Articles by Sarah Thwaites, Freelancer

A screenshot from Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance showing two main characters looking into the distance

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is an aerial expansion that wants to push players

By Sarah Thwaites Published 3 October 26

Our preview of Monster Hunter: Wilds Ascendance from the Tokyo Game Show gave us an insight into this aerial-based expansion that's exceptionally compelling and likely to pull latent players back in.

A screenshot from Monster Hunter Stories 3 Twisted Reflection

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a creative creature-collecting RPG that more than scratches my turn-based itch

By Sarah Thwaites Published 9 March 26

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection expands on Capcom's lionised creature-fighting series by allowing players to duel against beasties and uncover mysteries to save a troubled kingdom.

A screenshot from the climbing game Cairn showing the player character, mountains, and gear

‘Why do they climb mountains? Why do they sacrifice everything and take so many risks just to climb a rock – nobody asked them to?’ — Cairn’s creative director unpacks the studio's survival-climber

By Sarah Thwaites Published 30 January 26

We sat down with The Game Bakers' Creative Director, Emeric Thoa, and got granular about the studio’s survival-climbing experience, Cairn.

A montage artwork for TechRadar Gaming's Best of Gamescom 2025 awards article

Best of Gamescom Awards 2025 – our 11 favorite games and products from this year’s show

By Rob Dwiar Last updated 30 October 25

TechRadar Gaming presents our Best of Gamescom 2025 awards – our top picks across all the games and hardware we saw at the show

Phantom Blade Zero is a martial arts RPG packed with genre-twisting mythology

By Sarah Thwaites Published 8 September 25

Phantom Blade Zero is a kung-fupunk character action game where players fight through a mythical world as an elite assassin.

I spent three hours exploring Silent Hill f’s eerie world and only yelped once… okay, twice

By Sarah Thwaites Published 3 September 25

Silent Hill f is a psychological horror game where you survive as a young girl called Shimizu Hinako whose hometown has become shrouded in monsters and mystery.

'Cronos: The New Dawn is a bit about togetherness and humanity' – Lead Writer Grzegorz Like on the themes underpinning Bloober Team’s latest foray into horror

By Sarah Thwaites Published 2 September 25

At Gamescom, we chatted with Cronos: The New Dawn Lead Writer Grzegorz Like, about the inspirations behind Bloober Team’s latest horror excursion.

‘The reception was very heartwarming’ – IO Interactive marketing director goes beyond the 007 First Light trailer

By Sarah Thwaites Published 31 July 25

We visit IO Interactive’s Brighton offices to learn more about the studio’s upcoming Bond origin story, 007 First Light.

I attempted to best the desert in Dune: Awakening’s engaging survival MMO and fell prey to the sandworms and sunburn

By Sarah Thwaites Published 18 June 25

Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO where players need to manage their hydration and shelter as they try to become one with the desert.

After more than 12 hours with Survival Kids on Switch 2, I've found it to be a kid-friendly puzzle platformer that’s equal parts simple and satisfying

By Sarah Thwaites Published 14 June 25

Survival Kids is a cooperative adventure game where players are capsized on living islands, and need to platform and solve puzzles to escape.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2 is a magic-infused exploration of grief, girlhood, and rebellion

By Sarah Thwaites Published 23 April 25

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2 explores teenage angst, uprising and a future of forgotten memories.

I survived Atomfall’s testing countryside and became an ethically murky mercenary

By Sarah Thwaites Published 21 March 25

Atomfall is a charming but brutal survival game that takes its cues from iconic pop culture titans like Doctor Who and Fallout.

A Way Out is a gritty co-op game that challenged me to make the right choice in a world full of bad ones

By Sarah Thwaites Published 4 March 25

A Way Out is a drama-filled co-op game from Hazelight Studios that asks players to orchestrate a prison break – and deal with the immediate ensuing consequences.

The player characters approach a stuffed animal in It Takes Two.

It Takes Two pushed me to the limit with clever platforming puzzles and moreish co-op challenges

By Sarah Thwaites Published 4 March 25

Teamwork does, in fact, make the dream work

A screenshot from Two Point Museum showing an aerial view of a museum

I became businessperson of the year in cutesy management sim Two Point Museum and delighted in its distinctly British humor

By Sarah Thwaites Published 25 February 25

I am a paleontologist; I have a PhD!

The characters walk across a tree bridge in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is a carefully constructed coming-of-age story from the legends behind Life is Strange

By Sarah Thwaites Published 18 February 25

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a moving narrative adventure that quickly entangles you in its web of complex characters and sinister themes.

A screenshot of LEGO Horizon Adventures.

Lego Horizon Adventures review: A gorgeous, family-friendly adventure that lacks depth

By Sarah Thwaites Published 13 November 24

Lego Horizon Adventures is a charming, kid-friendly platformer chock full of brilliant gags and monotonous level design.

A screenshot of Silent Hill 2's main protagonist James walking into the fog

Silent Hill 2 review: a stylish remake, but not definitive

By Sarah Thwaites Published 4 October 24

Silent Hill 2 is a visually stunning remake that captures much of the original's ambiance, but it could be more delicate with its difficult themes and pacing.

An aerial screenshot of a city in city-building game Frostpunk 2

Frostpunk 2 review: A post-apocalyptic simulator that’s as beautiful as it is brutal

By Sarah Thwaites Published 17 September 24

Frostpunk 2 is a brutal but beautiful city builder that laughs with you as you try and fail to survive in a treacherous, icy purgatory.

A screenshot of characters in Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds preview: Jurassic spark

By Sarah Thwaites Published 9 September 24

We played Monster Hunter Wilds at Gamescom and enjoyed its ambient open world and impressively detailed creature designs.

Little Nightmares 3 preview: small but mighty

By Sarah Thwaites Published 3 September 24

We went hands-on with Little Nightmares 3 and found the oppressive mega-capitalist world building was top notch.

A screenshot of Shadow in action in Sonic X Shadow Generations

Sonic X Shadow Generations preview: embracing the chaos (emeralds)

By Sarah Thwaites Published 29 August 24

We went hands-on with Sonic X Shadow Generations at Gamescom 2024 and found it to be a safe but solid package that'll hit some folks right in the nostalgias.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure preview: an emotive, investigative blast from the past

By Sarah Thwaites Published 28 August 24

We've been hands-on with Life is Strange: Double Exposure and found its focus on investigation, detailed worldbuilding, voice acting, and puzzle box gameplay a delight.