Kyle Nicol

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Initially developed by Irrational Games, which would then go on to create the mostly excellent, Bioshock franchise, System Shock 2 is known as one of the most revolutionary games of all time. Still, its relatively cult following and inaccessible nature for many players (especially on console) means that a lot of people haven’t managed to try it out. System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remastered is the perfect game for Nightdive to bring to more modern hardware. Does it live up after all this ...

There’s no denying that a new soulslike being announced and released isn’t as exciting nowadays as it once used to be, due to how bloated the genre is nowadays. There are new ones coming out pretty much every time I wake up these days. However, Blades of Fire did pique my interest before launch, mostly because it was being developed by MercurySteam, a developer I have a lot of respect for. They are the ones responsible for the flawed but fascinating Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, as well a...

Like many others, the 2018 PC port of Yakuza 0 was my introduction to the Yakuza franchise. A game I didn’t really have much in the way of expectations, and only really tried out of morbid curiosity and the amazingly dedicated fanbase. I didn’t realise just how special it was and how far this franchise would go with the recent Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth and absurd Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut marks the latest in a long line of re-releases for the franchise with i...

Skin Deep
8.0

So far, 2025 has been one hell of a year for games. Some incredibly surprising games that we weren’t expecting became big hits, like Blue Prince, with its compelling and innovative take on the roguelike genre, Haste’s fast-paced and fluid gameplay, and Ubisoft actually (and shockingly) nailing it with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Skin Deep, by Blendo Games and Annapurna, delivers what is arguably this year’s weirdest game so far, and by “weird” I truly mean one well worth checking ...

For me there’s nothing quite like the smell of a new survival horror game. Especially one that goes straight for the retro feels. Case and point, today’s review subject. Post Trauma takes a lot of influence from classics in the horror genre, most noticeably the recently re-hyped Silent Hill 2, but unfortunately, despite some great ideas and great intentions, this project ended up failing to captivate me.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like it came out of nowhere to me. An entirely new IP from the new studio, Sandfall Interactive, based in France, we had no idea what to expect. However, as soon as I started it, I knew we had something truly special. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 manages to recapture the magic of old-school JRPGS whilst giving it a fresh Western spin, wearing all of its inspirations on its sleeve. This is easily one of the finest games since Baldur’s Gate 3.

2013’s The Last of Us is a modern classic. Say what you want about it, you know it’s true. It is, without a doubt, one of gaming’s best storytelling efforts of all time, with a perfect ending. It’s an almost impossible game to follow up on, but the 2020 sequel tried to do just that, and whilst it received critical acclaim, the audience wasn’t as thrilled with the story direction. It became one of the most polarizing games of all time in discussion forums, for both good and bad reaso...

Steel Seed
4.0

The combination of stealth-like action and Soulslike combat should have been a surefire way to win me over in an instant. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of my all-time favourite games, yet nothing has come close to replicating it since. Steel Seed, as an indie game, was never going to reach the same heights, obviously, but featuring a cyberpunk aesthetic in a decaying world, we could have had, at the very least, a mild contender. Unfortunately, Steel Seed just doesn’t hit the mark. To be ...

Blue Prince
9.0

As much as I love a good roguelike, it’s hard to deny the genre has become rather stale over the past few years, out of an overall lack of creative and sheer excessive amounts of titles released at a weekly basis . I didn’t expect much from Blue Prince, considering the small marketing campaign and, well, the fact it is a roguelike, but have to say I’ve been blown away by what’s on display here. It’s genuinely creative and engaging rogue experience that has so much more than what’s...

Hazelight Studios is fast becoming one of my favourites out there. After the flawed but entertaining A Way Out showcased a true cooperative adventure, I was intrigued. Then It Takes Two came out and blew us all away with a touching story and exceptional cooperative gameplay. We were wondering just how Josef Fares and the team would top this. Now we have Split Fiction, which, somehow, does just that.