Darryn Bonthuys's Reviews
Balan Wonderworld is a game of missed opportunities. It's simplified control scheme robs it of any of the subtle complexity that the genre is best at, its various ideas are half-baked at best, and its core gameplay is a taxing uphill climb through even the most basic of platforming principles. Amusing visual design aside, the only thing that Balan Wonderworld is good at is being consistently boring.
It may wear its influences on its sleeve, but Kaze and the Wild Masks is still an effortlessly delightful romp with its tight gameplay, beautiful worlds, and enjoyable platforming action.
A few balancing issues aside, Bugvasion is a fun diversion. It's silly, colourful, and its tactical action has an energetic flow to it that hits a comfortable stride early on. It's not rewriting the rules of the tower defense genre, but it's hitting the right marks on a checklist of fun.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll jump in Thomas Was Alone on Nintendo Switch. Whether you're leaping in for the first time or playing through the adventure yet again, this complete port does the iconic indie game proper justice and proves that great video game ideas are timeless.
Fascinating for 15 minutes and boring for ten hours, you'll be howling with frustration at this missed opportunity for full moon madness in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood.
Destruction AllStars is both new and familiar, but it's a refreshing collection of cars, modes, and madcap driving that shows great promise for the future. A mental destruction derby with some admittedly annoying quirks, there's plenty of charm under the hood of this game that respects your time and smashes into the competition with a gung-ho attitude and some novel ideas.
Hitman 3 is full of surprises beneath its familiar systems. It manages to break out of its own sandbox without disrupting its formula too much, ending on a subtle note that brings the world of assassination saga to a satisfying end.
A love letter to the golden age of beat 'em ups that Nintendo and Sega ruled, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition isn't without its flaws and it has an entry curve more punishing than starting a band during your midlife crisis, but its still a terrific jump back in time that breathes new life into a cult classic.
A slow-motion bullet ballet extravaganza, The Hong Kong Massacre is a lean and mean action gameplay whose core gunplay makes for a satisfying and challenging loop that'll leave you feeling like a hardboiled action star after every face-off.
A beautiful twist on the city-building genre, Airborne Kingdom is a fascinating journey with innovative gameplay mechanics, a stirring soundtrack, and a sense of exploration that flies high.
Morbid follows the Dark Souls formula pretty closely despite it having a retro charm, but the boss fights are an undeniable highlight of the game. Disturbing bouts of danger that will snuff your flame out with a single lucky blow, these encounters boast an incredible art direction, fascinating gameplay quirks, and a challenge that'll leave your controller moist with hand sweat.
Fitness Boxing 2 isn't a bad way to keep your body energised, but the few improvements it has loaded into its gloves can't hide its flawed punching technique or its disappointing lack of beats to bounce around to between uppercuts.
Chronos: Before the Ashes is an interesting collection of ideas, but dead average implementation, aging visuals, and flawed gameplay make for an underwhelming package that barely rises above being just fine at best.
Mortal Kombat 11's Ultimate Edition is NetherRealm's finest hour polished up further for a new console generation. Packed with content, further refined, and open to a wider audience than ever before, Mortal Kombat 11 is still a violent masterpiece that draws first blood with its new roster additions.
Demon's Souls is an unrelenting blast from the past, reforged with numerous quality of life changes and looking better than ever thanks to the PS5 hardware that gives this old-gen classic a true next-gen update.
Less is more, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light feels like a positive first step towards a new era for the franchise. New Stasis subclasses, a compelling storyline, and a gorgeous new planet to explore make for an intriguing new direction for Bungie’s cosmic sandbox.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition doesn't offer any massive surprises for veteran fans, but as a fresh chapter for newcomers? It makes one of the best action games of the last generation one of the most thrilling of the new generation.
After rocking the world with guitars and other assorted musical stylings, Fuser feels and sounds like the logical next step for Harmonix. It's colourful, brimming with positive energy, and the musical mash-ups that you can potentially create aren't just surprising, they deserve to be heard around the world. If a steady flow of DLC keeps Fuser alive, I'll happily hop back into the DJ booth to create a few more surprise hits.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon's switch to turn-based RPG combat and team-based tactics may bite off more than it can chew thanks to terrible difficulty spikes and ill-defined character progression, but it's still a breath of fresh air for the series. Ichiban Kasuga and his pals are an entertaining lot, the game has plenty of style, and even though the combat devolves into an ungodly grind, it's a flashy new start to one of Sega's best franchises.
Godfall hits the nail on the next-gen launch game head: All style, very little substance. Granted there's some fun to be had but once the next-generation glitz wears off what's left is a repetitive slog through levels that quickly get old.