I do wish there were a few campaign missions with the Tyranids and it can definitely be a bit of a daunting prospect for newcomers, but if you push through will find that Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a wonderful experience that will make you get the miniatures out again. Say goodbye to your social life.
Iron Harvest is an absolute delight to play. If you’re a bit of an RTS noob you’ll never feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount to do or how to control your diverse army. The story will help keep you engrossed over the lengthy play time, as Iron Harvest Complete Edition provides access to characters you’ll actually care about, all as you hope to lead them to triumph.
The Last Stand: Aftermath is a fantastic roguelike zombie shooter. It’ll make you think, in detail, about every decision, if only as planning is such a key part of the experience. Aesthetically it’s a little rough around the edges, the music is sub par and it’s not scary, but everything else is such a joy that you’ll genuinely forget about the bits that don’t work.
NHL 22 has started to lay down the groundwork for a great ice hockey game. It’s incorporated new mechanics in X-Factor players, graphically it’s improving and the gameplay is a mixture of fluid simulation and fast paced arcade which is a great balance. However, Be A Pro mode is still stagnant, there is a heavy reliance on spending real money on card packs in Ultimate Team and there just doesn’t feel like enough new additions to get excited by.
Throwing you head on into 50v50 warfare, in which teamwork is essential and death comes quickly in huge maps, Hell Let Loose is a stunning game that had me playing round after round. Aesthetically it could use work, the frame-rate drops do start to become a bit tedious and the sheer scale of maps may put off some people. However, it’s a great bit of brutal warfare and one I know I’ll be keeping installed for a long time to come.
SkateBIRD is a great gimmick. It is super fun to create a bird (I’m not calling it a birb anymore) and the level design is definitely fresh. However, with its increasingly frustrating physics, repetitive challenges and bland graphics, it’s ultimately a poor copy of other better skateboarding games.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a completely immersive experience. The level designs are fantastic, the simple gameplay is executed exquisitely, the level of customisation of characters and loadouts is various and the sound design is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Sports games have set such a high bar for themselves over the years and we have come to expect so much of them. This means that when a game comes along and doesn’t reach our expectations we are disappointed. This is exactly the case for AO Tennis 2.
You know that satisfying moment when you absolutely nail a dead eye sequence in Red Dead Redemption? Or when you dive through the air in full superman pose, blasting away enemies with bullet time in John Woo’s Stranglehold? Wasn’t that such a disturbingly gratifying memory? Now imagine that little nugget of serotonin boost you get when that happens. Got it? Spread that out for around five hours and that’s how My Friend Pedro feels. It’s bloody delightful.
NHL 20 on Xbox One is a great hockey game, with advanced physics, new exciting and engaging game modes, better transitions and replays and finally some new commentators; it really is EA’s best hockey game yet.
From Night School Studios, the company that brought us the incredible Oxenfree, comes their second release to console. Afterparty sticks to the company's already award winning formula of Telltale inspired dialogue choices, 2.5D exploration and expertly crafted free flowing conversation, this time though, they’ve gone from visiting a local island to being sent to hell without your consent. Will Afterparty be a blast? Or feel like a terrible hangover.
2K is back with the latest instalment of the NBA series, NBA 2K20, and as with every release, 2K never exactly reinvents the wheel. They don't need to though as the wheel they already have is fantastic. However, with the constant demand for ever realistic simulation, graphical improvement and new game modes, they always find ways to add something new and get the fans talking.
Even though the formula is nothing new and has taken maybe too much inspiration from the Diablo series, it's a great journey and finally Warhammer fans have been given a game they deserve.
Don Bluth wanted to make a game where you felt like you were watching a Disney movie, but you were in control; a kid's dream at the time and one which Don made a reality. Through quick time events the player must choose what the hero does and which direction he must go to rescue the Princess and save the day. This series became a huge hit and had been ported to Playstation, NES, SNES, Sega CD, GameCube, GBC, the list goes on. And now, the series is finally on Xbox One in the form of the Dragon's Lair Trilogy.
Ubisoft and Redlynx are back with a brand new instalment of their ever popular 2.5D racing series with Trials Rising. The highly-admired games always deliver on great variety, fantastic level design and challenging tracks. They're incredibly fun and always give new ways to test your racing skills. Does Trials Rising stand up to the test? Or has the series lost its appeal?
In a love letter to H.P Lovecraft's "At The Mountains Of Madness", Conarium put us in the position, right from the get go, of being isolated on an Arctic base during an expedition with no memory of where anybody else is, or why you're here. That's exactly what you need to find out.
From Melbourne based indie developer, The Voxel Agents, comes the much anticipated puzzle game, The Gardens Between on Xbox One; a quaint story about the significance of friendship and memories, what must be left behind and what mustn't be forgotten.
From the unlikely duo of Bandai Namco and Bristol based company Aardman, typically known for the famous Wallace and Gromit series, comes a glorious homage to the lesser told stories of the First World War.
From publishers 2K comes the latest installment of the more outrageous basketball game - NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. It's a game that doesn't take itself too seriously and is almost a homage to the NBA Jam games from many years ago. It's silly and it's clearly not trying to compete with its more realistic 2K19 counterpart. But, is it a bit of fun on the side, or is it just too ridiculous?
There’s no doubt eFootball 2024 is a flawed game and, if a measly update is all that’s coming each year, it’s hard to see it ever being worthy of your time.
Week two of Series 25 carries on where week one and Summer left off in Forza Horizon 5, as Autumn blows into Mexico and the Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges.
