Geoffrey Tim's Reviews
It may look lovely and run well, but Sonic Forces' uninspired level design and lack of flow prevent it being much fun to play.
With a bit more polish, and less of a lingering sense of obligation to hold on to the licence, MXGP could grow to become a premier racing sim, but right now it's muddy at best.
Mario’s foray in to the sporting world has had its ups and down; soaring highs and disheartening lows. This? This is just middling, a mediocre package unlikely win the multifaceted Mario new fans.
1,2 Switch is an interesting, occasionally fun primer to the Switch's controllers. Had it been packed in, 1,2 Switch would have garnered its fair share of converts - but with its lack of depth and its frankly ludicrous price, it’s just not worth investing in.
Homefront: The Revolution wears its troubled design and its unattainable ambition like a scar. There's a decent game hidden in its core, but it would take too much work to turn the Revolution in to something worthy of attention.
There's nothing like a good murder mystery - and Murdered: Soul Suspect is nothing like a good murder mystery. It's a decent enough tale, punctuated by half-baked sleuthing, underused supernatural powers and forced stealth.
Great visuals alone do not a great game make - and there's unfortunately very little in The Order: 1886 to elevate it beyond being a pretty, but shallow and insipid shooter. It commits the one sin no interactive entertainment should: it's painfully boring.
A middling collection of mini-games held together by an unfortunately lacklustre story mode, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is, unfortunately, little more than a distraction. While the throwback retro events add a much-needed bit of flavour, they're just not good enough to bring the series out of mediocrity.
While almost every LEGO game has included some sort of new mechanic to differentiate itself in some way, LEGO The Incredibles just feels like it's going through the motions. The formula is wearing mighty thin, and is the least inventive, most unexciting LEGO game in ages. Still, it's a decent kid's game, with plenty of family-friendly fun to be had.
It's ambitious, imaginative and often intriguing and does its best to deliver something fresh and unique. Unfortunately, Get Even fails to nail down the fundamentals, resulting in a sadly disjointed, overwrought experience.
PlayStation VR Worlds is a decent collection of demos that you probably want to own as they’re an excellent way to show off VR. It’s such a pity that these experiences, as much potential as they show, are too brief to be worthwhile.
Underneath the unfocused, ramshackle design decisions and incomprehensible story there's a decent action game - but how much of it you're willing to endure for closure depends on how deeply entrenched you are into Lords of Shadow's lore.
A competent remaster that gives a decade-old game a suitable level of spit-and-polish, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign reveals a significant graphical overhaul but its corridor-shooter structure and worn animation give its age away. Nostalgic fans of the series might get a kick, but the barebones remaster isn't a fantastic value proposition for anybody else.
Beyond the resolution increase, improved audio mix and middling VR, there's really not much to this remaster. The exclusion of the first game also makes recommending last gen's collection easier. If you're a fan of Kojima's mech series, then Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner MARS is worth picking up. It's unlikely to win any new fans though.
The minimalist art design is beautiful, and its characters are wonderfully expressive and emotive despite their simplicity. There's an elegance to Pode, that belies its imperfect platforming and frequent frustrations.
It's quite simple. If you loved the first game, you'll appreciate the changes, like a more structured take on base building and community management. There are fantastic systems, hampered by repetitive and shallow gameplay that ultimately feels pointless. State of Decay 2's scale and lower price don't quite make up for its lack of polish.
There's fun to be had here, if you're able to play it with others. Alone, Nine Parchments is a dull slog. Play with others, and it becomes an electrifying slice of pandemonium.
If you love choose-your-own-adventure games, Hidden Agenda is compelling enough to make for an evening's entertainment, especially given its price – but it feels more a glimpse of what could be enabled by mobile-connected games in the future, than a showcase of them at the moment.
It's a fun diversion, but I think that four years on it's a case of too little, too late and Brain Training's lost much of its charm. If you feel that information addiction has gotten the better of you or that you need to improve your focus, Devilish Brain training may be worthwhile – but it's both tedious and sparse.
Solstice Chronicles M.I.A is a competent shooter, with its dynamic threat level leading to tense, frightening moments. The constant dread forces an engaging and tactical risk vs reward style of play - but the often awkward controls and derivative story let it down.