Brodie Gibbons's Reviews
Burnout Paradise is unarguably a stellar racing game and it paved the way for the likes of Forza to do what it has done with its Horizon franchise, so for that there'll always be a place in my heart for it. It's a tough sell for returning veterans as the visual buffs are minimal and the game itself is unchanged. Though if you were too young and didn't get to play Paradise, there's enough here, especially with all of the extra content on-disc, to justify the price of admission.
Were it not for a lack of polish, Shadow of the Tomb Raider would stand right alongside the other action-adventure giants in truly defining the genre. It has a lot of heart, all of the pulsating set pieces that series has become known for and a primal Lara Croft at the height of her powers. As it stands, Shadow is still one of the best conclusions to a trilogy I've come across as it respects what it has always done best rather than muddy the waters with needless gimmicks.
Octopath Traveler is truly a charming and wonderful J-RPG that has reminded me that there's still a place for old classics. Some might call it dated, I'd call it ageless and even peerless when held up against a recent generation of watered down, Westernised role-playing games. Square Enix delivers a nuanced, tactical game and an endearing cast to boot.
Rising is without a doubt the best Trials game yet. The community this series has garnered over the span of two decades finally gets a little of the limelight and, quite frankly, serves as the lynchpin of this game. The gameplay is as tight as ever while the tracks themselves are scintillating, showcasing the developer's creativity which is, even at this late stage of the Trials saga, first-rate.
A Plague Tale, at times, feels like a missing early chapter of the Assassin's Creed catalogue. Its ability to bend a truly fascinating point in documented history into a fantastical, mythical story that keeps you invested from start to finish is remarkable. It's a cinematic journey that is uncomplicated in its delivery, managing to occupy gamers without distracting from the game's narrative and the bond that develops between the de Rune siblings which, in the end, is A Plague Tale's undoubted strength.
Hideo Kojima has long been a visionary auteur, his feted career stands as proof. With no walls to contain him, he has given birth to Death Stranding. It's an experience that will be remembered for a long time, from its early hype to the untethered lunacy of its narrative. It's an art installation of a game that filled me with rage as often as it did joy. It is sweeping in both lustre and purpose, though it wears a few warts on the pleasant, bare bones of a game about deliveries that has no right to be as memorable as it somehow is.
Superhot’s standalone expansion Mind Control Delete is a great example of how to achieve growth, drive your franchise forward and prevent an admittedly pretty basic concept from going stale. Before I knew I was ready for a change, Superhot Team thrust age-old video game tropes into gaming’s most unique shooter in ways only they could and, in a crazy twist, it works.
Tell Me Why is a Dontnod game throughout its every part, right down to its bones. Although those bones might be bare, it has a lot of soul. With care, Dontnod dive into discomfort and drag us with them throughout three concise episodes that explore the power that comes coupled with familial ties, both bound by blood and by the metaphysical, as well as memory and all of its heartbreaking deceptions.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a one-way ticket to the turn of the millennium. It's a complete, beautiful love letter to not only Tony Hawk himself as an icon but to a time when both the series and the sport of skateboarding itself were most pure and fun. As a bundle, and with the multiplayer providing even more longevity, this game offers unrivalled value.
Although the campaign is only a small slice of the larger package in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, it's great that it counters its 'blink and you'll miss it' length with a bit of replay value and some memorable missions you're bound to want to play again. Raven Software's more subtle approach to Cold War espionage feels like viewing Call of Duty through a new, exciting lens.
With Observer's original atmosphere intact, System Redux is an exceptional refinement and redelivery of one of the generation's most underrated titles. The loss of Rutger Hauer felt even more profoundly exploring these tenement halls again, but his offbeat and quirky role as Daniel Lazarski will live on for another generation.
I haven't been touched by a love story like this since reading Scott McCloud's The Sculptor, a wonderful and affecting graphic novel. Fullbright is probably the only other developer that could claim to do love right with Gone Home, but Mountains can stand proudly alongside them. In a medium so fixated on hurting others, it's refreshing to enjoy a slice of life story about the complexities of love, romance and life itself.
Courtesy of some really great hand-drawn art, it's hard not to adopt the game's most excellent and bodacious attitude through osmosis. But OlliOlli World's strength, as it has always been, is in its low barrier to entry and the fact it's just so damn fun to pick up and play.
As it ran its course, I realised I quite adored As Dusk Falls. As a decades-spanning crime thriller throughout America's western plains, it's well acted and admirably realised. Although the cliffhanger beckons another chapter, my journey through As Dusk Falls felt whole, though I can't wait to explore all of the possibilities on offer.
Cult of the Lamb is sure to be a homegrown success on the back of its tremendous presentation, which is helped along by captivating notions of cultism and devotion. I just wish there was more of an accord between the game's working parts, which ultimately feels like a game of two individually brilliant halves.
Venba is a sweet, short-lived episode that presents the place held by food and cooking within our lives and cultures as near-on divine. It explores familiar relationships, as well as the ones we keep, for better or worse, with food itself, and left me with plenty to ponder as the credits rolled.
Gunbrella is a wonderful, quirky noir-punk shooter that, like the abominations confronting the hero gunman, is made up of what should be many discordant parts. Yet what we get is a lore-rich world with slick movement in its bedrock that'll spawn an unlikely love of umbrellas not heard of since the day that Tom Holland splashed about in fishnets.
Teardown is a fun and ballistic sandbox for people intent on watching the world burn. Its war chest of tools and curated mods offer near limitless possibilities in the coolest game of its kind since Minecraft.
Arizona Sunshine 2 is a bloody, pulpy and, most importantly, meaty experience that turns undead dismemberment from a somewhat dated trope into a fun workout that gives you more than enough toys to play with. And with a loyal pup at your side, this sequel is not only a blast but it feels like the killer app the platform has been needing.
Just as it was ten years ago, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a succinct, yet economical, adventure that wastes no time in delivering a beautiful and devastating co-op experience that, through this remake, can now be shared with another-even if that dilutes the game's novel concept as a result.