Mark O’Callaghan
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Writing For
CBRLatest Reviews
Civilization VII is a letdown for longtime fans who want to see this franchise evolve to the current generation. Its stunning visuals mixed with a fantastic score are the strong positives. Yet, the UI is frustrating and difficult to look at. The bugs throughout make playing long sessions undesirable. Until there’s a massive update in its future, newcomers should stay away for now. Longtime fans will find some value in Civilization VII, even at its basic level.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fun time for any platformer fan. The levels are creative and will leave gamers with their jaws on the floor with how imaginative it gets. With some of the levels, the difficulty gets cranked up to 10 and will leave players frustrated. Players might sometimes find the game unforgiving, even when it offers more items and hearts. The modern additions are fine, but there should be more, considering the price tag. Still, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great...
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the best video game sequels ever. The second Uncharted entry achieves something that every game sequel wants to do, but few succeed in: improving on the problems from the previous entry while turning up the positives. The gameplay is better and much less stressful, thanks to tighter controls. This is on top of astonishing set-pieces, new characters, and the dangling train showcase in Chapter 1 makes the whole experience worth revisiting even after all thes...
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune offers a great preview of what future Uncharted games will provide. Nathan is such a fantastic protagonist that he rightfully became one of the PlayStation's flagship characters. Experiencing his adventure of trying to find Sir Francis Drake’s treasure is a great time, both from a gameplay and narrative standpoint. The game might show its age when it comes to annoying platforming that lacks today's polish and when its graphics erroneously prioritize photorealism...
The announcement of Horizon Zero Dawn getting its own Lego title came out of left field, but playing Lego Horizon Adventures is all one needs to put any doubts and concerns to rest. Making Horizon's world much lighter and kid-friendly through the lens of Lego was a most unexpected but welcome surprise, not some cynical spin-off. Burch and the rest of the cast seemed to have a lot of fun portraying their characters in a more comedic tone. At its worst, the gameplay wasn't perfect; it needed ad...
After playing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, any qualms about this remaster can and will vanish. This is an in-depth remaster that’s just shy of being a remake. The way Nixxes Studios manages to rework countless motion capture footage to make interactions more lifelike and having the environments pop more than they did in the past is incredible. Combining that with the PlayStation 5's haptic feedback, especially for Aloy’s bow, is satisfying. If any players are still skeptical, rest assure...
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the sequel that fans have longed for, and it's worth the almost-10 year wait. Max is still a great protagonist, and watching her try to figure out Safi's murder provides some intense moments. The new powers provided excellent gameplay and choices, even if some puzzles were too easy. While the art was stunning, the issues with the sound were a little distracting. Not helping were some instances of lousy lip-syncing and low audio levels. That said, these are ...
Super Mario Party Jamboree shows the franchise still has a lot of life to it. The boards and minigames work in harmony to deliver a good party mode. Having Party Planner Trek serve as the story mode is a great choice, as it provides a nice story while giving incentives to beat the mode. Some of the motion control modes didn’t hit as well, and playing online could lead to problems. These minor bumps don’t stop the party's momentum, as Super Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent addition to ...
At worst, shortcomings like the lukewarm new abilities and the glaring absence of voice acting limit the remake from reaching its true potential. If anything, these missteps speak more to the game's missed opportunities than a supposed lack of quality. Any Disney or Mickey Mouse enthusiast should buy Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed not just to relive the original Wii games, but to experience something entirely new and creepy. And for what it's worth, this remake is leagues above any public doma...
From PlayStation references to charming interactions with other Bots, there’s a treat on every level. It’s wild to think that Sony finally has a platformer that rivals the excellent 3D Super Mario Games, but Team Asobi really did it. Don’t miss out on one of the best platforming experiences in gaming history with Astro Bot.