Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
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Writing For
Destructoid
GamepurLatest Reviews
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an intense puzzle box game that draws you in deeper the more of its mysteries you unravel. Yes, it can be frustrating, but the satisfaction you feel for completing each puzzle is heightened because it asks so much more of you as a player. The story that seems unimportant at first quickly becomes an engrossing and stylistic mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the end, staying up for just one more hour in the hopes of seeing the next twist or big reveal.
Animal Well is packed with more things to do and secrets to find than most other games, yet retains a distinctly indie charm. It feels so much bigger than what I thought was promised by initial impressions, enchanting me with a world I could listen to and watch all day, and boasting some of the most satisfying gameplay of 2024. It’s one I’m grateful I experienced knowing so little, and urge anyone else sitting on the fence to wholeheartedly embrace until the darkness and biologically fueled light sources of its world envelop you in your beautiful, if slightly chilly, new home.
I am nothing short of blown away by Granblue Fantasy: Relink. It blends the action RPG elements of soulsborne titles with exactly what’s desired from JRPGs and throws in a dash of gacha fun to create a game that’s filling and always flavorful. Just when I think it’s going to get tired and boring, it surprises me and holds my gaze all the more fiercely. Best of all, the game can be played entirely offline, meaning long-time fans of the series who have suffered through server outages no l...
I had to get rid of that car as soon as we got back because we discovered during that trip that my wife was pregnant with our daughter, and a soft top isn’t super practical, especially with no boot space. I miss that car to this day, five years later, because it gave me one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
It feels like a game built around the idea of hitting a boss, leaving it for a week, and coming back to destroy that boss in the very next attempt. Time away from Armored Core 6 is just as good as time spent with it. You never stop thinking about it or its universe, and it’s rare for something so vast in scope and scale to be so immersive too.
There is so much to love in Planet of Lana. The visuals, the audio design, and the gameplay combine to create something that feels like you just slot into it. This is a game that everyone was born to play. It’s not overly complicated, except for one puzzle, and it doesn’t try to cram lots of high-sci-fi concepts down your throat. It just exists and welcomes you to play in a way that feels natural and you never truly want to leave behind.
Amnesia: The Bunker is a meaty package that keeps giving each time a new game starts. The world feels lived in, the horrors don’t ever let up, and no matter how much players try to farm fuel for the generator, they’ll never feel safe. It’s short enough to be finished in an evening, but I expect fans to play this game for years to come. Analyzing the way The Beast behaves, the intricacies of the randomization mechanics, and the unrelenting setting that portrays just an iota of what it mu...
Ultimately, the best thing about the game is that it respects you and your time. There’s never a dull moment, you can always find something to do even if you’ve completed everything on offer, and it makes you feel smart. No game has ever made me feel valued like Tears of the Kingdom, and this, more than anything else, will keep me playing it for years until the next one comes along.
Only a few games get the balance of interesting gameplay elements, story, and side content right, and I think there are a lot of other developers that could learn from what Guerrilla Games has done here. I’m not only excited for the future of Horizon franchise, but I also want to go back and play the entire series again so I can experience once more a single iota of how good Burning Shores feels off the back of playing already phenomenal games. You might wish you could delete your memories ...