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Resident Evil Village was in my top 3 games of 2021 and the announcement of its DLC, Winters’ Expansion, had me itching to return to the horrifying locations we first explored last year. STORY The horror game has us take control of Rose, the daughter of Resident Evil 7 & 8’s protagonist Ethan, who is trying to live a normal life as a teenager. Unfortunately, she is struggling to do so as she is working with Chris Redfield’s unit and living with powers from the megamycete. Rose finds a way to remove her megamycete powers and in turn finds herself in a darker version of the village we all know and love. The 3-hour journey throughout the Shadows of Rose DLC is fun and well worth the price tag. The narrative, however, isn’t expanded on that much and doesn’t provide any added closure that the base game provided. That said, I loved getting to know who Rose is as a person, considering we spent the entirety of Resident Evil Village trying to save baby Rose. GAMEPLAY The gameplay is expanded on ever so slightly. Rose unfortunately is only equipped with a pistol and a shotgun, with a few upgrades on the pistol. A new mechanic is her megamycete powers, which allow her to freeze mold enemies and destroy mold structures. It was a welcome addition to the game which made the combat feel a lot more refreshing than what I was expecting. Playing the game in third-person mode felt right, I had almost forgotten that RE7 and RE8 were experienced in first-person. I think the game is best enjoyed in first-person, however, I can see why the option was added. I thought journeying through familiar locations like Castle Dimitrescu and House Beneviento would have had a comfort to it, but boy was I wrong. If you thought House Beneviento’s mutant baby was terrifying, you have no idea. Without spoiling the area, I’ll just say one thing. It was one of the most terrifying parts of Resident Evil I have ever played. The Mercenaries Additional Orders adds new stages to the original Mercenaries mode which accompanies the new playable characters quite well. Joining Ethan as playable characters in Mercenaries mode are Chris Redfield, Heisenberg, and Lady Dimitrescu. All of these additions add a bit of flair and versatility to the mode, but it probably won’t grab your attention if you were never a fan of this mode. THE VERDICT While Resident Evil Village: Winters’ Expansion didn’t expand on the story as much as I would’ve liked, it was still a thrilling addition to the Winters’ saga. The many gameplay additions and the return to the most beloved locations of the base game make this a DLC worthy of purchase. 8/10 READ MORE REVIEWS AT ****

After Vanguard last year and Cold War in 2020, I was hesitant to pick up another Call of Duty game after the back-to-back disappointment. But the safety blanket of the words Modern Warfare in the title roped me back in – and I’m glad it did. STORY Modern Warfare II is a sequel to the Modern Warfare reboot, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019). It’s 2022, and we rejoin SAS Captain Price, Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley, and Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish AKA Task Force 141 as they hunt down Quds Force Major Hassan Zyani for funding terrorist activity. I found the narrative was hard to follow at some points, but the overall experience of the campaign kept me captivated throughout the 17 missions it had to offer. The missions on offer vary from your classic infiltration missions, and then your stealth, sniper and survival missions. Even though these missions had a type of angle intended for completion, the game in most parts allows you to finish them however you like. If being stealthy is not your thing, you can go guns blazing, even if it makes it a little more difficult. The mix-up of missions was great, although there were two air-borne missions in a row followed by a sniper mission which had me itching for a classic run-and-gun infiltration mission. GAMEPLAY The core gameplay in MWII remains somewhat the same as its predecessor, which isn’t a bad thing. Infinity Ward does what it does best, and that is creating a Call of Duty game any FPS fan would enjoy. While some extra mechanics were added for story fulfillment purposes, there wasn’t anything new or inventive. Mission 13, “Alone”, introduced a crafting system that I thought was a welcome addition to the gameplay. It was probably one of my favourite missions, although one that I found the most challenging. The AI during the campaign felt a little inconsistent. The enemies sometimes caught me off guard and my AI squad mate(s) saved me numerous times, whereas other times I would see AI follow questionable tactics. I could just stand at the top of the staircase and have countless enemies run straight into my line of fire. I might be harsh on the AI, but it doesn’t live up to the intellectual and independent AI that I recently loved in The Last of Us Part I. VISUALS I played this on PlayStation 5 and I could tell that Infinity Ward wanted to push the limits of current-gen consoles. The game’s visuals are breathtaking and the cutscenes look like a live-action movie. Backdrops such as Amsterdam, Chicago, and the Texas/Mexico border are the most stunning and accurately crafted locations which had me in awe. MUTLIPLAYER I’m going to talk about the multiplayer experience briefly. Call of Duty multiplayer is not for everyone. I prefer games like Apex Legends, which offer a more team-based experience. I occasionally dabble in Call of Duty multiplayer when my friends ask me to, but it has never been my go-to multiplayer game. I have played around 8-10 hours of multiplayer since Modern Warfare II‘s launch and I have to say it caught me off guard. I love it. That said, I can not play it for hours on end, but I am enjoying it despite some of the bugs it had at launch (but that is expected for a large-scale launch like Call of Duty). The maps are fun to play; most don’t feel too big or too small. If you just want to blow off some steam after a hard day at work, then it might be time to jump back into Call of Duty multiplayer. THE VERDICT Infinity Ward has won me over with its delivery of a captivating Campaign mode and fun multiplayer. While no risks were taken with this iteration of COD, it was a tactical decision made to return the franchise to form. 8.5/10 READ MORE REVIEWS AT ****

(Reviewed on Nintendo Switch) “A single word can change everything.” Developer Hiding Spot brings us Beacon Pines – an indie-adventure game being marketed as a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. It’s Winnie-the-Pooh meets Twin Peaks. STORY You take control of both the reader of the book and Luka VanHorn, a young deer whose mother has mysteriously disappeared. Beacon Pines has had some strange occurrences around the town and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the townsfolk. Luka joins his friends on a journey to uncover the disappearance of his mother and the conspiracy that threatens Beacon Pine. GAMEPLAY Throughout the story, you collect Charms which are words that can be used at a Turning Point to influence the outcome of the story. I thought this gameplay mechanic was a unique and satisfying way to tell a narrative. It was exciting seeing how many different ways the story could end prematurely. At first I thought the replaying of chapters would feel tedious but as you go down the “wrong paths” you learn more and more about the town and the mysteries you’re trying to unravel. The game encourages exploration as the Charms can be hidden behind objects to interact with or unlocked through conversations with Beacon Pines’ locals. One of my favourite parts of Beacon Pines was the narrator. A narrator who can keep the reader engrossed throughout a story can be difficult to achieve, but Beacon Pines’ narrator delivered the story in a captivating way that kept me invested in the story and characters. The soundtrack was also brilliant and definitely fit the aesthetic of the game even during its wholesome and heart racing moments. THE VERDICT Beacon Pines is a wonderfully crafted adventure game with a twisted yet heartwarming story. The way the narrative is told is extremely captivating in a way I haven’t experienced before. I’m excited to see what Hiding Spot games are able to achieve if they keep expanding on this storybook-adventure genre that they’ve pioneered. 9/10 READ MORE REVIEWS AT ****

Ghost Pattern has been working on Wayward Strand since 2016, and now the interactive narrative video game is out in the world for everyone to enjoy. Birthed in Melbourne, Australia, Wayward Strand delivers a unique and heartfelt journey available now on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam (so everything, basically!). STORY It’s 1978, and 14-year old Casey Beaumaris, an aspiring journalist, travels with her mother to work on an airborne hospital on the coast of Australia. Casey is writing an article about the airship for her school newspaper all while assisting the nursing staff care for the elderly patients on board. This review will not contain any story spoilers for the residents of the hospital, as it will result in detriment to the overall experience. If you are going to play this game, it is best experienced without prior knowledge of the characters or plot. GAMEPLAY Ghost Pattern has achieved something I have never seen in a video game. I found myself overwhelmed at times with the complexity of multiple narratives unravelling at once. Every character in Wayward Strand has a narrative playing out even if you’re not in their presence. Unlike most games, a character’s story isn’t relying on you, the player, to advance the narrative. It makes the world feel so alive in a way I haven’t experienced before. I would be talking to Ida, a sweet elderly lady who very much reminds me of my late grandmother (RIP), and another patient would be slowly scooting past the room prompting me to quickly wrap up my conversation with Ida in fear of missing out on something. You will never be able to catch everything in one playthrough, this game is best served after multiple playthroughs. Each character you meet is from a different walk of life. The representation in this game is next level; different cultures, illnesses and ages which are usually underrepresented are present in this game. One of my favourite experiences in the game was Ted, an aboriginal character, teaching Casey about the aboriginal flag and briefly touching on the racism his people face daily. The attention to detail in each of the patient’s rooms is phenomenal. Before you even meet the patients you can tell exactly who they are just by their room. Nothing in the rooms are placed there to just ‘fill space’, everything is there for a reason – which is to tell a story. Ghost Pattern has managed to make these characters so personable, you have definitely met at least one of these characters in your everyday life. VISUALS AND AUDIO The art style is gorgeous. It has that aesthetic of the Australian children’s story books I read growing up. The music played throughout the game is perfect for the setting. I hadn’t thought about what a game based in 1970’s Australia should sound like, but this is it. The artwork and soundtrack are so complementary to each other, which uplifts the experience even more. If you’re Australian, you will recognise a number of the voice actors in Wayward Strand. You can catch iconic Australians such as Neighbours’ Anne Charleston, Wentworth’s Jennifer Vuletic, The Castle’s Michael Caton, Blue Heeler’s Jenny Seedsman, and more. Wayward Strand quite possibly has the best and most authentic Australian voice acting I’ve heard in a video game. All of the Australian imagery and sound will be quite comforting to any Australians playing this game. THE VERDICT Ghost Pattern has delivered an experience like no other. The complexity of the simultaneous narratives that unfold around you in real time creates a beautiful experience that should be played by all gamers. I can’t wait to see what is next on the horizon for Ghost Pattern. 8.5/10

When Naughty Dog released The Last Of Us in 2013, it set a benchmark for storytelling in video games. The game was met with critical-acclaim and is considered by many to be one of the greatest games of all time. Now the developer has rebuilt the game from the ground up, with new character models, enhanced graphics, and gameplay enhancements – many of which we saw in Part II. Bewarned, this review may have spoilers for The Last Of Us Part I, Left Behind, and The Last Of Us Part II. STORY It’s 2033, and the world is seemingly at its end thanks to the Cordyceps fungal infection – an infection that infiltrates the brain and turns humans into cannibalistic creatures. We once again join Joel, a smuggler who has the dangerous task of escorting 14-year old Ellie across a ravaged and dishevelled United States. On their journey they encounter many hardships, hunters and of course – the infected. Endure and survive. GAMEPLAY While the gameplay stays loyal to the original, it has borrowed some elements from 2020’s The Last Of Us Part II – a welcome addition. The combat and gun-handling feels a lot more fluid than the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game, which accompanies the DualSense’s haptic feedback flawlessly. The updated AI is unparalleled. The enemies are a lot more aggressive than in the original release. They don’t just bob up and down behind cover any more, and you are a lot more susceptible to flanking (I died, alot!). In single-player games, it’s common for friendly AI to just get in the way all the time, but Ellie and other allies in your journey are always assisting with kills and yelling observations during an encounter. One of the major new features in the game is the accessibility settings found within the game. Naughty Dog became pioneers of inclusion in the video game industry when they released The Last Of Us Part II, which had the largest accessibility options I’ve ever seen in a video game. While I don’t use these features, I know a lot of people do, and for them to be present in Part I is fantastic. The Last Of Us Part I was built on the same engine as Part II, which makes the whole journey a lot more cohesive. A game set in a post-apocalyptic world is typically depicted with a very lackluster palette, but Part 1, just like the original, has such a beautiful palette even when half the game takes place in dreary subways and sewers. The environments crafted by Naughty Dog are so well thought out; every room has a story to tell, it’s not just a messy room, it’s a story of the survivors who came before Joel and Ellie. VISUALS AND PERFORMANCE There are two graphics options presented to you when you start playing: Fidelity and Performance. Fidelity favours resolution over frame rate and targets a minimum of 30 fps, whereas performance has a balanced resolution and framerate but targets 60 fps. As a personal preference, I chose to play the game on performance mode and I was very happy with how the game ran on it. I snuck a peak at Fidelity from time to time and while it is gorgeous, I did prefer the extra frames that the performance mode gives you. CONTERVERSY Now to address the most controversial part of this game – the price tag. I would have liked a little more incentive placed into the game to purchase this $129 remake, but I definitely do not regret experiencing this enhanced journey of one of my favourite video games of all time. Just by playing this game you can understand that the Devs at Naughty Dog truly put their heart into this game and just want players to experience the original game in the best form possible. That said, if you have played the PS4 version recently, I would probably hold off on playing this for a while but if you’re like me who hasn’t played the game since The Last Of Us Part II came out, I would definitely recommend playing it now. THE VERDICT Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part I is a legendary remake of a legendary game. Any new or returning players will find this game to be an emotional and action-packed journey which will continue to stand the test of time. 10/10