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Shadow of the Erdtree delivers more of the same style of content you loved two years ago rather than introducing new ways to engage. That's enough to consider it a fantastic expansion, though it's hard not to feel like you're just going through the motions again. With a new land to explore, a fresh set of bosses to fight, and extra lore to consume, it's so much more Elden Ring.
Still Wakes The Deep may not stick around for long, but it'll have an iron-clad grip on you across its runtime. There's clear inspiration here from horror movie classics such as Alien and The Thing, and we adored seeing those inspirations play out through its highly-detailed settings and salt-of-the-Earth cast of characters. It may not be the most engaging gameplay experience on the PS5, but The Chinese Room smartly lays a solid foundation in the Beira D and its gaggle of staff, that'll keep its viscerally focused horror on your mind long after the credits roll.
Capping all of that off are some lovely visuals. While still feeling limited by the game's 3DS origins, Capcom has done a fantastic job of updating textures, and boosting the overall quality of environments for this re-release. When looking back at 3DS gameplay, you can see the stark difference.
V Rising is a devilishly addictive action RPG - but only once you've worked through the game's fairly tedious first act. Getting your castle up and running takes time and patience, but if you can embrace the grind, you'll discover a dynamic open world that's full of interesting ideas and satisfying gameplay loops.
While the overall structure of the game hasn't changed, the formula worked and didn't need any major shifts. But when compared to the first Stories — which already holds up really well — the small and large enhancements to every facet of the experience make this sequel a must-play RPG for any fan of the genre, or the Monster Hunter series.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive way to play Atlus' devilish game of demon fusion, with a new suite of bells and whistles to smooth over what can, at times, still be an abrasive gameplay experience. It's incredibly combat-heavy, which can become oppressive, but working towards raising that perfect demon remains as engaging as ever.
All in all, Night Springs is a short excuse to revel in the oddities of Alan Wake 2 and Remedy. Whether it's comedic, horror-tinged, or genre-hopping, the developer is just having loads of fun with this DLC. We'd love it to be a little longer, or perhaps even include another episode or two, but what's here is a reminder that Remedy is one of the most original and unique developers in the game right now.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape feels like a promise fulfilled. We can't help but think back to all of the late night sessions exploring iconic corners of this vibrant sci-fi universe, and digging into all manners of lore to help make sense of it all. And now, despite it's ups and downs, we have a gratifying end to the decade spanning Light and Darkness saga, that evokes all those memories in one big celebration. Destiny 2: The Final Shape is the hope and dream of every other live service game out there. It's a testament to Bungie's unwavering commitment to a riveting saga that defied all odds, and did exactly what it set out to do. This one is for the fans.
Ultimately, the game’s charming visage is enough to overcome some mechanical shortcomings and provide a game that's equal parts relaxing, charming, and goofy.
XenoVerse 2's outstanding longevity must be praised, and it's still a fun game to explore, but it can be difficult to recommend. Parts of this time-travelling adventure haven't aged well at all, and although the game's impressive scope does counterbalance a lot of its flaws, you need to know that the core gameplay loop is an almighty grind — now more than ever before.
Outside of the core campaign, there’s online multiplayer with full crossplay, which should help to ensure matchmaking remains snappy across a prospectively small install base. Rotating challenges also offer new gameplay wrinkles and modifiers to keep things fresh in a very basic live service fashion, with cosmetic unlocks like paint and leaderboards available to keep you engaged. Ultimately, the game won’t hold your attention for too long, but you’ll be smiling plenty while it lasts.
Most disappointing is the lack of clown comedy. Their shoes squeak when they walk and there are some jokey lines of dialogue, but no hilarious kills. As a human, sometimes a funny cutscene will play when you die, but that doesn't translate to combat. There’s no clown cars or circus tricks, no killer klown spaceship to fight in. Just rural, small town American levels littered with guns and melee weapons. Without the film’s silliness, there’s little reason to play Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game over other popular asymmetric horror titles.
XDefiant is a solid shooter that will likely scratch that arcade-y itch with its snappy gunplay, iconic map design, and fan-favourite game modes. It's the perfect multiplayer shooter to chuck on at the weekend, and we suspect it'll be home to several late-night sessions for old-school Call of Duty fans. It's not quite the breath of fresh air for the genre that The Finals is, but more like a blast from the past. Is it a CoD killer? No, but if Ubisoft can work its magic and go hell-for-leather with its multi-franchise post-launch content, then XDefiant could flourish into a regular staple of the shooter genre.
At the end of the day, System Shock is the faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every facet of its being. In some ways, this is a tantalising look back at the game that started an entire genre, and if you've got the enthusiasm or nostalgia for immersive sims like it, then it's worth checking out for that alone. However, if you lack that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more a showcase of how far the genre has come, rather than a spotlight on how well it's held up. System Shock may have walked so others in the genre could run, but for us, that walk is just a little too slow.
While we've got issues with some of the less than adventurous gameplay mechanics, in most other regards Indika is an absolute triumph. It teeters on a cliff edge, tonally, but never goes too far in any one direction. It never becomes preachy, or maudlin, or too silly for its own good. It's a wonderful balancing act, and one that it continues right up until its final moments which will leave you unsure about whether you should laugh or cry.
Paper Trail is a charming game with an interesting and unique puzzle mechanic. The story doesn’t quite reach the emotional highs that we were expecting but it’s still a sweet coming-of-age tale set in a gorgeous world complemented by a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack.
Braid is undoubtedly a classic that revolutionized the indie game landscape, and it still has enough unique ideas to make it worth a playthrough for the first time today. Whether or not the Anniversary Edition is worth it, however, will largely depend on your experience with the original. For newcomers, the enhanced graphics and extra levels make this the definitive edition, and worthy of a purchase. Similarly, up-and-coming game developers will find lots of love and advice poured into the game's comprehensive commentary system.However, for those who have experienced Braid before, unless you're itching for a revisit, there may not be enough new content here to justify double dipping. Whether it's the original or the Anniversary Edition, though, Braid is still a game that should be experienced by everyone at least once.
Animal Well is an extremely rewarding game — if you're willing to lose yourself in it. The sort of mysteries it's hiding go well beyond finding collectibles, giving you a rich and detailed world to unpack. If you have the patience and the curiosity, it's absolutely worth plumbing its depths.
Imagine Earth is good, but it never becomes great. Still, the varied missions, challenging and deep mechanics, and gorgeous visuals make it a worthwhile city builder for fans of the genre.
It’s truly impressive what SFB Games has accomplished with such a small team. If you like 90s horror games — Resident Evil especially — then you owe it to yourself to try out Crow Country.