Drop Rate - Video game reviews that'll make you think

It's a massive universe to explore in STARFIELD a game that builds on many of the gameplay systems you've come to enjoy in Bethesda's roleplaying games. Does it live up to the hype after years of development and delays? Well it depends on what type of player you are, but there is lots of fun to be had here. Jess Zammit (Player2.net.au) joins SIFTER's own Gianni Di Giovanni for a ga...

It's one of the most accessible entries in the From Software's library with ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON showing a clear lineage of game design skill acquired in the ten years since the last entry. The mech combat genre isn't for everyone, but if you're an ELDEN RING fan wanting to branch out into some of the best feeling combat yet, this might be your opportunity. Omi Koulas...

Musical theatre isn't to everyone's tastes, and neither is STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL , the highly anticipated debut release from Australian indie team Summerfall Studios. Twisting Greek Mythology into a modern day tale of existentialism with songs, Stray Gods follows Grace, a young woman suddenly thrust into godhood - all while being framed for murder. Christie McQualter (GamesHu...

There are few game developers in the world who make more compelling murder mysteries than those at Too Kyo Games. Comprised of team members responsible for the DANGANRONPA and ZERO ESCAPE series, there's a lot of pedigree behind MASTER DETECTIVE ARCHIVES: RAIN CODE . An absolute mouthful of a title aside, Rain Code delivers on the high stakes drama and convoluted murder mysteries expected of t...

Japanese role-playing games specialise in grandeur. Epic tales of warring nations that often involve the direct intervention of godly beings, the genre usually entertains even if the execution doesn’t match its lofty ambitions. Final Fantasy XVI is one such game. Despite a grimdark fantasy setting that stumbles on multiple fronts it’s the combat and overall spectacle that truly exhilarates. Sharin...

STORY OF SEASONS: A WONDERFUL LIFE revisits the 2003 farming simulator GameCube classic. In the years since its original release, farming games have risen in popularity: Stardew Valley , Wylde Flowers , and Disney Dreamlight Valley , just to name a few. Ruby Innes (Back Pocket) and Courtney Borrett (Power Up, Kotaku Australia) join us this episode to explain why this modern take on the classic gam...

Welcome to Drop Rate, SIFTER ’s review podcast.  My name is Chris Button and I’ll be your host as we explore the biggest and also smaller new release video games on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC.  I’ll be joined each episode by some of the best games writers the internet has to offer and together we talk about how each game made us feel and importantly what it made us think. So buckle up and ge...

What is a game without it's soundtrack? Meena Shamaly , composer and host of ABC Classic's The Game Show joins Gianni for a musical journey through some of the best sounds in video games. Check out the full list on our website: The Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2022 with Meena Shamaly Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIF...

It's our bumper Game of The Year special, we've got six different games for you as well as a bunch of honourable mentions from the SIFTER team. It was a very hard choice this year with lots of incredible games. You can read a full write up of our favourites on the SIFTER website. SIFTER's 2022 Games of the Year Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on...

PENTIMENT is the sort of game that I don't expect is going to appeal to everyone, the point and click narrative game from Obsidian Entertainment ( THE OUTER WORLDS , PILLARS OF ETERNITY) is very dense and it takes its time unfolding. Fans of history and the evolution of culture are in for something pretty special as you walk the labyrinth in contemplation of God, each decision weighing heavily...

GOTHAM KNIGHTS is an intriguing experiment - a superhero action game that is torn between being a solid narrative experience and something else entirely that is soured with odd loot systems, uninspiring character ability trees and a fundamentally flawed mission and world design that feels cut and paste and repetitive in the worst ways. Read a written review on our website: GOTHAM KNIGHTS is a frus...

OVERWATCH 2 brings the team based shooter into the free to play era with some pretty questionable monetisation but ultimately extremely fun multiplayer gameplay. Adam Christou, Mitch Loh and Gianni Di Giovanni share their first impressions of Blizzard's once legendary game. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy , Kyle Pauletto , Fiona Bartholomaeus , Daniel Ang & Adam Christou . Mitch Loh...

Playing THE LAST OF US PART 1, the PlayStation 5 remake of the original game makes me wish this was the very first time I was playing the series, taking my first steps into post apocalyptic cordyceps infected world. But this game is for better and worse the ultimate version of that 2013 title, which means if you've experienced Joel and Ellie's first story, you've played this excellent...

CULT OF THE LAMB is one of the best single player games of the year, you'll feel compelled to keep moving through both combat and base building modes as you aim for that next attainable upgrade or giant boss to defeat. Chris Button (Byteside) joins Mainstream to discuss Massive Monster's excellent cult simulator. Read our written review on the SIFTER website : CULT OF THE LAMB is devilishl...

STRAY is a new perspective on a post-apocalyptic science fiction, and playing as a cat through this story is a blast. Heavily drawing from cyberpunk aesthetics and some of the anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist themes common in the genre it does however fall into some of the same pitfalls. Heavily influenced by the neon streets of Hong Kong and Kowloon walled city, the game doesn't meaning...

FIRE EMBLEM WARRIORS: THREE HOPES takes the best part of the Warriors franchise and effortlessly mixes it with the core elements of the most recent Fire Emblem series – the dramatic Game Of Thrones style storyline, a charismatic cast of characters, a likeable new protagonist and a strong focus on managing and commanding your troops in the heat of battle. Read our written review on the SIFTER websi...

THE QUARRY by Supermassive Games is a masterwork of genre fiction and really cleverly written ode to those eighties and nineties teen slasher flicks. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy , Kyle Pauletto , Fiona Bartholomaeus , Daniel Ang & Adam Christou . Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the...

Grab your joycon, tighten your wrist strap and bowl, smash or spike your way to victory. If you had a Wii you almost certainly played  WII SPORTS, the 2006 title sold 82 million copies by the end of that console's life in 2017. NINTENDO SWITCH SPORTS is a slick sequel with plenty of innovation and polish that could become another cult classic. Read our written review on the SIFTER website : NI...

TREK TO YOMI 's crackling and popping of a dusty film reel samurai film aesthetic hits you quickly when you first load into the game. This is a serious cinematic experience. We're doing everything in black and white, there's using gorgeous camera angles.   Read our written review on the SIFTER website : TREK TO YOMI, a side scrolling samurai epic and a visual treat A copy of TREK TO YO...

You won't have played anything quite like 13 SENTINELS: AEGIS RIM, this multi-protagonist mecha anime game is so compelling and layered it's actually mindblowing how well all the parts work together.  Step into the highschool drama of budding relationships, interschool rivalries in Sakura High School just before the world ends and you need to jump into the cockpit of a Sentinel robot to de...

KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND the new platformer in the long running Kirby Series from HAL Laboratory is both familiar and new enough to have something for all players.  Fiona and Gianni explore this fun new adventure for the most powerful pink ball around which is out now on Nintendo Switch. Read our written review on the SIFTER website : Get absorbed in KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND SIFTER is prod...

Heartfelt writing that comes from a deep love of tabletop gaming, and some stellar performances from Ashly Burch, Andy Samberg, Wanda Sykes and Will Arnett makes TINY TINA'S WONDERLANDS a fun take on the tried and true looter-shooter format. Gianni a relative newbie to BORDERLANDS series joins Mitch a long time veteran as they enter the Wonderlands which performs a lot better on new consoles....

WolfEye Studios' debut game is a creative isometric action rpg that sees you exploring a world rich with interactivity and intricate systems to exploit. READ OUR REVIEW: WEIRD WEST wants you to play creatively and experiment with its systems WEIRD WEST wants to push back at you. It wants to make every step you take through its dust covered; occult landscape feel layered with consequence. Who a...

If you want to experience the nostalgia of visiting Tokyo, there are few other games that capture the feel of that city like GHOSTWIRE TOKYO , but it's a city devoid of life emptied of the thrum of humanity. This action adventure game set in a world of spirits and magic, is an ambitious departure for Tango Gameworks (THE EVIL WITHIN) but while you can explore much of spooky Shibuya there isn&#...

ELDEN RING, the latest game from Japanese studio FromSoftware, has sold over 12 million copies since its release in late February. This massive, open-world adventure-rpg continues to build on the legacy and foundation of FromSoftware's previous works in DARK SOULS and BLOODBORNE, throwing players into a dark fantasy world filled with rich lore and difficult boss fights and challenging encounte...