It sometimes leans a bit too much into its influences, bringing with it its own set of platforming frustrations and technical issues, but when it all comes together, Motorslice offers an incredibly engaging experience that invokes some of the best games of all time but adds its own twists that make it memorable on its own.

Motorslice puts you in the shoes of P, a chainsaw-wielding Slicer sent with a simple mission to destroy every machine she encounters, alongside her friendly drone Orbie. It quickly becomes clear that the world has been taken over by evil construction equipment that range anywhere from tractors and loaders to massive bulldozers and motor graders, and the only way to save this world is to climb to the top of the megastructure controlling these machines and destroying everything in the way.

It’s a compelling if somewhat familiar setup that paves the way for platforming challenges and machine obliteration, and the construction environment gives the entire game the kind of lighthearted enjoyability that comes with battling 80-foot-tall excavators.

"The game does a fantastic job at teaching you its rules through a gradual build in each level and forces you to come to grips with each of its individual systems."

Where Motorslice defines itself is in its clear influence from a handful of beloved action-adventure games, most notably Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Shadow of the Colossus. Most of the game is centered around platforming challenges, separated into five checkpoints each for all of its 8 main chapters.

These task you with wall-running, precision jumping, and climbing your way over and up various obstacles as you make your way to the top of the megastructure, and they increase in difficulty as you near the apex of the tower. The magnetic platforming and linear level design here highlight the admiration for The Sands of Time, and the platforming has built on that foundation to make what is a largely recognizable but nevertheless satisfying experience.

The game does a fantastic job at teaching you its rules through a gradual build in each level and forces you to come to grips with each of its individual systems. What starts as wall-running down straight corridors evolves into scaling massive moving machines and often keeping your feet off the ground for extended periods at a time. You can also challenge yourself with more obscure challenges to obtain Orb Drones, and while these don’t offer much aside from a collectible, the platforming challenges they offer are another way that it allows you to hone and show off your skills.

The platforming feels great most of the time, but in some ways it also takes some of the quirks and frustrations of its influences as well. It can often be immediately unclear which direction you’re meant to go, and because this is a game where platforming and movement are king, it can be a drag to spend time away from that while trying to eyeball the path forward. The platforming, too, can be finnicky, especially in the late game where precision is amplified and mistakes are punished.

You never quite know which direction P is going to jump when coming off a wall or whether she will jump straight up a wall or begin wall-running, nor is it always clear which platforms are reachable from a certain spot. Some of this encourages trial and error throughout each level, but as the levels get longer and retries become more arduous, the frustration that comes from seeming inconsistencies in the platforming logic grows. Add on top of this controls that can sometimes feel non-responsive, such as when you’re repeatedly wall-jumping, and there are certain moments where the platforming can feel more disheartening than satisfying.

Alongside the traditional platforming, Motorslice introduces its new titular mechanic as another way to quickly get around and frequently get past certain obstacles. Through this mechanic, P uses her chainsaw to cut up or across heavily delineated pieces of certain walls and traverse larger obstacles. This also provides for an additional wrinkle to platforming challenges, as P will often need to combine traditional platforming with motorslices to get past particularly long sequences. As a novel mechanic, this works for most of its usage but creates some of its own frustrations. In particular, the way that you initiate motorslicing is by holding attack while facing toward or to the side of a wall that can be sliced.

"Where motorslicing becomes most important, though, is in combat, especially in boss fights."

If you face toward the wall, you slice up, and if you face to the side, you slice sideways in that direction. This is intuitive enough and gets more natural as the game progresses, but the game does not allow you to switch directions easily despite having numerous challenges built around going both up and to the side without touching the ground, meaning that you have to let go and switch the direction P is facing in mid-air. When it works, it’s incredibly satisfying, but too frequently I found myself slicing in the wrong direction or falling off the wall entirely while doing these challenges.

Where motorslicing becomes most important, though, is in combat, especially in boss fights. Outside of bosses, combat primarily consists of fighting packs of grunt-like loaders and drones, most of which can be killed in one or two hits.

There’s a parry system and a charged attack on top of your normal attack, though aside from drones that can only be killed by parrying their projectiles back to them, I rarely found myself having to use any of my special abilities and never really struggled to progress through these combat sections.

"The health bar represents the sections of the boss you need to slice through, and only once you’ve hit each section does the boss go down."

The bosses, however, are an entirely different beast. Each chapter greets you with a shot of a massive machine in the distance, and all of your traversal is in service of reaching this machine and ultimately destroying it. With these bosses, Motorslice takes a clear cue from Shadow of the Colossus, as each boss is less of a combat challenge and more of a puzzle in which you have to motorslice your way up and around the boss until it’s destroyed.

The health bar represents the sections of the boss you need to slice through, and only once you’ve hit each section does the boss go down. Bosses are an impressive feat of scale, and ascending them is often just as much about solving how to get the boss to the ground as it is about execution. I found these bosses to be the most interesting and memorable aspects of Motorslice, if only because of the impressive scale. They’re not particularly difficult, though I did find myself using the in-game hints in the final few chapters, but these are more about the frequently astonishing visual feast that you can experience while the camera zooms out and you take down colossus-style heavy machinery.

Intertwined between each chapter is a lightly-told but intriguing narrative that centers around P and Orbie learning more about the structure they’re scaling and the nature of the machines they’re destroying. It’s largely told through intermittent periods of slacking off where the two of them discuss their purpose and how they relate to the machines, and it’s almost entirely skippable if you only want to experience the gameplay.

"Visually, Motorslice excels with a distinct art style and color palette despite often being drenched in the classic construction browns and yellows."

While the story isn’t outstanding for this type of setting, it adequately sets the tone for the rest of the gameplay and offers some questions about why we’re fighting these machines and what they actually want, and P’s writing and voice acting provide enough charm that I found myself wanting to hear her inner monologue.

Visually, Motorslice excels with a distinct art style and color palette despite often being drenched in the classic construction browns and yellows. The core visual feature, though, is its sense of scale through both bosses and large scalable or sliceable walls. It’s frequently awe-inspiring when it zooms out and shows you everything you’re conquering, and the stellar lo-fi score often kicks in at the perfect moments to round out the entire experience.

It’s a shame, then, that there are a number of technical problems at launch. I had around half a dozen crashes as well as a number of moments where I was sent through the floor or into an altogether unknown location, and a signature experience of my playthrough was the game soft-locking by sending me into an unknown level without a path forward and requiring me to reinstall the game and delete all save data. The developers have promised a day one patch and additional support after launch, and because of how smooth the experience is when it runs well, I hope these bugs are quickly resolved.

"The titular mechanic enables a new wrinkle to classic platforming challenges, and the game excels in its sense of scale, particularly when solving and taking down its impressively large bosses. "

While much of the experience will feel familiar for fans of old-school 3D platforming adventures like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the bosses take clear cues from Shadow of the Colossus, Motorslice manages to put them together in a package that feels familiar but fresh.

The titular mechanic enables a new wrinkle to classic platforming challenges, and the game excels in its sense of scale, particularly when solving and taking down its impressively large bosses. It’s not perfect, as its controls and inconsistencies can cause some extended periods of frustration, but it succeeds for a game that is evidently attempting to recapture and bring forward the magic of some of the most important games of all time.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Forza Horizon 6

Almost five years since we bade farewell to the Horizon Festival, but this time it returns in perhaps the most anticipated location in the series – Japan. Relaxing drives through avenues of Sakura trees in Spring, frenetic Touge battles down winding mountain roads, or just hanging out at Daikoku, showing off your vehicle to all and sundry – that’s only the start. Forza Horizon 6 offers two major avenues to cement your legacy – exploration, gradually defogging Japan and discovering Aftermarket Cars, or racing through the ranks to become a Horizon Legend. Beyond everything else, however, it’s your journey. Fill up the scrapbook with memories. Outfit your garage and build out a base. The choice is yours when it launches on May 19th for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Directive 8020

Say what you will about The Thing, but it reinforced a deep space fear that continues to resonate through gaming – that someone on your crew isn’t who you think they are. Cue Directive 8020 from Supermassive Games, which focuses on the colony ship Cassiopeia as it crashlands on Tau Ceti f. But things take a turn when a horrifying shapeshifting organism begins hunting the crew. Compared to previous Dark Pictures entries, there’s a bigger focus on stealth and combat, not to mention carefully discerning who’s who. Don’t worry if you choose wrong, though, since Turning Points offers a do-over. Directive 8020 launches on May 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5, and after such a long wait, we’re ready to be terrified.

MOTORSLICE

Between monsters, robots, zombies and everything in between, who would have thought that construction equipment could be a threat? That’s the premise of MOTORSLICE, which is all about P and her chainsaw-wielding, parkouring self as she battles these massive threats in a post-apocalyptic world. But then there’s the megastructure – a winding, brutalist space that goes on forever. With its minimalistic art style and unorthodox premise, MOTORSLICE could serve up some hack-and-slash platforming goodness when it launches on May 5th.

WILL: Follow The Light

Unreal Engine 5 and adventure games go together about as well as…just about any other genre, honestly, but WILL: Follow the Light has a different aura about it. In a way, it reminds us of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter with its atmosphere, except you’re controlling a father who embarks on a journey to return home and find his son. It’s a tough task, especially when traversing by sea, crossing mountains and confronting the ghosts of the past. Maybe it could be a dark horse in gorgeous narrative adventures. Maybe not. Either way, we’ll find out on May 7th.

Luna Abyss

A game after my own bullet hell-loving heart, Kwalee Labs’ first-person shooter sees you banished to prison on Luna and tasked to venture into the Abyss for some “forgotten technology.” Enter the cosmic horrors, which aren’t known for being deep sleepers (or quiet dreamers), unfortunately, and you’ll have to slowly unravel the mystery of Greymont, clinging onto sanity the entire time. Having thoroughly enjoyed Saros and Metal Eden, I’m keen on diving into Luna Abyss and its crimson-tinged interiors when it launches on May 21st for PC.

Bubsy 4D

Bubsy is officially back, and no one is safe. Launching on May 22nd across every platform, Bubsy 4D sees the orange furball embarking on a new 3D adventure across 15 new levels. And it looks…not bad? Pretty sleek even, right down to the legally distinct “rolling around at the speed of sound” ability. While the prospect of the game as a metacommentary on Bubsy’s reputation is interesting enough, this looks like a genuinely compelling 3D platformer. Color us intrigued, if nothing else.

007 First Light

You only live twice, as a world-famous 00 agent once said, and thanks to IO Interactive, we’ll have the opportunity to look at death through the eyes of a younger, brasher, less cynical James Bond. First Light sees him enter MI6 to earn 00 status, but amid the charming arrogance is a desire to prove himself, and maybe surpass his limits. The building blocks of Hitman are all here – exquisite sandbox environments with numerous opportunities for stealth – but Bond goes beyond Agent 47’s capabilities in every way you’d expect. Parkour, sneaking, bluffing his way past guards and staff, clever usage of Q’s gadgets – and when “license to kill” is active, gunning down anyone that stands in his way with an array of weaponry and CQC tactics. And just straight up throwing empty guns at an enemy’s face. All’s fair in the world of super spies when 007 First Light launches on May 27th.

Thick as Thieves

A new stealth game from Warren Spector and Paul Neurath, whose credits include Deus Ex and Thief, respectively? Say less. Its alternate-history 1910s city and procedurally generated mission layout, which encourages quick thinking and improvisation, initially left us skeptical due to the PvEvP element. But that’s been changed to focus more on single-player and co-op, delivering an experience befitting the Thief legacy, as you hone your skills to become a legend in the business. Thick as Thieves is available on May 20th for PC.

Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core

Have you ever seen all the Deep Rock Galactic praise, heard all the calls of “rock and stone,” but could still never really get into it? Maybe a roguelite spin-off will do the trick. Entering early access on May 20th, Rogue Core focuses on the Reclaimers squad, which the Company calls in when there are some serious threats. In every run, you’ll need to make use of any weapons along the way while battling the Core Spawn and improving your skills. With how much work has gone on since its October 2023 announcement, one can only hope that Rogue Core lives up to the original’s brilliance.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book

Nintendo hasn’t necessarily managed to recreate the magic of Yoshi’s Island, but the Mysterious Book could be a cosy, easy-breezy platformer, much like Yoshi’s Crafted World. The premise this time involves venturing through the pages of Mr E, where Yoshi meets different creatures. Harness their abilities on top of the usual gliding, egg-hurling, and sprinting that the series is known for, and voila (hopefully). Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches on May 21st, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Freshen up on your knowledge of the Dark Knight because Batman returns to the video game world on May 22nd. Granted, it’s in LEGO form, but Legacy of the Dark Knight is going out of its way to pull from every single piece of Batman media in existence, from multiple Batmobile types to the bizarre Batmite outfit. If that vast open-world of Gotham, coupled with the Arkham series’ Free Flow combat, wasn’t enough, there are seven other characters, including Catwoman, Nightwing, Robin and more to play as.

ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

Yes, it’s not exactly all that appealing considering the whole ZA/UM business and how the original Disco Elysium creators were ousted. There’s really no getting around that particular detail. Still, if you’re in the mood for something in the same vein, albeit with an espionage bent and exerting yourself as operant Hershel Wilke, caught up in a conflict between three factions, Zero Parades may suffice when it launches on May 21st for PC.

Better Than Dead

Bodycam first-person shooters are no longer all that new as a concept, but embarking on a quest for vengeance in Hong Kong, hunting down targets while ensuring no one ends up like you? That immediately skyrockets Better Than Dead for us, and the obvious influence of old-school Hong Kong action films just adds that extra bit of hard-boiled grit. It enters early access for PC on May 12th.

Dark Light: Survivor

You’ve swapped between first and third person in Resident Evil Requiem, but how about top-down and third-person (or even between realistic and pixel-like visuals)? That’s one of the many quirks of Dark Light: Survivor, a roguelike survival where you venture on the Phantom Train, venturing through a terrifying multiverse, gathering resources to keep the engine running. Two maps are available when early access launches on May 15th alongside Artifacts, persistent upgrades, weapons, and more. It may be all about the destination, but right now, the journey of Dark Light: Survivor is shaping up into something intriguing.

Withering Realms

From the developer behind the unsettling Withering Rooms comes Withering Realms, where you control a creepy doll ferrying a ghost, as they venture through Penwyll – a town where surely nothing horrible resides. “Bloodborne” is obviously the first influence to come to mind, but the hack and slash action, perspective, and visuals lend an almost Nightmare Creatures vibe to it all. Withering Realms launches into early access in May, and, surprisingly, will be playable from start to finish with plans for 1.0 to launch later this year.