The combat felt punchy, the graphics looked absolutely stunning, and the story seemed like something that might be right up my alley. And all of that at a price point of 25 USD? The whole combination felt almost unbelievable. Something had to give, right? Well, after playing the game, things are not always smooth for our protagonist Samson.

Let’s focus on the story first. You play as Samson McCray, a former driver who returns to his hometown of Tyndalston carrying a huge debt after a heist gone wrong. His sister Oonagh made a deal with the bad guys, and if Samson pays back the debt, their lives will be spared. Much of the plot has a serious, dark tone, as you take on jobs (more on that in a bit) to slowly pay off what you owe. Along the way, you meet quite a few characters, each with their own twists to the tale.

"There is pretty much every kind of job you could imagine here, whether it is tailing an NPC, chasing down a convoy and crashing it out, taking out bad guys, delivering items, tackling time trials, or escaping the law in a chase."

Without revealing too much, this is a grounded urban crime story very much in the vein of Sleeping Dogs, and although it never reaches those heights, Samson still has a decent tale to tell. The voice acting is decent overall, though Oonagh’s performance can be pretty corny. Samson, on the other hand, kept me curious enough to see the story chapter by chapter. So overall, the plot is decent, and while it does not do much that feels fresh, it stayed engaging enough in my experience.

The core of Samson revolves around taking on jobs, earning money for the day, progressing the story, and paying off your debt. There is pretty much every kind of job you could imagine here, whether it is tailing an NPC, chasing down a convoy and crashing it out, taking out bad guys, delivering items, tackling time trials, or escaping the law in a chase.

It is all the sort of stuff that many open games have explored in the past. As such, these missions do not bring much novelty to the table, even if they are generally serviceable. If you are interested in Samson, chances are you have already played missions like these before. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes simplicity and a sense of familiarity are all you need, and Samson generally does an okay job with its mission design. However, if you are hoping for something truly remarkable like the standout missions you find in GTA, no, that is not happening here.

Once you complete jobs, you earn cash and action points, with the latter being used to complete or retry missions. Cash, meanwhile, can also be spent on repairing your vehicle, refilling petrol and nitro, and changing tyres.

Once you are out of action points, you return to your apartment. If you hit your daily debt targets, all is well, but if you keep missing them, you receive a strike, and the next morning enemies will show up at your place to beat the socks off you. It is an interesting system because it makes missed targets feel consequential and gives players a real sense of urgency as they try to stay on track.

"Speaking of that lack of polish, the game clearly has its share of animation and bug related issues. Samson climbs over fences awkwardly, his jump feels clunky and can sometimes leave him stuck between objects, and there is clipping here and there."

Combat forms the core loop of the experience, and when it works, the game does pack a punch, no pun intended. The combat itself is simple. You can dodge, throw light attacks, land heavy punches, use objects to lay the smackdown, and even make use of the environment to take enemies out.

The enemy AI is acceptable, but nothing special, and at times foes would just stand there and do nothing. The camera can also become hard to deal with, sometimes putting me in situations where I could not efficiently track multiple enemies at once. This kind of inconsistency does hurt the flow of fights, but when everything clicks, the combat system could be brutally satisfying.

The vehicle handling is on point, but its combat sequences are no Burnout. These are simple chase encounters where you just keep ramming enemy vehicles until they go down. There is no real sense of style to them, but they get the job done.

There is also a compact progression system where you earn XP and skill points to unlock abilities such as seeing police patrols on the minimap, carrying more painkillers, or making your vehicle deal more damage to targets. Overall, the combat system is solid, but there’s a clear sense that the game needed more time in development, as the inconsistent level of polish is hard to ignore.

Speaking of that lack of polish, the game clearly has its share of animation and bug related issues. Samson climbs over fences awkwardly, his jump feels clunky and can sometimes leave him stuck between objects, and there is clipping here and there. NPCs feel stiff, both visually and from a technical standpoint. Many of them simply stand around doing nothing or engage in random animations, nonsensical activities.

Their AI is fairly basic, and most of them feel like background filler more than meaningful parts of the world. Although some of them offer Stories, which serve as the game’s side lore, most interactions with them are bland or just lead to brawling. I wish Liquid Swords had done more with them, but it is clear they were never much of a priority. It all adds up to a game that feels like it needed more time to cook.

Fortunately, Samson’s world looks amazing, and it feels like most of the game’s budget went into the streets of Tyndalston and the sheer amount of detail they pack. Made up of several districts, Tyndalston is extremely well designed, with its drab, dark, and sad aesthetic standing out in all the right ways.

Thanks to the developer’s attention to the game’s art style, the city tells a story of its own. Finding points of interest and collectibles does add a welcome sense of exploration while free roaming. The visual quality of the world is easily one of the game’s biggest strengths, and although there is no dynamic day night cycle with time changing automatically as you take on jobs, the lighting and the overall charm of the city are still impressive.

On the technical side of things, Samson is a fairly demanding game. We ran it on an RTX 3080 Ti, Ryzen 9 5950X, and 16 GB of RAM, with every setting cranked up to Ultra and DLSS set to Performance. Frame rate stability was solid. We were not necessarily aiming for 60 FPS and above given the genre, but I can confidently say that dropping a few settings likely would have pushed it to that mark.

"At times, Samson does feel built around familiar mission templates, with the developers leaning more on proven ideas than bold ones."

Perhaps Samson’s biggest selling point is its price. At 25 USD, you are getting a largely functional game, and although there are noticeable issues across several areas, the price point and what the game gets right are definitely its biggest strengths. I doubt the AI problems can be fixed through patches, since that would require considerable effort, but the technical issues I mentioned certainly could be, if Liquid Swords intends to address them.

At times, Samson does feel built around familiar mission templates, with the developers leaning more on proven ideas than bold ones. That feeling is not entirely misplaced, as Samson does not take too many risks. On the other hand, it knows what it wants to do, and it does that in an acceptable manner. Its world design, hand to hand combat, visuals, daily debt paying system with consequences, and decent story do enough to make it worth that 25 USD asking price.

This game was reviewed on PC.

At the same time, many have thoroughly enjoyed Starfield’s expansive sci fi offerings, from its intricate lore and engaging faction quests to its addictive ship-building and more. Personally, I fall in the latter camp. When I reviewed Starfield upon is original launch close to three years ago, I absolutely adored it, so it’s no surprise to me that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with it on the PS5 as well.

"Going into the game expecting Skyrim in space is, in some crucial ways, a mistake, primarily thanks to how its world is structured."

For anyone familiar with the Bethesda RPG template, Starfield is, in many ways, a familiar experience with a new wrapper. Players take on the role of a custom character who gets wrapped up with Constellation, an organization looking to unravel the secrets of space, early on in the game after coming in contact with a mysterious alien artifact.

In typical BGS fashion, along the way, you cross paths with a variety of different factions, each with their own questlines, histories, and characters, all of it allowing you to dive deeper into Starfield’s expansive setting. Player agency is placed above all else, in the specific way that Bethesda RPGs have been known for, prioritizing complete player freedom, even if it does come at the cost of frustratingly inconsequential choice and consequence mechanics.

BGS’ RPG formula has mostly stuck to its roots over the years, and though that doesn’t always work in Starfield’s favour – especially when contrasted with other AAA RPGs who have tried to take that further in interesting ways – the core strengths of the formula, at least to me personally, are still strong enough in the most important ways. A lot of that is down to how strong the Settled Systems are as a setting, especially where lore and backstory are concerned. Learning more about the history and conflicts of the setting never loses its charm, a lot of which is also down to how engaging the faction questlines are.

Of course, you have to acknowledge the fact that Starfield doesn’t completely stick to the Bethesda RPG framework. Going into the game expecting Skyrim in space is, in some crucial ways, a mistake, primarily thanks to how its world is structured. Starfield’s world is far from a seamless open world, instead being split into multiple maps that are separated by loading screens, not to mention large expanses of space that you can pilot your ship through.

Space travel in Starfield is something that has drawn criticism from many since the game’s launch, with many having felt that it’s too uneventful and monotonous, though Starfield does attempt to fix that with its new Free Lanes update, which accompanies the game’s PS5 release.

"Starfield’s space gameplay still doesn’t feel massively different from what it has been since the game launched."

With the addition of Cruise Mode – which lets you freely cruise around in space within a star system while you go about other business in your ship – as well as additional points of interest in space and more combat encounters, with its newest update, Starfield does try to address the issues that many players have had with its space gameplay.

They work to some degree- there’s a noticeable jump in the frequence of dogfights and things to check out, and Cruise Mode is certainly a neat new addition, though it shouldn’t surprise you to know that even with all of the new changes put together, Starfield’s space gameplay still doesn’t feel massively different from what it has been since the game launched. It takes longer for things to get monotonous, yes, but the expanses of space are still not where Starfield’s strengths lie (though ironically, I still find the game’s ship building and customization mechanics among the best that it has to offer).

That’s not all that Starfield’s Free Lanes update adds. The update brings a new layer to the game’s progression systems with the addition of a new currency in the form of X-Tech, which allows for deeper build variety, as well as new late game progression options in the form of new quality tiers, ship customization options, weapons, and more.

"If you enjoyed the base game in its original form, then, the Free Lanes update refines it and polishes it quite a bit."

Then there’s new quests and locations, outpost building improvements, New Game Plus options, and more- all of which is to say that even though the Free Lanes update doesn’t significantly overhaul many core game systems in the way we saw with, say, Cyberpunk 2077’s overhauls, it does still add to the base experience in a meaningful way.

If you enjoyed the base game in its original form, then, the Free Lanes update refines it and polishes it quite a bit, which will, of course, mean a stronger experience right off the bat for those jumping into Starfield for the first time with its PS5 launch. Many will probably be disappointed that the game hasn’t undergone a more comprehensive reworking, but as someone who already enjoyed Starfield’s offerings in its base form, I find the Free Lanes update’s changes and improvements quite solid on the whole.

Along with the base experience, Starfield’s PS5 launch also brings with it all of the updates and DLC the game has received since its Xbox and PC release in 2023. Of course, for starters, that means that, on a technical level, the sci fi RPG is in a much more stable place than it was upon release.

Don’t get me wrong, you’re still going to run into plenty of run of the mill Bethesda RPG glitches – from jerky animations and clipping objects to dead eyed NPCs and more – but in my time with the game on the PS5, I haven’t experienced nearly as many game breaking glitches or hard crashes as I did in my dozens of hours with the game on the Xbox Series X (though it has been a while since I played Starfield on Xbox, admittedly).

"For PS5 players who enjoy the genre or the sci fi aesthetic, Starfield is well worth looking into."

In addition to those updates, Starfield’s PS5 version also has the benefit of launching right out the gate with things such as land vehicles (with one of them being a new addition), Creations, and a long list of quality of life improvements, not to mention two expansions in the form of Shattered Space and the newly released Terran Armada. In short, for those jumping into the game for the first time with its PS5 release, which I imagine many will be doing, Bethesda’s space faring RPG is a more polished and rounded out version of its original self with a substantial amount of content to tackle- which in particular shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with BGS’ formula.

Whether or not Starfield stands toe to toe with Bethesda’s past genre defining offerings is a question that answers will vary to from person to person, but if you’re looking for a massive, engaging sci-fi RPG that lets you loose in a space setting, you’re in luck- that’s exactly what Starfield delivers. Though the game is not without its faults, thanks to a compelling setting, engaging lore, strong faction questlines, and a bevy of content – among other things – Starfield has more than enough going on to keep players occupied for long, long stretches. For PS5 players who enjoy the genre or the sci fi aesthetic, this one is well worth looking into.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

At its core, the second expansion doesn’t deviate from the approach that Bethesda Game Studios took with Starfield’s first DLC, Shattered Space, in that it is very much more of the same- though the content it does deliver has a lot going for it.

Terran Armada focuses on the new titular faction, a breakaway group comprised of former Freestar Collective and United Colonies soldiers who mysteriously disappeared from the Settled Systems during the Colony War. Now, they’ve reappeared with a substantial, robotically enhanced military force, announcing themselves the true children of Earth and humanity as a whole, and in turn declaring everyone in the Settled Systems to be their enemies. Investigating the Terran Armada’s attacks and uncovering their motivations, then, is a central part of the expansion’s storyline- and it works quite well.

One of Starfield’s greatest strengths has always been its intricate, engaging lore and the stories it weaves around it, especially with its faction questlines, and just as it was with the game’s first expansion, that still very much stands true with Terran Armada.

Not only does the new expansion boast a strong central narrative premise, the new faction it all revolves around helps keep things interesting as you progress further. Learning more about the Armada, their robotics, their motivations, and their history since the Colony War remains consistently engaging, even if it’s a little disappointing to see the proceedings being kept largely separate from the base game’s story.

"The expansion does try to inject enemy variety, but there’s only so many different ways you can find robot enemies before it starts wearing thin."

Along the way you’ll also cross paths with Delta, a reprogrammed Terran Armada robot who joins your crew and becomes a squadmate. The morally ambiguous companion is very much cut from the same cloth as similar robotic sci fi allies in sci fi stories, but though he’s not unique in any way, Delta does serve as a solid addition to Starfield’s cast. Conversations with him are always fun, learning more about what makes him tick and where his allegiances truly lie never loses its appeal, and best of all, Delta also serves as a great vehicle for the game to reveal more about the Terran Armada and its robot-heavy military force.

Delta is, however, probably the most interesting element where Terran Armada’s new robots are concerned. That is, on the one hand, a good thing, because that means a solid new companion joining the cast, but where the enemies are concerned, things can sometimes get a little repetitive and you find yourself fighting against robots over and over.

The expansion does try to inject enemy variety, but there’s only so many different ways you can find robot enemies before it starts wearing thin. Thankfully, the core combat mechanics in Starfield remain enjoyable, so firefights (should you choose a more aggressive approach) are at least consistently fun on a fundamental level.

Another major new addition in Terran Armada is the Incursions system, which sees the titular Armada randomly attacking different spots across the Settled Systems. Spanning varying objectives across both land and space and being tied to both story related quests and optional activities, Incursions encompass feel like they encompass the entire game- which can be both a good and a bad thing.

"It’s also a little disappointing that the Terran Armada DLC makes Incursions its centerpiece rather than introducing another major new location to the Settled Systems."

When they work, Incursions work really well, combining exploration and combat, throwing in unique new hurdles, and rewarding players with solid new gear. Story related Incursions in particular are often really well crafted, and experiencing them tends to feel like going through well stitched together set piece sequences. At the same time, Incursions also serve as solid repeatable late game content for players looking to farm valuable loot- especially X-Tech, a currency newly added by the Free Lanes update that expands progression and customization options.

However, Incursions can also quickly overstay their welcome. It doesn’t take long for them to start feeling repetitive, and often, the restrictions they place on players – such as not being able to fast travel within a star system until you’ve dealt with all present Terran Armada threats – can often feel more like an annoyance than anything else. Thankfully, the game does allow you to set the frequency with which optional Incursions show up, so if they do start to wear you down, you can at least address that directly.

It’s also a little disappointing that the Terran Armada DLC makes Incursions its centerpiece rather than introducing another major new location to the Settled Systems the way the Shattered Space expansion did. Sure, there’s Anchorpoint Station, a new location that does have plenty of new things to see and do, but though there’s a lot here that is directly tied to the Terran Armada storyline, Anchorpoint Station isn’t necessarily just a DLC location.

It does sort of scratch the itch of a brand new area to explore and get familiar with, but if you were hoping for a massive new map serving as the centerpiece of a major new story arch, that’s not what you’ll find here. The threat of the Terran Armada in this expansion is spread out throughout the Settled Systems rather than being concentrated in a single new map. That doesn’t mean there aren’t new locations to explore, of course, but you shouldn’t go in expecting something on the same scale as Shattered Space’s Dazra city.

"All told, with the new story content, side quests, and what have you, there’s a healthy chunk of new gameplay content on offer here."

There are, however, new weapons, ship customization and building options, gear, and more brought to the table by the Terran Armada DLC. For players who have already invested a substantial amount of time into Starfield and are looking to further optimize and min-max their builds, the new content on offer here opens up plenty of room for further progression and build refinement, especially with the repeatable content and late game options available with Incursions and the new Free Lanes update additions. All told, with the new story content, side quests, and what have you, there’s a healthy chunk of new gameplay content on offer here.

Since Starfield launched in 2023, many have hoped for significant overhauls to allow the game to fulfil its potential and make good on all of its lofty pre launch promises, and though Terran Armada is definitely not that (even with all of the improvements that come with the Free Lanes update), it is, at the very least, a solid additional chunk of more of the same.

That means that it’s unlikely to capture those who weren’t enamoured by Starfield’s base or post launch offerings, but if you are like me and have found plenty of enjoyment in the space faring RPG’s vast expanses, it’s safe to say that you’ll find enough to like about the Terran Armada expansion, even if it doesn’t fully stick the landing with all of the things that it tries.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

This cinematic, side-scrolling adventure from indie team ZDT Studio, then, brings a strong, relatively unique premise, casting you as a resourceful cephalopod who leans on its natural abilities and intelligence to navigate tricky platforms and solve environmental puzzles. With clear inspiration ranging from Playdead’s Inside to Moon Studios’ Ori, and through presentation infused with cartoonish movement, characterful animation, and a whimsical score, ZDT delivers a thoroughly charming, yet thoughtful experience.

"Where things begin to falter slightly is in the precision of platforming, particularly as the game introduces more demanding sequences."

And likewise, to the studio’s credit, much of their vision comes through too. The game rarely stumbles outright, but the ingenuity promised isn’t fully realised either. See, Darwin’s Paradox! is built on a brilliant idea, but it rarely stretches its inspiration as far as it could. This is a platformer that’s enjoyable in the moment, but only occasionally as inventive as its premise suggests.

I go back to this review’s outset: octopuses are uniquely suited to the kinds of systems video games thrive on, and Darwin’s abilities reflect that in ways that are immediately intuitive. Camouflage lends itself to subterfuge, firing ink allows opportunities to disrupt threats and divert attention, and his tentacles’ suction-based movement allows for traversal across walls and ceilings.

Even smaller touches, like impressive compression seeing Darwin squeeze through tight spaces, reinforce the idea that this is a character defined by adaptability. There’s a pleasing logic to how Darwin interacts with the world, as if each mechanic has been plucked from the real-world and reimagined through a playful lens. Because of this, there are plenty of moments where it feels like Darwin’s Paradox! is tapping into something genuinely fresh, but its novelty doesn’t always carry through to the broader experience.

For all the creativity in its mechanical foundations, the game falls back on standard platforming tropes too often. Pulling levers and pushing boxes make up the majority of the game’s obstacles, bringing the overall experience down to something more conventional.

Yet, moment-to-moment, the game feels good in the hands. Movement is smooth and responsive, as Darwin shuffles, clings, and squeezes his way through environments with a fluidity that suits his character. Transitions between swimming, climbing, and platforming are handled seamlessly, often reinforced by expressive, almost-caricaturistic animation which gives even simple movements a memorable personality. Combined with lively environments – currents rippling through underwater sections, background machinery grinding in industrial areas, even fire engines responding chaotically to a factory blaze – it creates a strong identity which runs throughout.

Where things begin to falter slightly is in the precision of platforming, particularly as the game introduces more demanding sequences. Early on, the forgiving nature of movement works in the game’s favour, but later challenges expose a lack of clarity in how certain obstacles are meant to be overcome. Navigating giant rotating cogwheels or fast-moving conveyor belts feel less like tests of Darwin’s ingenuity and more like exercises in trial and error. I’m not talking Limbo-style learning-by-death, but it’s not far off.

And, because it’s not always possible to see far enough ahead to properly anticipate what’s coming, poor Darwin was squished, electrocuted, and burnt to a crisp often enough that it began to feel unfair. At best, these trickier “trial by death” sections break momentum, but worse: the charm and whimsy which the game’s mechanical systems are working hard to establish is replaced by unjust punishment and frustration.

"Each environmental puzzle is immediately understandable, and because of that, rarely surprising."

What would make these situations worse still are difficult puzzles. Yet, for a game that places so much emphasis on ingenuity, Darwin’s Paradox! delivers straightforward puzzle design. Now, I don’t believe this is inherently a problem; if it helps ease the pain of repeatedly failing through game design, then puzzles that are on the easy side are welcome. But, likewise, there’s value in keeping solutions readable and accessible too. However, this does sit slightly at odds with the expectations set by the game’s premise and its marketing alike. There’s no scope for experimentation here as most environmental obstacles funnel you toward a single solution.

In practice, this means puzzles feel functional rather than inspiring. As already alluded to, you’ll be moving objects into place and pulling levers frequently, alongside more contextual moments like sabotaging factory apparatus to manipulate the height of an object that you’ll inevitably use to scale an unreachable height.

Each environmental puzzle is immediately understandable, and because of that, rarely surprising. Again, games of this type don’t necessarily need complex solutions. Heck, even Inside, amongst Darwin’s primary influences, thrived on a minimalist approach. But, alas, in Darwin’s Paradox! there are flashes of more engaging action, particularly when octopus-specific abilities like camouflage or ink come into play, but these ideas aren’t explored as deeply or appear as frequently as they should. There’s a lingering sense that the puzzles here could have been designed to accommodate multiple solutions, or at least make fuller use of Darwin’s aquatic skills and compound intelligence. The lack of ingenuity stands out here more than it does in Inside, for instance.

"However, if there’s one area where Darwin’s Paradox! consistently shines, it’s in its presentation."

What Darwin’s Paradox! does have, however, is a decent amount of variety in its environments, shifting from aquatic shallows, to tight, sewer-like tunnels, plus a raft of industrial spaces like steaming production lines, fluorescent offices, and elaborate packing facilities, and more, all amplified with Looney Tunes flair. Certain chapters are punctuated by lively setpieces too, and these moments – explosive factory escapes, crumbling tower evasions, tenuous highwire platforming – not only inject a welcome sense of urgency but embellish the game’s comedic undertones, supported further by a rather pesky seagull adversary.

That said, overall flow can occasionally feel uneven. In one particular area – the office-like interiors where I leaned on Darwin’s camo ability to blend into cardboard, ceiling tiles, and sofa cushions – visual whimsy dominated over spatial clarity. Whilst tonally this fits, I felt my way through moments of disorientation, where the way forward wasn’t immediately obvious. Now, I know I’ve prattled on about puzzles being too obvious, and thus not surprising, but in these multi-level layouts of impossible architecture I had to use the hint system to help nudge my progress along. This could be my own skill issue, of course, but my gut feeling is that the level design didn’t communicate its intent as clearly as it should.

However, if there’s one area where Darwin’s Paradox! consistently shines, it’s in its presentation. Darwin himself is full of personality, brought to life through expressive animation. His slower, cautious movements – almost eight-legged tiptoeing – are a particularly humorous highlight, with the intrepid mollusc’s actions exemplifying the game’s offbeat world. This cartoonish tone carries through to the narrative, which gradually introduces a surreal, conspiratorial edge befitting Konami’s famous tactical espionage action series, one that is directly referenced here by exclamation points and cardboard boxes.

"Darwin’s Paradox! is a game built on genuinely inspired ideas, and when it’s at its best this creativity is reflected in expressive movement, memorable characterisation, and varied environments."

From a technical standpoint, performance is generally stable, though the distinction between visual modes is clear-cut. ZDT themselves advise playing with performance settings enabled, so that’s what I did. It proved to be much smoother than the alternative quality mode which sees a noticeable drop in framerate for a minimal fidelity boost. For a game with such fluid movement and emphasis on exaggerated animation, performance mode is definitely the preferable setting.

Audio design is solid throughout, with plenty of environmental sounds and tactile effects to sell the space Darwin is creeping through. Even less noticeable sounds like the soft suction of Darwin’s tentacles adds to the overall immersion. The orchestral soundtrack supports the game’s tone well, even if motifs and melodies rarely stand out as defining elements.

In conclusion, Darwin’s Paradox! is a game built on genuinely inspired ideas, and when it’s at its best this creativity is reflected in expressive movement, memorable characterisation, and varied environments. The game’s playfulness makes it an experience that’s easy to enjoy, even if its sometimes shallow systems keep this enjoyment at surface level. So, while it may not evolve into something truly exceptional, Darwin’s Paradox! remains a charming and worthwhile adventure, even if its greater potential is never fully reached.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

It smartly reworks familiar ideas through a new lens, weaving its themes into the journey of the Formless, an art mimic brought to life by the mysterious Rippler of Waves and told that the world before it exists to sate its appetite. That setup gives real purpose to the combat, pushing you deeper into the world as you cut down enemy after enemy and encounter the occasional ally along the way.

"The world itself carries an ethereal charm to it, its dangers seeming so natural and organic that you’re compelled to learn more about how it came to be the way that it is."

Before getting into combat and progression, though, it’s worth highlighting how strongly GRIME 2 is built around the idea of individual agency, with hands serving as a constant visual and mechanical expression of that theme. That idea runs through the entire game, and the repeated presence of hands in the world, in enemy designs, and even on your character, helps reinforce it in a way that feels organic rather than forced.

The world itself carries an ethereal charm to it, its dangers seeming so natural and organic that you’re compelled to learn more about how it came to be the way that it is. It’s also elegantly structured, with areas folding back into one another so naturally that the path forward remains coherent even when you’re poking around every hidden corner for much-needed upgrades.

Part of what makes that structure work is how vulnerable the Formless feels at the start. You begin with light and heavy attacks, along with a jump, dash, and parry for movement and defense. It’s a simple setup that the developers have utilized well with additional layers and moves opening up as you keep taking down some incredible bosses.

Each area teaches you how to use the mechanics it introduces, and its boss usually serves as the final exam, forcing those lessons into your muscle memory through punishing attacks. While I wouldn’t put them on the same level as a full-blown Soulsborne, they still offer a stern challenge, with the standard difficulty in particular keeping me on the back foot more often than I’d care to admit.

"The environment could work either for you or against you, depending on how you use it, which adds interesting wrinkles to fights."

Every boss fight you take on is tough but fair, requiring precise use of dodges, parries, and a grapple that’s introduced a little later. The weapons you use against them are also quite varied, and nailing down the timings on each animation was a huge part of the fun. You’ll likely settle into a preferred pairing of melee and ranged options, which gives you the flexibility to handle most encounters efficiently.

Of course, the art mimic does have one massive trick up its sleeve, and that’s the ability to absorb Molds of your enemies, using their own moves against them. Several enemies come with a yellow dot on their health bars. Whittling them down to their breaking point opens them up to a grapple that lets you copy their abilities. Repeat the process enough times, and that move gets added to a growing list that you can then mix and match to make your mimic your own.

The environment could work either for you or against you, depending on how you use it, which adds interesting wrinkles to fights, ensuring that things in this weird world never get boring. That’s because exploring each level requires a fair bit of dexterity on your part, be it in dealing with the various enemies in differing combinations that stand in your way, or some platforming challenges that were a pleasure to pull off correctly, thanks to how cool it all looked! Even slight mistakes can quickly shatter your rhythm, whether that means eating damage from enemies or blundering into carefully placed traps.

You recover health through the Breath mechanic, which involves building up the eponymous meter by killing enemies in the field before you use it all up to give yourself a heal-over-time effect. It’s fairly quick but does require that you continue to avoid damage in case you’re really low on health. The Force meter adds an interesting layer to offense, rewarding you for managing it well rather than simply mashing attacks.

"The story helps set it all up with context for your adventures, and is another solid part of the experience."

Managing all of these elements when you’re juggling multiple enemies or trying to learn the ins and outs of a boss’s attacks is deviously delightful. It looks so simple to a spectator, as you’re probably going to see for yourself if you dive in, but it is challenging and incredibly satisfying to pull off. It’s the kind of combat system that feels instantly inviting even while demanding real concentration and precision.

The story helps set it all up with context for your adventures, and is another solid part of the experience. I’m a fan of games that tell their stories through world-building, and this one has that in spades. You meet a range of characters, some welcoming and others decidedly less so, who stand out thanks to strong visual design and sharp writing. It’s a testament to GRIME 2’s quality that there is a certain wit and charm to be found in its bleak world, and the story brings it all together very well.

The soundtrack deserves special mention, giving many areas a haunting beauty that makes it easy to stop and simply take in the atmosphere. I’m particularly fond of the adorable noises some enemies make when they let an attack loose. It made me chuckle to myself even as I was laser-focused on the action.

The game performed very well on my base PS5, running smoothly enough for its combat and platforming to consistently look and feel excellent. Although there aren’t any graphical options on offer, I reckon they’re an unnecessary addition to a game that looks and performs like this one does.

"Its combat is spot on, while its platforming trappings can have you grinding your teeth as you try to nail down the timing on its various challenges."

I did encounter one early bug that froze the game and forced a restart before I could continue, but beyond that, I ran into no major technical issues. There was also the occasional bit of pop-in when traversing between areas, but you’re unlikely to notice it unless you’re actively looking for it. It does bear mentioning, though.

You’ve probably already guessed that for me, this one’s very easy to recommend. Its combat is spot on, while its platforming trappings can have you grinding your teeth as you try to nail down the timing on its various challenges. Put that challenging gameplay loop beside a world and story that are quite intriguing, and you’ve got the recipe for a title that lets you fully immerse yourself in its absurdity.

If you were a fan of the original title, you’re going to love this one. If you’re new to GRIME, strap in for a very entertaining romp through a world that’s spellbinding right from the get-go. Either way, this one’s worth your cash and the time and effort it takes to master all it has to offer. Its difficulty may look intimidating from the outside, but it shouldn’t put you off, because you’d be missing out on one of the more compelling RPGs in recent memory.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

The Star Force series has often been overlooked in favour of Battle Network, and the decision to bring all seven versions of its three instalments into one comprehensive package is definitely a clever one. But is that enough to make Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection worth its price tag? Let’s take a look at what works and what doesn’t.

"Coming to the games themselves, your mileage is going to vary depending on how nostalgic they feel to you."

Star Force is set around two hundred years after Battle Network, introducing Geo Stelar as a new protagonist and host for Omega-Xis, or “Mega” as it prefers to be called. Mega is an extraterrestrial being from a planet known as FM, which Geo’s father had previously attempted to establish friendly relations with. That resulted in his disappearance, leaving Geo devastated and withdrawn from the world around him as a result.

The first game wastes no time in getting Geo and Mega to combine, taking on the Mega Man mantle in the process. It’s an interesting story for those who never played the Star Force games back in the day, but by modern standards, it can feel dated enough to make you roll your eyes at times. Nevertheless, Geo’s story is a coming-of-age adventure spread across three games that’s probably the biggest draw on offer in this collection.

But looking at it as only three games might be doing this collection a disservice, since it’s actually three versions of the first game, and a couple of variants each for the second and third ones. Those variations come with their own unique cards, often tied to the versions released in different regions, so returning players who have a preference for one version over another should be pleased. However, if you’re looking for something drastically different from each one, you’re going to be disappointed.

Coming to the games themselves, your mileage is going to vary depending on how nostalgic they feel to you. They’re faithful recreations of the original games for the most part, quality-of-life changes notwithstanding. Battles feel smoother and faster than they did in Battle Network, while the simplified deck-building makes the action more immediately engaging

"The story is paced quite well across the three games, and the worldbuilding is consistent enough across them all to give Geo’s story the emotional weight it needs to click with those of you who aren’t familiar with it."

But that doesn’t stop the battles themselves from being far too simplistic and repetitive from a modern standpoint. While things do improve over the second and third titles, there was only so much grid-based fighting I could do before the entire thing got stale. It doesn’t help that the first two games require you to find a Grid Wave before you can Phase In to the FM World as Mega Man, which quickly becomes tedious. Thankfully, the third game addresses this.

The story is paced quite well across the three games, and the worldbuilding is consistent enough across them all to give Geo’s story the emotional weight it needs to click with those of you who aren’t familiar with it. His banter with his friends and Mega stands out, and there’s a charm to it all that’s quite light-hearted and fun.

As a package, the collection gets stronger from game to game, and the overall quality remains fairly consistent throughout. I do wish the developer had included an option to skip tutorials in each game, because clicking through the same speech bubbles every time a character walks you through combat or other systems gets tedious fast.

All of what I’ve said thus far holds true for the original versions of each title, but this collection brings a few new additions to the table. Autosaving is quite nifty, as is the ability to pan your camera when you’re out in the game’s world. It can be quite helpful when you’re looking for an objective, and it definitely served me well during my time with Geo.

"Since Star Force was originally released on the DS, getting to play these titles on a PS5 was certainly novel."

The option to adjust the game’s speed, tweak encounter frequency, and recover lost HP after fights are all welcome additions. However, with the combat being as simple as it is, and a generous amount of recovery cards showing up during fights, that last one isn’t really a necessity. It’s still nice to have, as is the option to increase the amount of Zeni earned after each battle. That makes it easier to collect more cards, and can perhaps stave off boredom with the combat system to a large extent.

You also get the option to adjust the amount of damage your enemies get to do, as well as another one to guarantee an escape for rare occasions when you’re on the losing end of a fight. Once again, I didn’t find any need to use them for the most part, but they are thoughtful additions that make the package more accommodating.

I’d say that all of these upgrades are respectful to the original games, making them more palatable to both newcomers and veterans who are playing them for the story. That said, all three games are easy enough that most experienced players probably won’t need these options in the first place.

Since Star Force was originally released on the DS, getting to play these titles on a PS5 was certainly novel. However, the way the two-screen setup is implemented did force me to sit closer to my TV to clearly make out what was happening on the smaller screen. The customizable screen layouts don’t really help, but the option to tweak the experience to your liking is always welcome.

The menus are perfectly serviceable, the text is clear and readable, and I didn’t really miss the DS touchscreen while navigating them. However, I can see how players used to the original versions might find this one a tad frustrating, but I’d say it just takes some getting used to.

"Performance on a base PS5 was solid throughout, with a stable image, fast load times, and smooth gameplay across all three titles."

As far as extras go, this one brings a ton of artwork and soundtracks, battle card archives, and other goodies to the table that you may or may not appreciate based on how invested you are in the Mega Man franchise and its lore. If you are someone with only a passing interest in the character over the years, they wont entice you enough to give that part of the collection more than a second glance. Still, the extras themselves are well presented, for what that’s worth.

While I couldn’t test the collection’s online functionality, the lack of cross-platform support is disappointing, especially for a release spread across both current and last-gen systems. Performance on a base PS5 was solid throughout, with a stable image, fast load times, and smooth gameplay across all three titles. Considering their simplicity and lower resource-intensiveness, that isn’t really a surprise.

However, I did come across instances where I could not progress past a dialogue box, requiring a restart of the game and a tedious amount of clicking through the same conversations before I could continue. It happened often enough across all three titles to become a real annoyance.

"If you’re looking for a simple, fun experience for kids on your consoles, this one’s definitely worth looking into."

With all of what I’ve said up until this point, you might be wondering if the Star Force Legacy Collection is something I’d recommend to you. Well, if you’re a die-hard fan of Mega Man, and you’re looking to collect all of the games in this subseries, this one’s for you. But for everybody else, there may not be enough here to justify the asking price.

The deliciously retro look and feel of it all, along with the nostalgia that Geo’s story evokes, aren’t going to be enough to keep you invested in it from start to finish. However, if you’re looking for a simple, fun experience for kids on your consoles, this one’s definitely worth looking into. But as an adult, I found myself drifting off far too often for this one to be a first-day purchase. I’d recommend waiting for a sale.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

"The story is largely told through conversations Dakota has with herself, both through dialogue during gameplay and through the notes she writes in her journal."

The main story of Project Songbird is a personal one. Protagonist Dakota, a musician performing under the stage name Neon Songbird, has been suffering from writer’s block after her last musical release failed to see any critical or commercial success. At the recommendation of her friend and record label executive, Rob, Dakota decides to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of Pittsburgh, and retreats to a remote cabin in the Appalachian woods, largely cut off from the outside world thanks to a large body of water and the complete lack of mobile reception. Over the course of a month in the cabin, Dakota must rediscover her creative spark and put together a new album that she hopes will reconnect with both critics and her fans.

The story is largely told through conversations Dakota has with herself, both through dialogue during gameplay and through the notes she writes in her journal. Project Songbird also makes strong use of environmental storytelling. Just about everything you find during exploration, from a small cove of beautiful flowers to a strange easel in an open field, has at least some relevance to Dakota’s emotional and physical journey. Notes scattered throughout the game range from warnings not to go near a creepy remote location to apocalyptic logs left by someone who may have met a gruesome fate in the area.

"Dakota decides to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of Pittsburgh, and retreats to a remote cabin in the Appalachian woods, largely cut off from the outside world"

Project Songbird’s story is surprisingly refreshing because its stakes remain personal rather than world-ending. There is no larger threat to the world that can only be stopped by Dakota and her shotgun. Rather, it is an emotional journey for the character, which you get to guide her through since you also get to play a role in the kind of music she can create. The story is elevated by Valerie Rose Lohman’s strong lead performance (whose previous credit includes What Remains of Edith Finch). The supporting cast is also quite good, with characters voiced by Maddy Murphy, Aleks Le, Jonah Scott, and even director Conner Rush.

Visually, Project Songbird definitely has its moments of utter beauty. There are wonderful little tableaus just about everywhere you look, from the dense forests you start out in as you walk towards the cabin, to even just the interiors of the tiny little cabin itself, with all of Dakota’s instruments and recording equipment lying around. There is also plenty of visual variety on display, from dilapidated buildings to dim underground corridors. Some of the more surreal scenes have also been wonderfully directed, with one of my favorites being when I found a door to nowhere on some rocks.

The fact that it doesn’t put all of its eggs in the photorealism basket also helps. Instead, Project Songbird focuses on a more stylistic look, with a warmly saturated palette in its early hours before dipping into cooler tones as things start getting creepier.

"Visually, Project Songbird definitely has its moments of utter beauty."

Unfortunately, while its visual style is great, its technical shortcomings do reveal its small-scale indie roots and likely limited budget. For this review, I played through it on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM, and a Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU. With all the graphical settings maxed out and the resolution at 2560×1440, I was easily able to hit my display’s frame rate limit of 144 FPS. However, there were also plenty of moments where I experienced hitching and dropped frames. This seemed to happen mainly during traversal, suggesting some streaming issues as new parts of the world loaded in. There is also noticeable pop-in, especially in the foliage and some textures.

Project Songbird isn’t an overly complex game. You won’t find much in the way of complicated stealth mechanics or inventory management that survival horror games often feature as key aspects of their game design. Rather, Project Songbird likes to keep things simple. Much of the gameplay revolves around walking around the beautiful world and interacting with various objects to solve simple puzzles. Along the way, you might end up coming face to face with surreal visuals or horrifying creatures, which you will then have to deal with using your weapon of choice.

It is also an incredibly short experience, with a runtime of around 5 hours, potentially more if you have trouble with some of the game’s puzzles. While the simplicity of gameplay goes a long way in keeping you engaged with the story and world, there is unfortunately very little real depth. Even the game’s combat is simply a matter of pointing your gun at an enemy and pulling the trigger, while backpedaling to maintain distance from enemies.

"You won’t find much in the way of complicated stealth mechanics or inventory management that survival horror games often feature as key aspects of their game design."

While combat is simple, the exploration aspects of Project Songbird have more going on. Sure, you can simply ignore most of your surroundings as you rush your way through the story, only catching the major narrative beats. However, two of the tools Dakota is equipped with right from the beginning are a camera and a sound recorder. The former has more utility, allowing you to capture important scenes that you can look back at. The latter, on the other hand, is a lot more interesting. During exploration, you might hear a beep. This is an indicator that there is an interesting sound that can be recorded. Any of these recorded sounds can later be used while creating new music, adding more depth to the album that Dakota is trying to record.

All in all, Project Songbird doesn’t ask too much of its players; it’s a short experience that focuses more on slow-burn atmosphere-setting than throwing jumpscares at you all the time. Combined with the fact that combat and exploration are both fairly simple, that makes it an easy horror game to recommend to genre fans. The technical issues that do exist are minor in the grand scheme of things, and even the occasional dip in the frame rate doesn’t have much impact since this isn’t exactly a combat-centric game.

Dakota’s journey through writer’s block is handled well, and the themes of this narrative will likely resonate with many players, even if they might not be musicians themselves. Pairing this with strong performances by a phenomenal cast of voice actors and the relatively short runtime makes Project Songbird a great way to spend some time on a weekend.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Yes, I know other arcade racers have attempted such control schemes before; 2020’s Inertial Drift, for instance, already embraces twin-stick driving, but having not played it before I wasn’t primed. Shmups and other twin-stick shooters I have played copiously, but their training was no help here. No, Screamer feels a different beast entirely. The best way I can sum up its unfamiliarity is to ask you to imagine writing with your non-dominant hand: see, you know how pens work, and you might be able to grasp firm enough to put ink to paper, but the lines and squiggles that emerge aren’t your usual handwriting.

"Braking is ultra-sensitive. The slightest tap slows you enough to slide through almost any turn, whilst drifting, especially, needs only the deftest tilt of the thumbstick."

Thankfully, Screamer’s racing lines do become deliberate with practice (something that my left hand and a pen will probably never attain). Despite its unorthodox controls, Screamer shares common ground with any of your go-to arcade racers: pre-corner positioning, timing, and maintaining flow reveal themselves as you grow accustomed to your car’s particular brand of handling. Layer on boosts, perfect shifts, strikes, and other character-specific actions, and what initially felt clumsy transforms into one of the most mechanically involved racers I can recall.

Certainly, at first, Screamer’s vehicles feel heavy, powerful, and planted, like sci-fi muscle cars more than precisely tuned track weapons. This physicality only adds to the friction. Early on, I felt like machine and I were wrestling, with neither able to get a foothold over the other. But, after burning through the miles in Screamer’s numerous arcade modes I was surprised, actually, when I realised that these vehicles should be handled with finesse, not brute force.

Braking is ultra-sensitive. The slightest tap slows you enough to slide through almost any turn, whilst drifting, especially, needs only the deftest tilt of the thumbstick. Its sensitivity means that it’s often only feasible once a corner’s apex is passed, depending on your approach speed, trajectory, the width of the curve, tightness of its angle, and so on. Unwielding controls and my constant over-corrections gradually faded. Blasting through the unobstructed roads of Time Attacks and Checkpoint Challenges, eventually I found expressive driving. Drifts began to flow through sequences of corners, blending into one fluid, satisfying movement.

"Using Sync generates Entropy, which is your car’s fighting aggression and defence."

But, in Screamer, races aren’t just about clean lines. Upshifting gives driving a rhythmic pulse, where tapping the left shoulder button just as your tachometer hits the required RPM gives your engine a momentary push. Generous timing windows and clear visual cues signal the optimal moment to switch gears, alongside reinforcing controller vibration that makes it easy to keep focus on the road.

Crucially, the game avoids punishing mistakes too harshly, with early upshifts not killing your momentum outright; only denying you the micro-boost. This is a small, but important, distinction, and one I appreciated the developers for. See, while flow, fluidity, and momentum are achievable on isolated circuits, chaotic races make chasing perfection near-impossible.

Now, this isn’t a negative. I embrace the chaos. I’m just pointing out that the freneticness of Screamer’s wheel-to-wheel combat makes pre-corner positioning, apex kissing, and perfect drifts secondary to survival. In fact, upshifting became the only mechanic I was able to execute with consistently.

And that’s just as well: see, each of Screamer’s vehicles is outfitted with an Echo device, a futuristic contraption which gathers charge to be spent on two intertwined resources: Sync and Entropy. It’ll fill independently through collision-less driving and timely upshifts, with your Sync able to execute Boosts and Perfect Boosts, the latter a slightly more difficult version which relies on releasing its input command after a specific duration.

Using Sync generates Entropy, which is your car’s fighting aggression and defence. The Strike system slams you into opponents, blowing their chassis into flaming pieces. Overdrive transforms your car into a rocket ship, blasting any foe whilst keeping you momentarily invulnerable.

"Screamer’s story mode is where the game’s anime inspiration comes to the fore, where high-speed clashes within a dangerous tournament are framed within themes of revenge, rivalry, and corporate espionage."

When you’re in control of these systems, it feels great. A well-timed hit can swing momentum in your favour. The problem is that this sense of control is inconsistent. Opponent strikes can be difficult to anticipate, often arriving with little room to react, making certain collisions feel less like tactical plays and more like unavoidable setbacks.

Combined with the game’s lack of rubber banding, then falling behind can quickly become an unrecoverable struggle. Even if Sync generation increases when you’re further down the order, allowing more frequent boosts, its impact during the heat of battle is difficult to assess (on balanced difficulty, at least). The result: Screamer’s combat adds excitement and unpredictability, but occasionally at the cost of fairness, especially when you’re limping at the back of the field through no fault of your own.

Beyond the standard Arcade modes already mentioned, Score Challenge and Team Races highlight a couple of Screamer’s other imbalances. The former is one of the primary avenues for unlocking customisation options, where team “members” are pitted against “leaders”, highlighting a clear disparity between vehicle performance, where leader cars are noticeably faster and more competitive. Using member cars in this mode can feel like an uphill battle, creating a progression loop that feels needlessly punishing unless difficulty is lowered.

Team Races, meanwhile, hint at hidden strategic layers but they never quite materialise. The idea is that teammates balance aggression with track position, but the reality is too disorderly. With so much happening at once, it is difficult to influence outcomes beyond simply racing as destructively as possible and finishing highly. In practice, Team Races function the same as Free For All’s, just with more setup for the same payoff.

Screamer’s story mode is where the game’s anime inspiration comes to the fore, where high-speed clashes within a dangerous tournament are framed within themes of revenge, rivalry, and corporate espionage. Structurally, it unfolds through bitesize, episodic chapters which introduce the various teams, their motivations, and disquiet simmering within their ranks. There’s a clear attempt at building a cohesive world here, and it broadly works. The overarching narrative flows purposely, with intrigue steadily building the more each team’s backstory overlaps.

"Similarly, performance is solid, running smoothly and consistently on base PS5 amid the high-speed, effects-heavy racing."

My issue lies in its pacing. Early chapters are particularly staccato, packed with exposition and explanation with pockets of on-track action acting as punctuation rather than defining moments. Likewise, character work shows an unevenness. With the exception of fiery Róisín, whose strong motivation is elevated by memorable voice acting, each character failed to leave an impression on me. There are hints of grounded emotional arcs – Gabriel, in particular, begins to show flashes of familial burden – but much of the cast remains underdeveloped. There’s undeniable ambition here, but the presentation is too sluggish for the racing which surrounds it.

Visually, however, Screamer impressed me more than its pre-release footage suggested. Its neon-lit cityscapes, reflective surfaces, and bold contrasts give races a striking sense of atmosphere. The cars themselves range from pristine, kitted-out cyberpunk cruisers to weathered grand tourers, distinguishing the identity of each vehicle and its racer.

Similarly, performance is solid, running smoothly and consistently on base PS5 amid the high-speed, effects-heavy racing. This is something we’ve come to expect from Milestone and their prowess for optimisation. Another area the studio usually excels is sound design, yet it is a slight letdown here. Engine notes lack the raw aggression that the cars’ outlandish designs promise, creating a small but noticeable disparity between how these cars look and how they sound.

Ultimately, Screamer is defined as an arcade racer willing to take risks. Whilst initially awkward, and admittedly tiring on the hands during long sessions, its twin-stick driving is rewarding once mastered. The games supporting mechanics are deep, and while not always as strategic as they suggest, they bring an engaging loop beyond sprinting to the finish line. Issues with balance, progression, and an uneven story detract from the racing’s intensity, but overall the game’s strengths outweigh its drawbacks.

There’s something undeniably compelling here. Screamer is a racer which might not reinvent the wheel, but it stands out precisely because it dares to try.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

"On the base PS5, I didn’t encounter any of the bugs or glitches that the developer had already flagged during my time with it, and there were no game-breaking bugs to pull me out of the experience."

I say a month because this one’s massive. I’ve been amazed by just how much there is to do in Crimson Desert, and how well most of it is integrated into the gameplay and your character’s progression loop. Its systems come together to present an open world that’s able to respond to your presence well enough to make you feel like your actions are having a positive impact on the regions you’re working to assist.

Before getting into the gameplay details, I want to quickly touch on how the game performs on PS5 and PS5 Pro. Both versions offer three graphical modes: Performance, Quality, and Balanced. On the base PS5, frame rate is generally solid, though there are reports of the game struggling to maintain a stable 60 FPS in Performance mode. By comparison, Balanced mode, which targets 40 FPS, and Quality mode, which targets 30 FPS, appear to be far more consistent.

Furthermore, there is a lot of pop-in as you explore the world. On the base PS5, I didn’t encounter any of the bugs or glitches that the developer had already flagged during my time with it, and there were no game-breaking bugs to pull me out of the experience. The PS5 Pro version, however, crashed once.

On the PS5 Pro, however, the game performs strongly across all three modes. Quality mode delivers 4K visuals at a stable 30 FPS, Balanced mode runs at around 40 FPS, and Performance mode is noticeably more reliable than it is on the base PS5. Overall, the base PS5 version could still use a few performance patches, while the PS5 Pro version already feels rock solid.

"The story’s opening act requires you to just suspend your disbelief and roll with it, which is a recurring theme during my time with Crimson Desert."

Back to the game itself, Kliff initially feels like an interesting protagonist, but as the story progresses, his characterization starts to come across as a bit bland. I’m a little iffy about how the game introduces you to him, though, and that’s a detail that I’m going to elaborate on in a bit. The game starts with the Greymanes unable to fend off an ambush from the Black Bears and their leader, and Kliff ends up thrown into a river with an injury that should have been fatal.

Instead, we’re treated to a tutorial sequence in The Abyss before he’s unceremoniously thrust back into the world, seemingly hale and healthy when you think about the circumstances that put him there. He’s then free to explore Pywel, going wherever we wish to right off the bat. The story’s opening act requires you to just suspend your disbelief and roll with it, which is a recurring theme during my time with Crimson Desert.

It’s largely serviceable, but it’s simply an excuse to put Kliff in dangerous situations, or send him on yet another quest where he may or may not find even more danger along the way. It’s designed to send you off into Pywel’s vast landscapes, and the game is invariably going to have you forgetting your objectives as you go after one of many distractions that pop up along the road.

That’s Crimson Desert’s greatest strength, the world being a major draw that allows you to overlook a rather lackluster story that takes its time to get going. Its pacing isn’t helped by the fact that you’re going to be coming back to it after hours of just exploring the area around your objectives, and it often leads to a few places where its immersion breaks thanks to you discovering something that the story didn’t intend for you to find.

"The sheer amount of things to do is staggering, and you’re going to be hard-pressed to find instances where things get repetitive for the most part."

For instance, rumors of a Greymane in an area had me making a beeline for their last known location. I found the individual in question, even assisting them on a mission. However, the story mission that followed had an NPC mention the same individual, only for Kliff to remain silent about the time he had just spent with them.

I’d have loved a bit of adaptability in that instance, especially since another NPC whom I helped on a separate quest later turned up at a guest house, proudly boasting of his meeting with the Greymane who had helped out its denizens. And yet, he failed to even acknowledge me, even though I positioned myself right in front of him. Details like that matter in an open world, and it did break the immersion for me a little bit.

Those are minor complaints in a gameplay loop that keeps finding new ways to surprise you as you discover new areas. It’s clear that Crimson Desert is a title that’s meant to be played at your own pace and on your own terms once you get the hang of its controls and systems. The sheer amount of things to do is staggering, and you’re going to be hard-pressed to find instances where things get repetitive for the most part.

Another area where the game excels was the combat, which is clunky and annoying in the game’s early hours thanks to a limited skill set and an often overwhelming number of enemies to keep track of. You’re going to want to stock up on food before you take on an enemy stronghold, as this is a game where you take as many hits as you dish out.

"If you’re a player who’s short on time or someone who is looking for a well-written story, you’re probably going to want to sit this one out"

However, things get exponentially better once you start unlocking new abilities and learn to use them effectively. Kliff’s a versatile warrior, and he only gets deadlier the more options you give him to use in the field. The majority of the boss fights are exhilarating, but some of them are a letdown, often devolving into protracted battles where the amount of healing supplies you’re carrying matters more than the effective use of your skills. That’s a shame, considering the bosses I’ve seen are well-designed and unique enough to be interesting.

To conclude, with a world that feels tailor-made for open-world fans, strong visuals, and solid combat, Crimson Desert is easy to recommend, even if it still needs a bit more polish to truly shine. It is absolutely worth the time and effort it asks of you, and I would even place it among my favorite open-world games.

But is it the one for you? That depends on how much of its world you’re willing to engage with. If you’re a player who’s short on time or someone who is looking for a well-written story, you’re probably going to want to sit this one out. But if you’ve got time on your hands, and the patience to learn how to make the most out of the game’s many systems and mechanics, you should dive right in without a second thought.

Either way, Crimson Desert is a solid game whose quirks only make it more endearing to the players most likely to click with it. It’s one that I’m going to be talking about in the future, and is going to be a source of many fond memories for players who stay with it long enough.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

A keen eye on the numbers underlines the sport’s psychological battle, with the face-off between pitcher and batter its epicentre. So, when we say MLB The Show isn’t like other sports sims, it’s because it must do two things: simulate baseball’s moment-to-moment action with precision whilst feeding you streams of data – stats, rates, attributes; continually engaging, page after page.

MLB The Show is a gold-standard baseball sim, with this year’s entry capturing the sport’s rhythm, complexity, and tactical depth through rejuvenated stat delivery. For batters, real-world pitch usage rates yield information you can take straight to the plate, while fielder reaction times are now digestible via a suite of new attributes. Support comes from expanded match day coverage and an abundance of all-new on-field animations – over 500, to be exact. The result is a package that remains one of the most authentic sports simulations available, even if some additions feel evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

"Among the new hitting interfaces is Fixed Zone Hitting, which prevents the Plate Coverage Indicator – the PCI – from resetting after releasing the analog stick."

Still, the defining strength of MLB The Show is its ability to capture baseball’s fundamental mind game. Every at-bat is a strategic battle of prediction, timing, and patience, with MLB The Show 26 continuing to emphasise the count’s dynamic moments.

When you’re batting, CPU pitchers will mix up their throws with convincing intelligence. Fastballs often establish the early rhythm, while sliders, sinkers, and off-speed fastball variants arrive to disrupt timing. Over the course of several exhibition matches, I noticed that the CPU was able to adapt its approach, occasionally establishing patterns before swiftly subverting my expectations. On one occasion, after two pitches landed on the left-side of the zone, a third delivery appeared headed for the right. I was anticipating this, but my swing was still ill-advised. The ball broke into a slider, veering wide of the plate. A little more discipline and I could have turned the tide in that particular war. Instead, momentum didn’t shift. I was out.

This moment illustrates how MLB The Show 26 can replicate the tension at the plate, with the pitcher’s confidence gauge playing a major role. See, confident pitchers locate the strike zone with greater consistency, while struggling pitchers scatter their throws more erratically (an effect I experienced many times when, after what I believed was perfect placement, I saw my pitch curve wide of the zone through low confidence). If the batter takes these balls – as in, lets them fly past without swinging wildly – then a pitcher’s confidence noticeably drops, creating opportunities for mistakes that skilled batters can exploit.

Hitting remains the game’s most demanding aspect. Timing, pitch recognition, and placement – alongside various batter attributes – all combine to determine the quality of contact. The sharp thwack of a perfectly timed hit is joyous to hear, but those moments occur infrequently making them feel earned and deeply satisfying when they do happen.

Among the new hitting interfaces is Fixed Zone Hitting, which prevents the Plate Coverage Indicator – the PCI – from resetting after releasing the analog stick. This experience makes Zone Hitting slightly more intuitive, with the extra swing control offered by either mode keeping this interface as the game’s most effective, although newcomers may find it intimidating.

More accessible is the newly introduced Big Zone Hitting interface, existing in a middle ground between Zone Hitting and directional or timing-based systems. Instead of precise PCI placement, Big Zone divides the plate into segments, allowing me to guide my swing toward a general area while focusing more heavily on my timing. See, with the strike zone visually separated, reading pitches became easier, and my attention shifted toward the crucial split-second decision of when to swing. Successful hits became more common, while leaving difficult pitches was more manageable.

"Bare Down Pitching puts your pitcher into boost mode, heightening senses to bring greater control and velocity in the biggest moments."

Ambush Hitting – introduced last year – also returns, where contact advantages can result from pre-selecting the correct half of the strike zone. In theory, this adds another layer of strategy or, at least, gives greater opportunity to break a pitcher’s flow. Yet, in practice, I felt my choice came down to educated guesswork rather than a readable tactical system. Later in my playthrough, as my confidence grew, I defaulted to always choosing the outside half of the zone anyway. That is where I most-consistently smacked the ball to an un-manned part of the field.

Real-world pitch history information is available through menus, and there’s lots of useful information within. At a glance, you’ll see which pitches your opposition favours in a given moment, which has more likelihood to be thrown if you’re in command of a right-handed batter, or the ranking of their pitch repertoire via their player card, and so on. It’s not an exact science – a pitcher who launches spinners four-percent of the time can still lob you the occasional spinner. Useful it may be, accessing it mid-game disrupted my flow. I’d much prefer referencing this information at the plate, especially during clutch moments.

And speaking of clutch, you’ve a new weapon to deploy at the mound. Bare Down Pitching puts your pitcher into boost mode, heightening senses to bring greater control and velocity in the biggest moments. And, depending on your pitcher’s clutch rating, you can stack Bare Down Pitches to use one after another. While sharp intakes of breath and tighter framing increase the drama, I rarely found this mechanic to be over-powered. In fact, batters often still dealt with my Bare Downs, if only to knock out foul balls and maintain the count.

Elsewhere, Road to the Show returns as the series’ flagship career mode. Partially rebranded to Road to Cooperstown, this iteration sees the early stages of your career expanded to include the final stretch of a high school season, with college scouts evaluating your performance.

"You’ll favour Franchise Mode if you’re the kind of player who prefers baseball’s strategic side, where long-term control over a team’s roster, finances, and trades coincide with the regular season."

Character customisation remains incredibly deep although, with the mode placing renewed energy on your individual progression to Hall of Fame status, it didn’t feel excessive. It was part of the journey, where goal-orientated progression revolves around performance grades, completing dynamic objectives, earning tokens to boost attributes, and unlocking perks. While the structure is easy to understand, progression pacing felt uneven early on, where an abundance of college offers came rolling in – along with an unexpected Blue Jays contract – despite, admittedly, a string of average performances. Still, the act of climbing the baseballing ladder is more compelling than ever.

Diamond Dynasty continues to serve the series’ live-service centrepiece, where you build custom teams through collectible player cards, completing challenges and events to strengthen your lineup. This year introduces a new Red Diamond rarity tier and expanded Parallel XP systems to allow greater stat customisation. While these additions deepen progression, the core appeal remains unchanged: quest for cards and reap the addictive thrill of ripping packs open and assembling your dream roster. Accessibility sliders are disabled in this mode to retain competitive balance, which makes the experience noticeably more challenging than exhibition play. For newer players, this might slow progression down to a frustrating grind.

You’ll favour Franchise Mode if you’re the kind of player who prefers baseball’s strategic side, where long-term control over a team’s roster, finances, and trades coincide with the regular season. The revamped Trade Hub provides a centralised interface for managing deals, alongside improved AI logic and a rumours system which hints at other teams’ needs across the league. This mode gives another example of MLB The Show 26’s ability to present an overwhelming amount of statistical data in simple structures. The Trade Hub’s layout tracked my thought process too; whether by design or coincidence, I found navigating through the various sub-menus fluid and frictionless.

Early on, I identified a lack of squad depth in first and third base positions, and there was a list of free agents easily accessible from this screen. After a quick browse, I opted to get the season underway instead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. occupies first base for my chosen team (again) the Toronto Blue Jays, and I figured he’d be a big injury loss whichever position he played. However, before starting the season proper, I located the “positions” tab on the Trade Hub and selected 1B and 3B as positions I’d like to prioritise for recruitment, the intention being that opportunities for trade would come my way rather than I sift through reams of 1B player stats.

"For beginners willing to embrace its difficulty, or seasoned veterans looking for a refined baseball experience, MLB The Show 26 remains the benchmark."

So, despite the managerial complexity, I was able to leverage a foothold. In Franchise Mode, evaluating roster strength and negotiating trades doesn’t demand expert baseballing knowledge, just a little patience. I only spent a couple of hours in this mode, but immediately I saw sandbox potential that would keep me satisfied throughout an entire season.

In summary, MLB The Show 26 isn’t a radical reinvention, but a continued effort to refine one of the most authentic sports simulations available. The famously steep learning curve persists, but once the mechanics click the essence of baseball reveals itself. Broadcast quality presentation, authentic, and varied, fielder animations – jump throws, slides, the odd fumble, even slowing to adjust footwork before throwing – plus hitting interfaces that bridge the gap between novice and expert, opportunities for deep, long-term experiences, and a true representation of baseball’s psychological warfare – the pitcher-batter mind game. All that’s critical is here.

Despite my usual gripes with the live-service loop (common in most modern sports sims, to be fair) MLB The Show 26 has very little superfluous fluff, and that’s including the smorgasbord of stats, abilities, gauges, attributes, form guides – numbers basically – that the game throws at you. For beginners willing to embrace its difficulty, or seasoned veterans looking for a refined baseball experience, MLB The Show 26 remains the benchmark.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.