Brendan Caldwell

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Dec 7, 2016

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For all its enthusiasm, openness, and Red Bull product placement, Steep can’t overcome a mountain of small problems.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Nov 9, 2016

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Compared to the variety offered by the alternatives this year, I don’t see why either Battlefield 1 or Titanfall 2 won’t scratch the same itch, and then some. This raises a far more worrying question for CoD as an ongoing and risk-averse phenomenon: how long can it afford not to innovate? At some point even the faithful, even those incredible knife-wielding ninjas, will tire of running over the same old ground.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Nov 6, 2016

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Infinite Warfare’s story mode is an expensive-looking spectacle without a single idea of its own, mechanically or narratively. Even Ethan the robot’s attempts to salvage the Marine vs Navy vs Army banter by playing off some well-worn robot tropes can’t save the story or dialogue from being hogwash. Even the rare glimpse of interesting ‘burning asteroid’ level design can’t redeem the rest of the grey corridors and flaming city streets. As for how good it looks (and it does look very good) that is no saving grace.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Oct 20, 2016

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It is safely good. Even with the addition of Operations mode and the behemoths and the return to a more instinctively dramatic setting, it still feels like Battlefield.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Oct 5, 2016

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Fractured Space finally warped out of the early access nebulae this month. Read our review of the interstellar MOBA.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Sep 27, 2016

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I did step away from the brink of criminality. So few games are capable of putting humans together like this in a den of villainy and letting them become slowly corrupted or instantaneously redeemed. Hackmud does this and does it very well. It is like the early internet it so perfectly mimics: a world of confusion, paranoia and possibility.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Sep 7, 2016

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If you're the kind of person who wishes it still was the eighties and likes the idea of revisiting a button-mashing romp, warts and all, you'll find a lot to like about this one. But even so, you might find it wearing thin after a while. After all, even the Age of Nostalgia must come to an end.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Aug 31, 2016

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There is something here for fans of the genre (if it is a genre). The world is big and each faction has a hefty handful of quests that you’ll need to work to deserve. There’s also instant co-op, which means tougher missions, like taking out a well-guarded fort, can be approached with mates. Likewise, the broad strokes of fantasy – the undead, magic artifacts, sea monsters – might be enough to intrigue you deeper into this world of pirates and tradesmen.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Jun 20, 2016

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All in all, I found it difficult to get into Crea in the same way I did for its forefathers. It would be easy for me to say that part of that is down to fatigue with the genre – I have been through it all before, after all. But that is not the main problem I have with this latecomer. The fact is, it just does everything less well.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·May 23, 2016

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This is what you have waiting for you: a ridiculous and pointless horror story, and a slow death. It’s wonderful.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Apr 6, 2016

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Overall, Ashes isn’t bad, it’s just very plain. Gorgeous, but plain. There’s nothing here that hasn’t been done before and done better.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Brendan Caldwell·Mar 15, 2016

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At level 26, I'm enjoying The Division. At level 30, I'm worried it'll get repetitive.