Well Played

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 8 / 10
• Australie

Creating a grand interplanetary civilisation is one thing, but managing the needs and supplies of the subjects is tough work. Before We Leave makes logistics an easy, streamlined process through an intuitive UI and readability across its design. The fun lays in ironing out the kinks in your immense system and achieving a sustainable economy, all to overcome impending doom. While there is some underlying mundanity, the overwhelming joy and optimism the game extrudes from the player cannot be understated. And hey, if you grow tired of the system, you can always sabotage it from the inside to try and teach your Peeps to live free and naked.

• PS4
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

• XONE
• 9 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 8 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 9.5 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 4 / 10
• Australie

Did Nightdive overreach when dusting off Shadow Man for their next IP refreshment treatment? I found slipping back into their Turok efforts to be fairly painless, both with regards to controls and quality of life. With Nightdive’s efforts seemingly being to preserve and revitalise classic 90s titles, Shadow Man Remastered sucks more life out of the uninitiated player rather than energise IP enthusiasm.

• PS4
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 7 / 10
• Australie

Godstrike fulfils that baseline need all boss rush games do – the thrill of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Its primary mechanical hook of entwining health and battle time into powerful abilities creates fantastic, tense battles. However it’s the smaller things that hold the experience back. A distinct lack of characterising flair for the bosses through story or music hurt their memorability, and the unrelenting difficulty amongst the chaos, while exhilarating to overcome, is still (at times) overbearing. Regardless of its rough edges though, Godstrike is enjoyable as a quick hit of intense action.

• PC
• 8 / 10
• Australie

• SWITCH
• 6 / 10
• Australie

Thought-provoking stories can definitely be told through video games without a bunch of added bells and whistles; walking sims have proven that time and time again. Unfortunately, if bells and whistles are added to a narrative-heavy game, they can detract from the story if they aren’t done right and that’s exactly what’s happened here. Lost Words has a genuine story to tell, but its core gameplay does a lot to stand in the way. The ideas here are admirable, but instead of adding to the experience, the word mechanic does damage to an otherwise endearing experience.

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS4
• 5 / 10
• Australie

Honestly, I don’t take any pride in disliking Collapsed. One of the loading screens simply reads ‘Thank you for playing’, which tells me that the developers put in time and effort to make it worth your time, which makes it all the more heartbreaking to tell you that it isn’t, in fact, worth your time. The overall package just doesn’t compel you to continue playing and in a genre that’s built on replayability, that’s a cardinal sin. If you’re raving mad about post-apocalyptic cyborgs then you might find a glimmer of fun here, otherwise, I might suggest trying a different roguelike.

• PS4
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

While it never truly challenges with insanely difficult or precise platforming (except in the patience testing Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy-inspired bonus level), Journey of the Broken Circle manages to remain a consistently enjoyable experience thanks largely to its surprisingly impactful narrative and simple yet solid gameplay. It’s a pretty, peaceful and solid three to five hour journey worth embarking on.

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• Australie

• SWITCH
• 2 / 10
• Australie

Taxi Chaos is the epitome of emulation without understanding. You can become inspired all you like, but it’s through understanding why they inspire you that you can truly make something your own. Unfortunately, Taxi Chaos isn’t even its own. It is an imitation that borders on obsession. The time, money and energy would have been much better spent on the studio’s families. Considering how little of a budget this game clearly had, they were probably overworked and underpaid.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Australie