Craig Shields's Reviews
It’s dark, it’s punishing and it has an atmosphere that brings its dead world to life. While Metro Exodus has problems in the gameplay and technical department, it still offers a wonderful alternative to games that are a little bit more safe.
It’s not a remake, it’s a brand new game and a fantastic one at that. Resident Evil 2 2019 is one of the best games of this or indeed any generation as it combines visual and audio mastery to produce a paranoia-inducing game that isn’t matched by many.
In a world where stealth games are few and far between, Hitman 2 is the closest we’re going to get to sneaking around and taking out a target. While hiding in plain sight is different to sneaking around in a box or in permanent night-vision, Agent 47 has a prominent place again in video games.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has problems when it comes to its moment-to-moment gameplay but its attempt at pushing the boundary in mechanics, interaction and narrative within an open world that’s one of the finest ever crafted, almost more than makes up for its faults.
Mario Tennis Aces provides a tennis-themed Mario game with an in-depth gameplay system that has the potential to hook you for hours. While it won’t satisfy single-player gamers, the basic gameplay portion of Mario Tennis Aces can keep you looking for matches online for some time.
Detroit Become Human touches on interesting and pertinent subjects that affect both our world and its. While it doesn’t present an overly compelling story, by the time the credits rolled it made me think about the decisions I made in a way I wasn’t expecting and in that regard, Quantic Dream achieved what it set out to do. A narrative-driven game with the ability to make players think about their decisions.
Hyrule Warriors provides a nice distraction without being anything too compelling. For Zelda fans, it provides some nice fanservice but as a musuo it falls somewhat short, lacking the personality and charm of others – especially Fire Emblem Warriors.
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is one of the premiere platformers that’s released in the past decade and it’s move to Switch is a welcome one. Despite a higher than normal difficulty level, it excels in most areas to present a game that currently stands as one of the best on the Switch.
Both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 are fantastic games in their own right, despite being more than just a few years old. In the Switch, both have found their true home and compliment the system perfectly, so it’s only right that the best version of both games is found on Nintendo’s portable console. If you haven’t already played them, these two deserve to be in your library.
While it might not fill the story itch that many have been looking for, the Champions’ Ballad will provide some of the best challenges and puzzles in the Zelda series. In essence, it’s more of the same but that’s a good thing in our eyes.
There’s no doubt that there’s an audience for Mantis Burn Racing. It’s a neat little top-down racing game that’s great for the pick-up and play nature of the Switch. It’s let down by a lack of variety and personality but don’t let that put you off if you’re a keen racer and own a Switch.
Rocket League is an absolute must on the Switch. Its pick-up-and-play nature shines through on Nintendo’s portable console that even minor technical drawbacks can’t dampen. If you own a Switch, you need to get Rocket League.
It’s not the 3D Sonic game we wanted but it’s the one we’ve got. Sonic Forces gives us glimpses of what a good Sonic 3D game could look like but it does so much wrong that it’s not worth your time or money unless you’re a truly die-hard Sonic fan.
Super Mario Odyssey is a love letter to Mario’s past and offers a reward for exploration at every turn. It might be a long time until something this good comes around again.
Easy to play with a satisfying, if over-simplistic, battle system but Fire Emblem Warriors does a good job of balancing a game that can be played by newcomers to Dynasty Warriors-style games, veterans of Fire Emblem or newcomers to both.
Golf Story is a delight to play. It’s an RPG with a unique take, humorous writing and an enjoyable and easy to play philosophy running throughout it. A great addition to any Switch collection – whether you like golf or not.
Pokken Tournament DX feels nice in everything it does. Which, for more casual fighting game fans who also love Pokemon is ideal. For those looking for a different fighting game, it’s best to look elsewhere, but, if you want an action-packed and easy to pick up and play fighter with a bit of colour, Pokken Tournament DX might be what you’re after.
Sonic Mania proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sonic is better in 2D. Mania cleverly leans on the best of Sonic’s past while also carving its own path for a bright future for the blue blur. Welcome back Sonic.
F1 2017 is another leap from last years game. While it won't reinvent the wheel, the addition of classic cars, a more in-depth career mode and tougher AI makes it a significant improvement on 2016.
Splatoon 2 offers a stellar single-player, a robust and addictive multiplayer and in Salmon Run, a horde-like mode that provides a great alternative to standard online matches. Splatoon 2 is funky, fresh and most importantly, fun.