Ashley Bates Avatar Image

Ashley Bates

Skelmersdale
Donovan Ryder

Favorite Games:
  • Halo 3
  • Bully
  • Mortal Kombat

137 games reviewed
73.5 average score
75 median score
53.7% of games recommended

Ashley Bates's Reviews

Full time bearded man of Xbox One UK, and also a Senior Editor. Self-appointed Fighting Game Hype Man, because no one else on site appreciates the art of fisticuffs.
7 / 10.0 - Meet Your Maker
Apr 4, 2023

Meet Your Maker is a good first step for a game that needs some more content and ideas if it's going to keep any momentum.

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8.5 / 10.0 - WWE 2K23
Mar 17, 2023

Not exactly a huge advancement on last year, but WWE 2K23 didn't need to be, instead offering smart improvements on an already great formula.

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Mar 2, 2023

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's engaging combat, satisfying parries and decent level design help this Soulslike become a truly entertaining package.

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Feb 21, 2023

Like A Dragon: Ishin is a competent remake of a previously Japan-only release, but series veterans might find more issues to nitpick over.

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5 / 10.0 - Wanted: Dead
Feb 14, 2023

While there's an audience out there for Wanted: Dead's schtick, the myriad of issues with the whole game make it a tough sell.

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7 / 10.0 - LONE RUIN
Jan 11, 2023

While Lone Ruin is currently sparse on content, there's some solid gameplay foundations here that could be built upon in the future.

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Dec 7, 2022

The Rumble Fish 2 isn't the most groundbreaking port ever, but there's still a solid fighting game on offer here.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Evil West
Nov 25, 2022

Evil West isn't the most complicated game ever made, but it doesn't need to be, offering a good few hours of overpowered fun.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Save Room
Nov 9, 2022

A loving homage to horror gaming's biggest franchise, Save Room is a puzzle title that won't give you a fright.

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6 / 10.0 - Tanuki Sunset
Nov 1, 2022

Tanuki Sunset isn't going to win awards for the best game ever made, but if you like endless runners, this one is a good shout.

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Oct 17, 2022

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a brilliant follow-up to 2019's cult hit, and could be a real contender for a lot of people's Game of the Year lists.

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Aug 26, 2022

Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed brings the original title into the modern age, and while the gameplay is massively improved, some bad ideas, dated jokes, and an abundance of glitches mar the overall experience.

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6 / 10.0 - Saints Row
Aug 22, 2022

The Saints Row reboot wants to tell a new, modern story, but the gameplay framework surrounding it is starting to show a bit of rust.

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Jul 22, 2022

The exploration flaws are only a somewhat minor gripe, considering that the races themselves are some of the best that Forza Horizon 5 has to offer, and the expansion even includes various Hot Wheels pieces for players to create their own events too. Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels already feels like a massive and enjoyable expansion, and hopefully the player-created content will mean there’s even more to look forward to while we wait for the game’s second expansion.

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8 / 10.0 - Sniper Elite 5
May 30, 2022

Sniper Elite 5 successfully builds on the foundations of Rebellion's long running series, but some glitches do hamper the experience somewhat.

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Apr 21, 2022

Demon Turf: Neon Splash is a bite-sized version of one of 2021's best platformers, and while it's not quite on the same level, it's still great fun.

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8 / 10.0 - WWE 2K22
Mar 11, 2022

Though not a flawless reinvention, WWE 2K22 is a monumentally large step in the right direction for the series.

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8 / 10.0 - Gran Turismo 7
Mar 9, 2022

While some off-track quirks diminish the experience somewhat, Gran Turismo 7's excellent gameplay places it firmly ahead of most of the racing game genre.

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Feb 11, 2022

King Of Fighters XV is the franchise's biggest stage yet, and when the lights are on brightest, this game shines.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Grapple Dog
Feb 9, 2022

Grapple Dog's not a perfect platformer by any stretch of the imagination, but the core gameplay concept and visual design still manages to raise huge grins.

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