John-Paul Jones's Reviews
Despite its linear nature, Horizon Call of the Mountain remains a truly stellar showcase of the PSVR2's capabilities. From the retina-searing 4K HDR visuals that are generously bleeding with detail and fidelity, through to the deft use of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in the PSVR2 Sense controllers which ensure that players are utterly immersed in the climbing, exploration and combat within its world, Horizon Call of the Mountain is a highly enjoyable action adventure that fans of both the series and great VR games in general can effortlessly enjoy.
The Legend of Tianding is a highly enjoyable take on the Metroidvania genre that augments its smooth and satisfying action platforming beats with an uniquely historical setting that at once feels both refreshing and genuinely interesting. Though The Legend of Tianding could certainly do with a better hub area, a longer duration and maybe some more homegrown innovations, it nonetheless represents enticing morsel of polished and entertaining Metroidvania goodness that dependably enthrals for as long as it lasts.
With its bewitching fairy-tale presentation, satisfying combat, enticing exploration of a beautiful world and a narrative that is lovingly inspired by dark Slavic fables, I really enjoyed my time with Blacktail. Though the various gameplay systems are very much inspired from what we've seen in similar games already and the platforming side of things isn't quite as polished as I might like, Blacktail nonetheless is a thoroughly enjoyable action RPG that serves as a stellar debut effort for Polish developer The Parasight. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
Visually astounding with a weighty handling model and some super clever design, Need for Speed Unbound is easily the best Need for Speed in years. Though the single-player story campaign is a little less inspiring than it needs to be both in terms of its plot and content, Need for Speed Unbound nonetheless sets a resoundingly solid foundation for the Need for Speed franchise to evolve into the future and is essential for fans of both the series and the street racing genre at large.
On PS4 and PS5 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was better in just about every way when compared to its immediate predecessor and that notion still holds true in its leap to PC. Buoyed by a raft of PC exclusive technical upgrades and its inherently improved combat, better story and trimmed open-world, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales effortlessly cements its place and supplants its predecessor as the best superhero game on PC.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is an absolute masterclass in how to fashion a retro compilation, all the while providing both contemporary and older gamers with an immediately accessible and immaculately produced window into the halcyon days of one of the video game industry's most prolific pioneers. This is the preservation of video game history done right and Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is the best retro compilation ever made, bar none.
Though I still remain surprised that Return to Monkey Island even exists, I can't contest what Ron Gilbert and developer Terrible Toybox have wrought here. By masterfully combining the witty and thoughtful point and click escapades of the series past with a newfound warmth and charming aesthetic, Return to Monkey Island is by and large the series return that fans have long been waiting for and is a roaring success in the process.
The marriage of Arkanoid with the Battle Royale concept is a welcome one and equally warmly received is the inclusion of the classic Arkanoid for older gamers or those who are inquisitive enough to reach back far into those halcyon days of arcade gaming. However, a distinct lack of modes and a seemingly lukewarm player base effectively cut the legs out from under Arkanoid: Eternal Battle's titular and marquee mode.
God of War: Ragnarok is the perfect sequel. A carefully iterative offering that beautifully maintains the essence of 2018's Game of the Year while making meaningful improvements to augment its already stellar combat and progression systems, God of War: Ragnarok is a meaty and deeply emotional epic that effortlessly secures its place as one of the best games on PS5 and a sure-fire Game of the Year candidate.
A warmly feel-good and highly accomplished 3D platformer filled with wonderous worlds and delightful characters, though Sackboy: A Big Adventure might lack the bombastic profile of other offerings such as Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and God of War, it's certainly no less essential than its PlayStation Studios brethren. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a great big hug in videogame form and I cannot recommend it highly enough. PC owners are in for a treat.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord roundly excels because it lets players be whatever they want to be and rather than penalise those choices, instead makes players own those decisions and provide a peerless theatre for them to thrive. Though technically not perfect, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord invites players to weave their own tapestry of ambition and be whomever they like in their own Game of Thrones, letting them wage war, engage in diplomacy, fight in the arenas, trade illicit goods, be a town alderman and absolutely everything in between in one of the most ambitious PS5 games to date. If you'll let it, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord II will become your new obsession. And you should.
Though that Tenchu shaped hole in my heart remains unfulfilled, I do appreciate how NIS America have reached back some sixteen years in time to bring Kamizawa: Way of the Thief to an all-new audience. Sure, it's very much a relic of its time that struggles to escape the gravity of its PS2 era origins, but for those willing to invest the time and patience, Kamizawa: Way of the Thief is a steadfastly warm-hearted stealth yarn that satisfies so long as you can forgive its largely archaic/nostalgic design.
Don't let the delightfully twee My Little Pony style aesthetic fool you, Them's Fightin' Herds is an ultra legitimate, one on one fighter with an abundance of charm and an unexpectedly compelling story mode. Though the diminutive roster is a concern, Them's Fightin' Herds is nonetheless a superb fighter that I fear owing to its decidedly cutesy presentation, not nearly enough folks will play.
Certainly it's difficult to make a strong argument for exactly whom should be buying Persona 5 Royal on PS5. If you've absolutely never played Persona 5 before than that person would be you, although you there is a compelling argument for just buying the PS4 version at a cheaper price anyway. For everyone else that has already sampled the delights of the game on PS4 and PS4 Pro, Persona 5 Royal not only doesn't offer enough to make the leap worthwhile but the lack of charitable continuity when it comes to save files and cross-gen upgrades makes it that much more challenging to provide a reason for its existence in the first place. This should have been a free PS5 patch upgrade, it's that simple.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC not only cements Sony's commitment to delivering some of the best single-player games money can buy on the platform in optimised form, but also brings the best of Naughty Dog's whip smart action adventure series to PC gamers for the first time. As true as it is for PlayStation gamers the world over - Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is utterly essential for PC gamers.
The Eternal Cylinder then remains a roundly entertaining survival adventure with a true eccentric streak that runs through every aspect of its design DNA. Equal parts Q Bert and Spore, if you've been sat on the fence regarding ACE Team's excellently off-beat survival adventure offering, now is the time to hop in thanks to this superb PS5 update.
LEGO Bricktales not only clearly shows that the LEGO property is more than capable of standing up on its own two block-feet without the aid of a fancy licence, but it also more importantly reminds us why LEGO is loved the world over in the first place. LEGO Bricktales is all about firing up the imagination to construct LEGO to solve challenges as you subconsciously grin with the sort of wide-eyed wonder that LEGO has always prided itself on inciting in builders both young and old. Quite simply, LEGO Bricktales is brain-teasing, warmly charming and purely distilled joy that everybody should play.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous represents not only a significant improvement over its predecessor, but an enormous and sophisticated CRPG that players with a hankering for epic adventure and narratives will surely enjoy. Though it still isn't quite as polished as it needs to be and is complicated enough that genre newcomers might struggle with its information packed menus, largely text driven dialogue and detailed mechanics, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is nonetheless a vastly epic, incredibly entertaining and meaty adventure that is deserving of your time.
A beguilingly beautiful and practically pitch-perfect mixture of Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls mechanics, Tunic is a boundlessly charming and highly challenging adventure that gets so much right that it borders on ridiculousness.
Sure enough with its relatively simplistic challenge, brisk battles and unspectacular presentation, The DioField Chronicle will likely struggle to find an audience among the burgeoning throng of armchair generals looking for their next tactical fix. For everyone else however who would like to a dip a toe or two in those genre waters, The DioField Chronicle is the sort of easily accessible, dip-in/dip-out tactical RPG that you need in your life right now.