Robert Kollars
The career mode is deep and fun, and when I add in the online options, season options, newly tweaked paint booth and new user interface, I'm mostly satisfied. For a short development cycle, NH5 delivers a lot of longevity, and even more importantly, a lot of fun on the track. This is a title that, even for the fringe racing fan, should see a lot of time in your rotation well into winter and beyond.
If you're an F1 fan, a racing fan or just a slightly interested outsider, make sure that F1 2020 by Codemasters is in your rotation. The racing genre has a strong presence in this year's summer and fall lineup, and with the addition of F1 2020, it just got even stronger.
On top of the power of each car, the handling felt as precise as ever within an ACC game.
In the end, I will always judge a game based on the amount of fun I had with it, and I can say that Project Cars 3 delivered nicely on that front.
All that being said, if you understand that and simultaneously understand that Madden 21 offers up a good game of football between the lines, then there is something here for you. If you're looking for Madden to be more than that this year, then just wait until next-gen to see if it's improved, or wait until the game has a big sale/hits EA Play.
Rarely have I reviewed a game that delivered on almost every front, but that is exactly what WRC 9 has done. It allows me to feel the pressure and tension of knowing that even the smallest mistake behind the wheel can ruin an event. I sometimes felt like I was going to grasp the overwhelming joy of accomplishment before it was replaced with devastation and doubt.
Tony Stewart All-American Racing comes as close to conjuring up memories of Dirt to Daytona as any game has since its initial release in 2002, and provides a surprising amount of depth, fun and longevity, especially considering the price point of $29.99 (USD).
Doug Flutie's Maximum Football 2020 is available digitally on the Xbox One & PS4, and possibly PC at a date TBD.
In the end, Ride 4 is the type of game that offers up something for everyone and is the type of motorcycle racing title that can grab my interest for hours on end. Being as it’s sort of the Gran Turismo of motorcycle games, it might be the title that can do just that for you as well.
There are some issues that I spoke about previously, like no monetary system, no real free-agent system and what I consider a basic draft at best. The good news is that the developer is always listening and implementing community ideas as often as possible. There is a lot of fun to be had with PSF '21 and with a price tag of only $19.99 (USD) the return on investment is solid.
Dirt 5 will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Google Stadia. As I mentioned before, if a next-gen upgrade is a concern, Codemasters has you covered. Owning an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 with a disc drive will mean that you can redeem your free next-gen upgrade, whether you purchase Dirt 5 physically or digitally for current-gen consoles. If you purchased the game digitally, your new console will automatically receive this information and make the next-gen version available to you. If you purchased Dirt 5 on disc, insert the disc and follow the platform's instructions to get the optimized version.
As I mentioned previously, NFS isn't incredibly deep and has no real storyline other than progression and automobile unlocks/rewards. However, if quick feverish races and takedowns are your thing (still), then adding NFS: HP is a must.
Lastly, while I know that the relationship between EA and Nintendo has not always been the best - especially when it comes to sports games - the inability to find a way to get NHL 94 on to the Switch at this time feels like a crime against humanity. If ever a game was meant for the Switch, NHL 94 is the one.
Speed 3: Grand Prix is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch. The game also can be played on next-gen consoles by simply downloading it to the console, but they are not optimized for either the PS5 or Xbox Series X. This review was via an Xbox One version of the game provided by the publisher.
MXGP 2020 is available now on the PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X-S, and PC.
As I mentioned before, DDS: CFB ’21 isn’t perfect, as some of the simulation results and the top 25 occasionally will have you looking at the screen with a bit of disbelief. However, it’s not enough to ruin the immersion and world that Wolverine Studios has created. It can also be a bit tough to understand the ins and outs of the game for newcomers, and that will create a bit of frustration for some.
I would consider Monster Jams: Steel Titans 2 an improvement over the first iteration, but I don’t believe it’s a large enough improvement to match what people were hoping for in the lead up to release.
Monster Energy Supercross 4 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia
Monster Truck Championship may not have enough depth to be a mainstay in your rotation for months on end, but it makes up for that in other ways and should be viewed as a solid addition to your collection.
There are plenty of flaws here, and at times those flaws caused frustration. However, the bottom line is there is fun to be had here, whether in franchise mode, exhibition, or online. There is still plenty of room for improvement (like, plenty plenty), but if you're looking for a fun game that can be enjoyed by all, you could do a lot worse than adding RBI Baseball '21 to your rotation this year.