Between the jokey dialog you uncover during missions, the opening thank-you screen, and the focus on user-created content, Volume is a charming game: it’s the sort of game that makes you feel as though if you ever met the lead designer, you’d pretend to like it just a little more than you actually did.
Arkham Knight is certainly a bigger, and in many ways a better game than its predecessors, but those attempts to make it ‘more badass’ do more harm than good. Even so, any frustrations I have with Arkham Knight don’t take away from the fact that I was unable to stop playing for four days straight, frequently in awe. It’s a stunning achievement in many ways, a game of ridiculous polish and obvious effort, and its best moments are good enough to make the worst moments worth bearing.
In a world of 200 hour RPG epics, it’s nice to have something so focused on a core experience. There’s depth here for those seeking it, or you can just make visitors cringe by showing them all the bone-breakers and finishers. Look, Nanna, this guy gets his spine ripped out through his mouth.
Stunningly beautiful visuals, a wonderfully grounded score, and effortlessly graceful controls make Ori a must-have for anyone looking for the new exemplar of ability-gated platforming.
