Tom Quirk
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Checkpoint GamingLatest Reviews
System Shock
Before Deus Ex, Bioshock, or Prey (2017), there was the grandaddy of the sci-fi FPS immersive sim, System Shock. First released in 1994, the game is renowned for its massive influence on PC gaming. That said, even the most nostalgic of gamers can acknowledge that the original has not especially...
Ravenlok is an action-adventure game where you voyage through a mysterious Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-esque world to defeat an evil queen. While the game certainly succeeds on the atmosphere front through its soundtrack and visuals, the gameplay does not match that same standard, featuring simplistic combat and a deluge of...
A bit over a year following the release of Horizon Forbidden West, Guerrilla Games has come out with its first premium expansion, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, exclusively on PS5. Introducing a new weapon type, some additional enemy types, a very compelling supporting cast and great big island chain to...
Five years has passed since the release of Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler, and its sequel, the aptly-named Octopath Traveler II, has now launched as a multi-platform release. Taking the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to sequel design, Octopath Traveler II is a more robust revisit of the...
Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart, developer Mundfish’s first major title, is a sci-fi FPS-RPG taking place in an alternate Soviet Union. It’s a valiant debut effort, featuring a compelling cast and setting and gorgeous aesthetics and music. Although some technical and pacing issues do hold the game back at many points, fans of...
Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line is the epic compilation that Final Fantasy music aficionados have been waiting for. Including close to 400 tracks from across Square Enix’s RPG series and spin-offs, the game is the ultimate dose of Final Fantasy musical nostalgia and a fine rhythm game all on its own....
Dread Templar
Are you nostalgic for the boomer shooters of yesteryear? Do you yearn for the days of keycard hunting, hordes of foes, and just enough plot to string it all together? Well, T19 Games’ Dread Templar has you covered, delivering a love letter to the retro FPS genre, to both its...
High on Life
Spawned from the mind of Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, High on Life is a decent first-person shooter whose writing and sense of humour will likely prevent it from appealing to everyone. There is quite a lot to like about it, from fun boss designs to imaginative worlds, but...
Soccer Story is a rather charming little RPG/sports sim title by No More Robots, where you must restore the joy of soccer to a land where amateur games have been banned by the villainous Soccer Inc. Although the goofy-yet-earnest premise and vibrant world and NPCs make it delightful to initially...
Gungrave G.O.R.E is the newest mainline followup to the Gungrave arcade shooter franchise, developed by Korean studio Iggymob. The series has been dormant for some time, having not seen a mainline release since 2004 (Gungrave VR in 2019 notwithstanding). While the game is certainly competent as a shooter and contains...
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the latest in Square Enix and Tri-Ace’s long-running RPG franchise which combines Star Trek-esque sci-fi and fantasy. After a bit of a stumble with the divisive last game, Integrity and Faithlessness, this most recent entry is mostly a promising return to form, bringing back...
Batora: Lost Haven is an isometric planet-hopping action RPG where you play as Avril, a teenager gifted with mysterious powers and tasked to save the Earth from catastrophe. With its ambitious narrative scope and innovative Nature-switching gameplay, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on, but its underbaked cast and somewhat...
