Dom Reseigh-Lincoln
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Writing For
Nintendo Life
Pure XboxLatest Reviews
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare serves up the freshest take on a stale formula in years, with a new engine and revitalised multiplayer mode that takes full advantage of a finely-tuned weapon customisation system and some welcome changes to ballistic mechanics. While Spec Ops fails to deliver much long-term attraction, the story mode proves there’s plenty of justification for a narrative element in a modern shooter. Free maps and updates bring everyone onto the same page in multiplayer, but Infinity Ward's take on the battle pass template still needs some work.
Gears 5 is an odd thing; it's neither a grand leap forwards, nor a complete rehash of what came before, and therefore sits somewhere in the middle of the two. On the whole, the improvements do outweigh the negatives (the non-linear approach to campaign levels and the small changes to horde mode being some of the most notable), and while The Coalition still has some work to do to really make the series its own, this is a far bolder and more varied approach the relatively safe Gears 4. If you love shooters and you want a good place to jump back into the series, this is perfect place to work the rust out of your lancer.
Racing games can too often trade a sense of character and personality in the pursuit of realism and motorsport recreation – some might even cast that aspersion at the Forza Motorsport games themselves – but Forza Horizon 4 has no such trouble. It’s undoubtedly the best racing experience on Xbox One, and is full of challenges, races and stunts that are constantly rewarding you for your sheer love of racing. With its changing seasons and dynamic weather, Forza Horizon 4 feels new and fresh every week. Whether you’re a seasoned car snob or a virtual learner driver, this Xbox Game Pass ready deserves a place in your gaming garage.
The post-apocalypse schtick was worn out long ago, so any game using it as a thematic backdrop is always going to have an uphill struggle, but Overland attempts to set itself apart with its diorama-style maps and its McCarthy-esque road trip. While it lacks the more focused combat and systems of the very similar Into the Breach, there’s a lot to like about its bleak combination of fellowship and sacrifice. But with a procedural generation setup that doesn’t always play in its favour and a shallow inventory, its take on Armageddon can be more frustrating than fun.
It doesn’t take very long for Lust for Darkness to overplay its hand and reveal just what kind of horror game it really is; for all the shock value of seeing some Giger-esque creature with an overtly phallic head or yet another doorway shaped like genitalia, you realise it’s just that: hollow grotesquery employed for the sake of making you cringe. There are a handful of moments of genuine unease, but they’re few and far between in what is ultimately a short trudge through sex-inspired horror landscape that wastes the opportunity to find some genuinely interesting allegory in all that face-value titillation. Still, at around three hours to complete, at least it’s a mercilessly brief experience.
Phantom Doctrine certainly shares plenty of DNA with the much-adored XCOM series, but it lacks the polish that’s made the likes of XCOM 2 such an enduring example of how to do tactics right. When Phantom Doctrine really doubles down on the minutiae of its spycraft – including the solving conspiracies and the stealth-focused nature of its missions – its own personality shines through. It’s certainly scrappy here and there – especially when it comes to managing the meta of its spy network – but push past these imperfections and you’ll have plenty of licence for kills (and the occasional thrill).
As was the case with Rogue Trooper Redux and Battlezone Gold Edition previously, Rebellion has done justice to one of its most enduring franchises here. While Sniper Elite V2 Remastered isn’t the series' high point, it does offer a fine opportunity to sample its most enjoyable features – including scouting entire locations and taking incredible shots at even more incredible distances – on a brand new platform. However, while its long-range action is as gripping as ever, the more traditional run-and-gun sections stick out like a sore thumb, and the absense of auto-saving can lead to some frustrating moments. While it still very much looks and plays like a game from the previous hardware generation, the fact that every element from the original release – including co-op and the entire suite of multiplayer modes – has made the cut makes this is an agreeable – if imperfect – way to practice your aim before the far superior Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition drops later this year.
Mortal Kombat 11 is the best Mortal Kombat since MK2, a bold and bombastic entry that boasts a fighting model that finally matches the slapstick theatrics of gory Fatalities. It's further proof that MK, much like Street Fighter, has just as much relevance today as it did in the '90s thanks to the way its evolved while retaining its core identity. On Switch, it's a performance-first experience that nails 60fps, and boasts every mode and mechanic from other versions, only with a noticeable downgrade in the aesthetics department. The heavy-handed application of microtransactions makes customisation far less appealing than it should, but if NetherRealm can redress the balance, MK11 could be a contender for the best fighter on Nintendo Switch.
While some of its procedural generation can sometimes make for an unnecessarily challenging experience, City of Brass more than makes up for it with the sheer creativity you can have exploring its Arabian Nights-themed maps. With genii to imbue you with wacky powers and the ever-tantalising need to collect more gold (as well the option to compete with others via the leaderboards), Uppercut Games has produced one of the most entertaining roguelikes to swing onto Nintendo Switch. And you can throw ghost chickens. What more do you need?
It really doesn’t matter that Firewatch came out over two and a half years ago, because it’s just as engrossing and enchanting as it was the first time around. From the warm glow of its forests in the morning summer light to the subtle tension of exploring a rocky gorge in the isolating silence of night, Shoshone National Forest is a character in its own right. With a story that’s both funny and heartbreaking – and enhanced by some brilliant performances by its two central actors – this is an essential purchase, irrespective of whether you're playing it for the first time on Switch or simply using it as an excuse to revisit an old favourite.