Reviews by Alex Donaldson
Phantom Liberty itself is an all-time great expansion, taking all of the best elements of Cyberpunk 2077 and cranking them all up to eleven.
review by Alex Donaldson on 20 September, 2023
Starfield is wider, wilder, and more ambitious than I expected - but also shows surprising restraint in many areas. More than the sum of its parts, it's the best game of this type Bethesda has delivered.
review by Alex Donaldson on 31 August, 2023
While built around the framework of its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom cleverly recontextualizes the world and systems of this iteration of Hyrule. Through that it is fresh, thrilling, and one of the best games in recent memory. It's also every bit as ground-breaking as its predecessor.
review by Alex Donaldson on 11 May, 2023
Yuffie’s episode is thrilling fan-service and a welcome slice of more of the same for fans of FF7 Remake, but it's also easily skippable.
review by Alex Donaldson on 11 June, 2021
When Cyberpunk's grim setting and mix of gameplay systems land, it is a powerfully impressive experience - sprawling, dense, clever, witty, and most importantly damn good fun. Other times, it has all the charm of a moody, edgy teenager.
review by Alex Donaldson on 07 December, 2020
This isn't the best version of Skyrim available, but the fact an RPG this large and impressive can now be played on the go is honestly a bit of a revelation.
review by Alex Donaldson on 16 November, 2017
Stylish, fun, and utterly relentless in its vision, Persona 5 delivers one of the best Japanese RPG experiences in years.
review by Alex Donaldson and Josh Torres on 29 March, 2017
The most special Nintendo game in years, Breath of the Wild is an incredibly polished mixture of myriad ideas we've seen before - but never in a package quite like this.
review by Alex Donaldson on 02 March, 2017
This collection gathers together a good game, an exciting demo and a movie that's strictly for hardcore fans. It's a decent package, but certainly isn't for newcomers.
review by Alex Donaldson on 23 January, 2017
Bold and brave, Final Fantasy XV brings back some of what made FF special to begin with. It's rough around the edges, but that's okay: where it counts, it's got heart.
review by Alex Donaldson on 28 November, 2016
Vibrant, energetic and fun in the best possible way, this is the best Pokemon game in quite a while.
review by Alex Donaldson on 15 November, 2016
A slightly weak narrative can't obscure how compelling and exciting Mankind Divided's is to play. Here, the best stories are those you make yourself through emergent gameplay.
review by Alex Donaldson on 25 August, 2016
The better of the two retail Fire Emblem Fates releases, Conquest offers satisfying and challenging combat that lives up to Fire Emblem Awakening's heady legacy.
review by Alex Donaldson on 25 May, 2016
This strategy RPG sequel is simple and accessible, but will satisfy hardcore RPG fans less than the other Fire Emblem Fates releases.
review by Alex Donaldson on 25 May, 2016
A solid add-on for players who really love settlement building, but also an underwhelming delivery of some solid ideas. It's no reason to return to Fallout 4, but this is another fine addition to an adventure in progress.
review by Alex Donaldson on 26 April, 2016
Dark Souls 3 is a successful mechanical and thematic culmination of this beloved series, and while its console version isn't quite as smooth or pretty, it still generally performs admirably and remains a joy to play.
review by Alex Donaldson on 12 April, 2016
This unremarkable DLC quest is rescued by the new robot-building mechanic. This is no sole reason to head back to the Wasteland, but is a fine addition to a game-in-progress.
review by Alex Donaldson on 10 April, 2016
The performance of this handheld port can be dubious, but the still amazing quality of the base game makes it a reasonable compromise if you can't play on another platform.
review by Alex Donaldson on 29 March, 2016
An excellent foundation that is hopefully built on, this is a solid RPG-shooter hybrid that lacks in variety but somehow keeps you well invested all the same.
review by Alex Donaldson on 28 March, 2016
Small technical issues hold XCOM 2 back, but it's still as compelling as ever.
review by Alex Donaldson on 02 March, 2016
Smooth performance makes all the difference for this game, exposing its true brilliance.
review by Alex Donaldson on 14 January, 2016
This download-only tribute to the 16-bit RPG era is a difficult to recommend grindfest.
review by Alex Donaldson on 30 November, 2015
Gorgeous art and solid combat aren't enough to push this mobile RPG to greatness, though its potential is enormous.
review by Alex Donaldson on 29 November, 2015
This Zelda spin-off is successful when you can get three players together, but feels much more empty solo.
review by Alex Donaldson on 16 November, 2015
A strong improvement over its predecessors, small issues aren't enough to hold this title back.
review by Alex Donaldson on 08 November, 2015