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The addition of open levels is a mixed bag, but this terrifying follow-up is a worthy addition to the genre
In a month full to the brim with humongous, time-sinking, big-budget games, it's a welcome break to experience a brief but calming game like AER: Memories of Old. With gentle music, appealing visuals and a majestically simple flight mechanic, AER is as pleasant a journey as I first expected it to be and makes for a great break between the huge October releases.
With gorgeously faithful 16-bit graphics and a catchy soundtrack to boot, it's a wonderful addition to one of my favourite genres.
Simply put, it's one of the most varied, enjoyable, memorable video games available on the market, and takes Super Mario Galaxy head-on as the best 3D platformer ever released. If you don't yet own a Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey is your excuse to buy one. It is absolute perfection, with virtually no flaws worth pointing out. I'll say it again, because you should be told both at the start and end of this review: Super Mario Odyssey is one of the greatest video games ever made.
If you own multiple devices and play primarily in your own home, buy DOOM on another console. If you play whilst on the go a lot, DOOM may very well be the best first-person shooter ever put on to a handheld device. In any case, DOOM is still DOOM, and DOOM is great. Here's hoping we get more portable experiences like this on the Switch.
Due to the portable nature of the Nintendo Switch, Mantis Burn Racing is worth grabbing if you're a fan of arcade racing games. It's perfect for a few quick races while waiting for a bus or a train, especially due to its simple and easy-to-remember control scheme.
That is also my only criticism: it is time for a really big change in the LEGO games because no matter how good they are, they will never continue to work out the same style. For anyone who has played a game of LEGO before, I would be able to review this game in one sentence: The same sheet and suit, but bigger and better than ever.
SOMA is a fantastic example of perfectly pitched atmosphere. Its gripping sci-fi mystery make for a uniquely effective experience that puts story above cheap jump scares.
I fear we may have published our Game of the Year list too early, because Gorogoa definitely deserves some sort of a mention. It's the best puzzle game I've played all year.
PlayLink's experiment in multiplayer narrative is sound but suffers from poor execution
If you have the patience for a lot of wandering about and backtracking there's an intriguing story to experience here, but the expertly crafted atmosphere isn't always enough to mask the occasional gameplay frustration, getting in the way of the storytelling.
Given that it's on the portable Nintendo Switch console though, I don't think that's a particularly bad thing at all - in fact, it's a good thing! At just a few quid, Baseball Riot may not be the most original game in the world, but it's enjoyable to pick up and play in short bursts when out and about, making for a neat addition to the Switch's library.
Yes, you could easily dismiss this as 'just another Portal clone', but it's more than that - it uses its own original gameplay mechanics to provide some genuinely thoughtful, tricky puzzles.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the finest remakes ever made, despite some returning issues from the original game
Crossing Souls is not only entertaining and intriguing, it's dripping with nostalgia
Overall, I found Kingdom Come: Deliverance to be an innovative, breathe of fresh air. It has a different pace to Skyrim but if you don't mind a challenge and can master the skills, it offers a complex and well crafted world with a great story that's not just interesting to history buffs but appeals to all RPG fans.
If you can adjust to the foibles of the fighting mechanics, this throwback captures the feel of classic action adventures coupled with a respectful and fascinating exploration of the Tarahumara culture. Mulaka is a mesmerising experience with a decidedly old school sensibility.
Fear Effect Sedna is one of those games that were I not reviewing it, I'd have stopped playing very early on. Its few redeeming qualities actually fail to redeem it at all; it's simply not a very good video game, one that could only be satisfactory to the most eager of Fear Effect fans. For everyone else, it's impossible to recommend.
If you can ride out the clunky voice overs, The Mad Ones is a decent introduction into the world of The Council. The novel mechanics and engaging plot are ripe for further exploration over the other upcoming four episodes.
The stripped-back fundamentals of this strategy game are refreshing, but the progression system less so