Alex Stinton

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Alex Stinton·Oct 23, 2016

Critic80/100

Agreement—

While it can't resist urge to go over the top at times, in doing so, it at least delivers one of the best Battlefield campaigns to date.

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Alex Stinton·Sep 27, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The Dead Rising Triple Pack represents the perfect opportunity to revisit this divisive series. While it's a bit disappointing to see only a cursory effort being invested into presentation improvements, it feels as if enough time has passed since the titles were originally released that series evangelists will enjoy returning to the zombie mayhem found in these faithful ports. Newcomers, however, must be warned that any enjoyment you find here may be regularly overrun by a shambling horde of questionable design decisions.

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Alex Stinton·Aug 27, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Prominence Poker's free-to-play approach certainly has its benefits. By restricting the flow of money at your disposal it manages to make you feel each triumph and failure a little more keenly, while also keeping those hopelessly erratic players, with a penchant for going all-in, all the time, from over-running the tables. This makes it an enjoyable way to play poker for anyone who doesn't particularly want to risk their bank balance playing for real money, though the lack of a compelling progression system and underwhelming single player scenarios will more than likely stop you from going all-in.

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Alex Stinton·Jul 24, 2016

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Boring is not an adjective you expect to use when talking about an arcade racer, but somehow Carmageddon: Max Damage manages to be so tedious that you'll struggle to keep yourself interested enough to see out all of its events. The disappointing car handling, aimless AI, and basic visuals all come together to make a real clunker, which even with its few interesting aspects, doesn't come close to being classed as roadworthy.

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Alex Stinton·Jun 29, 2016

Critic80/100

Agreement—

So far, its been a great year for turn based strategy games on PlayStation 4, and SteamWorld Heist has added further to the bounty. With its addictive and accessible gameplay, not only is it the perfect title for players of any skill level to test their metal, but you'll also have such a good time playing it that you'll quickly forget it isn't the direct sequel to SteamWorld Dig that you may have been hoping for.

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Alex Stinton·Jun 6, 2016

Critic80/100

Agreement—

With the addition of an open world, Mirror's Edge Catalyst successfully builds upon the fun, free running gameplay of the original to deliver exhilarating, high-altitude action. It's perplexing that, while demonstrating a clear understanding of what the first game did so well, this reboot still forces you – albeit relatively infrequently – into unsatisfying combat. Like Faith herself, this release is at its best when it's on the run, and while the combat, story, and characters do cause it to stumble occasionally, it never actually falls.

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Alex Stinton·May 30, 2016

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Blizzard has never been a genre trailblazer when it comes to the games that it develops, but when it does arrive fashionably late on the scene, you can be fairly certain that it's going to deliver something special. With Overwatch, the studio has delivered once again, splicing the heroes of a MOBA straight into a team-based shooter, and while the asking price may feel a little steep at first, it's the selection of characters – that are easy to learn, but difficult to master – as well as its positive recognition system that'll undoubtedly win you over.

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Alex Stinton·May 14, 2016

Critic70/100

Agreement—

With issues peppering its campaign as well as its multiplayer, Battleborn's fusion of first-person shooter and MOBA is far from a complete success. A lengthy list of complaints comes perilously close to overshadowing proceedings, so it's fortunate that its engaging upgrade system and varied roster of characters end up being the true stars keeping you invested in the multiplayer.

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Alex Stinton·Apr 30, 2016

Critic90/100

Agreement—

In a genre that's traditionally concerned more with open combat, Invisible, Inc.'s stealth focus is a revelation. Chock full of smart game design, you're gifted plenty of options in how you approach your mission, and despite having so many tools at your disposal, it remains satisfyingly challenging, without ever crossing over into being unfair. While the roguelike progression could potentially be a downside for some, the high level of customisation around the difficulty settings will swiftly rob you of this complaint. Simply put, if you have even a passing interest in turn-based strategy games, you shouldn't let this exceptional title sneak under your radar.

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Alex Stinton·Apr 11, 2016

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Games based on movies have a pretty poor reputation on the quality front, however Ratchet & Clank emanates class in so many aspects that even referring to it as a movie tie-in sells it short. If you've never had the pleasure of enjoying this series' brand of third-person blasting before, then this is the perfect chance to see just why the property has remained popular for over a decade. Meanwhile, if you're already a fan, then this remake is a truly worthy entry in the franchise, and while it doesn't do anything particularly new of note, it's a greatest hits compilation so compelling that you won't want to skip it.

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Alex Stinton·Mar 21, 2016

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Any enjoyment to be found in The Division could easily have been smothered by its tremendously dull side content. Fortunately, it's saved from some all too familiar open world bloat by not only the high stake thrills of the Dark Zone but its top notch story missions. When added to a wealth of other positives – like its loot system and detailed open world – this entertaining action RPG manages to muster more than enough antibodies to overcome what thankfully turns out to be a mild case of the Ubisofts.

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Alex Stinton·Feb 22, 2016

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Despite some new additions – and a brand new setting in a largely untapped historical era – if you dig under the surface of Far Cry Primal, you'll find a remarkably well preserved edition of Far Cry 4 entombed within. As a result, if you were hoping for more of a revolution to the formula, or didn't particularly enjoy the hunting mechanics in past games, then you're best off steering clear of this title. Of course, if you're merely looking to jump back into the familiar Far Cry gameplay loop in a captivating open world, then there's still plenty of fun to be had. And at the end of the day, who on Earth doesn't want to ride around on a bear?

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Alex Stinton·Feb 17, 2016

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Dying Light: The Following is DLC done right, offering new content for the Dying Light faithful while changing things up more than enough so that it doesn't just feel like the reanimated corpse of the base game. Ultimately, it's the inclusion of the off-road buggy that turns out to be its smartest addition, which coupled with its challenging new setting more than overcomes any of the all too familiar shortcomings.

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Alex Stinton·Feb 1, 2016

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Rebel Galaxy is a streamlined take on the space sim that while nowhere near as complex as its PC peers still has enough going on to keep you more than entertained. It's a real shame then that despite its enjoyable ship-to-ship combat, interesting setting, and fantastic soundtrack, it ultimately ends up being tarnished by a repetitive grind that needlessly pads out its length.

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Alex Stinton·Nov 23, 2015

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Star Wars Battlefront is a good Star Wars game, but an average multiplayer shooter. If you have any love for a galaxy far, far away, you'll get a real kick out of the taking part in its fun, large scale battles, and your reverence for the source material may even be enough to keep you coming back despite its shortcomings. If, on the other hand, you're after the next big shooter to keep you occupied longer term, the limited weaponry and simplified customisation mean that this isn't the game that you're looking for.