Richard Scott-Jones's Reviews
Every element of Dark Souls III reinforces the others, from the broad, contiguous sweep of its stunning yet desolate world to the tiniest, menacing croak of a waiting basilisk. This triumphant summation of the series to date sets a new standard for action-RPG gameplay, and is a landmark achievement in game design.
This is a rich and thoughtful strategy game that is a joy to engage with at practically every level, and a new high-water mark of ambition and quality for Creative Assembly.
Boasting the best swordfighting in the business, Sekiro is a game of rare but deserved self-assurance. You'll despair as it breaks you down, but then you'll exult as it builds you up. It's a journey like little else in gaming, and if you're up for the challenge, you absolutely have to play it.
An utterly original RPG that sets new genre standards for exploration and conversation systems, and a brilliantly written tragicomedy about our inability to release the linchpins of our identity. Even when they hurt us.Richard Scott-Jones
Id stumbles very occasionally in its ambition to expand on 2016, but you won’t care when you’re enjoying the best combat in shooters. Pure, animalistic catharsis.
These games often feel their age, but their genius shines through, especially in this polished package. This is one of the best remasters around, and an easy recommendation for the nostalgic or the curious.
Groundbreaking, but not quite as much as you're hoping it is. Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't surpass its brilliant influences, but in Night City, Johnny Silverhand, and its chilling vision of hyper-capitalism, it claims territory of its own.
A triumphant step forward for Total War on almost every front, boasting not just the best and most diverse single-player campaigns ever, but a revolution in multiplayer too.
Challenges Forsaken for the title of best-ever Destiny expansion, and has much stronger foundations to build upon. Destiny 2 was already in a good spot, but Witch Queen represents a new peak for Bungie's oft-imitated, never-dethroned looter shooter.
Beautiful to look at, thrilling to play and infused with the gleefully anarchic spirit of the original, *Doom* offers the best and most refreshing shooter campaign in years. This alone would justify the price tag, but abundant secrets and potentially endless content via SnapMap add further longevity. *Doom* is back.
Total War's mechanics and the Warhammer setting complement one another beautifully, and Creative Assembly has mostly nailed the execution. Total War: Warhammer is the best representation of the Warhammer universe there has ever been in a video game, and the best entry in the Total War series for some time.
An incremental rather than radical improvement, but no less an achievement for that, XCOM 2 irons out flaws you didn't even realise existed in Enemy Unknown. The consequence is one of the best strategy games in years.
The second episode in The Banner Saga retains the gorgeous artwork, strong characters and agonising choices that made the original a success, while adding depth, variety and clarity to the combat.
I had far more fun with Legacy of the Void than I was expecting to. The campaign is excellent, and even as a newcomer, transitioning from the single-player to dabbling in multiplayer was surprisingly smooth. RTS fans past and present should take this opportunity to return to StarCraft, or - even better - join the action for the first time.
A hefty chunk of DLC that adds what is arguably Total War's most inventive race yet, along with four different ways to play them.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is still lumbered with some of the quirks of its '90s origins. This is understandable - it is a remaster, not a remake - but those quirks do cause some friction. Beneath them, though, the underlying gameplay remains as solid as a fully upgraded phalanx.
With a darker, more nuanced story, loads of activities, and clever tweaks to its core systems, Forsaken vastly improves the quality, quantity, and structure of content in Destiny 2. It could still peter out if the raid is bad or the DLC is as poor as last year's, but as of now, Destiny is fun again.
Its two campaigns offer deliciously bonkers fan service for the rats and a meaty strategic challenge for the lizards, deftly served with CA's usual care for the source material. A generous free update that profoundly improves the Skaven is the icing on the cake.Richard Scott-Jones
Some ideas don't fully land, but there's more than enough here to provide hours of fun in what's fast becoming an excitingly crowded and appropriately violent realisation of the Warhammer world. Richard Scott-Jones
Gameplay is rock solid from the start and only gains depth, giving a real sense of transformation into a Jedi badass. Respawn has also nailed the Star Wars universe, both good (sights, sounds, and cinematic flair) and bad (cringey dialogue and vacuous plot).