Joe Apsey's Reviews
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a step up for CI Games and the franchise. Running much better than its predecessor and finding the right gameplay formula, the experience is a fun one that allows you to turn your brain off and just let loose, sniping some fools from a cliffside. Whilst not amazing, I am hopeful for the future of the franchise and where CI Games takes it.
Whilst the opening hours suffer from a lack of communication, SnowRunner is an excellent and rewarding vehicle simulation.
Hyper Jam's core gameplay is engaging and fun with friends and against random opponents. Its style is bold and vibrant giving the game a memorable vibe. However, a lack of progression and variety means this is a game I will only break out for 30 minutes of fun when I have friends over.
Offering a better experience than the Homecoming tie-in, the Far From Home Virtual Reality Experience is exciting and fulfils the 'I am Spider-Man' dream by allowing you to swing around New York as much as you want. Although it doesn't have much replay value, it is free and offers a fun twenty minutes of fantasy fulfilment in its Story Mode.
Remnant: From The Ashes' Swamps of Corsus DLC redesigns an area of the game to be the best-looking location in it. But, a lack of changes to outdoor environments on Corsus, bugs and issues that are still present ten months on, and a general feeling that there isn't much meat on Swamps of Corsus' bones left me underwhelmed with what is here. Fans looking for a more substantial offering should wait for the final DLC in August.
Relicta tries to strike a balance between narrative and gameplay, but that balance ends up hurting the final experience by making the game a slog to go through and puzzles becoming infuriatingly complex in the second half. The story and excellent voice acting are a nice differentiator and the level of detail in the environments is impressive, but Relicta is a game that is hard to stick with in its second half if you don't have a guide.
Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition may look great at 4K and run smoother at 60 FPS, but with no gameplay changes, barely any meaningful use of the DualSense, and a lack of gameplay improvements the indie-adventure doesn't offer much of a reason to play. This enhanced edition isn't bad by any means, but it just doesn't offer much of a reason to check it out for new or returning players, especially given the price increase.
Twin Mirror has one of Dontnod's most engrossing stories with a conclusion that reflects the moral ambiguity of living in a small community. However, this narrative and its characters are hurt by a frustrating Mind Palace gameplay mechanic that isn't utilised to its full potential until the end of the game. Twin Mirror has its strengths but the game staring back at you through the reflection of the screen isn't always reaching its full potential.
Far Cry 6 makes some meaningful narrative improvements, helped by a fantastic performance by Esposito. However, repetitive and familiar gameplay, combined with a restrictive progression system, means changes are needed in the future if Ubisoft wants the series to continue.
Kojima’s unique and captivating journey across America on PS5 feels like it achieves what it couldn’t on PS4, due to excellent DualSense enhancement and meaningful updates.
No Straight Roads is an overambitious game that tries to do many things and fails to impress with any of them. Despite fantastic world-building, loveable characters, and great voice acting the game fumbles in the narrative department and suffers from noticeable and frequent technical issues. Lacking gameplay polish also makes No Straight Roads more of a flop than a surefire hit.
Massira offers up nothing for an adult looking for a new narrative-adventure game to sink their teeth into. It's narrative is intriguing but has no payoff and its gameplay is bland and, at times, poorly designed. However, if you have a child, sit down with them and play Massira for a few hours. The game will give them an insight into the Syrian Refugee Crisis in an approachable and kid-friendly way.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is the most average game I have ever played. Nothing it does is particularly memorable or amazing, but it isn't broken or bad either. The gameplay can be both enjoyable and clunky depending on the situation. The story is forgettable and environments aren't appealing. But, the game's open-ended levels and tick box-style gameplay make it a great game to play whilst listening to a podcast. Overall, it is a half-step forward for the franchise, but much like the previous games, there isn't much reason to check this entry out.
Windbound is a serviceable survival game that offers a unique sailing experience to keep hardcore fans of the genre interested. But with simplistic and bland-feeling combat and an experience that doesn't engage with its narrative (despite promising to), Windbound isn't recommended at full price.
Crysis Remastered is still the same game you remember, but for the most part, this remaster doesn't sufficiently improve the game's visuals enough. The lighting can look good, but dated textures and gameplay, poor AI, and a number of bugs and glitches hold this remaster back. Crysis Remastered is only worth checking out if you haven't experienced the game yet.
Cyberpunk 2077's Night City is one of the best sci-fi dystopias ever showcased in games. The stories it has to tell and the characters there are to meet are engrossing and terrifying. Despite some performance issues on PS5 backwards compatibility, it is still worth playing for the excellent character and narrative work. But, if you own a PS4, do not buy Cyberpunk 2077 as it is a technical mess that barely functions.
Despite some impressive DualSense implementation, the blemishes embedded into The Medium's gameplay and narrative still show on PS5. While The Medium is an intriguing horror game, it certainly isn't a great one.
We Were Here Together suffers from puzzles that are not solvable through chatting with your co-op partner and instead feel like throwing darts while blindfolded, often being one or two steps too complex. Despite a bevvy of visual improvements and a great atmosphere, the third entry ultimately squanders what the previous two games helped build.
Tamarin has a quirky and fun concept (a monkey with a gun), but its poor 3D platforming, inability to inform the player properly about objectives and where to go, and dated look with bugs make it a title that few people have any good reason to play, especially when there are much better games of the genre out there right now on PS4.
Override 2: Super Mech League is a playable game, but almost all of its parts feel poorly thought out or are lacklustre to play. The gameplay is repetitive and uninspired and the few technical issues and lack of players mean you will just be fighting bots the entire time. Ultimately, this experience really isn't worth a look.