC gaming. They represent a viable alternative to bigger, sometimes much more well-known brands and place a higher premium on user consideration than any of them. The Zowie XL2546’s full name, the “BenQ Zowie XL2546 240Hz DyAc…

I don’t know when it happened precisely, but at some time in the last few years I became a huge fan of the Yakuza series. If I weren’t working as a games critic, it’s likely I never would have played them. And to not have played them would have been a tremendous shame. The Yakuza…

Multiplayer is something that, over the years, has moved further and further into the online-only space. All but gone are the days of friends or family paying with (or against) one another on a single console. The days of couch party titles like Mario Kart 64 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 are gone, replaced…

I’ve brought this up before but it bears repeating: while it’s easy to think of sports sims as lazy annual rehashes, upgrading or altering a few aspects of a game to justify their existence, the truth is that that’s rarely the case. Madden NFL 18 strode boldly into new territory, finally making the jump to…

Okami was a work of art before it was ported to numerous modern platforms, inspiring a new generation of players with its mythic take on the old Zelda formula, but this Nintendo Switch port in particular gives it a necessary new life.

The final DLC expansion for Ubisoft’s acclaimed South Park: The Fractured But Whole has arrived. The Bring the Crunch DLC introduces Mint Berry Crunch to the story, a character who appeared in early promo shots but didn’t make it into the base game, a brand new part of town (Lake Tardicaca) and a new class…

Call of Duty is a franchise you either love or hate, there doesn’t seem to be much in between. There are a few reasons for this. It’s home to one of the most aggressive, toxic communities in gaming. It found its niche as a multiplayer twitch shooter years ago and hasn’t felt much need to…

Insomniac Games has already proven highly capable when it comes to helming a gaming franchise. From Ratchet & Clank to Resistance, the Burbank-based developer has given PlayStation some of its most thoughtful and inventive gaming universes. It’s therefore no surprise that Insomniac’s first shot at an open-world Marvel-branded superhero game has become one of the…

No-one is more surprised by that headline than me. When we reviewed No Man’s Sky at launch back in 2016, our reviewer took an especially dim view of the game’s failure to implement a litany of the mechanics it had promised. They were not the only person who felt this way. We all remember what…

WarioWare Gold is the latest in a long line of bizarre, microgame collections that can best be described as Dada art. Gold is the culmination of 15 years of WarioWare goodness, featuring the best microgames of the past, and brand new microgames for the future. You’ll be glad to know that it’s lost none of…

Look, I reviewed Sonic Mania when it launched last year. I found it to be a breath of fresh air in a series comprehensively and aggressively starved of it for decades. It was the kind of modern update that walks an incredibly fine line, paying homage to what came before and pushing the property forward…