Jeremy Peel

“A shift away from single-player leaves Call of Duty with its most lopsided and homogenous entry in decades, though what it does offer is consistently good fun when accepted on its own terms.”

“This flippant, friendly air serves Wheel World well.”

“A typically snappy entry in the best series that action tower defence has to offer, held back by a repeating roguelite structure that's only partially successful.”

“The roguelike and FPS genres haven't been spliced so successfully since Deathloop-and Wild Bastards deserves just as much acclaim.”

“An echo of Arkane’s past glories - one in which the studio’s unique voice can still be heard, but more faintly than we’ve come to expect.”

“Only for nostalgists and those who love getting lost on spelunking holidays.”

“Who knew Sid Meier's protégés had a secret, and completely brilliant, Persona game in them?”

“Even Abermore's cult of beetle worshippers would draw the line at this many bugs.”

“A conservative but confident return to form from the masters of a much-loved genre.”

“A frankly terrifying exercise in pushing Doom as far as it can go.”

“Like Diablo, this is a game designed for multiple playthroughs on increasing difficulties, but few players will feel compelled to return to a seam that’s all dried up after a single day’s exploration.”

“Despite the necessary rules and stricture of turn-based strategy, the action feels just as chaotic and unpredictable as any trophy match Cole played in his sporting days.”

“As any Trekkie will tell you, discovery is addictive, and Journey to the Savage Planet is almost all discovery.”

“Another Call of Duty that doesn’t really change anyone’s mind about Call of Duty. Whatever’s there that I thought might actually be making a leap was seemingly just good marketing. In that sense, I suppose, it’s been pretty successful. [OpenCritic note: Jeremy Peel and Sherif Saad separately reviewed the campaign (4/5) and multiplayer (3/5). The scores have been averaged.]”

“There’s a lot lifted from other games in A Plague Tale, but somehow there’s nothing cynical about it. This is a full-hearted reach for the big time of AAA storytelling that succeeds in the most important departments, thanks to its sparkling polish and subtle characterisation. It’s one of a handful of games for which I could tell you the personality traits and motivations of not just the protagonists, but four or five secondary characters. Consider this review a carrier: Asobo Studio is a name that’s going to spread.”

“This hack-and-slash wears its simplicity like a lovely Scandinavian jumper, but is scarcely substantial enough for its handful of hours and drenched by awful aesthetic choices.Jeremy Peel”

“Failbetter continues to revolutionise the RPG - not by burning it all down, but by slipping pages of prose into every crevice it can.Jeremy Peel”

“You might well find the evocative, smoke-damaged backdrop of ‘80s espionage fresh enough to carry you through a satisfying playthrough. But even with the plates changed and the serial number filed off, there's no mistaking XCOM 2.”

“Although the series naturally lends itself to scale, it has often been observed that Total War is at its worst when bloat sets in. So perhaps it should have been no surprise that Arena finds victory in focus, accentuating just a handful of tactical elements so that they become the totality of the game. Then again, that is exactly what makes Arena so much fun: surprise.”

“In its new expansion, XCOM 2 makes people of its soldiers and turns its aliens into personalities. It cares about the individual. But that's only so you feel the loss of your bonds more keenly, and hate the enemy more personally. In War of the Chosen, Firaxis are being kind to be cruel.”