James Coles
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Fallout 3
- Shenmue
Ultimately, I feel as though FIFA 17 hasn’t significantly improved over last year’s effort. Sure, The Journey adds a new mode to play through and the graphics look great, but gameplay wise, I don’t see anything majorly different. EA has tweaked areas that didn’t need tweaking. I don’t like the new penalty and set piece system and the AI still suffer from bouts of strange behaviour. That said, FIFA 17 is still an excellent football game that will keep me coming back for more.
The thing that sets Wipeout apart from racing games of today is that it doesn't take itself seriously during a time where some racing games are beginning to do so more regularly. Wipeout is silly, it always has been, but that's the beauty of this gravity-defying joyride. Every time Sony releases their latest console, I eagerly anticipate the release of a new Wipeout game to accompany it. Although this time it's taken a while for this iconic racer to get an update to next gen, WipEout: Omega Collection has been worth the wait.
Sure, learning the controls was frustrating and boredom crept in when transiting from one system to another but overall the thrill of exploration and discovery dwarf any grievances I have with the game.
FIFA 18 does enough to better its predecessor thanks to new player animations and improvements to the gameplay. Although repetitive, the revamped transfer system is intriguing and part two of Alex's story in ‘The Journey: Hunter Returns' makes FIFA 18 the best in the series to date.
Overall, what PES 2018 lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up for in gameplay. Bettering its predecessor on the pitch, PES 2018 is another fantastic entry in the series.
If you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings mythology, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Middle-earth games don't compliment the lore of the books. Spawned from a series of epic fantasy novels, this loud, insane, adrenaline-filled open-world adventure certainly isn't true to the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien. Perhaps you might slap your forehead in dismay by the goofy plot or looseness to the source material but what's undeniable is, that Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a lot of fun.
Overall, Football Manager 2018 is as addictive as ever; packed with a plethora of options and tactics to choose from, it immerses you into the world of football management like never before. Quite simply, unless you're up to date with your coaching badges, Sports Interactive's latest effort is the closest you'll get to becoming a managerial messiah. So, if you're passionate about football and you fancy yourself as a bit of a José Mourinho, then Football Manager 2018 is an essential purchase.
On paper at least, Shadow of the Colossus' premise is one of standard fantasy lore. The story of slaying beasts to save a loved one isn't unique, but what sets this experience apart from other fantasy tales I've experienced is the forever growing sadness that overcame me as I cut down each creature.
Predominantly, what I take from my experience with Dragon Ball FighterZ is a new found appreciation for the fighting genre. Aside from the classics like Mortal Kombat, I was never a huge fan of games of this ilk. However, I can honestly say that this frantic 2-D fighter is so captivating, that I can see myself spending a hell of a lot of time with it in the upcoming months.
Baffling AI behaviour, dull environments and a stupid story mean that even as a standalone survival game, Metal Gear Survive fails on too many levels. There are far better games that deserve your money. For example, if you want a complete survival experience, then ARK: Survival Evolve or 7 days to Die are better options on the PS4.
Introducing a third-person shooter into the Sword Art Online universe means Fatal Bullet isn't your typical fantasy game. Thanks to the Unreal Engine 4; it has some polish, but uninspiring environments and generic gameplay mean that only hardcore fans of the SAO series will get the most out of Bandai Namco's latest effort.
After spending over twenty hours with the game, it's clear that God of War is an impressive action-adventure title that should appease a variety of different gamers. However, once all the dust settles, whether or not this will land Sony Santa Monica the prestigious ‘Game of the Year' honour remains to be seen.
Perhaps this review seems a little harsh but please bear in mind that Extinction is a terrible game that is retailing close to one hundred dollars. That is, without question, day-light robbery. This mess isn't even worth close to half of that, in fact, I wouldn't even recommend playing it for free. Sure, there are worse games out there, but how anyone in good conscience could greenlight Extinction's release at the price of a Triple-A game is insulting.
So is Space Hulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition worth your time? Well, no. Not really. It isn't awful, but it isn't exactly great either. If you're mad for Warhammer 40,000 and the lore surrounding the franchise then perhaps you'll get more out of Space Hulk than I did. However, if you're looking to freshen up your first-person shooter collection then feel free to skip this one.
Altogether, Onrush is like a breath of fresh air. It's fast, frenzied and above all else, fun. If you're looking for something a little different to add to your game library, then you could do a lot worse than this.
Like a sitcom with the occasional bad episode, instead of keenly anticipating what I'll uncover next in the story, I began to just long for the finale.