Latest Reviews
With the Dead Island Definitive Edition, Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide have never looked so good. The use of Dying Light's graphics engine means almost every setting looks better and more realistic than it did at the start of the decade, but it unfortunately doesn’t run any better now...
I feel like I’ve touched upon everything I love about Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, and yet I still can’t seem to say enough good things about this amazing remake. Starting from an already-outstanding PlayStation 2 game, Vanillaware went above and beyond to realize its full potential with the addition of more...
One Piece: Burning Blood understands what makes the pirate life so compelling in the source material, and is fairly successful in channelling that roguish spirit into its chaotic fights. That flashy, firm commitment to action will feel welcoming to One Piece's biggest fans, but confusing to everyone else. It’s great...
Even with a super-short running time, the repetitiveness that pervades Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan makes this fight a slog. I've heard all the jokes the team has to tell and have marveled enough at the rogues gallery of bosses – both of which I could’ve done by...
Blood and Wine ends the saga of Geralt of Rivia in style, bringing with it a tale of charming vampires and troublesome friendship set in a stunning new landscape that departs from the bleakness we've known until now. The expansion also brings some welcome gameplay enhancements, including mutations, the ability...
Total War: Warhammer is brimming with exciting ideas, interesting characters, and outright, skull-stompingly delightful units and faction mechanics. The current roster of starting positions in the campaign feels thin, but each army therein is a distinctly different experience. Some factions (Vampire Counts, Greenskins) are more fun than others (Dwarfs), but...
Though its world has some great aesthetic devices and a cool concept, ultimately all of Homefront: The Revolution’s elements feel repetitive, unpolished, or downright unnecessary. Over the length of its campaign it fails to deliver a satisfying - or even fully functional - shooter experience.
From the way it relies on setting and music to tell the bulk of its story, to its use of simple mechanics on the way to score-based mastery, Shadow of the Beast takes old things and makes them feel decidedly less old. Walking to the right and killing everything that...
Doom
Doom is a tale of two very different shooters (and one quirky creation tool). The single-player campaign's reverent worship of the series' roots results in an old-school run-and-gun shooter which feels like imitation Doom, a cover of an old hit which nails all the right power chords but isn't exactly...
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a remarkable achievement in blockbuster storytelling and graphical beauty. Though it’s let down by a lack of imagination and some self-indulgence, especially in a third act that drags on far too long, Uncharted 4 carries on the series’ proud tradition of peerless polish and...
Unfortunately, as far as re-releases go, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered delivers the bare minimum. The original DLC missions and an Expert difficulty are also included, if you’re a glutton for punishment. Outside of that there are no additional bells and whistles, which is a bit disappointing, but it doesn’t tarnish...
Stellaris
Stellaris is filled with good ideas, and it’s not difficult to see the outline of a great space strategy game where those ideas could come together. But beyond the early game, it’s only compelling in bits and pieces – it turns into a largely uneventful slog after that. Paradox has...
