Hailey McKay
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Checkpoint Gaming Latest Reviews
The world of Warhammer 40K is vast. Set in our galaxy during the 41st millennium, it sees gigantic armies battle it out across the stars in a universe where there is only war. It’s a vast setting full of alien races and nefarious powers. Unfortunately, Rogue Factor’s Necromunda: Underhive Wars, which is set in the 40K universe, ignores all of that vastness to focus on a gang war on some polluted mudball.
Dontnod Entertainment is a bit of a golden child when it comes to game developers. Since their first game in 2013, they’ve built a reputation on in-depth characters and interesting stories. From the ambitious gameplay of Vampyr, to the strong narratives in the Life is Strange series; Dontnod’s games are loved by critics and consumers alike. In an age of bombastic shooter looters and open-world stealth games, it’s nice to see someone offering up something different. For their sixth game,...
Bleeding edge is plagued with problems. There’s no other way to put it. No way to be polite about it. At a time when society has abandoned the Hero shooter and moved on to the Battle Royale, Bleeding Edge stands atop the crowd and cries “give us a try, we’re Overwatch but with 3rd person melee.” And then it promptly falls flat on its face. Because Bleeding Edge is a massive misstep. And no number of flashy visuals and cool music can fix that.
One Step from Eden is a game that wears its influences, and its heart, on its sleeve. A mixture of Slay the Spire and one of the best Mega Man titles of all time; One Step From Eden bills itself as “a deckbuilding roguelike with relentless real-time grid combat.” And that’s a pretty apt descriptor. In the 10+ hours I’ve spent playing, I’ve done a lot of deck building, and the battles have been relentless. If you like challenging combat and strategic gameplay, then you’re in for a ...
There’s a certain kind of magic that’s gone into LUNA The Shadow Dust. One that’s almost impossible to describe. Kickstarted in 2016, LUNA is a point-and-click puzzle game from Lantern studio. And for the studios’ first game, it’s an impressive showing. Featuring hand-drawn animation, complicated puzzles, and moving music, the game feels like it was made by an experienced team. The amount of work that’s gone into this game is impressive. But does the quality translate into a good ...
There are some games that drain you, that leave you feeling like you’ve run a marathon by the end; Blacksad: Under the Skin is one of those games. They sit with you and settle long after you’ve completed them. They occupy your thoughts and make you doubt your choices. It’s an experience I’ve been having with a few games this year; Life is Strange 2, The Outer Worlds, Knife Sisters. But Blacksad is the first one that’s made me take a long hard look at it – and I’m not sure I like...
The John Wick film franchise is amazing. Not only are they filled with over the top actions set-pieces and spectacular violence, but they’re also the reason Keanu Reeves is back in vogue. With a franchise this huge in the public consciousness, it was only a matter of time before it made its way to other media. After a middling performance with John Wick Chronicles, the franchise is back with a bang in John Wick Hex.
Daemon X Machina is the newest action-packed mech game to land on the Nintendo Switch. The game desperately wants to be a spiritual successor to FromSoftware’s Armoured Core series. And with Kenichiro Tsukuda, producer of the first few entries in the Armoured Core franchise, at the helm, it’s a feat the game almost achieves. But under the hood it feels like something is missing. That behind the pretty visuals and bombastic soundtrack is nothing but a heartless, nostalgia fuelled machine....
Devolver Digital have a great track record when it comes to games; From fast-paced action thrillers like Hotline Miami and Mother Russia Bleeds, to cerebral experiences like The Talos Principle and Always Sometimes Monsters. Each release they’ve published has been an exercise in polished gameplay, visual design, and fun. Ape Out is no exception.