Game review stories
The first DLC for Kayak VR: Mirage, Soča Valley, brings a beautiful Slovakian environment and white-water challenges to both PlayStation VR2 and PC VR.
Croteam's 'Road to Elysium' DLC for The Talos Principle 2 mesmerises with stunning graphics and arduous puzzles, though its difficulty may deter some players.
Bethesda's Elder Scrolls Online expands with Gold Road, adding West Weald and 30+ gameplay hours. A great entry point for new and veteran players alike.
Astro Bot is back with a new PS5 game launching September 6th, featuring over 80 levels and unique abilities. Techday NZ offers an exclusive preview.
Still Wakes the Deep offers a riveting yet short-lived horror experience on an oil rig, best enjoyed via Xbox Game Pass. Fans of The Chinese Room will find it compelling. 8/10.
Sociable Soccer 24 for Nintendo Switch offers an arcade-like, accessible football experience with 13,000 real-life players but lacks depth and online play.
FromSoftware's Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC brings over 30 hours of challenging new content to Xbox Series X, priced at NZD $60-70.
F1 24 on Xbox Series X dazzles with stunning graphics and accessible gameplay, but sim racing veterans may find it too easy and similar to F1 23.
The System Shock remake for Xbox Series X brings better graphics and an intriguing storyline but is held back by outdated mechanics and lack of waypoints. 7.5/10.
PC gamers rejoice! Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut arrives, packing both stunning visuals and rich content, stripped from PlayStation exclusivity.
Biomutant bucks the trend of human protagonists, letting Switch players explore a colourful world as a furry mutant. Worth playing despite some flaws.
Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade II offers stunning graphics and engaging puzzles, but its short length and limited combat options might disappoint some gamers.
Akira Toriyama's Sand Land receives an exciting transformation, from manga to video game, treating fans to a captivating mix of RPG action, unique characters, and storyline set in a compelling desert dystopia.
TopSpin 2K25, 2K Sports' return to the popular tennis video game franchise, offers enticing gameplay and stellar player rosters, but disappoints with a lack of offline modes.
Stellar Blade, an action-packed PS5 exclusive released this year, delivers exceptional gameplay and rich story, marking South Korean first-time developer Shift Up's impressive debut in gaming.
Children of the Sun, a surreal single-player puzzle shooter by Rene Rother, follows a lone sniper's revenge against a cult, with precise, strategic gameplay and an unusual art style.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance on Nintendo Switch disappoints with poor graphics and clunky mechanics, despite an engaging medieval storyline, raising doubts over platform choice from Warhorse Studios.
Horizon: Forbidden West, the stellar sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn, hits PC, offering enhanced visuals, pleasing refinements from the original, and an engaging storyline set in a visually stunning post-post-apocalyptic world.
Alone in the Dark 2024 PS5 remake packs Hollywood star power, but players may be discouraged by major glitches, slow-paced gameplay, and underwhelming combat despite engaging puzzle-solving segments and atmospheric graphics.
Princess Peach takes centre stage in a versatile and fun-filled Nintendo Switch game, 'Princess Peach: Showtime!', characterised by its colourful graphics, unique story-line, and varied gameplay.
