Latest Reviews
It rarely swells beyond the sum of its parts; with parts as precision-tooled as this, it doesn’t need to.
The chief pleasures on offer are those of the power fantasy and of the newly burgeoning subgenre that we might call the zoological misadventure.
Where it succeeds isn’t in how close it scrapes to the level of prestige TV, or to films. Its coup is not, “Look how closely we can make games resemble highbrow art.” It’s more, “Look what previously fenced-off realms we can get interactivity into.”
As with the rest of the game, outside of the more focussed platform sequences, I was boosted through by the breezy mood more than anything else. Skelattack is a masterpiece in the art of the pleasant.
Disintegration poses interesting questions about how we will define the human experience in a recognisable future. It's not going to answer those questions, sadly, but the gameplay is so creatively rewarding and satisfying. Plus, cool robots.
Where Little Orpheus differs from its predecessors, and what marks it as a curious mobile game, is that you appreciate it most when you aren’t playing.
Carrion abounds with the thrills of being the monster, then, but, less common and more cosy, with the kick of being in a monster movie—of slithering in celebration over the tropes of the genre. The good news is that, for a while, it works.
Fight Crab shares a lot of similarities with the glorious gladiatorial battles of Ancient Rome, which were what made primary school history lessons actually fun. Though, like the sporting spectacle, it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
The fun of playing these games, especially these days, lies in the director, Ryuchi Nishizawa, whose approach to genre was one of precise and genial disregard.
Bound
If you fancy a game that is a unique experience, Bound is certainly one that will get people talking even though it doesn't entirely meet all its goals.
Abzu
Abzu is a testament to where we are with video game development and shows how diverse the medium can and should be, even if it's not quite as emotionally resonant as it perhaps could have been.
It captures the spirit of Star Wars, but will feel very familiar if you've played a Lego game recently
