Mini Video Game Reviews 2025 #1
- Matt Quill
- Mar 2
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 18
A Rundown of my thoughts on all the games I've played during January & February 2025
Title: Control
Developer: Remedy Entertainment Genre: TPS/Adventure Released: 27/08/2019
Remedy Entertainment have a knack for creating great story-driven games that are a bunch of fun to play. That was the case with Alan Wake and Quantum Break, and it's the same with Control.
Set within the walls of the FBC (Federal Bureau of Control), Jesse Faden initially enters the compound to find her brother, only to find the bureau overrun with 'Hiss' and that she is now the acting director of the bureau.
The world of Control is weird and mysterious in all the best ways. Its environment is littered with clues, titbits of what the bureau does and the Altered Items that they keep. It was hard not to get swept up in the mystery of the bureau and want to uncover more about it.
The gameplay is strong too, with the game's main weapon, the service revolver, able to take on alternate modes of other weapons, giving you access to classic gun types. The combat excels when the movement and psychic abilities come into play, allowing you to dash, pull, throw, shield and even manipulate enemies into fighting each other. The more powers you seek out and unlock, the more rewarding the combat becomes.
Control won a bunch of Game of the Year awards when it released back in 2019, and I can see why. It's an excellent game. The mysterious world is compelling, and the slowly unravelling story and souped-up combat are great too. It's a great time, and one I enjoyed revisiting this year.
Title: Maneater
Developer: Tripwire Interactive Genre: RPG/Adventure Released: 22/05/2020
Let's be honest, we've all seen Jaws and thought about the fun we'd have playing a game as a terrorising shark. Though there have been attempts in the past, Tripwire Interactive's efforts mark the latest and possibly most enjoyable yet.
presented as a documentary, Maneater casts you as a Shark pup seeking revenge on the hunter who killed your mother. You'll take on other beasts of the sea and famed shark hunters whilst chomping your way through fish, humans, gates and licence plates to evolve into the biggest predator out there.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into Maneater's gameplay loop. At the start, I struggled to get accustomed to its controls, but eventually I got the hang of movement and combat that I enjoyed prowling the small game worlds' waters seeking out collectables, enemies and upgrades to evolve my terror of the sea.
Maneater is a really good game. It champions fun, and as a result, it's easy to get lost in its brief playtime as you scour its waters for collectables and enjoy its tongue-in-cheek presentation.
Title: Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Genre: Adventure/Stealth Released: 20/08/2021
Ghost of Tsushima is one of my all-time favourite games. I'd played it on release back in 2020 at the tail end of the PlayStation 4, but this year I fancied diving back in to the Director's cut on PlayStation 5, which includes the Iki island expansion I previously missed.
The game has an excellent central Samurai narrative, but it's also filled with great side quests and rewarding mythic tales. Jin Sakai is a great lead character, and his conflict between doing what he must and honouring the samurai code is an interesting tale to follow. The story is backed by a great cast of characters, with Khotun Khan acting as a worthy adversary to work towards.
The two best things about the game are the stellar gameplay and the inviting open world. The combat will see you frequently changing stances to gain advantages against the variety of enemies. Then there are the stealth options that follow the more traditional route and stand-offs, which see you call out enemies to fight, leading to tense showdowns that can see you dispatch multiple enemies in a row with well-timed strikes.
The second best thing is the gorgeous landscape that feels both serene and diverse, littered with plenty of worthwhile collectables. The guiding wind (Instead of a way point) feels much more in tune with the world and acts as a clear but subtle direction marker that helps add to the beauty of the world as you traverse it.
Ghost of Tsushima is easily one of the modern PlayStation era's best titles. The open world is both sprawling and stunning, and packed with so many worthwhile activities. It's backed by a gripping story and slick combat, and once you pick it up, it's even harder to put it back down.
Title: InFamous: Second Son
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Genre: Adventure Released: 21/04/2014
The PlayStation 3 InFamous games have been a go-to favourite of mine for many years. I enjoyed First Light a lot too, but every time I went to play Second Son, I kept finding myself distracted by something else, at least that was the case until 2025 when I finally completed it.
And I'm so glad I finally got around to it because InFamous: Second Son is a great game. It isn't quite as long as the other titles, but it still tosses players a good amount of fun side quests to complete, including graffiti art and camera removal. The visuals have also held up incredibly well, given that the game released in 2014, over 10 years ago, the graphics are excellent and could easily hold up against plenty of modern games released today.
My main issue with Second Son was the central story and the game's characters. It's not that either was bad, but I didn't find Delsin and Reggie Rowe as enticing to follow as Cole McGrath and Zeke were. I still found them good leads, but I didn't rally behind Delsin as much as I did Cole, or get pulled into the overarching story.
The real pull of any InFamous game is its superpowered arsenal. Thankfully, Second Son has that in abundance, with multiple powers like Smoke, Neon, Video, and Concrete, there were plenty of spectacular showdowns and enjoyable combat. Seattle was also a great playground to explore, with movement around the city being an absolute breeze.
I had a blast playing InFamous: Second Son. Though I may not have found its story or characters as enticing as the originals, the Conduit gameplay remained just as fun as I remember. Here's hoping we get a remaster of Cole's journey fairly soon.
Title: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Remastered
Developer: Naughty Dog Genre: TPS/Adventure Released: 19/11/2007
I love the Uncharted series. There's no two ways about it. I've had a blast with every mainline Uncharted game, and found that on every replay of his first adventure, Drake's Fortune, I seem to love the game even more.
Released back in 2007, before being remastered for the PS4 in 2015 with an improved framerate, photo mode and a few other bells and whistles.
The remaster is definitely the best way to play the game, gunplay feels smoother, and the enhanced frame rate and updated grenade controls make the combat just that more enjoyable. I'm still not a fan of the hand-to-hand combat in the original, but it's still serviceable.
There's a good amount of challenge in it too, with the notorious 'blue room' and finale testing your skills, whilst there are plenty of fun moments to be had too, with the jet ski and supernatural reveal keeping things fresh and changing up the combat.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is still a fantastic treasure-hunting adventure worth taking over 15 years on. The characters are some of the best on PlayStation, with all the trappings of the best fortune-seeking adventures from great combat, good archaeological puzzles and near-death acrobatics.
Title: FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Developer: N-Racing, Kylotonn Genre: Racing Released: 18/07/2019
Thankfully, there are a good few racing games out at the moment, with heavy hitters like Gran Turismo 7, Need for Speed: Unbound, and GRID: Legends. Still, there are plenty of good racers that get less attention, too, like Wreckfest or Jak X Racing. FIA European Truck Racing Championship is not quite in that camp.
FIA Truck Racing (I'm not typing that lengthy title out every time, C'mon) is a decent enough racer that tries to do something different with truck racing instead of the normal fast cars. The game has its moments, but the overly long races can feel like a slog and with no rewind and spotty AI/penalties, it can often lead to frustrating knocks or spins that waste a lot of the race.
FIA Truck Racing has two series to choose from, ETRC and World Series, both with limited truck options, but they all handle like you may expect, like bulking units that are very temperamental. The difficulty can be tweaked, and the cooling of brakes turned off, to make it more of a traditional racer.
The first races felt like a nice distraction, but the more I played, the more tedious the races became. I never felt the thrill of edging a win, instead, I was more fearful that one slip-up would cost me an 8-minute 2/3 lap race out of nowhere. In the end, FIA Truck Racing is a middle-of-the-road driving game, but not one I'm keen to get behind the wheel of again anytime soon.
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