Adam Standing
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GameWatcher Latest Reviews
Coming from the developers of Trine I expected a little more quality from Shadwen, the uninteresting environments echo the bland characters and gameplay that evolves too slowly. A level editor and mod support will give it some longevity and you might find some enjoyment from making a purely non-violent run through the game. But even the extra items couldn’t spice it up enough for me to find Shadwen anything other than a passing curio.
Those gripes I’ve outlined are minor as Battlefleet Gothic: Armada conveys the suitably epic universe of Warhammer 40K in an RTS that offers decent depth and a great atmosphere. The campaign is great and if you allow the game to punish you for defeat it’ll bring more impact and consequence to the later battles. Sure, the story is ridiculous but it’s what you’d expect of a 40K and it fits the genre perfectly. With a multiplayer that has as much nuance and depth as each ship you can man...
Despite its issues I still feel Kholat is a genuinely disturbing experience, full of atmosphere, tension and visually impressive for an Unreal Engine 4 game. Its faults take it out of the really awesome category but I personally loved it and how it blended horror with unravelling parts of a real world mystery. As it is I believe Kholat is still worth playing but just be aware that frustration and tension will be present in equal measure.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 3 is a good-looking game but the lack of features from the previous entries are a sore point. Allocating skills and levelling up are hindered by a very cluttered UI that would put any newcomer off and the range of classes feels a little false given how similar some are to each other. The snarky commentary of the main leads may also irritate after a while but there’s also plenty of genuinely funny moments to liven up what would be a too-serious gothic...
A homage to retro classics is one thing but having gameplay that’s both challenging and fun makes Axiom Verge special. If you grew up in that era, you’d be a fool to miss out on this and if you’re new to the genre, I can’t think of a better entry.
But here’s where my Assassin’s Creed DNA comes in - I loved the Ezio Creed games and since then the bloated tent pole releases have held little interest for me. Here, with a simple tale set in China I was much more willing to play and invest in Jun’s struggle. Chronicles might be a little tame in places and lack enough variety to keep you interested for long, but it has a charm I feel the other Assassin’s Creed games now lack. If the other two Chronicles games can build on this start ...
Though you might balk at the idea of playing a traditional point and click game in 2015, there’s something beautiful about this classic formula at work here. Like dusting down a Dickens tome rather than reading Game of Thrones on a Kindle, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 feels like settling down with a mug of tea and crumpet, or a pint of brown ale and a pie while the rain pounds down on the window. It’s a comforting reminder that video games can still hark back to their traditional roots a...
I’m pretty sure this won’t appeal to a lot of people. It can be bone-crushingly hard at times and difficult to get into. But by giving you the tools to craft your own escape and leaving you alone to sort it out, The Escapists is one of those classic hands-off games that encourages you to create your own story and incredible moments.
Coming so soon after the first entry Blackguards 2 is a surprisingly packed improvement over the original, giving you the chance to dominate and rule over South Aventuria with all the bitterness and rage such a task would need. It won’t suit all newcomers to PC TRPGs and yes, battles can be brutal and unforgiving at times, but for those with even the slightest bent towards getting knee deep in stats and tactical battles then Blackguards 2 is a worthy purchase.
If none of that sounds like your cup of Earl Grey and you just love 3D puzzle games then The Talos Principle will be worth the price of entry as you can ignore most of the musings on offer here. But I feel you’d be missing out on what makes The Talos Principle so interesting. It’s an experience that truly stretched different parts of my mind in more satisfying way than Portal. Though the puzzles frustrate at times, most are put together thoughtfully and in a simple enough way that you can...