Alex Donaldson's Reviews
This has quietly arrived as one of the most original games of the year – and better yet, is one of my favorites.
It probably comes as no surprise to learn that Super Mario Maker 2 is good. Just how good it is exceeds expectations, however.
Nostalgia might well have carried this one through, but in truth it doesn’t need it: this is a great game that has for the most part aged remarkably well, with the visual upgrade and other tweaks serving to make absolutely certain it’s worth the price of admission
Nintendo Labo VR is basic, but it’s immediately more fun than its expensive peers
This is a game that’s elevated by that choice of art and the way that design interlaces and works to create new play opportunities within the sweet sandbox of each level.
An extraordinarily competent racer
Hopefully this is just the start, with similar quality releases of the latter three games and hopefully a further sequel yet to come following this. Rest assured – these are a fantastic way to revisit familiar adventures for existing fans and a must-play in the genre for everybody else. At last, they’ve got a current release definitively worth bothering with.
It’s a confident game that plays it safe, offering simple iterations and smart tweaks to the already well-trodden and successful styling of the series to offer up an entry that, at the very least, is superior to its direct predecessor.
By taking its grim post-apocalyptic world above ground into wide, open areas, Metro Exodus adds a smart and engaging twist while retaining the series’ identity.
Get some friends, some beers, some button mashing and some toe-curlingly tight encounters and you'll find the spirit of the original alive and well – and that's all that matters in the end.
A strong port and the best way to play these flawed yet brilliant classics
A beautiful, challenging and often utterly brilliant throwback to the golden age of Japanese RPGs that somehow scuppers its chances of being a true classic through an ambitious but ultimately flawed narrative structure.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate does indeed live up to its name. It’s a brilliant game today, as it launches, but tellingly it also leaves me incredibly excited about the future.
What’s surprised me most about reviewing it is that I hadn’t fully made peace with that fact and yet I loved this game anyway – something that’s arguably a testament to how well it executes on its vision.
Minor as the additions the Plus expansion brings, Sonic Mania is still one of the best 2D platformers in recent memory, and is definitely the best Sonic game in a very long time.
That's when it feels most special, and it's then that what Insomniac has achieved here is most plain. Much of its design is familiar, but it appears here in a refined, polished form that makes it an easy recommendation.
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition lives up to its name: it's the best version of this game, and this game is also the best in the Warriors series.
Detective Pikachu doesn't offer an enormous amount of actual game to play, but what's there is hugely charming and entertaining.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 remains exhilarating fun, but some of its new additions prove bigger doesn't always equal better.
If you missed Bayonetta's Wii U outing, this is the perfect time to catch up.