Category: Reviews

007 First Light reviewA thoroughly enjoyable action romp built on the foundations of Hitman, but closer in spirit to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Developer: IO Interactive Publisher: IO Interactive Release: May 26th 2026 On: Windows From: Steam Price: £59.99/€69.99/$69.99 Reviewed on: Intel Core i7-12700F, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, Windows 11 007 First Light is built on the bones of IO Interactive’s Hitman, and makes no effort to hide that fact. But it’s far from just Agent 47 in a wig and doing his best posh English boarding school accent. The section that properly convinced…

Spymaster continues Innerspace’s sterling track record for integrating unique mechanics into what would otherwise be run-of-the-mill gameplay. The extraction-like spy thriller hot-swaps multiple playable characters for timing-based, puzzle-like missions.A Fisherman’s Tale put players in a matryoshka doll-like lighthouse controlling a small, medium, and large sized version of the titular fisherman simultaneously. Maskmaker brought interdimensional traveling by putting on and removing different masks. A Fisherman’s Tale 2 (formerly Another Fisherman’s Tale) allowed players to detach their head and parts of their body. Innerspace has always created unique games with mechanics not likely to be replicated in other titles. Spymaster’s time manipulation…

Despite Shovel Knight’s myriad spin-offs and continued ubiquity in the indie game space, it’s been more than a decade since developer Yacht Club Games delivered something wholly new. And maybe calling Mina the Hollower entirely “new” is a misnomer, as it is a reverential showcase of beloved game design and visual ideas from the past and present, all arranged into something that manages to be unique and nostalgic at the same time. Mina is not without its frustrations, but its density of discoveries, sense of place, and heartfelt story and characters all deliver an experience I was thinking about often…

The Persona series is best known for its rich storytelling and deep exploration of the human condition. This isn’t clear on the surface, but when you take a second to dig deep into the series, you’ll find hidden meanings and constant reminders of what it means to be human, for better or for worse. Reminders of what it feels like to grow up, lose someone you love, overcome challenges, and become a better form of yourself. I’ve always appreciated the Persona games for exploring such sensitive topics, but I’ve especially appreciated the fact that it encourages the players to see…

For over 27 years, Super Mario RPG was left in a strange state. It influenced Mario games and characters in countless ways, but the game itself never managed to reach beyond a few minor cameos and Virtual Console re-releases. Even with requests for remakes as early as the GBA era — and requests for the game-original character Geno to appear in Super Smash Brothers — this collaboration between Nintendo and Square Enix only received a substantial update in 2023. And what an update it was, because the remake of Super Mario RPG is one of the greatest remakes long-time fans…

Coffee Talk Tokyo is the third and latest entry in the trilogy of the cozy coffee-making narrative game series. The installment introduces brand-new features, interesting subjects, and a new, highly beloved setting. The game does an excellent job of engaging players with these elements, but struggles a bit with some of its executions.    A Japanese Twist Coffee Talk Tokyo, like previous games, puts players in the shoes of a mysterious barista in a fantastical world. This time, players control a seemingly different barista who owns a café in Tokyo. The new setting introduces new narrative influences. To maintain its…

The Call of Duty community has never been as divided as it is right now. Despite great sales figures and a decent critical reception, last year’s Modern Warfare 2 was a bit of a breaking point for the hardcore Call of Duty community. Call of Duty has been slowly moving toward slower, more tactical gameplay, handicapping player movement and advanced techniques in favor of a safer set of systems with broad appeal. While many of these systems were walked back last year — Warzone’s AI combatants were removed from Strongholds, time to kill was adjusted post-launch, and the “Warzone 2.0”…

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book both is and isn’t what I expected it to be, but I’m still delighted by the results. It’s absolutely a low-pressure platformer with novel characters. However, it also feels like a bit of a puzzle, with players encouraged to pore over every page. This is unquestionably a special game, and one that both feels new and like a typical type of Yoshi title. It’s one of the more creative non-traditional platformers I’ve ever played. Though this is a Yoshi game, things kick off when Bowser Jr finds an odd book in his father’s library. After…

I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was a kid. Last year, I went back to basics and bought an old British motorcycle from an even older man, then spent six months bringing it back to life. My 1967 BSA A65 is light, nimble, and simple. It has no safety features, no anti-lock brakes, no computers. The thing doesn’t even have turn signals. What it does have is a motor, two wheels, and a seat: everything you need to roll down the road at 95 miles per hour and nothing more. Compass is like that. It’s uncomplicated, a bit sparse, and…

If there ever existed a perfect example of a budget RPG, it would be Starbites. Elements of it aren’t terrible. The problem is it feels very basic and rudimentary. Even when it starts to get into something that feels unique, part of its design or gameplay keeps it from sticking the landing. Worse, Starbites performs so poorly on the Switch that actually sticking with it can feel like a challenge.  Bitter is a planet where people are born deep in debt, forced to survive on a barren world at the whims of loan sharks and getting by as best they…