Brendan Caldwell
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Writing For
Rock Paper Shotgun
EurogamerLatest Reviews
But I won’t tell you to stay away. Look at these bruises, look at these scars. Yes, Sekiro hurts. But look at this smile as well. Shadows Die Twice is a beautiful, masochistic misadventure. Some of its boss fights are so stupendous, I dare not speak about them. It is...
Metro Exodus
Regardless of its limitations, Exodus still deserves its place among its underground comrades. In many ways it's better, and I'm very glad they didn't just repeat the same subterranean journey again. And yet, for the studio, this installment might also turn out to be a fabulous curse. Because if there...
So, there you have it. I’m very happy with my planes wot go “whoosh”. The only reason I’m not giving it a Bestest Best badge is because it doesn’t do anything particularly new. It just does everything very well. Make no mistake, if you’ve played a game about shooting missiles...
Wargroove
Wargroove, on the other hand, is faithful to not just the spirit but the body of its inspiration, keeping both the pleasures and some pains of the old toy war game, pointedly refusing to change most of the basics, and instead simply adding extra layers: online multiplayer, map editing, a...
Ashen
As I prepare to go bumbling back through the glimmering palaces of the (maybe) final section, I know that the Capra Demon’s curse is still there. I must inevitably compare this to Dark Souls itself. And in doing that, Ashen has already come away poorer than it ought to. But...
SoulCalibur VI
If that’s you, I can’t blame you. You could buy a smelly armchair from Greg down the road for £50, and you’d probably get just as much adrenaline and challenge from getting that into your third floor apartment as you would fighting another terrifying Voldo to the death. But the...
Right now, I have a deck that’s a bit cheesy, full of traps and firebombs that slowly bleed any enemy to death as they fight. But part of me is hoping for another twist that’ll throw even more cards into my hands, snatch my beloved deck away from me, and...
Subnautica
We’ve talked about it in a podcast, describing it as a horror game. And we were half right, there are moments of tension that rival any first-person jumpscarer. I may have overcome my apprehension of the saw-toothed Stalkers in the kelp forest, among other alien animals. But there are caves...
Heat Signature
If you like toying with contraptions, though, Heat Signature is a great box of treats. The feeling of pulling off a heist in a whirlwind of gunfire, sword slashes, grenades and body-swaps, is a sensation usually reserved for blockbusters like Dishonored and Prey. But Suspicious Developments have distilled that chaotic...
Pyre
And that, I think is the goal of Pyre. It wants you to recognise that people are not there necessarily so that you can Win Win Win, that others, even your enemies, sometimes deserve their desires over your own machinations. There are messages woven into the tale about justice, mercy,...
Dead Cells
There's much to like that I haven't even mentioned: that satisfying stomp attack, the relief of an ice grenade, clever and useful teleporter placement, key items that unlock whole new sets of levels, secret areas opened with runestones, cursed chests that give you a powerful item but leave you vulnerable...
Rain World
At 20 hours, having discovered just 8 of the regions, I threw the gamepad aside with a mixture of exasperation and disappointment. There are those who will relish the challenge but I never found the slugcat’s family, and not just because there were no clues or direction as to their...