Anything but a hollow experience. Over a decade since Yacht Club Games made its mark on the indie scene with Shovel Knight, the studio is finally back with its next big nod to retro games, Mina the Hollower. Instead of going the 2D platformer route again, Mina the Hollower lives…
The game's Bond, James Bond. James Bond is undoubtedly one of the most famous names in all of fiction, which is a pretty funny thing to be able to say for a secret agent. With a multitude of books, movies, games, magazines, and countless items of merchandise, the character, and…
The Abyss stares back. In response to an aggressive post-release patching schedule from dev Pearl Abyss, we’re giving Crimson Desert a second shake. With the game transformed from its 19th March release date, we felt it was important to revisit the title and provide an updated…
Ridley Carpenter's The Alien. Taking the Supermassive formula and applying it to a mash-up of Ridley Scott’s Alien and John Carpenter’s The Thing was exactly why I was intrigued to check out Directive 8020. I’m a huge fan of both films, and the idea of having to decide whether…
Keep running up that hill. Hades 2 continues developer Supergiant Games' reign of isometric action dominance, which began with Bastion back in 2011 and was firmly cemented by Transistor in 2014. Building on the foundations of 2020's excellent original Hades, the sequel to that…
See that star? Don't go there. Starfield is a very different proposition compared to the many Elder Scrolls and Fallout games Bethesda has made in the past: it’s a space RPG where the worst thing about it is space. Instead of a single open world to explore, there are…
A catchy number. It doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally a game comes around that’s tailor made for me. People of Note, a musical RPG from indie outfit Iridium Studios, is that kinda release. This one fuses Final Fantasy with K-Pop Demon Hunters, delivering a distinctly…
In another life. The Life Is Strange series comes to its supposed end with Life Is Strange: Reunion, a quasi-sequel to the 2015 original, and a full-on sequel to 2024’s Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. However, its commitment to either of those prior games is a little…
Into the Deep South. South of Midnight is the kind of game Microsoft would have had to consistently publish to make its Xbox Game Pass subscription truly succeed. This is a relatively straightforward 12-hour adventure with little in the way of gameplay innovation, yet it ships…
Welcome to die. Retro compilations have become quite commonplace this generation, but Marvel MaXimum Collection is one you should be paying attention to. While it would be all-too easy to lament the lack of SEGA’s superhero games here – like its System 32 Spider-Man effort or…
Kliff bracer. Crimson Desert is a fascinating video game. It's an open world adventure of frankly absurd scope, taking blatant cues from notable examples of the genre, like Red Dead Redemption 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and The Witcher 3. But where those three…
Even in open beta, MultiVersus is a worthy competitor to Super Smash Bros. While it may not be able to quite match the scope and production values of Nintendo's flagship platform fighter, its gameplay goes toe-to-toe with its incredibly established rival – and its excellent netcode completely outshines it. The most exciting thing is that this release is guaranteed to grow over time, and with the Warner Bros vaults practically bursting with iconic IP, this is one live service that looks to have a lot of life in it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a superb beat-'em-up that captures the spirit of Konami's coin-op classics, but modernises them in all the right areas. With smooth combat, gorgeous presentation, and rock-solid rollback netcode, it all adds up to deliver a super fun experience.
Neon Abyss is a fun, fast-paced twist on the rogue-like genre with a solid core gameplay loop. Although it brings new ideas to the table in the form of collectible eggs, and it has a good variety of weapons, enemies and synergies, it's not without its drawbacks. Performance issues, the lack of the genre's typical dodge button, and the chaotic room design all prevent Neon Abyss from being a must buy title.
Creaks is one of PS4's very best games of 2020 so far. Its commitment to continually evolving its mechanics makes for a phenomenal puzzling experience packed full of surprises and elating moments. With a stunning art style to boot as well as a narrative which reveals itself in all the right ways, Creaks offers an unforgettable ride that can be considered truly special.