Rob Larkin

“Some stability issues still hold Forestrike back but when it's working, and it mostly does, it really works. The foresight mechanic is an excellent way to unlock fluid combat scenarios and it has the right amount of strategy required to be more than a mindless button masher. But you will need to find the right timing to mash the buttons so there is a level of skill required, but ample opportunity to practice your way to mastery. There is enough variety between the disciplines and the roguelike nature of earning skills and items on each run to keep things interesting long past when you get your money's worth from a title that only comes in at 10 bucks to begin with.”

“Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition does the best single thing it could for a game set in this franchise: it looks and feels like an Alien game. Where it also feels like a VR port makes sense and meshes well with the tone and arc of the gameplay. This part one doesn't weigh in with the longest playtime and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but based on this first effort the sequel and eventual conclusion of the story seems worth waiting for, and playing through when it does drop. But I would like to see the Aliens get a little deadlier, and the puse rifle get a boost along with it.”

“In this brave new world of Destiny, a new saga begins, and major shifts and changes alter the very systems on which the Guardians stand and progress. Unfortunately, these are changes I'm going to have to sit out until they get dialed in over the coming weeks and months. This game has been a constant in my rotation for nearly 10 years. But it now demands time that I just don't have to give, offers rewards that aren't worth the heavy investment, and promises to reset the clock and devalue that commitment every six months. The shooter part of Destiny is still excellent, but I'll check back in December and see if they've worked out the looter bit.”

“Steel Seed doesn't do anything particularly new, but it does recreate tried and true gameplay and traversal elements and wraps it in a stunning presentation. I have trouble with the final act as I think it falls a bit short of the promise the first two acts build up to, but overall the complete package is a pretty good game marked by solid mechanics and progression. It settles into a core loop but encourages you to explore options to play that out, and for the most part offers a pretty cool narrative wrapping neat ideas into a gorgeous bit of world building.”

“The Hunt: Showdown 1896 might be the best extraction shooter out there right now. It marries weapons and traits into a meaningful character loadouts with solid gameplay mechanics set against a gritty, horrific world. But this won't be news to Hunt veterans, to whom this latest update and upgrade will ultimately be best enjoyed. The onboarding experience seems a bit of a bridge too far to really welcome in new blood to mire of the bayou or chill of the mountains. However, if you have some friends to jump in together, and if you're willing to stick it out to really level up in this game, you will surely be rewarded for your sweat and tears.”

“Dicefolk is an excellent game that takes full advantage of the Switch. It is challenging but balances that out with giving the player full control over every turn - both their and their opponent's actions. Progression can feel a little skewed towards the luck of what upgrades you get offered run to run; but there is so much you can control to help guide your fate. If the game boiled down to a roll of the die; well, you can even upgrade the faces of that as well.”

“Stacklands is a really enjoyable game. It combines a clever survival loop of exploration and optimization, it is easy to grasp the core concepts and get your runs moving, and it definitely grabs your attention with the "just one more turn" hallmark of the best of these type of round, time, or turn based games. The only real drawback here is the Switch, or rather how uninterested this game is of making use of what makes the Switch great. It's fine when docked on to your tv or monitor, just as if it were still running on the PC. I'm thankful the developers have brought it over so Switch players can get to play it, I am just recognizing not optimizing it for a 6.2 inch touchscreen is a missed opportunity.”

“Ultimately Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal is an 18 year old game that feels optimized for mobile, but yeah, also lands on the Switch. There are some decent quality of life upgrades but the visuals show their age. The story and missions stay true to form in what was always one of the best Hitman narratives. I expect a little more on the Switch and while this might seem a more premium experience on something like an iPad it doesn't quite hit that same height on Nintendo's console. It is still a good game, and is a cool throwback to a really accomplished peak in gaming's past.”

“Gloomhaven as a video game is a faithful recreation of the board game into the digital world. This is both commendable and detrimental. It is a good game, but there is also a reason no one sits around a table and plays by themselves and this is pretty much it.”

“Oaken might immediately bring comparisons to Faeria to the fore, but it stands on its own as a very good game. It incorporates the hex map as an element, but doesn't make it the star. Instead, it focuses on the survivability of units as you must measure out success across a series of encounters, and balance both the Fatigue your units must endure with the resources at your disposal, building them into a force adept enough to overcome some very challenging bosses at the conclusion of each chapter. It has all the quality of life elements you could hope for. Be endeared by its wonderful art and style, but don't be fooled - there is depth beneath those cute little plants as well.”

“While elements exist for roguelike and RPG play, the core of Sea Horizon is more of a loadout-building game similar to a deck builder. In this facet, it excels. It has a surprising amount of depth in working through and unlocking the many characters in its lineup and there is enough randomness in the roll of the dice to make every turn of every encounter warrant a strategy to match the resources at your disposal against the challenge set before you. It's intelligent and quite a bit of fun.”

“The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales simply fails to deliver. It's probably a better experience on PC, but should be generally avoided on console without some updates to the controls and stability of the game. It doesn't take long to finish, at least I don't think so - a handful of hours to the final level. So at least it has that going for it.”

“Burning Shores is every bit the continuation of Horizon Forbidden West. It builds on the great gameplay of the base game with a few new wrinkles, introduces a watery world and the ability to dive into it, and moves the story downfield a few yards as Aloy and her allies, old and new, prepare for what comes next. You won't be lost having missed out on this DLC when the next full game does arrive, but you would have missed an opportunity for hours of fun in an excellent world that is worth the time of any Horizon fan.”

“There is a simplicity to the core gameplay of Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Movement and momentum add an element of skill to every action. The difficulty ramps over time but treats you well to ease you into the escalators. Combining the strategy of breaking the ship with the skill of positioning yourself in place to do so, Shipbreaker wraps it up well with a clever main story to maximize - well, reduction of debt. But most of all, it's calming and fun, set in a world that feels similar to the many wonderful other sci-fi stories that have captured us over the years. Hardspace: Shipbreaker nets you a unique opportunity to inhabit a small corner of those worlds a shift at a time, for a job well done. "Live, Laugh, Salvage."”

“Gunslingers & Zombies gameplay and visuals are better than this score would suggest. It's just let down by awkward controls, worse camera angles, and other evidence of a generally uninterested PC port. There's a better game out there on PC that might be more fun than paying more for a Switch version that really didn't care enough to take advantage of anything that makes the Switch good.”

“Despite being physically hampered by the experience of playing the game, I could clearly see what the makers were going for here and I think they largely hit those notes well. I feel like this game has the potential to be a distinctly polarizing experience. Those that really get into it have the option to obsess over perfect, clean runs that lie within reach of those dedicated enough to perfect them; while those that don't are welcome to just put down the controller after a dozen hours of trial and error to completion. Don't give up on the first few failed attempts because the payoff when it all comes together is rewarding regardless of whether it took you ten tries or a hundred, and maybe even more so if the latter.”

“This War of Mine is a triumph of organic storytelling. It can be frustrating to get started and there is much about the game and how it operates that is not introduced well, but make it past that first hurdle and there is a compelling and emotional investment that pays large dividends. Spend a bit of time reading a play guide or two before you get started, because there are no spoilers to accidentally trip over. The narrative you will eventually craft will be one by your own choices made in the game against the desperate circumstances that force them. If you've never experienced this game there is not a better time than right now.”

“I really enjoyed Dungeons of Dreadrock, because it's a game that knows exactly the experience it is trying to deliver and does so expertly. There are 100 levels of puzzles, all unique, with mechanics and solutions that ramp as your character progresses deeper and deeper into the mountain, while delivering on a cute storyline with clever 32-bit animation. There is an action element, but that is mostly a timing component to drive the mental aspect of solving the puzzles. It's hard to put down, but each level gives ample opportunity to do just that, so you can binge through as many as you like, then leave it to pick right back up again easily enough. The only drawback is once you're traversed all 100 levels, your time is done - but it was time well spent.”

“White Shadows tackles heavy themes with some wonderful storytelling. The gameplay itself is competent, and there is enough variety level to level to make the experience fresh throughout. Through stark visuals and a well placed soundtrack it presents its tale artfully, but unfortunately runs its course in only a few hours. It's hard to squeeze a great deal of game from the experience, but what is there is splendid.”

“Terminator: Resistance Enhanced is a game that doesn't really understand its source material. The evidence for that can't be made more plain than the way it can't even maintain consistency of vision from one mission to the very next one. The NPC models, audio, bugs and glitches, and repetitive nature of much of the play speaks to an implementation that falls short of any vision, whether the one presented or the one I believe should have been the goal. It does get better with the DLC, and the Infiltrator Mode is an excellent experience in it's own right, although one short lived - clocking in at less than three quarters of an hour with little replayabilty. But factoring in that minor triumph and better subplot of DLC into the mess of the main campaign still falls short of something I can really recommend.”