Scott Ellison II's Reviews
F1 2020 is the most accessible Formula One game to-date. And the MyTeam is hands-down the best mode of the past few years. It allows you to forge a path all your own, and truly get invested in the things that take place as both an owner and a driver. Codemasters strips what didn't work in F1 2019, kept what did, and then built on that. The result is that while the real 2020 season of Formula One is abbreivated, F1 2020 is bigger and better than ever before.
ELDERBORN spent five years in development to include Steam Early Access, and it doesn’t feel like enough still. It’s an unremarkable, yet interesting bite-sized Souls-like that’s worth playing, but at a discount. There’s a lot of squandered opportunity here, but the small team at Hyperstrange clearly has passion and talent. ELDERBORN wears its influences on its sleeve, and I can appreciate that.
Whether you’ve played Mimimi Games’ prior game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, the earlier Desperado games, or you’re coming in fresh, you’ll find Desperados III is just an incredible experience. Every character’s ability is unique, and combining it with another’s in showdown mode for a synchronized attack is always satisfying to pull off. It’s rare you see a game utilize quicksaves as a core feature, though it works to great effect here. Mimimi Games’ touches on the real-time tactics genre for this once-dormant series are elegant and brilliant, and not to be missed. Desperados III is simply one of the best games of the year.
Sneaky Bastards understands that stealth doesn’t have to be boring, and encourages creativity in Wildfire. With each upgrade or new passive meteor shard, I was drawn back to older levels to see if it was easier to complete a task I had to skip out on prior. The game has a great flow of risk and reward amid its stealth. Add in the emergent layer of manipulating your environment and the enemies around you, and you have a game teeming with unpredictability. Wildfire is chaotic and wonderful, all enacted by the spark of a flame.
It’s evident that 80’s OVERDRIVE takes inspiration from games like Outrun and Rad Racer, and thankfully does a lot new things to separate itself from what came before it. The racing feels good, and is backed by an appropriate synthwave soundtrack. However, later races have too much going on and with some randomness of collisions will force you to restart more often than you’d like. Some issues aside, 80’s OVERDRIVE is a solid racer with depth in a gorgeous and vibrant palette.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered looks fantastic thanks to the work Beenox has put into it. The story still holds relevance, and there’s some wonderful nostalgia to go along with it now. This is a game begging to be a more complete package with additional modes, that just aren’t here. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered comes in at a scant $20, and remains one of the best single-player experiences ever.
Streets of Rage 4 is the surprise of the year. The grinding towards unlocking additional and retro character is a lowlight, the rest of the game is a highlight. The story is in-tune with prior games in the series, the artwork doesn't deviate from what you'd imagine this series looking like in 2020, and it's responsive and laser focused. Streets of Rage 4 keeps the history of the series in the rear view, yet moving forward by adding exciting and quality improvements to the series.
Milestone has this series dialed in so well, it’s hard to fault it for things that have been removed or reduced when the racing is so solid. On one hand, managing a team feels way more robust, but the downside is that the TV broadcasting element is almost nonexistent. With what MotoGP 20 is, it charts more in a straight line than the incline that was MotoGP 18 to MotoGP 19. That said, MotoGP 20 offers a comprehensive and detailed career and a series of modes that offers something for everyone, old and new, experienced or not.
Operencia: The Stolen Sun is full of charm, depth, and secrets that represents the best of the genre. There’s a lot of satisfaction in completing its puzzles, and overcoming enemies in combat. If you’re not a fan of backtracking or the way the saves work, you might not enjoy yourself as others in the genre. However, I think it’s an obstacle that you can easily overcome. The combat and puzzles are the majority, and the highlight. Operencia: The Stolen Sun shines bright in these dark times.
Remedy takes a step back with the odd happenings in the Bureau, and while the place is in dire straights, it doesn’t overwhelm you with that feeling because Jesse is so powerful now. Over the course of four hours, The Foundation solves its own mysteries in a satisfying way, while leaving the door open for what’s to come in Expansion 2. It also never spends too long on any one thing, and it feels like you’re repairing something over time. CONTROL – The Foundation maintains momentum from the main story without ever slowing down.
HyperParasite is “another one of those”, but it does it well. The fact that you can control one of your enemies for as long as you can last extends the lifetime of not only the game, but each run. A lot of it still comes down to randomness or RNG, but your skills get put to the test that help offset it. When the game becomes a shmup, it’s such a visual and aural treat. This the definition of a Steam Early Access success. HyperParasite excites and delights every time you play it.
Over the course of fifteen or so hours to see the game to completion, Iron Danger offers a good challenge, even on the default normal difficulty. The ability to infinitely bend time to your will to fine-tune encounters to perfection can be really satisfying. Its biggest detriment is how clunky and unpolished it all feels. That said, Iron Danger is really fun, and completely distinct from every other tactical combat game you’ve played. And for that, it should be on your radar.
Exit the Gungeon isn’t a sequel, nor does it pretend to be. I still find 2016’s Enter the Gungeon to be a fuller experience, with more depth and variety. Exit the Gungeon is not a game you should ignore. This Gungeon may have lost a little bit of itself along the way, but enough of its humor and sensibilities are very much intact for enjoying Dodge Roll’s twist on the Gungeon formula for the price point. Exit the Gungeon is a delightful spin-off, a blast to play, and the changes to the gameplay compliment the new perspective wonderfully.
BEAUTIFUL DESOLATION offers a weird, and wonderful future of Earth to explore where you can make your mark. The journey is just as exciting and fantastic as the destination. There’s a unique world and game here that’s never been seen before, and THE BROTHERHOOD made sure of that. There’s nothing quite like BEAUTIFUL DESOLATION; it’s an experience you won’t soon forget, and is one of the finest adventure games I’ve ever played.
Table Manners gets the experience of dating half-right, capturing the nervousness and awkward conversation in totality. The in-game app meant to cultivate your relationship(s) often leads to disappointment or confusion. Unless you’re out to sabotage everything in the name of a good time, there’s not much room for fun or risk losing the relationship. When trying to do your best, the simulation and physics often get in the way. It’s certainly enjoyable for hours on end, but it doesn’t quite come together like it should.
Dead Cells remains great, replete with free updates and free DLC. Now there’s paid DLC in The Bad Seed, it’s a must-buy. The team at Motion Twin and Evil Empire have earned your trust, and treated you well in Early Access and post-release, so I don’t feel bad returning the favor. If you’ve been gone a while, now’s the perfect time to return. If you’ve been playing a while, this is the perfect DLC to be interwoven into the game seamlessly. The Bad Seed is DLC done right, guilt-free and without burden.
KUNAI is absolutely kinetic. Momentum, traversal, and combat are the key pillars. They all work in tandem to produce a game that moves at a frenetic pace, and one you’ve not known in a Metroidvania-style of game. TurtleBlaze have something special here, and it’s in your best interest not to miss it. KUNAI is a refreshing take on the genre, and an exciting one at that.
It’s clear with Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 3, it is driven by passion and authenticity for the sport. It’s the best in the series, even if it has a few rough edges. The UI takes a few unnecessary extra steps to navigate, but when that’s your largest issue, there’s little to worry about. The bevy of modes, inclusivity of riders, and wonderful simulation of supercross is unmatched. Now go try it with the first-person camera.
The combat is intense, frenetic, and never bogged down by the managerial aspects. The story is solid, and the characters are okay, but the BattleTech lore that begins to unfold throughout steals the show. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries captures the essence so beautifully of what made the MechWarrior: Mercenaries games so great two decades ago. It’s a welcome return for a singleplayer campaign of this storied franchise. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries skips all the pretenses, and lets you manage the finances and the intricate details of your own mercenary units to stomp around the galaxy at your leisure.
The shift from random sniper dude who I don’t care about to shadow sniper with cool tech is a big step in the right direction for the series. As is the segmented contract system, which is something I want to see a lot more of in DLC or sequels. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is inventive and rewarding, with so many ways to tackle the contracts, challenges, and bounties – this is a game that celebrates its replayability. While there’s rough edges, this is the most satisfying game about being a sniper for a modest price. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts executes with enough precision to reach its target.