Ewan Roxburgh's Reviews
For all its flaws, it has to be said that Anthem is a lot of fun. Some 60 hours in, between both PC and PS4 where I’m onto the endgame in both, I still enjoy the moment to moment gameplay.
This is the definitive Crash Team Racing experience. Nitro-Fueled is everything I hoped it would be, a faithful recreation of the classic game with added flair and personality. A lack of custom race settings and some superficial gripes are not enough to dissuade me that this is among the best kart racers available. Crash is absolutely back, baby!
Bar a rather unexciting story, a little lack of nuance in the combat and a couple of misgiving regarding couch co-op, there is a hell of a lot to love and enjoy about Minecraft Dungeons. Rather miraculously, it's managed to pull off being both a game for all types of Minecraft fans and those seeking a challenging dungeon crawler. At launch, it's a little concise sure, but chasing that new loot means I'm not done with it yet, and likely won't be for a while still.
With a brew this good, you can be sure I'll be back for more.
Amid its chaotic titular mode, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is as nail-biting as it was a decade ago. With a new lick of paint and the full suite of DLC included, it is a definitive version of a game that - at its best - sits between a combat and arcade racer, pitting Racer against Cop. Aside from these highlight moments, its a touch barebones and doesn't stack up against what else is available today.
LEGO Builder's Journey is a spectacular, absolutely gorgeous puzzle-platformer, with a surprisingly touching story the explores parenthood and creativity in a delightfully minimalist way. Stunning aesthetics enhanced by ray-tracing and DLSS combine with a soundtrack that amounts to one of the most beautiful games in recent memory. A little more commitment to the possibilities afforded by interlocking bricks would have completed the picture, but regardless is remains a game not to be missed by fans of LEGO, puzzles and a good, wholesome narrative.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a disappointment. Even as an avid fan of the franchise, the fun to be had here is limited. Misguided design, hamstrung presentation and painfully repetitive gameplay suck the fun out of what is, on paper, a promising game. I'd love to have had a meaty, cooperative survival game to play with friends, an escalating challenge that gradually expected more of me as a player, with a story more than just serviceable in moving from one mission to the next. This time, I'm only screaming in frustration.
Iterating on what Call of Duty diehards know and love, Vanguard has the potential to stand up alongside some of the series' best. Whether it be a bombastic, action-flick inspired campaign, endlessly addictive multiplayer or now-staple zombies mode, the game feels like comfort food. However, I remain doubtful that the game's new and updated modes will do enough to win over anyone that wasn't convinced with earlier iterations.