Recent reviews by Nixor

Ah, the wonders of the cyberpunk genre! We don't have enough games that truly tap into the dystopian/utopian premise of advanced technology and politics in the future. I was really pumped to play this game as the trailer had that lovely SCUMM engine aesthetic to it filled with nostalgia.

There's a clear nod to Beneath a Steel Sky - a similar predecessor, however, anyone considering purchasing Gemini Rue should not expect a LucasArts level of polish (...a company that was known as the finest digital artisans of their trade). Unfortunately, this title falls well below that high standard and comes across as unashamedly cashing in on the 90s point 'n' click genre.

About thirty minutes into the game it becomes apparent there were budget or manpower issues because of noticeable annoyances: a superfluous control system, gameplay inefficiencies, repetitive scenery, limited voice acting and even the world in which the game takes place can seem immersion-breaking at the best of times (it's the year 2229 and I can't get a cellphone signal indoors. Phonebooths are a thing as are newspapers). All these things reveal that the end product clearly wasn't QA'd for maximum enjoyment and was pushed out of the door too early to turn a faster penny.

With plenty of room to improve, Gemeni Rue's potential is never fully realised. And such a shame too because the narrative and art style show such promise of what it could be as a compelling cyberpunk adventure.

My rating: 3/5

A tribute to Portal, this is a fantastic puzzle game that leads you down a narrative path while you try to solve 3D spatial enigmas. There's a real sense of mastery to the game design as you gradually learn to manipulate cubes to help you progress through the game. The learning curve feels just right.

Intriguing puzzles combined with a mysterious storyline (backed by excellent voice actors inc. Rupert Evans from The Man in the High Castle!) all keep you motivated to find out what happens next. The controls are simple and intuitive and if you get stuck, just spend a bit of time thinking - you're bound to figure it out eventually.

This was well worth the price for the experience - I haven't been this satisfied solving puzzles in a long time. I'll likely revisit this game when I get a VR headset.

My rating: 5/5

Hitman: Sniper Challenge (HSC) is a surprise gem in a package that originally incentivised the pre-order purchase of the much bigger Hitman: Absolution title. HSC is a great example of a simple game design that draws on the USPs of the Hitman franchise to create an addictive, beautifully detailed and perfectly executed title worthy of full game status in its own right.

Notably, the purging of player movement reduces the complexity of this setup as you are left with the barebones of a point-and-click style game. This new emphasis on targetting and timing creates an incredible level of satisfaction when successfully executed targets drop to the ground. The inclusion of a suspicion system which hastens your main target's evacuation and the ability to conceal bodies around the environment is still hugely valued even though you're sniping hundreds of meters away from your targets. The Challenge targets also maximise the value of this game style in a "Where's Waldo?" fashion that heightens this title's sense of fun.

We've seen point-and-click sniping games before but this one works perfectly within the bounds of the Hitman universe. If IO Interactive do make more content, a 2-player cooperative mode where each player has different view points of the same environment could be very interesting. HSC definitely deserves more levels to make it feel less like a demo and more like a full game, and misses a rating point because of this.

My rating: 4/5

Sniper Elite V2 (SEV2) follows very closely in its older brother's steps and then one-ups him by doing a fancy dance at the end. This is a francise that is very good at conveying bullet physics to glorify the art of sniping which is the bread and butter of this game. From the controlled breathing to the bullet-time kills with faithfully simulated WW2 rifles, SEV2 could be mistaken as simply a graphical upgrade to its predecessor. Even the AI seems to have migrated over intact and flawed in a very "Nothing else matters YOU WILL DIE" Terminator kind of way.

But just as you get comfortable with the old ways, Rebellion steps it up a notch: a cohesive (if sparsely scripted) narrative, an x-ray mode that further baits the kill-fetishists in a manner similar to the latest Mortal Kombat outing (exploding testicles anyone?), the opportunity to assassinate Hitler, Steam achievements, and...

...multiplayer which is where SEV2 really shines: Deathmatch? Wham. Horde mode with co-op? Bam. Single player campaign adjusted for co-op with more enemies for you and a Steam friend to annihilate together? Thank you ma'am! The co-op mode together with voice-comms really creates the tension of working together whilst creating fun sense of light competition for higher kill tallies. I particularly love Overwatch mode which is a fantastic combination of teamwork and a division of specialised labour which more co-op games need.

It's just a darned sight shame that the AI, which is a core dependancy for this game to work, is "simplistic", to put it politely! This is a great game that just misses the mark by lacking some necessary polish and punch to make this a bullseye title. SEV2 is still a worthy game to catch in the next Steam sale.

My rating: 4/5

Assassin's Creed 2 (AC2) is by far one of the best new franchises I have come across in a long time. The gameplay in AC2 is much more refined over AC1 and makes the assassin's movements much more fluid, dynamic and overall very capable. It's a powerful feeling to have control over such a versatile character.

As with the graphics, the story is fantastic - good script and excellent voice acting carry the narrative and make you feel for the characters.

With its various missions, cutscenes and sandbox nature, this is remeniscent of GTA IV for the rennaisance period - and that's not a bad thing by any means. If you enjoy single player games with deep story, believable characters and a variety of tasks, this is one hell of a bargain!

My rating: 5/5

A classic returns with HD graphics and a much needed feature: online multiplayer, made even easier with Steam Friends - just invite your friends to a lobby and blast each others' worms to smithereens!

Show your friends the maps you've made (as easy as whipping something up in Paint), show them your customised game modes, give your team of worms a distinctive look and sound, and you're ready to rip up the landscape.

My rating: 5/5