Yoku’s Island Express delivers the goods

SEGA was on top of the world in 1993. Sonic the Hedgehog and its bigger and better sequel had sent sales of the Mega Drive sky-rocketing, prompting the blue blur to become a household name almost overnight. Many predicted SEGA would release Sonic 3 in time for Christmas 1993, but with development taking far longer …

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Six months in Hyrule

After 75 hours, on and off over six months, I finally completed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But I still can’t decide what I think of it. It must have done something right: I’m not sure I’ve ever played a game for 75 hours. Super Mario 64, maybe? I really loved that …

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Troll & I – down in the dumps

Maximum Games’ Troll & I is one of the worst games of this generation, but don’t take my word for it. Around 90% of those who’ve also made the mistake of buying this Iron Giant-esque adventure are also seemingly in agreement. After making it through a labyrinth-like cave complex, some two hours in, the achievements …

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The Dwarves, a super-condensed RPG

Role-playing games usually don’t hit their stride until around the 8-hour mark, with most starting with a slow-burning introduction sequence that sets up the stage for what’s to come. THQ Nordic’s The Dwarves – a tactical RPG released right at the end of 2016 – breaks this tradition, being an incredibly fast-paced and condensed experience …

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Adventure Pop: once you pop, it’s easy to stop

When this colourful match-three puzzler hit PSN last week it attracted a bit of attention. We’d wager this is down to the fact that it bears stark resemblance to Bust-A-Move (aka Puzzle Bubble), Taito’s celebrated classic that’s long overdue a comeback. Indeed, quite why current license holder Square-Enix hasn’t sought to create a new console/handheld …

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Three cheers for Raiden V

Blizzard’s Overwatch is full of neat twists and innovative ideas, with one standout being the ability to give well-performing players a ‘like’ at the end of the match. Putting past rivalries aside, it’s even possible to give the opposition a ‘like’ if you felt their skills outrivalled your own. It so transpires that this idea …

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Night of the well I’ll be damned

A few months ago I came across Left 4 Dead: GOTY Edition on Xbox 360 in a charity shop for three measly quid. I was certain I no longer owned a copy, and being the GOTY edition it was bound to feature at least one piece of DLC I didn’t already have. Or in fewer …

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Blue Estate – Headshots and Nutshots

When the ending credits to Blue Estate rolled, unlocking the final level for play in arcade mode in the process, the thought of playing through each stage again didn’t exactly fill me with joy. While not a bad game, this on-rails shooter suffers from the same faults as Rambo, House of the Dead: Overkill, Blackwater …

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The spirit of Fable Legends is alive in the Sword Coast

Some role-playing games are surprisingly fast-paced, allowing you to tick a few sub-quests off the list and level up once or twice within the space of an hour. Typically, these RPGs are both pleasurable and satisfying to play with examples including Diablo III, Arcania: Gothic 4 and the ever-popular Fallout 4. Then there are RPGs …

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Not a Homefront: The Revolution review

Even though it’s hardly the freshest game around (six weeks old to this day, no less), I was still considering giving Homefront: The Revolution the review treatment. It had something of a muted launch, and once the reviews arrived – resulting in a 49% Metacritic on both Xbox One and PS4 – it swiftly vanished …

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Firewatch: identifying with Henry

I came to Firewatch almost completely cold. (No heat-based pun intended, or indeed incoming.) I think that added to my enjoyment, and this contains quite vague spoilers. So I don’t want to discourage you from read it, but… just saying. It’s certainly not a spoiler to say that Firewatch involves making decisions. It’s one of …

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Defeating the dealer in Hand of Fate

Nothing makes us gnash our teeth more than reading people’s negative reactions to the monthly Games with Gold and PS Plus announcements. Our biggest bugbear is when people use the term “indie crap” whenever the smaller, arcade-like, indie games are up for grabs. MS and Sony really can’t win as on the occasions when full-price …

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Unwind with Entwined

Just like fellow PlayStation exclusive Hohokum, Entwined pushes the definition of the word ‘game’ somewhat – a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules. The only penalty for failure in Entwined is that it takes longer to reach the level’s end. Try, try again and eventually you’ll get there. It’s a testament …

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