Luke Mitchell
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Checkpoint GamingLatest Reviews
Due to its Deluxe Edition and numerous upgrades that have spanned almost 11 years now, it almost doesn’t feel that long ago when we first got our hands on Mario Kart 8. Arguably one of the most fully fleshed out kart racers of all time, it has almost felt definitive, with a gigantic cast of characters and tracks that have ensured it stays culturally relevant for over a decade. Hell, when I visited Tokyo last year for my wedding, a highlight included battling some local gamers in a kitted-ou...
A gorgeous fantasy setting, violent action combat, a magical forge surrounded by lava and a giant muscly man stomping around the place smashing things. Blades of Fire features lots of things I love about video games, made by Spanish developers MercurySteam, who clearly have an affinity for similar satisfying tropes. It’s an adventure that feels like a modern spin on an old Xbox 360 action adventure (complimentary), and brings with it some nifty ideas that set it apart from countless other a...
It’s an exciting time to be an Onimusha fan, which is a weird sentence to write in 2025. The horror samurai series, sort of a demonic sword-fighting spin on Resident Evil, was first released in 2001, and then had several games that followed in quick succession until 2006, when the franchise practically went dormant. It seemed relatively popular, so much so that a live-action film was being discussed at the time with a budget of over $70 million, so the disappearance felt odd. Despite all of...
Fairytales and folklore, the stories we’re told as children and then share as adults, feature some of the darkest and most mysterious characters in history. Passed down through generations, what makes these myths particularly compelling is how cultures treat them with reverence and how different subcultures each have their own legends and traditions that set them apart. South of Midnight, the new action-adventure title from Compulsion Games, tackles the folklore of the Deep South, a setting...
Soulslike’s are no longer a new and thrilling concept that can achieve great things on genre alone. With industry giants like Elden Ring and successful riffs like Nioh, The Surge and Lies of P, lovers of all things punishing are spoilt for choice. Now, to stand out in a trending genre, you can no longer just make a Soulslike with a small twist and hope for the best. You need to offer something compelling, something unique, something that stops folks in their tracks, forcing them to raise an...
WWE as an overall product right now is arguably stronger than ever. As the “Road to Wrestlemania” continues to come into focus, viewership is high, with a global Netflix partnership kicking things up a notch, and even another tour Down Under is coming to Perth later this year. Hollywood star John Cena is back and has turned to the dark side for the first time in 20 years, alongside The Rock looming large and white-bread babyface star Cody Rhodes generating more “Whoa-ohs” in his entra...
When you wake up in the Living Lands for the first time, the possibilities seem endless. A mysterious island full of dangerous creatures, quirky characters and gorgeous picturesque landscapes, Avowed doesn’t take long to wow you, quickly bringing you into its unusual world. Set in the world of Eora, this first-person RPG is a spin-off of sorts from the Pillars of Eternity franchise, a series of isometric RPGs that found moderate success.
There’s an uncharted, tomb-raiding-shaped hole in the video game industry, a real lack of action adventures that focus on solving puzzles, retrieving ancient artefacts and uncovering deep dark secrets that could change the fate of the entire planet. With a whip-crack, a smirk, and an iconic fedora, Indiana Jones is here to save the day, which feels like an odd thing to say in 2024. Yet somehow, this globetrotting escapade, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a brilliantly exciting time, c...
LEGO is venturing outside of large-scale iconic movie franchises and tackling a video game of a different kind with LEGO Horizon Adventures. Taking the bold, open-world narrative of iconic hero Aloy trying to figure out who she is and where she came from, the game offers a family-friendly take on what has previously been a mature, mechanically deep and visually stunning IP, that has become synonymous with the modern PlayStation brand.
Diablo IV came out with a bang last year, offering an incredibly polished experience with the addicting loop of looting and upgrading the series is known for. With a few Seasons under its belt and a slew of updates over the past year and a half, it has now delivered its first true expansion, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, furthering the story and offering fans a proper opportunity to jump back in and experience some epic new content. With a truly disgusting trailer that initially revealed Vesse...