Well Played

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• Australie

And Slitterhead deserves your making the effort. Its presentation is often atypical for the medium, more at home with avant-garde camera and colour blocking than contemporary “cinematic” standards. Yet, it’s a game that oozes self-assuredness and clarity of intent, from UI to plot to system. No one of these things are without blemish but each are distinctly present and deliberate all the same. Much like Siren before it, Slitterhead feels destined to be the hidden horror gem of its generation, the kind of experience that vaguely academic writers and sicko genre enthusiasts rave about even as someone watches the trailer and cocks an eyebrow at its immediately recognisable limitations. It’s a game out of time, out of lockstep with its peers, and barely able to pull together a human facade amid a wholly sympathetic lack of polish and violently terrifying abilities beyond its initial form. It’s a Slitterhead.

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• Australie

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is kind of a tough one to summate or score in a traditional review format. The mechanical elephant in the room here is obviously the question of whether this endeavour was a necessary one, or who it might be for, but I don’t think I’m here to ponder the necessity of a work or judge who should consume it. Despite being lukewarm on Horizon Zero Dawn when it first launched in 2017, I’ve come right around on the series since its fantastic follow-up. I’m also the owner of a big and expensive OLED TV along with an ongoing pre-order for the PlayStation 5 Pro, so I definitely think it’s for me, at the very least. If what you want is to re-experience Horizon Zero Dawn – or experience it for the first time – with some of the prettiest visuals you’ll see in modern gaming, this will get you there. But more than that, if you’re interested in game design and production, especially on the artistic side of the process, it’s a fascinating look at what is arguably a “best-case” remastering effort where ambition and capital were clearly in abundance.

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

Sonic X Shadow Generations once again proves that while Sonic may be timeless, Shadow just squeaks ahead in understanding the assignment a little better – offering a revisited revamp that is easy to enjoy for fans and fence sitters alike.

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• Australie

Overcoming the choppy waters that are Ys X’s opening few chapters, Adol’s maritime adventure proves to be classic Ys to a fault. The scope of this series reboot expands to feature an archipelago with the promise of adventure upon its multitudes of mysterious islands. As Ys’ reboot positions itself for the current generation and prospective new audiences, the robust yet simple-controlling combat remains king seconded by the exploration. However, Adol’s penchant for journeying is hamstrung throughout by railroading and an abundance of invisible walls, as well as the departure of his fun free-running movement from Ys IX. The new boat just couldn’t replace gravity defiance for me. Ys X also remains visually dated, a part of its nostalgic charm, although its character models have never looked better. I would still point newcomers to the best of the previous entries first, though.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• Australie

I can’t fully explain why I fell in love with Fear the Spotlight without sullying the experience, but the allure of a retro-inspired horror game that embraces modern sensibilities should be enough to get you in the door to find out. The combat-free, atmospheric gameplay may be easier and less immediately frightening than some would like, but the tactility of the puzzle-solving and the engaging narrative told through an excellently paced four-hour run time more than compensates. Whether you know payphones and a fax machine or not, this should be at the top of your list to play during this spooky season.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• Australie

When the game makes you feel like you’re in the world of A Quiet Place being pursued by Death Angels, The Road Ahead is an immersive and tense time. It’s just a shame that the game’s mechanics and its 8–10-hour journey ultimately come at a cost to the tension and overall experience. As a result, fans of the franchise and the first-person horror genre will likely find more to like here than most, even with its budget price tag.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• Australie

A wild and successful experiment for Atlus’ Studio Zero, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a sober and confronting conversation with the player about reinventing the fantasy roleplaying experience that has been synonymous with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy. This excitingly realised world of magic and tech reflects the prism of current-day humanity upon its canvas in often confronting ways but with an excess of style to boot. You may even find a few metaphors about social cohesion and prejudice in here. Exciting for those Persona fans with an appetite for something bloodier and traditional but find Shin Megami Tensei’s brand of fantasy too indulgent with religious esoterica.

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

A remaster of Epic Mickey didn’t need much to be a slam dunk, other than to save this inventive and introspective piece of Disney history from finding itself in the same state as the ‘toons it spotlights – unworthy of the current corporate image and left to decay in the dark. As a bonus though, Purple Lamp’s capable brushstrokes have managed to both preserve the art and make it easier than ever to appreciate.

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster does enough to warrant its existence, ensuring the original experience remains gleefully intact with new quality-of-life improvements and a lavish visual upgrade in tow. It’s maybe not quite as deluxe as it could be, but it remains as good as it always has been.

• PC
• 10 / 10
• Australie

For a game, let alone a series, to have a 30 year long history and fanbase is no small feat and Revolution’s work has retained its audience and place in gaming culture for a reason. Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars is nothing short of a masterpiece, and the fact that we’re still playing this game decades after its initial release is proof of that. Reforged feels like the perfect way to honour the game’s past but modernise it for new audiences. There’s something calming about returning to a game that’s so familiar and such a part of who we are. I cannot thank Revolution enough for the joy that Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars has brought me over the years and I hope the game finds a new audience and sparks more love for the point-and-click genre.

• PS5
• 4 / 10
• Australie

Funko Fusion is a mess. What could’ve been a fun series of homages wrapped in a simple, but inoffensive, action platformer has managed to miss the mark on all fronts and then some with worse quality control than an actual Funko Pop. I can absolutely see where 10:10 has chosen to focus its efforts on bringing these IP, or at least the Funko-fied versions of them, to life with the loose collection of references and gimmicks that it’s managed to muster, but it just feels like the studio spent so long putting on the garnish that it forgot to add any sauce.

• XSX/S
• 7 / 10
• Australie

Those who delve into the survival horror genre and Cthulhu enthusiasts will be able to scratch their Cthulhu-shaped itch with the experience Edge of Sanity offers. Despite its predictability, it is an addictive, fun and spooky eldritch horror that will keep you entertained for hours as you endure monsters on each run and manage your resources for survival. It’s safe to say that Edge of Sanity is yet another great addition to the Cthulhu-inspired eldritch horror genre.

• PS5
• 5 / 10
• Australie

Evotinction draws inspiration from a host of classic sci-fi influences, but flip flops between tropes and struggles to find an identity of its own. Its flat tone and atmosphere betray the beauty of its presentation, and what is really a basic story fails in many ways to hold itself together under the weight of its loftier ambitions. The action stealth certainly flirts with some interesting ideas, but a lack of balance and wonky execution unfortunately make it another imperfect cog in a machine that already has several. ChatGPT may rise up one day and decide that humans are a nuisance to be eradicated, but Evotinction fails to capture the potential horror of that.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• Australie

Like its predecessor, Wild Bastards revels in originality. There’s so much attention to detail, so many intricate pieces to the strategy puzzle, and they all come together fittingly. The shoot-outs are an absolute blast too, bite-sized firefights that will punish you for using the wrong strategy but are super satisfying to master. Your time here will vary depending on your level of success (and difficulty level), though you’ll unlock a challenge mode once the credits roll for an extra tough dose of entertainment that rounds out the package rather well. All told, it’s another total banger from the Aussie/Canadian team that’s brimming with creativity from every corner of its rootin’ tootin’ adventure. Look, I had to get one Wild West quote in, okay? Just go play Wild Bastards!

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Australie

As the often overlooked and underappreciated cousin of the Ace Attorney series, Investigations holds a certain mystique that may have been missed by most casual fans. The change in formula and lack of a sequel translation meant that it was hard to invest in, and so it missed the opportunity to be praised alongside the more mainline entries. But this remaster has done all the right things to right such wrongs, easily communicating that Edgeworth is every bit as enjoyable as his spikier haired adversary – with a fun tale that steps comfortably out of the courtroom and onto the global stage.

• PC
• 9.5 / 10
• Australie

To completely divorce myself from my long love of Warhammer, I would still estimate Space Marine 2 as an exceptional gaming experience. The narrative can only get as deep as the genre allows but even within those limits it plays with interesting ideas, the very nature of the beast being one of disconnection, with forty generous millennia distorting our concept of sensibility and preservation. This is a universe of conflict, pain, and endless peril, and Saber has made it incredibly fun to inhabit, with plenty of reasons to revisit and – most importantly – convince your mates to join in.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• Australie

Despite an intriguing premise, The Casting of Frank Stone doesn’t hit the heights of Supermassive Games’ previous works thanks to a confusing story and some tension-sapping gameplay.

• SWITCH
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie