I’m still working my way through my first season at the helm of the semi-pro Bath City FC (a team I’ve chosen as a way to connect with my coworkers in PCGamesN’s hometown), and so there’s still more I’d like to see before assigning a score – particularly, the initial patch that updates the beta build I’ve been playing. But my impressions of Football Manager 2021 so far are largely positive. This is a clear step forward over last year’s edition, even if some of its new ideas don’t completely work.
An utterly charming yarn about friendship and kindness that breathes gritty modern life into the quaint JRPG format of classic Dragon Quest.
After such a long wait for a successor to X-Wing and TIE Fighter, Star Wars: Squadrons feels like a lucky shot with a proton torpedo.
Delightfully chaotic and ruggedly lovable, this is a decidedly old-fashioned shooter that succeeds on the principle of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'
A creative expansion that adds enjoyable new mechanics and units, plus a unique two-stage campaign, without feeling disjointed from the core game.
Successfully modernises the medieval strategy series, preserving much of what's good and adding some interesting new ideas. While it still needs to iron out a few details, it's a worthy successor to the series' august crown.
An earnest but empty love letter to Quake and Duke Nukem 3D that never gets around to doing anything to call its own.
An accessible, lightweight competitive shooter. Though it's a little thin in its current state, this is a solid start for what will hopefully become a lively and dynamic game as its season pass gets underway.
Age of Wonders: Planetfall, while a bit opaque in some areas, is the most entertaining 4X I've played in years.
I’ve missed out on Roller Coaster Tycoon and its descendants, so I can’t compare Parkitect to those games. What I can say is that it is delightful and non-threatening, and playing it has typically left me feeling pleasantly drowsy and contented, the way I might after wandering around a brightly-lit midway, munching a corn dog covered in mustard in a gauzy childhood memory of the carnival.