Gurn
2020
Live service nonsense notwithstanding, Fall Guys remains an exciting multiplayer timewaster that colourfully captures the bonkers excitement of retro TV shows such as Total Wipeout and Takeshi's Castle. It's not profound but it has brought me joy.
Despite moments of enjoyment, I couldn't get over how disrespectful of my time this game was. It felt like I was being intentionally frustrated so as to drive me towards the prominent in-game store, where XP boosters and legendary weapons can be bought for real money.
2016
That this game was developed from the ground up by one person—the artwork, the music, the programming—everything—lends it a personal quality that is really quite indelible. I've played it through twice now and have been utterly charmed both times.
A game bursting with groundbreaking technology and interesting ideas, all of which are implemented so poorly as to seem quaint with hindsight. To be frank, there are many things that this fourth Elder Scrolls game does not do very well—and I find it a disappointing RPG when compared to its predecessor, Morrowind. Nevertheless, Oblivion is fascinating to revisit having played later Bethesda games; it is, after all, the successful manifesto that their subsequent releases built upon.
1997
The feature-length of Star Fox 64 means that you can sit down with it, get a full experience in a couple of hours—a bit like playing an action movie. It's a cool idea, and there's quite of bit of replay value to be had finding all the secret levels, getting the alternate ending, and so on. Good fun!
2015
There's some stuff here that I really appreciate (the robust weapon customization and settlement building feel very appropriate for Fallout) but they neutered the dialogue system and, furthermore, it frustrates me how little roleplay there is in this supposed roleplaying game.
2014
The core gameplay loop is nothing groundbreaking (gather materials to build new items that you can then use to explore new areas to gather new materials...) but fantastic environmental design, joyous mobility and a surprising element of storytelling intrigue make Subnautica a paragon of the survival genre.
After a lot of time playing this game I have developed my frustrations with its design: how the rigid victory conditions and tile adjacency mechanic disincentivize creativity in favour of optimal play; how trade and diplomacy are dissatisfying against AI opponents, yet the game is fundamentally ill-suited to multiplayer (it's just too long, and "online speed" games don't feel right!); and how the endgame often plays out as "I know I've probably won, I just have to sit through another fifty turns before it can happen". However, these are the niggles of somebody who has enjoyed several hundred hours of Civilization VI (inc. a few Deity wins) and counts the experience among his favourites. This is an excellent and approachable grand strategy title good for losing entire days to.
This one doesn't do it for me, sadly. I find the quests repetitive and the Big MT bland to explore. There's a lot of funny (your mileage may vary) dialogue but the whole thing is hellishly goofy to a point that I consider it a disservice to the base game's tone. I tend not to include Old World Blues in my playthroughs unless I'm gagging for the +2 STR you get for having your spine replaced.
2001
This is probably the best Worms game (although since Armageddon is near-identical you'd do just as well to play that one). We used to have this installed on a computer at my old job; everyone had their own team and we'd play hotseat matches over lunch. Good times.
It's no Operation Genesis, I'll tell you that much.
If you want to hear Jeff Goldblum phoning in lines that sound like they were written by a "we fed this AI the script to Jurassic Park" machine learning algorithm then maybe you'll enjoy this game.
If you want to hear Jeff Goldblum phoning in lines that sound like they were written by a "we fed this AI the script to Jurassic Park" machine learning algorithm then maybe you'll enjoy this game.
Very similar to the first game, for better or worse. The original Subnautica was excellent, so, there's a lot to enjoy here. However, Below Zero's new features and story were not enough to sustain my interest all the way to completion, and it is disappointing to see that various UI foibles and graphical glitches are ported over wholesale. I conclude that the first game is the one to play, whereas this one is for enthusiasts.
2018
Neat little indie; novel idea, charming presentation. Worth the short amount of time it takes to complete.
2019
No other game has allowed me to explore its narrative in a such a personal way. I loved piecing together the mystery of Outer Wilds and found the experience to be ultimately quite affecting.
A bit forgettable to be honest. A solid, no-thrills platformer that I'll likely never revisit.