Tomas Barry


74 games reviewed
70.3 average score
70 median score
43.2% of games recommended
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9 / 10 - Yooka Laylee
Apr 4, 2017

Reflection upon Yooka-Laylee raises a genuine smile in a way that few video games ever do these days. Undoubtedly, this will sound like the stereotypical ramblings of a Banjo-Kazooie fan drunk on nostalgia; it's true that when Rare slipped into obscurity, setting to work on other types of projects, they left a massive void for this brand of quirky, humorous, collection-heavy platforming adventure. Playtonic has recognised and rectified this, reminding the gaming world that this sub-genre has fallen out of favour for far too long. While it leans on a unique contextual crux, considering the team's history and the Kickstarter origins of the project, the end result is something truly delightful in its own right. A brilliant successor that perfectly channels the creative energies of the N64 platforming era.

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Oct 25, 2018

While no single element of Red Dead Redemption 2 is revolutionary, due to its ambitious scope, it's greater than the sum of its parts. Few single-player experiences excel simultaneously at telling a deep and poignant story, whilst also providing the player with such a huge extent of freedom and possibility.

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9 / 10 - DiRT 4
Jun 7, 2017

DiRT 4 really does succeed in extrapolating new things from two different sides of the driving spectrum. The 'Your Stage' procedural track generator really does feel like a revelation, which will ensure that drivers remain on their toes even after clocking countless hours already. As stated, it's remarkable what this can do for drivers if they're willing to adapt and learn, and certainly helps to cultivate technical understanding and development. A more in-depth follow-up review on the PC version will be coming soon, but there's no doubt about it: DiRT 4 is one of the most exciting driving releases this year. A much-celebrated brand comes back with a bang.

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9 / 10 - A Hat in Time
Oct 21, 2017

While no single component is particularly revolutionary or unfamiliar to the genre, this is an extremely memorable platforming experience that, unlike its main collect-a-thon rival this year, never feels laboured. This is down to a nicely streamlined but still deep hub and world structure, in conjunction with so many neat touches and playful twists on the collect-a-thon formula. From start to finish, it's charming and funny, with excellent art design and gorgeous visuals. The music from Pascal Michael Stiefel is brilliant (although it's a shame that only two tracks were contributed by Grant Kirkhope in the end) while the use of real dialogue definitely makes things livelier and more engrossing. Through all this, its sheer charm and its gratifying gameplay mechanics, A Hat in Time affords itself the ability to do what it wants, and ensures that it really goes the distance. It never overindulges in nostalgia or tribute, and it makes sure to poke fun at itself, as well as the rest, along the way. It's a collect-a-thon gem, if ever there was one.

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Feb 18, 2019

DiRT Rally 2.0 does nothing but improve the reputation of the purest, modern rally series out there. Codemasters' flagship sequel retains the same uncompromising sense of difficulty and challenge as seen in the original, but achieves it with a new-found sense of finesse and variety. The expanded and evolved Rallycross experience offers something equally visceral, but in a more quick-fire format and with exciting contact-based racing. This is an excellent counter-weight to the more gruelling and linear experience found in Rally events, and it may serve as the better jumping-in point for lesser skilled players. Overall, Codemasters have outdone themselves with one of the greatest rally packages ever made. Whether it quite out-manoeuvres Richard Burns Rally where it counts, the physics and handling through the wheel, is a matter of opinion, but it certainty hits that mark. One thing is for sure, rally fans everywhere must play DiRT Rally 2.0!

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8 / 10 - Assetto Corsa
Oct 3, 2016

In conclusion, ignoring the stat glitches, lack of private lobbies and the somewhat questionable way the game is packaged, what's underneath the hood is seriously impressive. Any dedicated racing nuts who feel like testing themselves at the wheel on console should look no further. While there are other console games, such as Project CARS, with more cars and more courses, claiming also to be serious racers, Assetto Corsa undeniably owns the genre on console now, due to its uncompromising and unwavering dedication to realism. For now, there's nothing better for that on console. It's just a shame that it lacks the polish and omits some major draws, such as private online lobbies, which stop it from being considered a classic.

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May 29, 2016

Ultimately, The Magic Circle relies on its pure intrigue to sustain the player throughout. It draws on decades of gaming history, offering a short, but poignant, commentary on the state of games today, whilst still managing to deliver something altogether quite different. Occasionally, the game requires your willing patience, but once a couple of hours have been sunk into this fantastic abstract meta game, you'll likely revel in its charm and inventiveness.

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South Park: The Fractured But Whole is an excellent RPG that adds a hefty amount of mechanical depth to improve upon The Stick of Truth. Admittedly, some of the gaming commentary is less effective if the player has experience with the previous instalment. However, there are still plenty of surprises and enough side-splitting moments to make it a must-buy for any fans of South Park, especially if seasoned gamers, too. While the storyline itself isn't quite as clever as something from the show, the jokes and dialogue meet the same standards. The kid's move from fantasy to super heroes pays off, although if there's a third adventure, it would need to deviate more substantially from its predecessor. It's a shame the existing DLC couldn't have been included as standard, but at least the Switch version runs without issue for the most part, and wasn't delayed for too long. Overall, this is an excellent port.

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Although this is a forgiving stance, there's just so much more that captivates: from the intense battles, and slaying of dragons, to the gradual sense of empowerment as the player's character grows and develops, distinguishing powers and abilities. There are so many hidden secrets in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, so many facets to unearth, and choices within those to fraternise over, it's hard not to be sucked in by its charm and intrigue. So long as it's appreciated for what it is, a revisiting of a classic that influenced practically all open-world RPGs that came after it, Skyrim Special Edition is a very stellar package which holds up very well indeed, despite it's issues, against more recent competition. If you've never played it, now is the perfect time, and with the advent of the Playkey service, it opens up the game to a much wider audience.

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8 / 10 - F1 2016
Nov 11, 2016

On reflection, F1 2016 is a game that has enhanced itself significantly with this instalment. It accentuates the smaller details of the sport, but also makes a series of more wholesale changes, which makes the game seem more purposeful. The availability of proper lap analysis and telemetry data brings a proper purpose to practice sessions. It finally turns a too often pointless mode into the proactive, useable tool that it should be for improving driver performance. While it's not the perfect outing, it's a more serious and functional affair that will appeal to the purists two-fold. Codemasters has certainly learnt from DiRT Rally, which didn't deter less serious racing fans, but introduced the details to players in the right way. Although it is not quite perfect overall, it's an encouraging step in the right direction and still easily the most authentic F1 racing game ever made.

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8 / 10 - Ellipsis
Aug 6, 2017

It's impressive how the minimalist approach cultivates such energy with so little, and also how sustaining that approach is for Ellipsis in its design. While this game is not technically a piece of minimalist art, it is a very coherent marriage of the methodology behind it with the creative domain of video games. For this reason, it absolutely can be valued for its aesthetic qualities, just like a painting hung on the wall, and perhaps used for inspiration, or just to chill out after a long day. Whatever is abstract is also open to many different interpretations, so different gamers may respond differently to its creative ethos, but overall there's no doubt that Ellipsis should be recognised for its accessibility, polish and purpose. This is a simple game with a thoughtful soul. Much work has gone into it, and for those who appreciate great game design, it is certainly one to check out. Fingers crossed for a Nintendo Switch edition one day, as well.

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8 / 10 - Overcooked
Mar 20, 2017

This is a bold, distinct and very charming package.

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8 / 10 - NBA 2K17
Dec 2, 2016

Despite a few minor irritations, such as the odd bug in a MyCareer training session or a slight oddity in the animations, NBA 2K17 is basketball at its absolute finest in gaming terms. While it's obviously difficult to rank it alongside games of yesteryear, like the more arcade-centric NBA Jam on the SNES, when it comes to simulating the game on modern hardware, this is the purest, most authentic experience out there, bar none.

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Feb 1, 2017

The Red Pack represents very good value for the asking price, though this may not be the case for players with absolutely no interest in trying F1 racing, as there's quite an emphasis on it here—but even then, the GT cars, Lamborghini and the Red Bull Ring are certainly worth having, as they improve the scope of vehicle in Assetto Corsa. Those with a season pass will see the Red Pack as another piece of excellent content, extending the life and enjoyment of this serious racing sim.

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8 / 10 - Fast RMX
Mar 4, 2017

If one thing is certain, it's that the F-Zero brand would be in good hands should Nintendo ever choose to take this fruitful relationship with Shin'en Multimedia to a new level and entrust the property to them. Since there hasn't been a new title from Nintendo in so long, it seems like a logical thing to do. In the meantime, Fast RMX is an excellent arcade racer that will satisfy anyone's craving for speed and intensity, as well as gorgeous graphics that really show off the Switch's capability. As a full priced game, it would still stand out, but as a £17.99 download on the eShop, this really is a no- brainer for any fans of arcade racing. One of the best launch day games available.

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Mar 26, 2017

Overall, Waku Waku 7 is an almost perfect port, which more than successfully transmits the spirit of the original arcade hit. While it does lack an extra layer of effort, which would elevate this piece of content amongst some of the best on the eShop today, this is still a captivating and unique experience that is well worth checking out regardless of experience with the genre.

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8 / 10 - Splatoon 2
Jul 18, 2017

Overall, Splatoon 2 is a brilliant and refreshing competitive multiplayer experience, both online and offline, which really fills a void in that regard for the system.

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8 / 10 - Everspace
May 25, 2017

In most senses, then, Everspace is quite an audio-visual treat, as well just as an excellent arcade 3D space shooter. While it's not perfect, suffering from a lack of design variance in some ways, it should be admired for committing to a fragmented sector structure, which does ensure every play session is fluid and action-packed.

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Sep 17, 2017

PES 2018 is a highly refined package, offering plenty of incentive for the existing fanbase and new fans alike, especially through the introduction of three-vs-three and Random Selection mode. The visuals and animations are much improved, with less jarring transitions, more animated players, and a far greater level of detail in the crowds and stadiums. All this raises the general presentation standard significantly, putting it on the same level as FIFA or thereabouts. While the gameplay has mostly changed for the better through a host of minute changes that add up to something more than the sum of their parts, the only shame is that rebalancing always seems to put something else out of whack - in this case the keepers' quite dodgy behaviour, which can ruin the fun. It's very 'two steps forward and one step back,' but still represents a big pragmatic leap forward, since they have thought outside the box about how to attract more football fans. Three-vs-three is a huge success, and there's no doubt it will be responsible for many converts.

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8 / 10 - F1 2017
Aug 21, 2017

F1 2017 feels like the final realisation of several years of work, but it also ushers in another phase for the annual series. In terms of core gameplay, the handling models, the force feedback, and the physics engine have all been drastically improved, resulting in a greater sense of control and a much better chance of interpreting the car when its forces are out of balance. Improving this core gameplay aspect alone, whilst addressing the major bugs of last year (like the dodgy AI), leads to a much more immersive and authentic driving experience. Overall, considering the impressive amount of additional content - especially new short course variations, the introduction of classic cars, the new championship mode, the redesign work on many existing tracks, and the improvements to presentation and cut-scenes - F1 2017 certainly is an impressive package, which hardcore fans will find difficult to resist.

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