Latest Reviews
The big problem that Maid of Sker struggles to deal with, and ultimately fails at, is resolving the tension between the storytelling and experience, and the gameplay. They come across as very distinct elements, and the conflict between them means that, often, the gameplay really messes with the pacing and,...
Despite your character’s acrobatic prowess, movement in combat feels sluggish and hit detection feels inconsistent, making moving about and avoiding all the attacks coming your way—the cornerstone of this sort of action game—unwieldy and awkward. A dodge roll is one of your key moves, but with no invincibility frames and...
But what’s more interesting to me is the way the collection itself shines a light on craft and deepens the connection between player and developer. Each game comes with design notes and a short interview with the developers where they reflect on the process of designing the game. These conversations...
There’s an anecdote about Age of Empires 2 where the developers had intended a fifth resource called ore, which would have simulated metal for swords and armour, leaving gold to be solely for economic purposes. This fifth resource was eventually cut to streamline resource management and make the game more...
For all its many limitations, there are elements of Space Commander that are a delight. The visual engine, for example, is gorgeous. Whether it’s just enjoying the billowing clouds of a gas giant or an intense dogfight in the middle of an asteroid field, the twinkling stars in space are...
Subnautica, and now its sequel, have been lauded for being a visual treat on the bigger consoles, and this is justified. It’s not just that the game renders detailed, complex environments to explore, but additionally, it’s the art direction that’s so appealing. The artists have struck the perfect balance between...
Total War: Rome was the really big breakout moment for the series, and as a bona fide classic, the remaster makes sense – even if it is just for the sake of nostalgia. I don’t think the strategy genre necessarily lends itself to modernisation when the thing that needs moderising...
At least I’m not stuck with the silly name, because one of the more unusual tweaks in R-Type Final 2 is that you can opt to change the display name on menus. That’s why, technically speaking, this isn’t a review of R-Type Final 2. It’s a review of my chosen...
With that being said, nothing can detract from the joy of taking photos of the little critters and then printing them out for a real-life photo album. I know it’s a fairly expensive outlay, but I consider the Instax Link Mini to be essential to the Pokémon Snap. Prints from...
A few years ago, if you had have told me that there would be a gothic horror Resident Evil, I would have laughed. What RE has traditionally done and the gothic tradition are so far apart they’re almost antithetical. And yet, that is what Village has delivered. While this might...
So let’s go through the list of all that is great about Dark Nights with Poe and Munro. It’s a completely individual title that slides in nicely with what I shall, in the future, refer to as D’Avekki lore; it can be played alone, or it can be played before...
