Jim Hargreaves
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
TheSixthAxisLatest Reviews
Earlier this year, Koei and developer Omega Force achieved a landmark success with their reboot of the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise. As we concluded in our Dynasty Warriors: Origins review, there’s no going back for the series now that it has established a strong new gameplay formula – then along comes Warriors: Abyss.
As someone who has zealously played every entry in the series since its inception more than two decades ago, I'd say Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the best Musou game ever. After years of unsurprising reiteration and plenty of misfires, Omega Force has delivered a smart and super polished reinvention of the Musou franchise that corrects so many of its past shortcomings.
Fun, quickfire game modes and solid multiplayer shooting help steer Concord through an asteroid field of scepticism and unhinged vitriol but the space odyssey doesn't end here. Like any live service, Concord's ongoing vitality and potential appeal to new fans will hinge on its post-launch support, content roadmap, and building on Firewalk's exciting foundation.
While it’s great to witness the return of survival horror royalty, Alone in the Dark haphazardly follows modern genre trends where it once invented them. While it mostly succeeds at drawing players into a Lovecraftian mystery, it's hard to ignore the underbaked action elements used to patch these story beats together.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was hardly in need of a remake. However, replaying the game more than a decade after its debut, where every inch has been beautifully crafted anew, has been a delightful experience, and one we can finally share with a second player. We just wish there was more of it.
Foamstars is a vibrantly inventive take on the hero shooter and Splatoon, though the bubble will quickly burst for those who can’t gel with its floaty, fluid-based gunplay.
My return to Calradia wasn’t entirely jubilant, though Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord is a game I’ll likely stick with, simply due to my love of the original. A wealth of new systems and activities help this sandbox strategy sim feel more alive than ever, though the busywork required to get anywhere can feel like a grind. Overall, existing fans will rejoice while newcomers may look on unimpressed, unsure what all the fuss is about.
Kratos has come a long way since first flinging himself into the Aegean all those years ago. God of War, as a series, has come a long way too, pushing the boundaries of hack and slash action to their goar-soaked limits, then breaking free of a years-long slumber to become one of the biggest names in modern gaming. As our own winter approaches, God of War Ragnarok makes for the perfect adventure to lose yourself in.
After so many facelifts, there were fears Saints Row would fail to recapture the unconventional beauty of the earlier games, but this reboot proves how adept Volition is when it comes to reinventing their flagship franchise. This latest outing is my favourite game in the series to date, so while basic combat and dips in visual quality are disappointing, they did little to keep me away from Santo Ileso. You'll struggle to find anything ground-breaking though this sandbox is bursting with entertaining things to do, ideal for sharing with a partner in crime.
Once the sun rises and the bloodbath ends, you’ll be itching to play The Quarry again to see what other outcomes there are. this is Supermassive’s most refined horror game to date, but it just falls short of snatching Until Dawn’s gore-crusted crown.