In a gaming landscape where bigger is better, Unpacking is something else entirely. There are no cutscenes, no sob story, no need to pretend your charming protagonist isn’t a multiple murderer. There’s just a lot of boxes. A LOT of boxes. And it’s your job to empty all those boxes. Doing so is simple, and there’s hardly any rules to where you can put something (at least up to a point). ...
How do you perfect on perfection? That was the problem facing Playground when they came to create a sequel to the already incredible Forza Horizon 5. And you know what? They managed it. That’s not to say that it’s a massive improvement. Quite the opposite in fact. This is not a revolutionary experience. You’re not going to rethink the racing genre off the back of this game. But do you need to? ...
When I found out that Harvest Moon I mean Story of Seasons was coming to Xbox I was overjoyed. Even though Story of Seasons carries a different name it's still the same farming game I grew up loving as a kid. Although Natsume got to keep the "Harvest Moon" name, when I loaded Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town on Xbox it brought me back to my childhood. Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town is a remake ...
The regular season in the NHL has started and that means only two things - the Leafs will start off well before falling off a cliff, and a brand new EA Sports title is hitting shelves and digital marketplaces. We've been playing NHL 22 for about 6 days, and while things feel very familiar yet again, there is enough changed here to keep the familiar game play and feel, somewhat fresh!
World War Z: Aftermath is the ultimate co-op zombie shooter inspired by Paramount Pictures’ blockbuster film and the next evolution of the original hit World War Z that has now captivated over 15 million players. Turn the tide of the zombie apocalypse on consoles and PC with full cross-play. Join up to three friends or play on your own with AI teammates against hordes of ravenous zombies in intense story ...
Far Cry 6 is finally upon us, after some delays and a huge marketing campaign that you basically can't escape, it is time to step into the land of Yara and go toe to toe with Anton Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito). As a fan of the Far Cry series for quite some time, I was eager to dive into a full game again after Far Cry 5. New Hope was ok at best but wasn't the full experience I was craving or looking for. Far ...
There are some games that breathe atmosphere, although arguably not nearly enough. It’s really more of a film or book thing, and yet occasionally a title comes along and surprises you. Alan Wake was one of those titles in 2010 - and its remaster remains impressed 11 years later.
I’ve never played a racing game like RiMS Racing, and its core unique mechanic is both the thing that makes the game stand out, and is also the thing that sometimes make the game tedious to progress through. RiMS Racing is the newest motorcycle racing sim from French publisher Nacon and first-time developer RaceWard, from Italy. The core concept of the game is that it’s part racing sim, part mechanic sim. ...
Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is one of those games that gets whispered about amongst diehard Action RPG fans. Nobody in the mainstream knows it, but those that do KNOW IT. It has an epic story built around Chinese mythology and history, decent combat and pretty enough graphics as to not be off-putting. It has occasionally hilarious translation and story elements that come from nowhere and disappear as quickly. There are ...
FIFA 22 feels a lot more realistic than its predecessors; the game feels smoother to play, but still had some of the hiccups from previous games that the developers still have not ironed out.
What if your Uber Eats driver had to save you from a house fire? Fight fires for fun and profit in this unpredictable and frantic multiplayer game. Team up with friends, take on daily challenges, and climb to the top of the corporate firefighting ladder. More than one way to become a hero! Embr has you take on the role of a firefighter, but certainly not in the traditional sense. You see in the world of Embr we ...
I've always enjoyed the Tales franchise, with Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia being two of my favourites in the series. Tales of Arise has quietly slotted itself in between those two games in my top 3 favourite Tales titles of all time! Tales of Arise takes a bit more modern of an approach to the franchise, which was a welcomed edition. But it is the characters and story that shines brightest here.
It’s 1986 – Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? And what will she do next? It’s up to you. The cozy, relaxing Lake received a trailer at the Future Games Show at E3 2021. The game is centered around delivering mail in a ...
The wait has been enough to drive a person crazy, but Psychonauts 2 is finally available to play. The beloved indie darling has lost none of its charm being developed by a now fully-fledged Microsoft studio. Instead, it’s a must-play platformer that justifies itself over and over again. Because realistically, a sequel to Psychonauts could have been a disaster. Reviving any classic is tough, especially when ...
In the latest DLC expansion for Marvel’s Avengers (after an insanely long marketing campaign advertising this), we finally get to visit Wakanda. I have been a fan of this game since it first came out for its SINGLE player campaign and story. I think it’s one of the better-written stories we have seen in a Marvel game ever, the main problem with the game is the shoe-horning of multiplayer which ...
Kingdom Hearts is a mess of mixed genres, overlapping storylines and convoluted writing, and yet we still love it. Its cheesy optimism and tight gameplay – not to mention the much-loved cameos – makes it a must-play for anybody with a heart (sorry, Nobodies). Melody of Memory takes all of that and basically just dumps it in the bin, replacing the best of the franchise with a self-indulgent ...
Turtle Beach has long been the biggest name in gaming console headsets and accessories. The latest Recon Controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows 10 is a shining example of how they earned this reputation. The Recon Controller strikes a superb balance between simple design and quality of life features that we are very excited about. Without further ado let's dive right in and take a closer look at ...
It’s been a long time since the original Red Dead Redemption made its debut on the PS3 and Xbox 360. That title might not have received as much hype for the subsequent Red Dead launch, but it laid a fantastic blueprint for Red Dead Redemption 2 to be built on. But is this new title up for the challenge? We think so, so let’s chat why!
There are a dozen open-world RPGs every single year, and enough of them are post-apocalyptic that it’s almost impossible to have your game stand out unless you have a budget running hundreds of millions of dollars. The solution is perhaps obvious in hindsight. Why not let players create their own weird playable hamster thing? Well, Biomutant has that locked down. Yes, the world has fallen apart. Yes, the ...
You’ve seen the werewolves. You’ve seen the ridiculously sexed-up memes about giant vampire ladies. Other than giving the internet a new fetish, Resident Evil Village is a worthy new entry in the long-running series – and a great indicator of just what these new consoles are capable of. The latest Resident Evil seems to have been more meme than game for most of its known existence. Don’t ...
Darkside Detective was originally released in 2017, however I was only introduced to it a few weeks ago on Google Stadia. How did I miss out on such a great game? It completely flew under my radar. After completing all the cases I was ready for more Detective work, and thankfully, A Fumble in the Dark came out. I enjoyed Darkside detective for its great writing, having to use my brain thinking about clues, and ...
Welcome to Empire Bay. I grew up playing the Mafia series on every platform and was so excited for a remaster. Mafia 2 stars Vito Scarletta, a young Italian who wants to live large and make real money. To achieve this, he turns to organized crime. At the start of the game, Vito lives with his mother and sister in a little apartment. When the game starts, Vito is with his best friend Joe Barbaro doing a jewelry ...
It’s the hidden gem of the bus smashin’, double-decker car ridin’, lawnmower racin’ genre – and now Wreckfest has got that shiny next-gen glean to go along with it. Why aren’t more people talking about Wreckfest? It’s not only an awesome game, but it’s right there on Game Pass. Play it on PC, play it on Xbox – but play it. With a new 4K/60FPS patch on Xbox ...
You seek untold riches, eternal life, divine powers – it leads to this accursed temple, a seemingly-infinite labyrinth of bottomless pits, deadly traps, and monsters. Collect mystical Relics and an arsenal of weapons to make yourself unstoppable. Battle through hordes of enemies in dark, cavernous passages filled with traps and secrets of all sorts – fire-spewing statues, explosives, hidden spikes, ...
Hitman 3 gives back what you put into it, and man is it nice to play a game like that again. You can put zero effort into it, taking the path of least resistance and treating it like the action game it clearly isn’t. You’ll ‘finish’ it in about three hours, huff a bit and then move onto something that holds your hand a little more. Or you can see it for what it is: an assassination ...
Summer in Mara is a single-player summer adventure. Take care of your own island, farming the land, and crafting new tools to survive. You can also sail away with your boat to new islands, meet unique characters and find hidden treasures. But the ocean wants you to fulfill your destiny and when it calls you, you’ll have to answer. Summer in Mara is a game about small details that will surprise you every ...
We didn’t review the Xbox One seven years ago. We didn’t get a preview unit and nobody on staff at the time was interested enough to pick it up day one. Man, what a difference seven years makes, because the Xbox Series X is a triumph. Check out our One Dislike, Three Likes article about the Xbox Series X! This console has been built by gamers for gamers, and it comes through in every interaction you ...
John Wick Hex really clicked for me when, after clearing a level, I watched it back “in real-time,” versus the time-based strategic puzzle-combat gameplay. Watching the titular hero make his way through a street, punching, rolling, kicking, and shooting adversaries in under 10 seconds is a lot of fun. Of course, 10 seconds in “real-time” translates to about 5 minutes of gameplay, as the player tries to ...
Puzzles! Romance! Adventure! If Call of the Sea was a story from the 1930s, its advertising would speak entirely in exclamation points – and it’d almost live up to them. It’s filled with brainteasers designed to fairly but frequently trip you up, all on one of the most beautiful islands in gaming. It boasts next-gen features like raytracing, but doesn’t feel the need to overdo them or ...
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 – a game title that deserves a Kingdom Hearts style “2.5D Ultima Super Dream Final Edition” if I’ve ever heard one. People know what Tetris is, and a good chunk of those will know what Puyo Puyo is if you explain it in Mean Bean Machine terms. It says what it is, for better or for worse. But hidden behind that slightly mystifying name is a potent mix of puzzling fun ...
