Rock, Paper, Shotgun
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Some of the additions in Afterbirth break whatever thematic cohesion might have existed more than what has come before. Laser-cyborg Isaac doesn't quite fit with my reading of the game but then, what the hell, maybe it's just a game about shit, blood and tears after all. And it's a fantastic example of the form.
What a treat. And a surprisingly deep one, with compelling moments you’ll want to talk about. It’s a pleasure to control, it has impeccable difficulty balancing to keep you moving forward while always feeling like you’re being skillful, and all in the prettiest of pretty pixel graphics. Triumphant.
A solid, slightly chaotic RTS that nails some satisfying tactical stand up bugfights, but could use a little more bite
A speedrunning fps with tight level design and satisfying movement.
While my fellow lovers of supernatural storytelling and occult life simulation will get a huge kick out of playing with Werewolves, I doubt it's going to do much to convert those who would rather see The Sims as a slice of life. Fundamentally, this pack doesn't change anything about how occult life states behave in The Sims 4, and they're still going to feel intrusive if you'd rather not have them in your game. But if you are a fan of the weirder side of Sim life, then I have a feeling Werewolves is going to be an essential add-on.
A generous expansion that ramps up the difficulty for hunters looking for a challenge.
An intriguing and novel take on Hideo Kojima's Strand ideas, Witch Strandings is a bubbling cauldron of magic and menace about saving or suffocating a haunted forest and its woodland inhabitants.
Despite its empty halls and predictable plot, it's a charming escape room sim that's filled with clever puzzles that reward and rarely frustrate. The entire thing can be played with a bud too, making this a brilliant co-op jaunt.
Gwent: Rogue Mage is a great evolution of an already-satisfying foundation. The roguelike trappings of travelling across an ever-changing board full of shifting events and encounters meld wonderfully into the action of Gwent battles. Some redundant events and bothersome bugs aside, this is a real treat.
A people management sim set in yonder Scottish highlands that is, unfortunately, a drier, slower and more bucolic take on its Rimwordly influences.
While it is an enormously satisfying and well-crafted game, SOMA never managed to convince me that its themes and plot were in tune with its more traditional first-person frights. It scared me and it gave me cause to think about some of the issues raised, but now that I'm done, I doubt it'll stay long in my mind, or plucking at my nerves.
The game is clearly enormously detailed, a real passion piece, and one I fought and fought to enjoy. It didn't work out for me. I suspect it may for others.
[F]ifteen quid, lots of bullets, lots of steampunk Nazis and some monsters too. If that's (still) your poison, you can't go far wrong with this.
There are some bum notes both tonally and strategically, Tropico old hands will find the bones of the things over-familiar, and despite having tons of things to fiddle with ultimately it's hard not call it a lightweight game. I really think it has to be, though.
It's a dreamy, gentle, melancholic game, created with tangible passion. It's utterly beautiful, and while not nearly challenging enough, it's entertaining to play.
Tower of Guns mixes up its shooting with platforming and freedom of movement, but Ziggurat battles its way to the top of the pile by scratching my Isaac and Serious Sam itches simultaneously.
Whatever time was wasted traipsing across the same screens repeatedly, I sure as hell don't regret the twenty-odd perfect shots that happened along the way. The beauty of Titan Souls is that if you enjoy the demo, you'll find more of the same in the full game, with consistently inventive enemy designs.
For all of its speed, channelled from FPS games of the distant past, Tower Of Guns encourages thoughtful play. Despite the randomisation of enemies, pick-ups and areas, every distinct element that can appear is a known quantity, and that means the risks and possibilities are always obvious. But no matter how much experience you have, if you can't think fast enough – and, no insult intended, you probably can't – you'll still struggle to survive.
The key is, I do enjoy playing it. I'm still far from finished, but have played for an awfully long time. For a tenner, that's a lot of game. It's somewhat obnoxious, but special for just getting on with being a game.
Battlefield: Hardline is a stupid game. I quite like it.