BuffNerfRepeat

Hub Category: Game Reviews

  • Anthem

    Anthem

    Without a doubt my favourite type of games are those that involve grinding for loot, and I’ve played them all from Warframe and Diablo to The Division and Destiny, so when I first heard about Anthem and watched the reveal trailer at E3 I was hyped.

  • Crackdown 3

    Crackdown 3

    In a way, it’s difficult to write-off Crackdown 3 as a complete failure. It keeps so true to the original game in the series, which is what a lot of fans had requested. It’s also been released on the Game Pass, meaning anyone with a subscription is essentially getting a full price new release for a fraction of the price.

  • Hades

    Hades

    Hades is a fine example of early access done right. Supergiant has not only released a fantastic game, but one that feels as polished as any full release. Yes, it’s a little light on content in its current state, but with the next update only ever a few weeks away it’s easy to forget this shortcoming. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my countless runs through the Underworld, so much so that Hades is already one of my favourite rogue-likes, and I can’t wait to see how the game improves in the future.

  • Battlefield V

    Battlefield V

    Battlefield V does a lot right. It keeps the core gameplay of Battlefield intact while making subtle changes that ultimately improve the experience, and the consistently excellent visuals and audio coupled with the enhanced levels of destruction strengthen Battlefields position as one of the most ‘must-play’ series in all of gaming. Battlefield V could, one day, be the greatest Battlefield game ever made, but it’s out too early. It has a severe lack of polish (possibly the worst I’ve ever seen in any AAA title), balancing issues across most game modes, a criminally short single-player offering and the series own take on the flavour-of-the-month battle royale genre isn’t out for another five months. Even the Practice Range and the much-promoted Tides of War aren’t available until December; although it’s good to know that the upcoming microtransactions shouldn’t intrude on anybody’s enjoyment, this games-as-a-service approach is already becoming more of a hindrance for the game rather than the positive that we all expected it to be. I can’t help but think that a few more months of development could have helped Battlefield V to become something really special, and in six months when it’s full of content and the existing bugs have been patched out it may be just that, but at the moment–outside of a few adrenaline-fuelled games of Conquest on a select few maps–Battlefield V serves more as a commentary on the problems of developers being forced to meet release schedules and publishers underhand DLC tactics than as a hands down, must-have release.

  • Red Dead Redemption 2

    Red Dead Redemption 2

    Fantastic, outstanding and superb. I’ve used many adjectives to describe my time spent in Red Dead Redemption 2, yet none of them really do the game justice.

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a roaring success. It does little new, deciding instead to draw inspiration from the recent successes of various games, bringing them all together into one big, polished, accessible package, the likes of which few games other than Call of Duty could ever hope to pull off, and its detractors can’t argue.

  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

    Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

    This review was hard for me to put into words, because on the one hand Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is outstanding, it’s one of the best—if not the best—Assassin’s Creed games ever released, but on the other hand it’s a frustrating, repetitive, grind-fest.

  • Forza Horizon 4

    Forza Horizon 4

    If you’re a fan of Forza Horizon games then you’re in for a treat, because this is by far the best iteration in the series to date. With over 450 cars and plenty of variety in race types, it’s easily the best racing game currently available.

  • FIFA 19

    FIFA 19

    I really do think that on the pitch, FIFA 19—although still not perfect—is in the best place the series has been for a while, and if Ultimate Team is all you’re interested in then you’ll have a blast with FIFA 19. If I were to score FIFA 19 purely on the game of football it plays then I would award it a solid 8/10; It is, however, EA’s attitude off the pitch as it continually neglects key modes in favour of funnelling you towards this pay-to-win, microtransaction-heavy experience that I can’t bring myself to support, so if the only way for me to speak out against it is to award a lower score than the game of football it offers deserves, then so be it.

  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider

    Shadow of the Tomb Raider

    Shadow of the Tomb Raider is at it’s brilliant best when it simply lets us do what we signed up for – platform, raid tombs and solve puzzles. The games most memorable moments often come away from the main story, when you’re on your own, with no enemies to face in optional Challenge Tombs. What this all ultimately means is that Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an enjoyable yet slightly disappointing end to this origin trilogy, largely in part due to its poor story and its reluctance to try anything new. Despite this, I did still enjoy my time with the game, particularly its emphasis on puzzling and stealth combat. The game is still absolutely worth a purchase—particularly if you’re already a fan of the series—and it will give you a solid 15 hours of gameplay if you’re only interested in the main story, or a possible 25 hours if you’re a bit of a completionist.