GameCloud's Reviews
Moss is a lovely little game that applies VR in ways I’m excited to see develop. The simple platforming, puzzling and fighting aren’t anything fantastic on their own, but together in a precious little storybook world, and elevated by a VR perspective, they’re a delight. It’s a shame Moss feels a little cut short, but what remains is an endearing adventure that’s a joy to take part in. A healthy mix of interesting puzzles and satisfyingly, simple combat make Moss a stand out PSVR game and a beacon for the potential of third-person games in the virtual realm.
With new enemies, new careers and new missions to check out, Vermintide 2 is a fantastic sequel to an already phenomenal game. It’s not perfect, with a difficulty spike so sharp that scientists could study it to make better laser pointers, but it’s great once you get into it. With satisfying combat in a vivid imagining of the Warhammer End Times, VT2 is almost a no-brainer. The real no-brainer is our undying faith in Sigmar, which should never wane even in the face of bile trolls.
Into The Breach is a tour-de-force of tight design, an excellent execution of an idea, and a wonderful take on turn-based strategic combat. I have pretty much nothing bad to say about it. My only wish right now is that there was more of it, that its permutations would stretch on forever, that there’d be islands that I’d ever be able to conquer, more different Vek than I’d ever be able to fight, and more different bonus objectives than I’d ever see. But I understand, design-wise, why this could never be the case. I think Subset have achieved something pretty special here; I look forward to coming back to it in all my future timelines.
Attack on Titan 2's concepts are sound, much like they were in the original, but it's difficult to recommend the sequel to anyone who already played the first or who isn't a fan of the anime. While the combat is undeniably enjoyable for the first few hours, it inevitably devolves into mindless repetition – and even if you can get past that, it's a slog to play through what feels like a copy and paste of the first game in order to get to anything new. Further disappointment comes from the addition of an original character who doesn't do anything to shake things up in these earlier sections of the game or add anything of significance to the overarching plot. If nothing else, A.O.T 2's a good way to experience the story of Attack on Titan, albeit with the absence of smaller details. If you haven't played the first game and are curious about how a video game adaptation of A.O.T could turn out, maybe try this to see if it's for you.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an enthralling RPG experience that deserves your full attention. It's not a perfect game, but neither was The Witcher 1 and look where CD Projekt Red are now. Not only is this a game worth playing today, but I also hold strong hopes that, with a little trust and support, Warhorse Studios can blossom into the next role-playing juggernaut.
With the outright lazy porting treatment and entirely token presence of DMC 2, it’s difficult to recommend the Devil May Cry HD Collection, especially at its current price. If you have a console from the previous generation, you can find the exact same experience at 720p for significantly cheaper. As for the games themselves, though, they still hold up for the most part, so if you’ve never played them before and are a fan of the hack and slash genre, you owe it to yourself to play the first and third. Just wait for a price drop first if you don’t have any other way to play them.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was a particular disappointment for me. While beautiful and with a combat system that carries significant potential, the game is undermined by a failure to balance the combat for sufficient threat. While this could have been resolved by the simple inclusion of a difficulty setting, the game also features many weak side features, from the town-building to the side quests. Fans of the original aren’t the only ones who may get some enjoyment from returning to the world of Ni No Kuni, but I suspect there will be others like me who will leave unsatisfied for their time spent.
Kirby Star Allies is cute, comfortable to play, and easy to get someone else involved in, but it's also totally forgettable. I thought perhaps it was just that I hadn't played a Kirby game for years or maybe it was better suited to younger audiences, so I got my son to join in for a second opinion. However, to be completely frank, it was only ever as fun as we made it, and this was especially disappointing for him as he's always placed Kirby on a pedestal. There are certainly some components of the game I can appreciate, but, overall, the experience feels hollow.
A Way Out offers a well-made game with a functional but dull story. There’s certainly fun to be had, but depending on who you’re playing the game with, you might want to stick to Fortnite instead. There’s nothing particularly profound about the game, and the story doesn’t stand up to the immense pressure the game forces on it. If you’re looking for a 5-hour detour into cinematic gameplay with a buddy, I’d say try A Way Out, but don’t expect an Oscar-winning performance.
Much as Final Fantasy XV’s opening line suggests, this is a game for fans and first-timers alike. If you’ve not played FFXV before and want to give it a try, this is (probably) the best way to experience it so far. For those who’ve already played the game before, there’s so much to come back for after a year in post-development. Even if you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before, this is such a departure from the series’ usual style that I implore you to give it a try. Many of the major “improvements” promised by the development team have already been implemented, and there is a heap of extra content in the included DLC. As it stands, the only major issue with this otherwise solid port are the technical issues being faced by a minority group of players, and I suspect this won’t be the case for very long. If the quality of the future content holds up, I’ll likely be coming back for a third playthrough in another year’s time.
Chuchel is absolutely a game you might want to pick up if you have young kids, or if you want a couple of hours of good, unbridled cartoon humour. It’s otherwise not essential. Fans of Amanita’s other games may find something to like here, but also something lacking. For others, give your time to Amanita’s older titles first, particularly Botanicula and the Samorost series. These showcase a similar vein of creativity and humour to Chuchel but are overall more affecting and rewarding, if not quite as thematically or functionally child-friendly.
Metal Gear Survive builds off of an excellent game to create something fundamentally different. Journeying through the dust and uncovering more of the map piece by piece is a rewardingly dangerous progression system, not unlike the save room style of Symphony of The Night or Resident Evil. Earning stronger and cooler gear while fitting out your base with bigger and better defences and resources is equally engaging, with new challenges consistently arising to replace those you’ve outgrown. It’s not a Kojima game, and it’s not a Metal Gear Solid game, but it’s a lot of fun and never fails to reward the time you put into it.
Far Cry 5 is by no means a perfect game. There are inconsistencies in its tone, the villains are forgettable compared to those in the series’ previous entries, and some of the mission design can be repetitive in nature. The co-op also comes with disappointing compromises. Ultimately, though, these shortcomings are made easier to bear in light of the game’s excellent gunplay, well-designed world, and stellar presentation. Planning and mounting the many assaults in the game never gets old, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is exhilarating and always makes you want to come back for more. This is what great games are all about, and what makes Far Cry 5 so easy to recommend.
I could go on all day about the things I enjoy in Sea of Thieves, and even the things that get my blood boiling, but, suffice to say, I’m happy the game is as good as it is even with such a long journey ahead of it. As future months of content begin showing up, from new AI threats, to what sounds like another ship type, more mission types and even weekly events, I’m fully committed to updating this review to reflect the changes. I’m hoping Sea of Thieves hangs around for a while to come and continues to shine as bright as the golden age of piracy it calls home. Weigh anchor, set the sails! All aboard for adventure and for booty!
For fans of the BattleTech IP, this game is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it's still worth a go but not the best game out there. While the core gameplay is fun enough, the difficulty of entry can be off-putting until you wrap your head around everything. Thankfully, the freedom of customisation that has kept so many BattleTech fans loyal to the series is on full show. Though its execution leaves much to be desired, the game is a solid entry in the BattleTech video game line-up that'll satiate your need for another Mechwarrior game for a while yet.
For the most part, Frostpunk is exactly what I hoped it would be, and more besides. It's an aesthetically realised addictive management game, and it cleverly pulls in disparate gameplay elements to craft a feeling of isolated, desperate warmth against the crippling cold. I like it a lot. It also provides avenues for tyranny, if that's your thing. Its main issue at the moment is a slight lack of content, as its three scenarios suffer a bit in terms of replay value, but given the devs have already committed to future (hopefully unpaid) extra content, I'm hopeful this won't remain a problem for long.
Ultimately, Yakuza 6 is a confident, self-assured game. Despite some of its technical issues and simplified combat mechanics, there is no other game currently available on the platform which quite combines its mature story, multi-faceted characters and offbeat side missions. The story is full of heart and charm and is bound to stick with players long after the credits roll. Yakuza 6 is a fitting send-off to series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu and is one of the more memorable games on the PlayStation 4 in recent memory.
God of War is an exceptional game that modernises an antiquated formula while carrying forward and expanding upon the conventions that gave the series its own identity. Everything God of War is known for is here, but in brand new, elaborately constructed ways. Such reverence is given to the series’ history without fear of reinventing it, and the result is an incredibly high-quality experience far surpassing those that came before.
It’s not uncommon for sequels not to live up to the hype established by their predecessors, but State of Decay 2 comes in below even those expectations. Both the design and the way it plays are so similar to the first game that it feels like an expansion to the original rather than a sequel. It even still has all the same bugs and technical problems of the first. The only major difference being that State of Decay 2 feels more aimless than its older brother because it had loftier goals that it couldn’t even begin to live up to. When the basic survival mechanics are a grind, chore, or straight up don’t work, you’re left with another stock-standard zombie survival game.
The Shin Megami Tensei series is exactly where you should be looking if you’re after a real test of your RPG abilities in an unusual setting, and Strange Journey Redux continues to justify this well-earned reputation. Between complex party management, difficult battles and an excellent mapping element, you’ll come through the other end so very satisfied with your accomplishments. The port’s extra features also fit flawlessly, meaning this is the best way to experience this game. Admittedly, it might not be the best entry for newcomers, and it does experience a slump in the mid-game, but it’s still easy to recommend to any established SMT fan.