Metacritic Score: 80 (XBO), 82 (PS4) The Verdict: More than a year after it arrived on PC, 11 bit studios' survival strategy game is finally on consoles, a stark, grim vision of a war-torn world where the struggle to stay alive is very real. Smartly, the game plays off your characters' perceived lack of hardiness, refusing to dole out handy hints and making combat intentionally clunky (to reflect your inexperience). What truly makes the game sing isn't merely its palpably bleak atmosphere (perhaps peppered with occasional moments of hope, depending upon how you play), but the soupy morality, which allows the player to be a ruthless S.O.B. or take pity on their and other characters. Though the lack of voice acting arguably hampers the characters' agency a little, the game's stark tone and urgent gameplay speaks for itself, even if you might want to spread a play-through over a week or so, or you may find yourself reaching for the Prozac.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
