Well Played

• PC
• 9 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 7 / 10
• Australie

I think I get it now. Earth Defence Force is like the conventionally unattractive partner you experimented with in your youth. They were so grateful for your attention, and in turn, really knew how to show their appreciation. A genuine guilty pleasure of the kind that you might be a bit sheepish to introduce to friends because they buck the trend of traditional beauty (and they just sound a bit weird). But goddamn it, you grew from having indulged the relationship with the ugly duckling. It’s great coming back to that partner as I settle into adulthood. They don’t give a shit about how they look, are mostly stable, have a pleasant demeanour, and still aim to please by exploding all over my jorts. Reviewed on PS5 // Review code supplied by publisher

• XSX/S
• 9 / 10
• Australie

Video games are often used as a form of escapism, and Dungeons of Hinterberg is a great example of this, allowing players to explore and fight their way through a breathtakingly beautiful and magical alpine setting. Each element is simple in its design, but the most impressive thing about Microbird’s work is just how well it all works together to create a compelling experience. Everything feels carefully balanced as not to overshadow something else, and the result is a game that is well-paced and engaging until the end. 2024 has been a stellar year for indie titles and Dungeons of Hinterberg is up there with the best of them.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• Australie

Killing Gods in the magical world of Kian sounds appealing on paper, but the needless Soulslike elements and uninspired gameplay drain the life out of an otherwise promising premise.

• PC
• 9.5 / 10
• Australie

2024’s incredible lineup of indie titles continues to grow, and Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus deserves to be right near the top. It’s a picture-perfect Metroidvania, impeccably designed and gorgeous in motion. Do not miss this.

• SWITCH
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• Australie

Shadow of the Erdtree gives all you Elden Ring masochists out there exactly what you want – a sombre, grandiose story which is more than meets the eye and a gorgeous new land to explore with a ludicrous amount of nooks and crannies in which to get lost and/or killed. It is a chainmail gauntlet thrown casually at your feet daring you to pick it up – if you thought FromSoft was running out of new ways to torture you, then let Shadow of the Erdtree convince you otherwise. This DLC is as expansive in size and scope as some full games, and represents the work of a studio at the height of its power, a studio showing little sign of slowing down anytime soon.

• PS5
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

Clocking in at around five or six hours, Still Wakes the Deep doesn’t overstay its welcome. The emotional narrative is well paced, well written and excellently performed, and has a satisfying ending, even if it is confusing at times. But that’s all part of its Lovecraftian appeal, and there’s no doubt that the setting plays a large part in creating that unnerving feeling that lingers like the eldritch horrors of Beira D. Unfortunately, the generic gameplay and over reliance on platforming, as well as the limited scare factor does hold it back a little, but fans of first-person horrors should definitely check this one out at some stage.

• PS5
• 9 / 10
• Australie

There’s simply nothing else on the market right now like this series – a tonally unhinged pop-cosmopolitan-apocrypha-anime-apocalyptic JRPG that plays like Pokemon on steroids. Just like the best SMT games, its plot is rich as syrup and just as opaque. Read too close into the nonsensical jumble of mythological creatures and themes and you’re sure to be nauseated. However, supposing you can appreciate the excess of everything and have played a few turned-based RPGs before, Vengeance is simply the most approachable and engrossing core Shin Megami Tensei game currently on the market and the best way to check out this weirdo series.

• PS5
• 6 / 10
• Australie

Lateralis Heavy Industries really nailed the run-and-gun gameplay that made Hotline Miami such a massive hit, but I appreciate that they didn’t just rest on that and push out a reskinned copy. Incorporating a satisfying time-slowing ability and a serviceable level of roguelike elements is admirable, but their implementation is at loggerheads with what makes this genre so special. The separate components of OTXO are all well-made, it’s unfortunate that, when put together, the result feels too muddled.

• SWITCH
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie

Where most Mario games will leave a smiling impression between bouts of frustration, this Paper Mario entry wants you to be laughing out loud as well. I’m just worried that the humour might not carry everyone to the finish line in light of repetition, laborious backtracking and uninteresting combat. But there’s no denying that this remake is polished to the smoothest presentable sheen, leaving a first impression I still love, even though it burned me out long before the credits.

• PC
• 6 / 10
• Australie

Which is the overarching tale of Senua’s Saga– for almost everything it does well, there is a better counterpart in its predecessor, the remaining new additions never fully realised. It is painstakingly crafted yet thoroughly unengaging, its ruminations on the human condition are not unwelcome but presented with unearned profundity and housed in gameplay that is apathetic to the player at best. Senua’s Sacrifice was a crunchy experience but, in its limitations, and focus, it blossomed into a striking, contained reflection of emotions through systems. Conversely, Senua’s Saga is undeniably gorgeous and well intentioned, but exhaustively preoccupied with its own reflection.

• XSX/S
• 8 / 10
• Australie

Paper Trail is a perfect example of a simple but engaging mechanic done well. Its difficulty is spicy enough to make you feel like a moderate origami genius, but not so difficult that you want to throw your crudely crafted swan into the fiery pits of hell. Folding reality itself may perhaps have lent itself to a bit more metastory meat, but a chill colourful aesthetic and a nice feeling of momentum should be more than enough to sate the average puzzle fan.

• PC
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

There is a special category in my heart for a game that offers a precise and calculated afternoon of good clean fun, and Little Kitty, Big City is an ideal fit for such a thing. The kind of game that you whip out to engage with loved ones who may not be all that close to gaming, to show them that the space is not just gloomy headlines and violence-blaming – it can be full of wonder and innocent charm. If you are a cat lover, you will love this game. Even if you are not, I challenge you to play this game and resist the urge to crack a smile.

• PS5
• 5.5 / 10
• Australie

While Harold Halibut doesn’t quite hit the heights it sets out to reach, you have to admire Slow Bros.’ unwavering commitment to its vision it spent 14 years bringing to life. Unfortunately, Harold Halibut’s stop-motion visuals do the majority of the heavy lifting, with the game’s repetitive and shallow gameplay reducing the overall experience to a tedious trudge through underwater space.

• PS5
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie

TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is a fun diversion for any fan like me that missed it the first time around. I didn’t mind it, despite its obvious flaws, but this console port should have done more. I’ll happily acknowledge that the original team behind the Wrath of the Mutants arcade cabinet did a solid job at the time to rekindle much of what made the originals so fun. It’s just, given the modern world we live in where Shredder’s Revenge exists, the timing on this port is unfortunate.

• PS5
• 8 / 10
• Australie

As Tales of Kenzera reaches its natural conclusions and the woes of its crunchier challenges fall away, it’s hard to not be happy in the afterglow. Here’s a game that, while mechanically rather safe, takes huge personal and cultural swings, infusing the genre and industry writ large with almost singular emotional reflections and broader, deeply necessary, creative visions. If this is your genre, you’ll have a blast with its tight platforming and expressive combat, but even if it’s not, bite down and give it a go. We deserve more games like Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.

• PS5
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

Open Roads is a journey I’m glad I went on, though the disappointing circumstances of its development do feel as if they loom over its final form. As a complete package there’s something to love, something to respect and admire, with two lead actors elevating the material well beyond what many others might have achieved. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been bigger, bolder in its impact and exploration of its themes and its mysteries. Maybe it needed something darker, something stranger to lean into, but the results stand as a simple yet effective road trip that’s worth taking for an hour or two.