Alex Avard
Asemblance seems to be trying to posit a number of thought-provoking questions to the player, but neither the narrow gameplay nor the convoluted narrative articulates this message effectively, and the result is a diluted experience that is over before it began. Hopefully Nilo Studios has the opportunity to deliver more fulfilling and expansive episodes to the series in the future, but this first outing doesn’t inspire too much confidence.
Much like its title character, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is compromised, inelegant, and a bit of an eyesore. To everyone except the most fervent of Tolkienites; you shall pass.
"It shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that Goat Simulator 3 is a game best enjoyed with friends"
Pretty visuals and some fun combat can’t make up for the fact that Livelock lacks any real spark.
Oceanhorn – Monster of Uncharted Seas is a short, sweet tale, which you'll enjoy mostly for its delightful visuals and enchanting soundtrack. The overt homages to The Legend of Zelda can sometimes feel more like blatant imitation than respectful tribute, and we wish there was a little more punchiness to the combat, but developers Cornfox Bros demonstrate competent game design here, and Oceanhorn subsequently represents one of the better mobile to console ports out there right now.
A deep dive into an emotionally resonant, thematically intriguing, and visually striking abyss, Under the Waves' waters are choppy at times, but there's pearls to be found amidst the turbulence of its enthralling ocean.
Fleeting, forgettable fun at its most flamboyant, you'll likely enjoy Strange Brigade for a jiffy before shortly moving on to bigger, better things.
There's still life in this old Rogue Trooper yet, but the limitations of its time makes Redux a fun but inessential addition to your library.
Amid an overcrowded season full of newly launched triple-A titles, Shards of Darkness, at its very best, works as an inconsistent but serviceable stealth experience.
Despite leaning a little too heavily on fan-servicing familiarity, Payday 3 proves there's still fun to be squeezed from its well-honed heisting template yet.
Grounded has always been a solid idea on paper, but Obsidian brings that potential to full fruition for launch, delivering on the thrills and fun of its brilliantly Spielbergian conceit.
Legion royally shakes up Watch Dogs' open-world template with a Play as Anyone mechanic that just about outweighs any headaches left by its rough edges.
Mojang's smartly streamlined dungeon crawler makes for a more accessible alternative in the action RPG space.
Not as drastic a change up as its WW1 predecessor, nor as wild or wondrous, Battlefield 5's deliberative design sidelines its strengths as a simulative sandbox.
A successful sequel where it counts the most, only a few potholes slow The Crew 2 down in its drive to become the ultimate road trip.
State of Decay 2 confidently reaches the series' potential as the ultimate zombie survival sim, even if it hits a few familiar bumps in the road on the way there.
Ironically, the only thing holding this game back is a lack of evolution.
Small Radios Big Televisions is a short but stimulating trip into a world of multiple realities.
If ‘They Shall Not Pass’ is any indication of DICE’s long-term plans for Battlefield 1, fans have got a great season ahead of them.
Two episodes in, and A New Frontier has already established itself as an important new story that expands and enriches Telltale’s interpretation of The Walking Dead universe.