I can't think of too many other games that are so fundamentally flawed, yet it is easy to ignore those flaws because it manages to nail the primary objective: it's just really good fun.

It's the best way I can think to describe Maneater, a monumentally daft game that relies on zero brainpower, and showcases pretty much everything within the first 10 minutes of gameplay. It's not a huge spoiler to say that the only real progress you can make here is that the shark you control gets big. Really big. And really fierce. And by the end of your 10-ish hour playthrough, you'll find taking out boats, whales, other killer sharks isn't much of a challenge. Yet it remains undeniably fun.

It's an incredibly simple plot - you're a shark, a shark hunter is after you, you eat a lot to get bigger and eventually confront aforementioned shark hunter. It's presented as a very tongue in cheek nature documentary - the kind you'd see on Discovery or something - but the cut scenes are few and far between. You'll spend 99% of your time scouring the different sections of the map (these actually DO have a bit of variation and range from a swampy alligator filled bayou to a vast open ocean) chomping of various marine wildlife. And the occasional careless bather as well.

It's definitely a flawed game - it really could have done with a bit of variety with the main missions, but throughout, you'll be given the same objectives - kill x number of seals/sharks/swordfish/turtles/humans etc etc. There are plenty of intertwining underwater passageways and a stack of collectables to find and I found enough enjoyment at the daft killing frenzies to get all 1000 achievement points for finding all collectables etc, but I can't deny that I was relieved to finally finish it.

It's not the prettiest game in the world - aside from the various body parts you can equip to your shark, all other creatures seem to look the same, and the effects of the sea are actually pretty rubbish. I'm probably just spoiled by the incredible water effects on Sea of Thieves, but when you're cruising around below the waves, things just seem to aimlessly float. And it would have been far more interesting to see the different sea creatures interact with each other, rather than just with your shark. Maybe the other marine predators are just REALLY fussy eaters, as they only attacked me and totally ignored the shoal of mackerel/seals etc etc that were minding their own business just a few feet away.

I would be very interested to see if a sequel is ever made, because there's a fair bit to work with here. It's undeniably enjoyable - being a bloodthirsty, ravenous killing machine is quite a laugh.

Maneater is silly, samey and not exactly a technical masterpiece. But there's some charm here that like a drop of blood in the ocean make it difficult to ignore.

I just double checked something prior to writing this. I don't remember ever playing a Resident Evil game aside from the very first one on the PS1. And I'm correct - so that's 28 years without playing one of the most successful established and popular gaming franchises ever made. I don't know why this is the case - it's not been a deliberate boycott like I do with Wetherspoons (and there are a LOT of similarities here - slow moving, zombified shells of humans in overly long corridors as you try desperately to escape..... and the Resident Evil games) it's just a series that's passed me by.

So although this is a remake, for me, it's a brand new experience. And I enjoyed it a lot - a constant feeling of unease, it didn't take me long to realise that EVERY bullet is precious, and inventory management is key to success.

With really impressive level design and some proper jump scares (fortunately I was playing in my living room on the big tv whilst the wife and kids were on another floor so they didn't hear my squeals - I am pathetic), the atmosphere is perfectly pitched. The most impressive aspect of this for me is the lighting effects. It looks stunning on the Series X. And then there's the sound. In many cases, it's the total LACK of sound which make this so effective. Ominous. What the fuck is waiting for me around this corner....?

I need to mention the big annoying brute in the screenshot. He's terrifying, and also incredibly bloody annoying. It's like my kids bombarding me with questions when I'm trying to watch the football. "FFS, can't you just wait a few minutes?" He's a very unwelcome sight at just the wrong times. But the way you're alerted to his presence with the incoming footsteps, the slow build up of music.... Very well done. And I'm pleased that he's slower than the train service in my local town.

RE2 is pretty much the ideal length. I think it took me around 7 hours in total - obvs this would be way quicker if I did a 2nd playthrough now I've worked out the puzzles (which to be fair have a decent variety to them and never stray away from the atmosphere of the game). Save points are more than welcome - although a lot of times my playing time was saved by Quick Resume - a system that has always been very temperamental for me but fortunately always worked perfectly here.

I'm going to play something quicker, brighter and something that doesn't make me squeal very often as my next game. I enjoyed this very much, and I'll have a go at RE3 fairly soon but by the end I was glad to see the credits roll and that slow, hulking dickhead won't be missed!

Just when I thought I was done with Cyberpunk, this absolutely fantastic DLC package arrived - and manages to improve on the sublime main game with a perfect balance of intriguing storyline, strong characters and bloody awesome new skills and weapons. Oh and the coolest, baddest, meanest area of Night City on top of it all.

I loved the main story to Cyberpunk, but Phantom Liberty manages to turn up the set pieces a notch, introducing excellent new characters including the President of the NUSA. My V got well and truly sucked into the political intrigue and before long I found myself trying to take down a giant mechanical arachnid before having a chat with Idris Elba in a dingy downtown bar - and that was just the beginning. This is Cyberpunk at its grittiest - the new characters have interesting backstories and I could have sworn I saw poor Johnny Silverhand looking particularly out of joint and forgotten about as I probed further into the new area of Night City - Dogtown - a lawless slum brimming with lowlife scumbags. But as with the main map, it's teeming with activity, side quests, points of interest and people to fight/maim.

Phantom Liberty is very carefully and cleverly interwoven with the main game - it's entirely possible to switch between the two at any time, so I loaded up an old save before The Point of No Return in the main game, and played some side quests in both Dogtown and the other districts of Night City. Whereas I found Dogtown to be an irresistible lure due to it's grimy atmosphere, the new skills and equipment that are unlocked via Phantom Liberty prove most useful in any area of the game.

The cast in Phantom Liberty are awesome. Netrunner Songbird puts in a great performance and although I love Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, Idris Elba's Solomon Reed is IMO a better performance. It made me want to complete all possible sidequests that involved any of the main cast, and by the end, I must have put in at least an extra 30 hours on top of the 90-odd I clocked into the main game.

Phantom Liberty is one of the shiniest and best DLC packages I've ever played. Of course, it helps when the base game is so brilliant, but rather than just being a continuation of Cyberpunk, the new abilities, weapons and map are great and the storyline improves on anything from the main game.

A triumph.