James Davie

“If a harsh climbing simulator is your thing, Cairn does a great job of providing you with the treacherous conditions of an ambitious mountain climb. It's an outstanding little game in respects to how strategy and perseverance can assist you in reaching your goals and ultimately the Mount Kami summit.”

“Code Vein II is fine, functional and can be fun-especially if you're able to get the A.I to do the dirty work for you. The Formae system is potent and definitely gives combat encounters a zesty sense of empowerment, and if you're invested you'll want to lap up Code Vein 2 with vigor-just go in expecting a largely safe soulslike and you'll be content with this one.”

“Old School Rally may not have as much meat on the bones as modern rally games, and on a technical level it's not going to wow you at all. Having said that, Old School Rally pays gracious homage to the past and is definitely a rally-racing game for those who love late 90s and early 00s titles such as Colin McRae Rally and the early WRC titles.”

“Rennsport doesn't leave a positive impression at all by overcharging players for a flimsy racing game package that's clearly unfinished. Yes, the car handling is nuanced, the featured track selection is nice, and while the car selections come up short, they are hulking and sound as impressive as they look; however, Rennsport falls very short in just about every way and will not hold racing game aficionados' attention for very long until they drop off and find a better and fairer alternative to spend their time with.”

“If you want a new superhero episodic series with great dramatic moments and laughs, Dispatch is fantastic. However, if you want a game that plays as whimsically and enjoyably as it presents itself, then you may be disappointed. Give Dispatch a shot though because it's definitely an enjoyable ride you'll want to play repeatedly.”

“Despite the pleasantries Titans of the Tide offers that makes it easy  breezy and a fair old hoot for SpongeBob fans, you would expect this latest entry to improve on The Cosmic Shake, rather than behaving like a slippery sidestep. Unfortunately, Titans of the Tide is out of its depths because it comes across as an unfinished game that has some sparkling ideas, but the execution is hamstrung by its terrible camera and banal combat, platforming and puzzles. If you want to delve into another SpongeBob game this one might do just fine, but for everybody else Titans of the Tide is a titanic case of meh.”

“Suffices to say, If you haven't played Lumines before you're in for an exquisite audio/visual treat loaded with memorable and impacting vibes. Arise's soundtrack doesn't quite reach the majesty of Electronic Symphony on the Vita as the tunes can be too soft and not as emphatic, but in every other way Arise is the best Lumines game yet, and aptly bursts with life just as fervently as its new gameplay mechanic.”

“If you're craving the wholesale slaughtering of otherworldly beings, Painkiller has you covered despite a myriad of superior alternatives. You'll enjoy buddying up with co-operative pals and relish in the carnage of the game's meaty weaponry. However, if you're a veteran of the arena shooter or a learned observer, you'll find Painkiller is far too similar to the genre's juggernauts than can be comfortably accepted.”

“LEGO Party has everything you need for a raucous evening of minigame amusements. Go ahead and get a few friends over, pop some drinks open, grab some snacks, and relish in one of the coolest party games around.”

“If you enjoy arcade-style open-wheel racing, Formula Legends has something to offer you thanks to its retro presentation and its accessibility, along with some strategic nuance with regards to tires and fuel. There's plenty of content to get stuck into, which is quite surprising for an indie title, but Formula Legends is well stocked to keep you racing on and on. The question of whether you'll want to continue racing on and on is questionable due to the lack of a damage model and fairly non-dramatic races, but the straightforward arcade pleasures and those playful name spins of drivers, teams and tracks do give you reasons to keep your foot on the accelerator. Formula Legends is therefore competent and fine, though it is overlapped by its stern competition and some of its less-endearing archaic design choices.”

“Little Nightmares III is generally a successful sequel thanks to its refined mechanics and the integration of co-op to its particular brand of horror experience. If you've played previous Little Nightmares games, you can rest assured that Little Nightmares III will bring you another deformed slice of horror you'll be eager to lap up. However, the formula of Little Nightmares hasn't changed and although it all works wonderfully well and you shouldn't try to fix what the wrench cannot, Little Nightmares deserves something more ambitious in the future. For right now though, fill those baleful boots and enjoy this unhinged third course.”

“It's clear that the emphasis of Dying Light and thus The Beast is to give you a world where you can run about within it and make infected corpses your playthings, but there's a lot of room for evolution. The Beast is successful at giving us another scrumptious slice of Dying Light, but the irony of The Beast is while it strives to be untamed, its leash can only extend so far before it's pulled forcefully back because of the limitations and lack of upgrades that meaningfully unleash the monster within. So yes, The Beast is good, but it's neutered.”

“ou may have waited 8 years since the last proper Everybody's Golf game, but Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots has landed to remind you to take up your clubs and get swinging again. If you've loved previous Everybody's Golf titles, Hot Shots is a pleasant entry that gives you plenty to unlock and plenty of golf to get stuck into. However, while it's great to be incentivized to unlock rewards in Hot Shots, the grind can be too much to contend with. On top of this, the visuals and general look of the game isn't appealing, and the characters and their dialogue are super-generic. None of these dings should be enough to stop you from wanting to play Hot Shots, but there is definite room for improvement. Hot Shots is ultimately worthy of your investment, but this isn't a Hole In One, an Eagle, an Albatross, a Birdie, and it's not even a Par-it's a Bogey......just not the disgusting type.”

“Dead Reset has horror, it can gross you out, and the choices and their deviating paths encourage experimentation-but its low-budget thrills quickly decay into rot as it fails to hold your attention or invigorate you in surprising new ways.”

“Altogether, Metal Eden should be given a try, there's a demo on the PlayStation Store that can help you decide whether you dig its energy. However, despite its frenetic pace and solid gunplay, there's a sense the true potential of Metal Eden is unfinished. If you want a good and brief FPS, you can do far worse than Metal Eden, but you'll be left with the lingering impression you've seen all it has to offer too quick, and that the game's potential has only come out of the FPS oven half-baked.”

“Putting up a brave effort despite all odds, The Knightling is a valiant effort and is far more endearing that you might think. Like the protagonist itself, The Knightling is a small open-world adventure, but it is packed with meaningful quests, bouncy platforming and simple-yet-satisfying combat. Yes, The Knightling lacks new ideas and could be seen as too short and insignificant - but for a fleeting five or so hours, The Knightling is a small delight that deserves your attention.”

“Strangely, while Shadow Labyrinth is a solid Metroidvania that carries inspiration from various sources, it doesn't feel inspired because it leans too heavily on the nostalgia of Puck's Pac-Man sensibilities. Serviceable is the best way to describe Shadow Labyrinth because it's a competent experience and it might be satisfying if all you're looking for is a general Metroidvania experience.”

“If you're looking for a spicy action game with an unashamed bravado and an excitably challenging gameplay loop, then Anger Foot is an absolute treat you won't hesitate to lap up in all its colourfully weird glory. The thin character interactions as well as the repetitive and overwhelming enemy compositions can grate, though when you're in the midst of the action you won't care. Anger Foot aptly puts its best foot forward as it capably produces a reverberating destructive impact, one you owe it to yourself not to miss out on despite its flaws.”

“If you're in the mood for some solid multiplayer football, REMATCH is certainly a good effort that you'll be happy to attempt to master thanks to intricate controls, and the bite-sized sessions that throw the rule book away for the sake of fluidity and fun.”

“For a three-hour adventure title, Copycat has something meaningful to say about mental health and relationships, yet it can be too often undercut by its rigid design, story happenings that don't make sense, and the overarching feeling that with more time, polish and backing there's an even greater game trying to burst out here. It's a pleasant and fine game for how short it is in spite of its gratuitous repetition, and deserves kudos for being adequately designed by two people, it's also in need of some significant refinement.”