Sam Aberdeen's Reviews
Metal Gear Survive is Kojima’s true phantom pain. It’s a boring grind of repetitive missions, cardboard characters, and shockingly bad AI. It may get by on the strength of its association to the Metal Gear series alone, but die-hard fans will be very disappointed with how shallow of an experience it really is.
Code Violet unfortunately settles for being aggressively average. It has glimmers of good moments that are quickly overwhelmed by technical issues, uninspired gameplay and a bland story.
We know Arkane is capable of so much more which is why this feels like such a disappointment and a step back for the studio. Some inspired ideas and a creative concept can't hold Redfall up from buckling under its own blood-drenched weight. On the bright side, it's on Game Pass.
Scorn presents some incredible art direction and a biomechanical Giger fever dream of a world to get lost in, but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in it for most of your time: getting lost.
The Station does enough to be recommended to anyone who wants a very short burst of puzzle-solving with some genuinely gripping mystery and atmosphere, but it crumbles in the execution of the narrative itself.
Skull and Bones has fun naval combat and great ship customisation but it's buried by tedious quests, grinding and a shallow endgame that feels unfinished in its current state.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's outstanding visuals and fun freeflowing gameplay can't save it from feeling like a forced live service game constantly at odds with itself creatively.
When you step away from the controller and really think about the cracks in its foundations, though, Godfall simply becomes another looter with a poor launch that can't seem to do much of anything right beyond being just fine. A terribly uninteresting story and a severe lack of content turns it into a game that will only provide you the bare minimum fun factor, and there's a lot better you can do with your time and money right now.
Fallout 76 boasts an impressive open world in West Virginia, but it's a lonely journey on the country roads. It's greatest aspects are buried under a myriad of nagging technical issues.
Directive 8020 might please Supermassive fans looking for a new cinematic horror fix with a few cool narrative twists, but it's let down by tedious stealth segments and uninteresting characters.
Need for Speed Unbound ended up feeling like a step sidewards for the franchise instead of forward. It’s still trailing behind other arcade racers in the genre despite having a strong, stylish presentation.
Sonic Forces is one of the most charming and addictive entries in the series to date. With plenty of colorful energy, a great new character creation feature, and catchy soundtrack, it ultimately won me over in the end, despite its flaws.
John Carpenter's Toxic Commando delivers chaotic co-op fun boosted by Saber Interactive's impressive Swarm Engine, but it's a lightweight Left 4 Dead clone that's better in short bursts.
Code Vein 2 simply doesn't do enough to stand out in the crowded Soulslike genre but its stylish combat and visuals, and a surprising story make it at least worth checking out for fans of the first game.
Cronos: The New Dawn pays homage to survival horror greats like Dead Space and Resident Evil with solid atmospherics and tense gameplay, though it never quite reaches the heights of the games it's inspired by.
Lords of the Fallen looks and plays great but frustrating difficulty spikes and an undercooked narrative hold it back from reaching the heights of its Soulslike counterparts.
It's not a deep experience and many might leave unsatisfied by its sluggish pacing, dialogue and story. Atlas Fallen is an easy recommend on sale but for now, 2023 has a lot more to offer.
Synapse makes good use of virtual reality and the DualSense controller through its mind-bending action and distinct visuals but repetition sets in far too quickly.
Diablo 4 is undoubtedly one of the best games that Blizzard has ever made with a well-written story, though the company's poor handling of post-launch content has dampened what could've been an otherwise phenomenal experience.
If you can get over the often daft AI, mild learning curve with systems that might be pretty complex for younger players, and few performance issues, then you might be swayed by its charm. It has a lot of heart and that's where it shines the brightest.