Reviews
701
When you buy a Call of Duty, you have some idea of what to expect. Rest assured that Black Ops 6 lies at the better end of the series' spectrum, boasting a varied campaign that's well worth playing, a pair of robust and endlessly replayable Zombies maps, and multiplayer that remains immediate and immensely entertaining.
A sweet tactical twist on a beloved series, Leikir has paid homage in the best possible way: by doing something new.
You ought to play Slitterhead if for no other reason than its mood. It’s one of this year’s strangest and most striking games.
A horror game that delivers stripped down, no frills scares, Phasmophobia is unrelentingly creepy, the mundanity of its suburban residences, with its picket fences and immaculate front lawns, harbouring ghostly nastiness that's not to be taken lightly. Not for the faint-hearted.
A game of two halves, with a gleaming remaster of Sonic Generations and an all-new, practically full-sized Shadow Generations portion, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a killer dose of the blue blur and his brooding counterpart, which still ranks among the best that Sonic's modern era has mustered in recent years.
Original Life is Strange protagonist Max Caulfield makes a welcome return in what is an immensely compelling and enjoyable sequel to her 2015 introduction. Unravelling Life is Strange: Double Exposure's murder mystery, using its timeline-hopping mechanic, is remarkably good fun.
Back in 2011, Shadows of the Damned was unrepentantly daft, and as Hella Remastered serves as an entirely faithful update, preserving the game with 4K resolution at up to 60fps, in 2024, it only seems all the more unhinged. This remains a dose of unapologetic, stupid fun, however, even if time hasn't been all that kind to it.
I went into Unknown 9: Awakening really wanting to like it; to see its transmedia experiment succeed. But it's such a horrible-looking game, featuring game mechanics from fifteen-odd years ago and a story that will put you to sleep, it's hard to offer any sort of a recommendation. Play it if you want a renewed appreciation for how great other games can be.
Until Dawn for PS5 isn't necessarily a bad thing, and, if you've yet to play Supermassive's best game, then this is a good way to do so. What is bad is how pointless this remake ultimately is, when the PS4 original is still available (physically, at least) at a fraction of the price.
Silent Hill 2 is an assured and richly made survival horror, a fine celebration of the past.