Hours of Darkness is a solid DLC entry for an already great title. It certainly presents a diverse style of stealth oriented gameplay, alongside a different setting to the main story. Seeing the background context of a previously acknowledged Far Cry 5 NPC is also a neat bonus. However, there are issues with the lack of content and having just one main objective in a relatively straight and linear path means that the realistic timeframe of a play-through is going to be somewhere in the region of one to three hours depending on how incentivised the player is to complete side objectives and collect items.
PES is always such a hard game to review and a frustrating one to score. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, despite the issues mentioned previously, is by no means a bad game. In fact, this is a very good game. It is probably the single best representation of the sport of football that someone has created in the videogame medium. It represents the beautiful flowing moves and the tough as nails tackles. It represents the skill and movement of a variety of different types of players. It makes it a challenge to score great goals past strong AI defenders and rewards putting time and dedication into developing teams and tactics. All of this is wonderful and just what a football title should be. The issue is that whilst people can appreciate this for a few years, standing still is not acceptable when charging full price for a new version every year. There are some glaring flaws that need real focus and attention in order to elevate PES back to the glory days as the king of football.
From a pure mechanical point of view Lost on Mars is decent. It generally retains the fun of Far Cry 5 action in a different setting and story. The problem comes in the execution, with the previous originality and variety of missions and situations replaced by bland tower climbing and frustratingly repetitive boss fights. There is humour in Hurk and his tale and the AI 'ANNE' displays all the traits of a typically psychopathic computer system well. However, this humour only goes so far and can't assist in battling through the hours and hours of looped gameplay with weapon upgrades being the only meaningful reward for doing so. It is fair to say it hasn't been a vintage collection of expansion campaigns for Season Pass holders so far, with many arguably wanting more quality so far for Far Cry 5. Hopefully, the final one will make up for these disappointments.
We Happy Few is a warning to any developer about the vision and ambition of a game overtaking the ability of the team to deliver all aspects of it.
Football Manager 2019 is a fantastic entry in the series and anyone that hasn't picked up the game in a few years will be blown away by the structural changes to the way it works. The training system allows so much more flexibility in management, whilst drawing on real world examples of how teams are coached in the modern age. In addition, the tactical system overhaul makes creating a specific style for teams to play in much easier. The all-round performance is great, with the UI sensibly remaining as clean and user-friendly as it has been for a number of years now. There are a few minor things that could be polished up, but this is a great buy and sure to have a whole new group of football fanatics addicted.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a tour de force of a game. It says something that this very title inspired the creation of many similar turn-based styles, and probably helped push the rogue-like nature of permadeath even further than it had already started to become back in 2012. The sense of scale, and the equal sense of responsibility on the shoulders of the player to lead humanity's last stand, is immense, as, from USA to Australia, every theatre is covered, every front is battled, and every soldier's death is a tragedy that has an individual story behind it. That is the beauty of this creation, and that is the beauty of a game that feels like it is more than just a hobby - although it soon becomes an obsession. Of course, that was proven with its critical and commercial success, which spawned multiple expansions, a full-fledged sequel, and has, in many ways, turned the circle all the way back by inspiring future titles to build on the success and mechanics employed here.
The Wizards is generally a good VR action-adventure title. Using some imaginative and intuitive controls to cast spells, it does an excellent job of making the player feel like they are indeed controlling a powerful wizard. The narrator is brilliant, and there are some really special effects and sights to see. However, things are let down slightly by the overall length of the game, which can be polished off in just a few hours. Additionally, many of the landscapes and levels have the habit of merging together due to how similar in style they look to one another, with only small bits of variety. It isn't the cheapest adventure on the market, but certainly one to pick up if a fan of this genre.
Project Highrise: Architect's Edition is a great overall package for any sim fan to enjoy. Thanks to the DLC, there is a lot of content here to enjoy, and a really addicting experience to have. The scenarios could be a little more varied, but they all have their own set of unique challenges to overcome - not to mention, for those that prefer, the sandbox mode allows players to enjoy building any way they want. Playing on the Switch is generally a good experience, albeit the UI can pose some challenges to clarity on the screen, particularly in undocked mode. This is a title to pick up, though, and is sure to scratch the simulation itch for so many.
Ultimately, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a valued successor in the series and brings the franchise right back to its roots. Graphically, the game is stunning. It pops with glistening detail and lighting, and lots of delicate touches, such as the raindrops on the windows. This is matched by the bombastic sound quality which delivers pounding thrust and thundering cannons through the clouds. Whilst the campaign could be a touch longer, and it is regrettable that the VR mode is not yet present in the PC version, overall the package on offer here is well worth it for any flight combat fans.
Quite simply, Metro Exodus is the perfect way to round off this trilogy, and a testament to the powerful evolution that a gaming franchise can make. The open world offers a whole new perspective from which to enjoy Artom's tale. Whilst there are some niggly issues with AI, and maybe an overuse of bespoke animations, the fact remains that it is hard to think of a better example of how to design a single-player survival adventure. Visually stunning and packed with audio detail, this is something that should be experienced by any PC gamer.
Far Cry New Dawn is a ridiculously well-polished and fun to play action game (AI issues aside), with an enjoyable if largely mundane story and villains
As always, the battles are exciting, and the scope and scale never fails to impress, with the addition of the heroes adding a new dimension to tactics and strategies. This is the game that Romance of the Three Kingdoms fans have been waiting for.
It is simply not good enough. With Sports Interactive offering Football Manager Touch - the streamlined version of their game, for the same price, and without any explicit micro-transactions - any incentive to recommend Club Soccer Director PRO 2020 is severely curtailed.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition is a fantastic game in its own right. A blockbuster adventure spanning up to 100 hours; an encyclopaedia-like, lore-filled world to explore
The play style adjustments in the campaign to the core gameplay loop do enough to keep things interesting
Total War: Three Kingdoms - A World Betrayed is another fascinating addition to the main campaign for those who are still obsessed with this wonderful strategy title.
Zombie Army Trilogy on the Nintendo Switch is a good fit ultimately.
The best word to describe this? Lacking.
Football Manager is still the ultimate football simulation series, and this latest addition makes enough positive changes to keep the gameplay fresh, and improve on some of the minor frustrations of previous entries. With a better UI, enhanced match engine, and some high-quality decisions around player motivations, it is easier than ever to get sucked into hundreds of hours of addictive gameplay. Football Manager 2020 is the perfect game for spending long days in quarantine, as the time will fly by.
Available on pretty much all of the virtual reality headsets, there is not really any excuse not to pick up this addictive and exhilarating rhythm game. Polished now to a truly premium product, it stands proud alongside other competitors in the genre, and is a compelling opportunity to lift up that headset and go for a dance. The shipped tracks combine a diverse and perfectly curated blend of synth and electronic music (with a bit of rock thrown in there) from the likes of Parov Stelar and Jamie Berry. A game for fitness, a game for fun, Synth Riders is worth picking up for any VR owner.