As an expansion for Total War: Three Kingdoms, The Furious Wild is a no brainer to pick up. Adding a ton of content and tens of hours of new gameplay for a mere snip, this DLC is definitely worth the asking price. The Nanman campaign is one that has plenty of drama attached with a host of faction specific missions and events and then best of all, once it is completed it is just the prologue of the adventure to come, with the rest of China to capture and a whole host of 'outsiders' to convert or conquer in the name of the Nanman. Visually impressive and with a lot of creative ideas in the mechanics used to keep the factions interesting -The Furious Wild is an excellent addition to the game.
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.
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.
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.
The play style adjustments in the campaign to the core gameplay loop do enough to keep things interesting
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
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.
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.
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.
Sariento VR is one of the most impressive VR titles in many ways. From the technical standpoint, with the graphics and engine stability, to the movement system (which is a pure thrill) right through to the sounds of the weaponry, which really make everything come to life. There are a few titles that mix some of the acrobatic movement and bullet-time mechanics separately but none have combined them so well and in such a complete package. This is one of the first VR titles on the market that could be reasonably described as a true AAA VR experience, with an addictive gameplay loop of missions offering plenty of rewards and a voiced campaign. Best of all, it might be a first class title but developer Mixed Realms has delivered on a budget price of £22.99. For VR owners, this is a must buy.
Quite simply, Rise and Fall is a must-buy expansion for any Civilization VI owner. The fundamental core of the experience has, of course, not been radically changed - however it didn't need to. Rather, what has been added is a refinement that encourages strategic development and thinking and gives a constant treadmill of challenges to overcome in order to create the greatest civilisation. The loyalty mechanic accompanies this all nicely by again increasing the difficulty curve by just the right amount to avoid annoyance. The disappointment about the global emergencies does not detract from the experience enough to consider Rise and Fall anything other than a triumph.
For the very modest price of this first chapter of the Stories DLC, it is hard to criticise. Starting at $1.99, or the season pass for $4.99, there is plenty of content here to entice fans who may have set This War of Mine down to pick it back up again. Hopefully, the rest of the stories match up to the quality on show here in terms of the narrative of the protagonist, Adam, and his journey to save his daughter and escape the besieged city. The same compelling gameplay, graphics and sound from back in 2014 remain, and placed on top is the forward momentum that a story brings.
Far Cry 5, while having some issues, such as the janky AI and a rather far-fetched plot, more than makes up for these things with some compelling and truly innovative approaches from Ubisoft. There is a real sense that it put a lot of love back into a series that over the last spin-off and fully-fledged entry was possibly becoming mundane. The world set in the USA presents a real contrast to the tropical paradise settings of all the previous entries. Additionally, the organic approach to missions and narrative advancement mean that Far Cry 5 avoids the 'cleaning up of the map' feel that some previous games have conveyed. The gunplay is smooth and fantastic and the graphics are stunning. Anyone who hasn't played a Far Cry game before needs to get this and any doubters of Ubisoft's ability to deliver a truly great open-world title need to do likewise.
Superhot on its own was already a rich, memorable title that presented something different to the genre. This VR expansion takes that up a notch or ten. It really is like stepping inside an action movie. The level of immersion is second to none, but more important is the level of fun, which throws as many dangerous scenarios and enemies as it can and asks, "How will you stop us?" It is hard not to rise to the challenge—and don't be surprised if a lot of the office furniture is crashing down as those bullets are dodged and intercepted. This is a virtual power fantasy in all the best ways.
For a budget title, Headmaster is definitely worth a buy and is great at demonstrating some of the best aspects of VR. Certainly this is not the most epic of the medium, but what it does provide is an addictive pick-up-and-play style of game that is always welcome on any gaming apparel or add-on like VR. Very solid graphically, as well as being humorous, and underpinned with a realistic physics engine, Headmaster is a good introduction into VR for developer Frame Interactive. Hopefully, it now follows this up with some more great ideas using this as a base.
The thing about Civilization VI is that there is so much content, that a traditional review struggles to do it justice. The number of units on show, the diversity in buildings, the research tree, the choice over governmental direction and the bonus this gives; it is honestly a title that is best experienced first hand and delved into in the deepest possible way. It is definitely the most fulfilling and enjoyable Civilization to date, and with Firaxis tendency to add expansions and updates to their products, it can only get better from this point onward. Some irritating issues do exist, such as religion and some slight AI deficiencies, but these are minor complaints in a title that is so easy to get addicted to that it is scary. The strategy crown remains with Sid Meier, and it is hard to see any challengers conquering his empire in the near future.
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.
XCOM 2 delivers an excellent port to the PS4. It has been cleverly designed to take advantage of a gamepad and this alleviates many potential concerns. Below this lays an experience that is unrivalled when it comes to strategy titles, particularly on console. The constant feeling of 'backs against the wall,' with scant resources and war decisions to be made, conveys a constant feeling of tension, which only serves to enhance the story of guerrilla resistance. Of course, with the permanent death mechanic, the tales of battle with much loved soldiers are rich for sharing between friends as a badge of honour and craft a memorable experience, living long after the game is finished—which, of course, is not a short one, by any means, providing the substantial difficulty is not a turn-off.
Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is an enhanced version of what was already a monumental RPG. With this release on home consoles, everybody now has the chance to enjoy what is one of the generation's best games. It does so many things that other RPGs do not, allowing more freedom to explore, fight, and build a character on the player's terms. The story here is neither revolutionary nor the best one seen in this genre. However, it is what is around the story that makes it such a compelling experience. An incredibly interesting battle system, great dialogue and general narrative development launch the title into the top tier. The fully voiced characters are the cherry on the cake. This is a AAA-level experience with a 60 hour adventure created using indie money, and that is one of the biggest compliments you can give to a developer and a game.
This is definitely a series that has more mileage in it, for sure, and it is hopeful that Rocksteady decides that they do indeed have something to add in the future, for it would be a shame if this was the end of what has been a great ride.