Richard Cobbett
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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Reviews
A welcome opportunity to return to one of the all-time greats, even if the remaster doesn't hit the same heights as the adventure.
Grim Dawn is one of the best action-RPGs out there, combining excellent hack and slash action with a world and progression curve that makes it worth fighting through. Alone or with friends, it’s hour after hour of top quality combat and looting, with the promise of many more excellent dark times to come.
After a poorly handled start, Prison Architect becomes one of the most in-depth, satisfying builder games in a long time. It’s a shame the non-sandbox options aren’t better, and the nature of the simulation inherently lacks the joy and beauty of other subjects, but few other games have done such a good job at capturing not just the nature of the job they simulate, but also the mindset required to do it ‘properly’.
An essential sandbox for anyone with an interest in space, rocketry, or explosions.
As a mix of sandbox, puzzle and open-world action, The Escapists offers something fresh and entertaining. The nature of what it’s simulating leads to some annoyances and careful handwaves to keep things light, but with both enough space between those moments to feel like I was actually producing my own plan and enough tools that I didn’t just feel like I was looking for a conveniently pre-packaged solution. It’s a clever game that’s not afraid to be challenging, and a very enjoyable puzzle if you don’t mind it also being a touch vague, often repetitive, and happy to quickly get as hard as figuring out an actual prison break.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of its pixels: no individual element of Dungeon of the Endless is especially complicated, but together they form a fiendish and unforgiving challenge. If you’re willing to take that on then it makes it more than worthwhile, borrowing from several genres to create something that feels unique - as well as bursting with personality and smart choices. It’s likely to be a relatively limited love affair, but one with no shortage of extra challenges if you escape its initial dungeon and still crave more.
Abyss Odyssey has everything it needs to be a great Roguelike, except the most important - a reason to keep coming back. While it lasts, it’s a gorgeous journey with great ideas and atmosphere, and in time, it may evolve into something with more longevity. For now though, just a few short hours are enough to see it, appreciate it, and never need to play it again.
At this point, criticising a Lego game for being much like the other Lego games feels somewhat pointless. It's tempting, especially after so many, but it's a series that's long been more comfortable changing the wallpaper than rebuilding the entire house, and that's not likely to change any time soon. Each license does at least bring a distinct flavour to the experience, if not the action, and Lego The Hobbit - ignoring its inevitable similarities to Lego The Lord of the Rings - is no different. It's a game content to coast on what works and what everyone expects, and if you expect to enjoy it, the chances are good that you will. It is, however, a real pity that the accounting Nazgul couldn't have held their dark horses for a few more months to allow the complete story to be told as it should have been.