GameSpew

Resident Evil Village is a far cry from its more grounded and horror-focused predecessor, but in the end, it’s perhaps just as lovable. At times it feels like a greatest hits collection of some of the best elements of previous Resident Evil games, and while that leads to it not being wholly coherent, it’s not to its detriment.

Skate City isn’t going to wow you. If you have the patience to master its awkward controls, however, it’s a game you can keep going back to, delving into it for as long or little as you please. With its action more grounded, it’s not as exciting to play as some of its competitors, but some will enjoy its more technical gameplay and showboating element that arises out of its video editing features.

It’s a shame that Granzella wasn’t a little forward thinking with its development, enticing new players into the fold to ensure the future of the franchise. As it is, R-Type Final 2 feels old-fashioned and punishing to a fault. There are simply better shoot ’em ups available that are faster paced, fairer, better looking and more accessible.

It’s those who have yet to dive into what is perhaps one of the best Terminator games of all time that will get the most out of this enhanced edition, though they should still temper their expectations. The core of Terminator: Resistance Enhanced is still scrappy and old-fashioned – it now just has a prettier façade.

Despite that bugbear, Maskmaker is a great game while it lasts. At around five hours play time (less if you mess with masks less than I did), it never outstays its welcome. It blends a compelling, emotional story with enjoyable puzzles and entertaining gameplay that makes it a standout VR experience.

It’s not exactly a ‘game’ in the traditional sense, but it’s an experience that will stick with you and perhaps make you look at the world in a new light. You’ll certainly never take your most treasured memories for granted again, that’s for sure.

Playing Returnal, it feels like next-gen has truly begun. The way it seamlessly moves from third-person to first-person; how you move from biome to biome without loading screens taking you out of the action; the DualSense implementation; the fluidity of the gameplay; the phenomenal visuals and audio; all of these elements, and more, come together to create an experience that is truly like no other.

Battle Axe packs in a lot of personality thanks to its trio of colourful protagonists and its wonderful art style. But its gameplay likely won’t keep your attention for much longer than an hour or two. It’s a great flashback to games of yesteryear, but outside of a nostalgia hit, there’s no real reason to keep going back.

There’s so much more I could add about Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife but I’m not about to risk spoiling the experience. Or, more selfishly, I’m not going to say anything that could dial back its fear factor; if you’re going to play this, you’re going to be as scared as me, dammit. Gloomy, unsettling and engrossing in equal measure, you’ll regret not stepping into Wraith‘s distressing world.

If you’re a fan of the sport it’s well worth picking up, especially if you have a next-gen console where the improved visuals and performance really elevate it to the next level. And thanks to the new tutorial aspects, it’s also a great entry point for those keen to enter the world of two-wheeled racing.

If you’ve already played the game on PS4 then there’s little here to warrant a replay. But if not, you should definitely consider picking Judgment up now that it’s available on more formats whether you’re a Yakuza fan or not.

It oozes personality, with quick-witted lines of dialogue and a premise unlike anything else you’ve played before. If you’re expecting a true city-building sim, you’re probably going to be disappointed. But if you pick up Buildings Have Feelings Too expecting a quirky puzzle game, you’ll have a great time.

In My Shadow is only a few hours long, but it’s a lot of fun while it lasts, and having to think in different dimensions will keep you on your toes. As long as you ignore its disappointing story, you won’t regret picking up this brain-stretching puzzler.

Rain on Your Parade is a simple, funny little game. Its levels aren’t challenging, but many of them are clever and humorous. It’s especially worth picking up if you have kids that just like to wreak havoc in virtual worlds. But regardless of your age, there’s plenty of joy to be had in hitting people with thunder and turning them into big snowballs. What’s not to like about that?

Poison Control will not be to everybody’s tastes, but its strange mix of combat and poison neutralisation antics does at least make it unique. Also, while its gameplay does suffer due to repetition, the somewhat bite-sized nature of its dungeons means it can be offset by playing little but often.

Prepare to glitch through furniture and objects as you try and make your way around this otherwise beautiful world. It’s a shame, because there are more than a few truly lovely moments, and you’ll likely find yourself relating to the game’s cast of characters. Perhaps wait until its bugs have been addressed, because there’s a good story to be experienced here.

What The Dub?! isn’t the sort of game that will keep you entertained for hours on end. But it is the sort of thing you’ll pull out for half an hour at a party or gathering, and have a laugh with.

Still, in time, Outriders‘ bugs and server issues are likely to be eradicated, leaving its only real downside to be its poorly-told story full of loose ends. And even with that said, the narrative remains interesting and engaging – just nothing special. The real draw here is the captivating looter-shooter action that grabs you early on and simply doesn’t let go.

For all its imperfections, Cozy Grove is enjoyable enough, even if it does start to get monotonous after a little while. Its limited daily playtime is suited better to a mobile device, but even on console there’s something nice about having somewhere to visit for a short while each day.

Before Your Eyes is a short journey, but it is one that you’ll likely find yourself playing again and again. You’ve never heard a story like this before and you’ve certainly never experienced it in this way. Not only is it truly innovative, it’s also heartfelt, filled with love, and will likely leave you mopping up your tears before the credits roll.

It’s all the other issues What Comes After tries to deal with – deforestation, animal abuse and more – that ruin the experience. As important as all of those issues are, What Comes After doesn’t give enough time for them to have any real purpose or meaning. Had it been more focused, it could have had much more impact.

Drive Buy can be fun in small doses and there’s definite potential here, but if you’re looking for something substantial, it doesn’t deliver just yet. It feels too much like an Early Access product to be worth the asking price. Should the developer follow on its promise to add more content, then it might be worth jumping into. But for right now, we can’t recommend it.

Gensou Skydrift isn’t a terrible racing game, but its awkward controls and iffy drifting mechanic heavily reduce the fun that can be had from it. Add into the mix poor visuals and a dire campaign, and unless you’re happy to race online you should probably avoid it.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a small but highly engaging tale that proves you can do Who without shoehorning every enemy into the mix. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, especially if the Weeping Angels are your monster of choice, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is well worth your time.

It’s rough around the edges, but if you’re after a fairly easy-going adventure game (albeit with dark subject matter) to play through in an evening, you could do quite a bit worse than I Saw Black Clouds. There are undoubtedly better FMV games available right now, but this one still has the capacity to entertain. Just temper your expectations and you’ll enjoy the rollercoaster ride that it sends you on.