Tristan Ogilvie
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Writing For
IGNLatest Reviews
Atomfall is a compelling, post-apocalyptic survival story that satisfyingly bends to your choices and discoveries no matter which direction you take.
Absolutely heaving with buried treasures and varied pleasures, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a consistently captivating voyage that kept my timbers shivering whether on land or at sea.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is a solid stealth-based shooter, but it fails to set its sights high enough in order to pull off a truly spectacular execution.
While the original AO Tennis may have launched with enough squandered potential to make even Nick Kyrgios shake his head, AO Tennis 2 has taken a major stride forward to more closely resemble an Ash Barty-style all-rounder. It could yet benefit from more balancing and bug fixing post-release, but as it stands AO Tennis 2 is the best videogame simulation of the sport in years.
Certain landmark games in recent years, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Red Dead Redemption 2, have managed to successfully tread the line between the rigidity of realism and the exhilaration of pure escapism. But much like its stumbling protagonist, Death Stranding just can’t consistently get the balance right despite possessing equally lofty ambitions and countless inventive ideas. There is a fascinating, fleshed-out world of supernatural science fiction to enjoy across its sprawling and spectacular map, so it’s a real shame that it’s all been saddled on a gameplay backbone that struggles to adequately support its weight over the full course of the journey. It’s fitting that Kojima Productions’ latest is so preoccupied with social media inspired praise, because in some ways I did ‘Like’ Death Stranding. I just didn’t ever love it.
In this modern era where almost every shooter has convoluted skill trees, shared multiplayer worlds, and a bolted-on battle royale mode, Ion Fury is a welcome return to a far simpler brand of first-person run ‘n’ gun action. But although it’s a frenetic, fun, occasionally frustrating yet inarguably authentic throwback to Duke Nukem 3D, it ultimately hails to the king without making a strong enough effort to dethrone him.
Although I wish there was more depth to its detective work, Judgment’s smooth and spectacular street fighting, eclectic array of side activities, and suspenseful serial killer-based plot makes for the best original Yakuza game of this console generation. With its high-quality English-language dub and all-new cast of characters, it’s also the most approachable for newcomers. Provided you’re happy to serve justice with the swing of a sledgehammer rather than the knock of a gavel, Judgment is well worth investigating.
Metro Exodus takes the fear-inducing formula of the series and transplants it into expansive, sandbox-like levels without losing any of the oppressive tension that makes the Metro games memorable and distinctive among post-apocalyptic first-person shooters. It’s a frequently exhilarating and densely atmospheric journey across a Russian dystopia brimming with detail and deadly inhabitants, and well worth the trip for its consistently effective use of survival horror and hair-raising action.
The Hong Kong Massacre is an intense and spectacular shoot-’em-up with a stylish slow-motion hook. While some corners have been cut in terms of its presentation and boss fights, those issues are easy to overlook when the core gunplay is so fiercely challenging, unashamedly violent, and relentlessly enjoyable.
Despite the fact that the made-for-PlayStation 4 Yakuza 6 was only released a few short months ago, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best and most fully formed Yakuza game of 2018 even though it’s a remake of a game that’s now two console generations old. Its storyline is gripping, its weapons-heavy fighting system accommodates no shortage of spectacle, and it serves up plenty of enjoyable side activities – both mini and macro – to divert to or return for after the story wraps. Yakuza 0 may still be the high watermark for the series on the PS4, but Yakuza Kiwami 2 isn’t too far behind.