Alexander Thomas
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COGConnected Latest Reviews
There is a lot to love about Deliver At All Costs. It trumpets an exuberant charm with its clever writing, wacky missions, and chaotic gameplay. Each area of the map is beautifully crafted and a delight to explore. Whether working on the story, completing odd jobs, or just cruising around town, it is always a satisfying adventure. The story of Deliver At All Costs has enough hooks to make you keep wanting to learn more, but the overall tone of the story juxtaposes against the comical nature of the gameplay. A few QOL missteps, like not being able to set waypoints and the restrictive camera, are minor annoyances to an otherwise very enjoyable experience. Deliver At All Costs simply delivers.
Split Fiction is a soulful, artfully crafted experience. Mechanically, it is user-friendly, even for those who don’t play games much. It is stunning with its set pieces, character designs, and overall visual appeal that brings these tales to life. Meeting Mio and Zoe, learning their stories, and seeing who they are unfold – all within the scope of narratives they created – is a creative marvel. This all unfolds while under an overarching narrative with its own meta-subtext in a brilliantly clever feat of writing. Split Fiction is an innovative, exciting experience that is well worth every moment.
Developed as the debut title from French studio Savage Level, Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is an engaging, tactical pirate experience. It’s a drop of much-sought-after pirate content in a sea of other stellar gaming properties. Beyond its tale set during the Golden Age of Piracy, the immediate draw to Flint is its striking visuals. Running in Unreal Engine 5, Savage Level makes use of this tech in every beautiful frame.
Temtem challenges itself with an uphill battle in its easy comparisons to Pokemon. While it’s simple to shrug it off as a mere clone, Temtem offers just enough unique content to keep it fresh, blending the monster-catching craze with heavy – yet generally friendly – MMO mechanics. It’s a step in the right direction for monster collecting, but is it enough to pull long-time Pokemon fans away?
I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Frogware’s The Sinking City when it first launched in 2019. As a fan of Lovecraftian horror, I knew this was a title I absolutely had to play. It can be tough to find a good Lovecraftian game and while it wasn’t without issue, the original launch of the game definitely filled that dark and brooding space in my mind. Seemingly out of the depths, the city of Oakmont has risen once more with the upgraded PS5 edition in a move no one saw coming but plenty should be excited about. So what can we expect from a return visit to The Sinking City?
You had one job. You were hired to protect her. It was just a job, but it became something more. Now she lay lifeless in your arms. But what of that tomb that holds the necromancer? Could she be brought back from the brink? Are you brave enough to delve into the tomb of the dead to save her?
Developed by Gunfire Games, Chronos: Before the Ashes has, much like its own narrative, led an interesting life. Originally released simply as “Chronos” back in 2016 on the Oculus Rift as a VR title, it has since been reworked and updated as a third person outing and prequel to Remnant: From the Ashes, which recently hit a milestone in copies sold. Chronos: Before the Ashes uses many familiar mechanics, locations, and creatures from Remnant but is otherwise a wholly unique experience. Whereas Remnant is an apocalyptic over-the-shoulder cover shooter with procedurally generated stages, Chronos: Before the Ashes takes a much more fantastical approach.
I approached Project CARS 3 as an opportunity to shake off the rust of driving games and get behind the wheel once more to test my skills. It had been a long time since I sat in the virtual driver’s seat and careened across the pavement, and Project CARS 3 felt like the perfect opportunity to step away from the arcade racers I so often drift towards and try something with a little more realism. However, as soon as the opening credits began to roll and the name Codemasters popped up on screen, I knew exactly the kind of ride I was in for.
It’s hard to believe it has actually been 13 years since the release of the original BioShock. The incredible first-person shooter series has been available on other platforms for some time, but 2K has finally brought the remastered collection to the Nintendo Switch, letting you take Rapture and Columbia with you on the go. There is no denying that BioShock was groundbreaking for its time with an eerie, Lovecraftian-esque atmosphere, fantastic setting, superb writing, and interesting combat. That is, however, over a decade ago, and the real question now is whether or not these games have aged well from their time in the depths or have sadly crashed out of the sky.
Mortal Kombat 11 is already one of the most solid entries in the series. Even if we set aside its gorgeous graphics and fantastic balancing of characters, it proceeds to give us a movie-quality narrative and provides a gameplay experience accessible for gamers of all experience levels. Adding characters like Joker and Spawn was a great move and one we had seen before in the franchise, but the combination of features delivered in this first expansion pack (a phrase I haven’t had the delight of saying in a VERY long time) only makes the game better and gives you even more for your dollar.