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.Â
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.Â
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.
Over the last few years the popularity of Metroidvania games has boomed. We've seen dozens of companies' takes on exploring extravagant dungeons, overpowering numerous and ever harder bosses, and collecting items to upgrade equipment and open new zones. It's a tried and tested genre that still stands the test of time, even 30 years down the line, after the foundations were set by Konami's Castlevania and Nintendo's Metroid. Due to the sheer volume of these platformers though, you really have to do something to stand out amongst the very dense crowd. This is where we welcome Hollow Knight.
It's been an entire year since 2K last brought out a domineering basketball simulator, another year since since I played an outstanding story mode and another year since I played as my beloved team in franchise mode, soared my way through the playoffs and won the league. Now NBA 2K19 is finally here, I couldn't wait to see how on earth they've managed to make the latest iteration even better.
For years the 2K series has dominated the basketball sports scene. It's shown dominance in gameplay, style, feel and just a better understanding of what the player wanted. Now, though, NBA Live 2019 seems to have come back from the dead and is really having a good go at being the top dog again! With some new features and a lot of refining, will EA take the top spot from 2K?
After striking a deal with 2K and The PGA, HB Studios is back with it's third instalment of golf simulators, The Golf Club 2019. Over the years HB have been refining their slower paced, more realistic style of golf game and with their new release, they may have just produced their best one yet.
Guts and Glory is absolutely insane, there's no two ways about it. It's completely ridiculous, the idea is stupid, the controls are terrible and the music is annoying as hell. So why did I enjoy it? Because of all the reasons listed above!! It's unlike any video game I've every played before and I just don't understand why I want to keep playing.
Dear Esther, in itself, is a journey. It's a stripped back, minimal "walking simulator". It never holds your hand and allows each player to make their own way through its picturesque landscape, to experience its beauty in their own way. So having somebody do this for you creates a unique journey - one unlike anything I have ever experienced before.
Nilo Studios, the visionaries behind Asemblance, have made it very clear that their game is a "mind-bending franchise inspired by The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, and Black Mirror." This put me in a very difficult situation, setting me up for what could be the weird, obscure and down-right haunting game I've been waiting for. On the other hand, it could fail catastrophically as each of these inspirational materials have a very serious following and it could well trip at the smallest hurdle. So, will it live up to its claims?
Elex has set itself a high bar; it's a huge post-apocalyptic fantasy sci-fi open world role playing game, with lots of social interactions to let you choose your own path, and copious amounts of Dark Souls inspired combat to enjoy. It seems to be taking ideas and concepts from numerous games but sadly, this means it has no identity of its own. It gets lost in itself, trying to take the best elements from certain games and combining them into one.
Grab your weapon, track an animal, wait, deep breath, one shot. theHunter: Call of the Wild is a simulator unlike any other I have played. It takes patience, understanding and cunning to take down your prey, but is it worth the wait?
ARK: Survival Evolved is essentially Minecraft for adults. It’s about being placed in new surroundings, not being given a tutorial and just being expected to know what to do. Minecraft, however, was beautifully simple. It made sense and its humble aesthetics enticed you in. You lost hours wandering around the world and before you knew it you had a house, a garden and were taking down skeletons with ease. ARK: Survival Evolved is not like that. It’s brutal, unforgivably soul destroying and takes hours of utter persistence to grasp the basics. But does that make it worthwhile?
After following the Kickstarter campaign and watching this game grow, I could not have been more excited when I found out I was going to be reviewing Friday the 13th: The Game. I’m a huge fan of the movies and longed for a game worthy of being associated with these cult classics. The second I turned it on I was greeted with some nostalgic 80’s TV style publisher and developer logos, which were accompanied by tinny sound and the bad quality you would find on an old home video. The scene was set and I was ready for things to get real scary, real fast.
Since its original release for the Sega Master System in 1989, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap has become somewhat a cult classic. With its simple story and solid gameplay it was a game that seemed to be forgotten, until now. Lizardcube and DotEmu have partnered together and brought Wonderboy: The Dragon’s Trap to the modern age, and this time with a new addition. The game's classic character, Hu-Man, now has a long-awaited co-star, Hu-Girl. A modern inclusion for a modern game, but should the series have should have stayed in the past? Or has it been re-born for a new audience?
From the company that brought us the weird and wonderful Stick It To The Man, Zoink! Games are back and this time with Vikings, Zombie Vikings. Play as one of four characters and help Odin retrieve his one remaining good eyeball, stolen by the evil Loki. We join this rancid foursome across 25 levels, spanning eight different worlds, collecting over 40 weapons, fighting off everything from worms, cats and even normal living Vikings. Play alone or play with up to four friends and get back that man’s eye or die trying. Well, die again anyway.
Delving away from Miniclip’s usual 2/2.5D style games, MX Nitro invites the player to enter the crazy, white-knuckle world of motocross like they’ve never seen before. Including 40 tracks from all over the globe, you can play career mode, asynchronous multiplayer, encounter 13 hardcore bosses, unlock five bikes, perform 55 crazy stunts, customise your bike and rider and unlock countless challenges and achievements. It’s a modernised vision of a classic style game and it’s utterly brilliant.
Created by Nickolas Swanberg, Sylvio follows the investigation of Juliette Walters, an audio recordist who uses her audio skills to listen to the dead. She finds herself in Saginaw, a long since abandoned Family Park, hoping to uncover the mysteries of why this beloved park has been abandoned for so many years.
The final week of the Horizon Race Off dawns in Forza Horizon 5, yet as we prepare to bid farewell, there is a last hoorah in the shape of the Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges for Series 32 Spring.
