Emmanuel Brown
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GameWatcher Latest Reviews
So when the dust settles, I suspect that Football Manager 2015 will be regarded as one of the smaller evolutions in the series. It’s still the best in its field by some margin, and the UI changes are almost universally positive, but - from my perspective at least - it’s a shame that some of the longer-lasting problems with the match engine remain. Regardless, the addictive qualities of Football Manager are ultimately untouched, with the new scouting and player interaction options only ser...
As cynical as it might be to release a quick follow-up to a third-person shooter in one of the most populated thematic genres of the last generation then, Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is nonetheless another diverting exercise in brainless co-op action. It’s worthy of a look if you’ve not dabbled in the delights of the original, but anybody looking for a full-on sequel will likely be disappointed. Even so, if you can pick it up on the cheap then Nazi Zombie Army 2 contains enough new co...
And that fully-featured behemoth is still Football Manager through and through, despite the changes discussed above. The sensation of playing the same excellent simulation from a slightly different angle is rewarding however, and it’s refreshing that after so many years of upping the complexity levels and surfacing detail that most games keep behind the scenes, Sports Interactive has taken a long look at their primary tactical setup and made changes to make it more relatable to their audie...
Gas Guzzlers Extreme is still worth the plunge if you’re at all intrigued by a return to its simple diet of racing carnage however. The mechanics are solid, it looks pretty, and much like a recently resurging obsession with Counter Strike: GO, I found myself dipping in and out of the singleplayer offering as a diversion between lengthier games. And that’s not a comment meant to undermine the game in the slightest; that sort of casual appeal is exactly what an arcade combat racer should re...
F1 2013 is a dynamic and varied simulation then, and that’s not a compliment that could readily be aimed at too many of its forebears. There is an element of treading water as Codemasters gets ready for the inevitable shift to new console hardware and racing technology in the next F1 season, but this is nevertheless an accomplished and hugely entertaining entry in the series. If it’s your first time round the circuit then you’ll have a blast getting to know the intricacies of the handli...
Much like the original then, Riptide is casual fun when approached from the viewpoint of a group of players that aren’t averse to grieving their own kind, but don’t expect much more than a tense slog otherwise. There’s little to Palanai’s shores that you might not have already seen in Dead Island, and there’s not much in the 10-12 hours of Riptide’s campaign that exceeds the first foray into the undead. This is still a satisfying melee combat experience that pulls no punches on an...
In reality, Guild Wars 2 will likely only get better in the coming weeks and months whilst players settle in, features mature and the long-term content plans reveal themselves. It’s not often you can say that about any MMO in this day and age, and even if this is one of the final death rattles for the template we’ve come to know and love over the past decade or more, what a hell of a way it would be to say goodbye. Guild Wars 2 is a fast, slick and beautiful community-driven MMO experienc...
As one of the ‘chosen few’ Summer of Arcade titles, it’s easily to come away from Deadlight more than a little disappointed. There are sparks of inspiration here and a beautifully realised setting, but beneath that veneer of intrigue lies gameplay that just doesn’t cut it with the best. There’s just about enough to enjoy in this broken version of 80’s Seattle, just expect to be frustrated in digging out the treats.
When the dust settles on Sniper Elite V2 though, it’ll likely be remembered for those X-Ray kill animations and little else of note. Your level of enjoyment will be almost directly mapped to how entertaining you find the visual spectacle to be, and - for me at least - it was perfectly good fun in short bursts. Not the best shooter of the year by a long stretch then, but certainly nowhere near the bottom of the pile.