Home Entertainment Critical Hit games, tech and movies review wrap-up – June 2020

Critical Hit games, tech and movies review wrap-up – June 2020

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We’ve been busy! The world may have ground to a halt, but dammit we’ve got games to review and not a moment to lose! After all, who will take the cash bribe for a 10/10 game if we don’t, huh? WHO I ASK YOU! This month was a jam-packed month for content on Critical Hit, as we cast our gaze towards all manner of games and other assorted entertainment.

From The Last of Us Part II being a brilliant swansong of emotion on the PS4 to Desperados 3 taking no prisoners as one of the best PC games of the year, there was no shortage of quality on offer. Here’s a look then, at all the reviews we did in case you missed them. Enjoy!

Games

The Elder Scrolls Online Greymoor Review – How you Alduin? – 75/100

Greymoor may be a paint by numbers expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online, but it still manages to be a nostalgic return to the glory days of Skyrim that is enhanced by the fascinating Antiquities system and scenic locales.

Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Review–Return of the Sponge-inator – 65/100

A faithful remake that takes an average collect-a-thon of a bygone era and never really does much to improve it aside from some added content and spruced up visuals, Battle for Bikini Bottom is let down by its monotonous gameplay and loose controls.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor Review – Everybody was Kubfu fighting – 75/100

A modest expansion to Pokémon Sword and Shield, Isle of Armor doesn’t stray away from the established formula of last year’s blockbuster game. But when the core experience was that good to begin with, more of the same is exactly what the series needs to still stay fun and fresh.

XCOM 2 Switch Review–I’ve won, but at what cost?

XCOM 2 on Switch is a functional, enjoyable port that falls prey to some of the weaker hardware offered by Nintendo. If you can look past all the performance issues and long-ish load times, XCOM 2 continues to be one of the best strategy games ever published.

West of Dead Review – The good, the bad and the lucky – 80/100

West of Dead isn’t going to win any originality contests, but it knows how to draw with the best of them and it’s quick enough to hit you with six rounds of stylistic fun. Beneath the obvious comparisons, there’s a game that plays out like a passionate high noon homage to the best of film, games and comic books.

Project Warlock Review – Now that’s what I’m Tolkien about – 70/100

Project Warlock has its moments, but the retro good comes with some nostalgic bad. If you’re able to look past its flaws, there’s a chunky and satisfying first-person shooter that still manages to be a blast from the past when you get to grips with it.

Fly Punch Boom! Review – Anime of the state – 60/100

Fly Punch Boom is the fighting game love letter to epic anime showdowns that you want to love, but its flawed execution and hyper-active QTE combat derails all the charm that this brawler brings to the table.

Desperados III Review – The click and the dead – 90/100

Desperados III is an absolute hoot. The best strategy game of the year, cowboys and chaos never felt this good and this revival is one for the ages. It may be lethally challenging, but its gung-ho strategy is a masterpiece of design that’s accentuated by lovable rogues, lively levels and a dedication to its genre that can easily outdraw any challengers to its throne.

The Last of Us Part II Review – Shiitake happens – 100/100

The Last of Us Part II is an exceptional experience from beginning to end, uniting its gameplay and narrative into a cohesive unit while also delivering some of the best writing and acting seen in a video game to date. It is undeniably one of the best games I’ve ever played.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Review – A Nod to the past – 90/100

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is the gold standard for what a blast from the past should and can be, as Petroglyph’s efforts have resulted in a handsome and hefty package of classic strategy, passion and modern-day improvements.

Shantae and The Seven Sirens Review–It’s a Kind of Magic – 85/100

Despite some annoyingly prevalent fan-service and clunky fetch quests, Shantae and The Seven Sirens won me over with it’s beautifully realised world, charming characters and incredibly polished Metroidvania design.

Bioshock: The Collection Switch Review – There’s always a Lite-house – 80/100

Virtuous has done a fine job in bringing Bioshock to the Switch, delivering a trio of intriguing games from the last generation. Performance is solid and stable, they look fantastic and they’re still worth playing today.

The Outer Worlds Switch Review – Get outer my space – 65/100

There’s a terrific experience to be had in The Outer Worlds, but blurry visuals, subpar resolutions and haphazard functionality make it an adventure that’s done justice on any platform but the Nintendo Switch.

Borderlands Legendary Collection Review – The sound of Sirens

A decade of gaming in a single package, the latest return to Pandora still stands tall as a testament to brilliant game design, and even with a few technical concessions along the way, it makes for one handsome pack of fun.

Those Who Remain Review – What we doom in the shadows – 55/100

There’s a good game buried within Those Who Remain’s many shortcomings, but it blunders the final hundred meters of its dash for survival like a sorority girl outrunning a slasher in a forest filled with tree roots. Repetitive scenarios of item-hunting tarnish the more ingenious puzzles you’re presented with, horror clichés sour an otherwise wonderfully tense atmosphere and a control scheme from hell drags a promising game back into the shadows, never to be seen again.

Liberated Review: V for Vendett-eh – 40/100

While visually intriguing and distinct, Liberated feels more like an idea than a game, thanks to an uninspired story, boring gameplay and a stunning lack of polish.

Tech

Huawei P40 Pro Review – Amazing smartphone hardware that is hamstrung by a complete lack of Google

The Huawei P40 Pro is the bleeding edge in smartphone technology, a bulging flex of hardware muscle with no real outlet with which to show off its impressive tech pecs. As an indicator of the future, Huawei’s got a confident headstart on the competition when it comes to setting a physical benchmark for a smartphone. But on the software side of the story? It’s a reminder that all the technology in the world means nothing if the software inside of it cannot rise to the challenge.

Movies

7500 review – Flight or fright – 80/100

7500 is filled with a level of precise technical execution and big thriller chills that belie its status as a debut feature film. The ever-dependable Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in a hell of a performance newcomer writer/director Patrick Vollrath makes his mark with this stomach-knotting study in suspense.

The Vast of Night review – Close encounters of a superb kind – 90/100

This debut feature film from writer/director Andrew Patterson – and his two dynamic lead actors – announce themselves in Hollywood in a major way with this meticulously crafted blast from the sci-fi past, using pure charm, intelligence, and technical skill to rise far above its microbudget roots.

Comics

A Man Among Ye review – Enjoy, Me Hearties!

A Man Among Ye is a genre departure for Top Cow, a publisher traditionally associated with sci-fi and dark urban supernatural series, with a dash of sex-positive romance thrown in for good measure. This new comic is a welcome diversification of that offering – another jewel in a hefty chest – with the only real complaint about Issue 1 being that the reading experience ends just as the story is heating up.

Last Updated: June 30, 2020

One Comment

  1. Busy with TLOU2 now. I am just past the park where you first encounter the scars. Good grief, that game is stunning.I was actually flabbergasted at how drop dead gorgeous it looks. Pc Master race my backside.

    Reply

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