Stephen Tailby

Nintendo Life

Stephen Tailby·May 26, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Lego 2K Drive is a racing game that so nearly reaches its potential, but it steps on a few stray bricks along the way. The core driving feels good, the Story mode has plenty to do, and the creation tools are legitimately impressive. However, it's let down by technical shortcomings, a lack of sharing options, and somewhat slimy monetisation. The foundations of a really great arcade racer are here, but poor optimisation in this Switch version and certain design decisions mean it's unlikely to overtake the competition.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·May 19, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Whether you're a fan of LEGO, arcade racing, or both, this game comes highly recommended from us, with the unfortunate caveat that it also features pretty aggressive monetisation. Tactile open worlds have a decent amount to discover, the Story mode strikes the perfect tone, and the driving itself is great fun. On top of all that, an impressive build mode lets you make your own crazy cars, though it's a shame you can't share them with your pals. Unfortunately, the microtransactions are hard to ignore, and they drag down what is otherwise a creative and engaging racer.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Apr 20, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Like Frozen Wilds did with Horizon Zero Dawn, Burning Shores takes what was already great about Forbidden West and gives you a sizeable new playground and a bunch of extra toys to play with. The archipelago is great fun to explore by land, sea, or air, with plenty of interesting things to see and do. Certain areas feel a little underutilised, but overall this is a great expansion that continues Aloy's story and sets up for things to come in Horizon 3.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Apr 4, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Meet Your Maker's core premise is very strong, but the game's aesthetic and samey levels currently don't live up to that vision. While it can be fun in short bursts, raiding Outposts can quickly become tedious, although building your own stages for others to try is more fulfilling. There's potential here, no question, but we'll have to see how it fares on live servers before we deliver a full verdict.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 30, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Unfortunately the game falters somewhat at the end, with multiple conclusions that don't feel particularly fulfilling. However, overall the journey is a worthwhile one. Citizen Sleeper hooks you with its elegant presentation, thoughtful narrative, and memorable characters, and despite one or two small missteps, it's an engrossing, atmospheric experience worth a roll of the dice.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 28, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Still, the core of Deceive Inc. is good; deducing who might be an opponent while trying to blend in is a tense, fun experience. It's in need of some updates before it reaches its full potential — adjustable text size would be nice, and it's going to need a wider variety of maps and modes going forward. It's a solid starting point with a great premise; hopefully it can evolve into something really worthwhile.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 23, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

We will say the gameplay can become repetitive when you need to grind for cash or certain items. Additionally, managing the game's grid-based menus can be pretty fiddly. The remedy for both things is those all-important upgrades, which smooth out frustrations with cramped inventories or limited fishing capabilities. Despite any rocky waters, though, Dredge's rewarding progression and enjoyable premise keep it afloat.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 10, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

On top of all that, there's good use of haptics in the controllers and the headset, and there are decent comfort settings. The default movement is teleportation and snap turning, but you can toggle smooth motion if preferred. While in some ways, the game's complexities make it potentially overwhelming to play in virtual reality, the end result is great once you get used to it. For a slight sacrifice in image quality, you're getting a deeply immersive experience which plays into that sci-fi fantasy more than ever.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 2, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Aside from that, this is the same great spin on Tetris we all know and love. Fantastic music is paired with vibrant, sumptuous visuals, and together they take this nearly 40-year-old game to a new level, whether you play it in PSVR2 or on your telly.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Mar 2, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Ultimately, this is just more PowerWash Simulator — more stuff for players to sweep clean with its satisfying, soothing gameplay. It's not adding anything else, really, but the appeal of getting up close and personal with some of FF7's recognisable props and environments is neat in its own way. It offers up a novel new perspective on the beloved title that'll please both sides of this unique collaboration.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Feb 14, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Where we fall slightly out of love is with the fiddly controls. It packs a lot of useful functions onto the controller but it took us a while to figure it all out, and the tutorials are so minimal that some features barely register. It's also a shame the DualSense's capabilities are wholly ignored; this seems a perfect game for all its tricks. Even with any small reservations, though, we can't deny the game is just as engaging, relaxing, and enjoyable as everyone says.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Jan 30, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an earnest effort to produce another great game for the character, but it hasn't completely worked. The premise is good, the level design is imaginative, and there's a clear love for the IP with its countless references and costumes. However, some of the gameplay feels very dated, while a number of presentational shortcomings and a laundry list of bugs hold it back. If you're a big SpongeBob fan, there's absolutely a good time to be had here, but a general lack of polish and some played-out design mean it's not quite the sweet victory we were hoping for.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Jan 14, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Sadly, any multiplayer options have been stripped away, and so have the prizes for completing each World Tour, which rewarded you with things like opening movies for old Ridge Racer games. The only other frustration comes from AI drivers, who can be tricky to overtake. All in all, though, this is easily among the best classic games on PS Plus Premium. This is a timely reminder that, at their peak, arcade racers can easily rank among the most enjoyable video games you can play.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Dec 22, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The levels are creative, at least, with unique environments to explore like a medieval castle on a crescent moon, or a sprawling town atop a carrot cake. There are also more linear stages to find, and smaller islands you can fly off to, Super Mario Galaxy-style. While it makes some odd choices in its design, Togges just about wins us over with its experimental spin on platforming and no small amount of whimsical charm.

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·Dec 12, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

The only major gripe we have is the severe screen-tearing. It's present throughout, and an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise very sleek game. VRR or a 120Hz-compatible display may solve this, but without those options, it's a slightly distracting technical hiccup. However, you're unlikely to notice in the midst of things, and Neon White is otherwise a highly entertaining, stylishly presented adventure.