Game Reviews

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Rune Factory 5, Switch Review

Full disclosure: I’ve not played any previous Rune Factory games.

I’ve read that they employed a top-down view and that this is the first time RF has moved to 3D. I like Harvest Moon and I’ve played a bit of Stardew Valley, so I’m familiar with the idea of a farm/village sim.

I was keen to check out how Rune Factory 5 also brings monster fighting into the mix.

A review code was supplied for this coverage

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Weird West, review

Weird West is truly is a weird one. Ostensibly a Western, yet nary a gee-tar twang or corny rattle of spurs. Instead, a strange, electronic ambience, a strong leaning towards the supernatural, and a distinct lack of darn-tootin’ voiced characters.

Weird West immediately puts you on the back foot, subverting expectations. For instance, I initially shot at a circling flock of vultures early in the game, collecting their questionable meat to cook at a fire for a health boost.

Only to realise that each bullet is precious in this world, and I had wasted all of mine.

A code was provided for review

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Game ReviewsGamingPC / MacPlaystationXbox Series SXbox Series X

Elex 2 Review (XSX)

So a HUGE disclaimer right off the bat before we talk Elex 2.

I am a massive fan of the Piranha Bytes stable of games. The Gothic series, Risen series and, of course, Elex are some of my favourite games ever.

These games are all slightly different to the more popular role playing games we all know and love.

Some don’t like them at all, others have never played them, and then, like me, there is a group of absolute die hard fans.

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GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPS5Xbox Series SXbox Series X

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, review

nre than ol’ Bungo. They have even been owned by Microsoft, Activision and now even Sony! But throughout these various sets of hands, Bungie have deftly maintained a unique level of creative freedom, giving us the best First Person Shooters ever made.

Now Destiny 2 has finally taken a leap into a new expansion, “The Witch Queen”. Unsurprisingly, Bungie have knocked it out of the park again!

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GamingGame ReviewsPS5Xbox Series X

Elden Ring, review

By the time I got an Elden Ring review code, it was release day. I was at work and couldn’t download it until Friday night. Which meant I couldn’t play it until Saturday night, time and TV access permitting (which is not always a thing).

Life is busy, full of commitments that don’t align with a From Software title. Notorious as they are for not allowing the game to be paused.

This review approaches Elden Ring differently.

(An Xbox code was supplied by Bandai-Namco)

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GamingGame ReviewsPlaystationPS5Sony

Gran Turismo 7, review

Playstation owners now get treated to another top tier exclusive, Gran Turismo 7 (GT7).

Polyphony Digital has kept in step with it’s other first party stablemates, by making sure GT7 boasts all the quality and polish we all now expect from Playstation Studios exclusives.

Gran Turismo was the racing-sim gold standard for years, it’s been almost a decade since a numbered release in the series.

I’m pleased to say, GT7 is here to confirm there is no doubt who takes pole position in the driving sim standings.

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Game ReviewsGamingPC / MacPS4Xbox One

Shadow Warrior 3 Review (PC)

Everybody likes a bit of Lo Wang. Unfortunately after his last adventure Lo is a bit well, low. Drowning in self pity, spending all day with no pants on, low. But yet again the world is need of a smart mouthed hero that is quick with a blade and a one liner.

A Shadow Warrior is needed.

Time to gather up your katana and guns, oh and your pants. It is one big nasty looking dragon that needs taking care of. Actually it might be a wyvern…

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Horizon: Forbidden West, PS5 Review

If anyone had doubts that Playstation is the unquestionable home of top-tier, master-class, 3rd person action games, then Horizon: Forbidden West will put any remaining scepticism to rest.

Guerrilla have taken the awesome 2017 ‘Horizon’ I.P and improved on every single element. Not so much as to lose what was unique about Zero Dawn though, they have just refined the overall formula to get about as close to perfection in the Open World genre as one could hope for.

Horizon Forbidden West delivers its story under the assumption that gamers have played and finished Zero Dawn. If you haven’t played it, then… you are crazy! Stop reading and go and play it first!! Or at the very least watch a good story run-down on YouTube.

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GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPS5Xbox Series SXbox Series X

Dying Light 2 : Stay Human

Following on from the 2017 fan favourite Dying Light, we sent Dylan into the darkness to fight for his right to Stay Human.

See what he had to say after the click.

Dying Light 2 offers serviceable missions, an overwhelming collection of distractions, and a large city that is impressive to behold yet ultimately repetitive to traverse.

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GamingDualsenseGame ReviewsPlaystationPS5Sony

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

For more than a decade we’ve been friends of Nathan Drake here at the Cottage.

We’ve re-trod old ground with the previous Drake Collection, been wowed by Uncharted 4 and Guy thoroughly enjoyed Lost Legacy.

It’s been a journey, fraught with miraculous leaps, ferocious beasts, all manner of mercenaries and often faultless Naughty Dog narrative.

Now in Legacy of Thieves we get to re-play the two most recent games, Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy in glorious PS5 vision.

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GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPlaystationPS5Sony

God of War, PC

A new year and another PS4 console game has made the jump to PC, with Santa Monica Studio’s God of War now available to PC gamers – and what a beauty it is.

When the game came out on console in 2018 it quickly became the poster child for how a talented development team could make games on Sony’s console sing.

On PC the graphical fidelity has been turned all the way up to 11 – and it looks bloody fantastic.

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