Overall, The Siege of Paris is a bit of a missed opportunity. It's still an awful lot of fun for those who enjoyed the base game, and the assassinations may be simple but do add a bit of a variety to the experience. However, there's little that's truly refreshing, and is not a must-have for those who own Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Overall, Foreclosed is a good game with great moments and some awkward caveats. It's a visually compelling experience, with an interesting game world and some strong gameplay ideas, but its occasionally simplistic gameplay and middling story hold Foreclosed back. With an extremely abrupt ending, it's something that will be enjoyed but unlikely to live long in the memory.
Overall. Vesper is a highly impressive indie platformer. Its stunning visuals and mysterious game world will likely immediately hook the player, while its gameplay hits a sweet spot that will maintain that interest throughout its short runtime. It may sometimes go into comfortable spaces seen by other games in the genre, but even so there's more than enough flair here to make Vesper worthwhile.
For musou game fans, Samurai Warriors 5 is a strong return to form for Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. The game is not a complete revolution, but provides an enjoyable hack and slash experience that understands why the Warriors games are popular. It's often silly, and hardly clever, but it's an enjoyable action game for those who want some mindless fun.
Overall, Last Stop is something of a mixed bag. At its best it's an enjoyable and immersive narrative adventure game, and Paper Dolls is definitely a good enough story strand to have carried the game on its own had it been expanded. However, the different quality of its three stories, and the awkward narrative shift in its final chapter, does mean that Last Stop feels a little like a missed opportunity when all is said and done, and a good game that could've been excellent with just a bit more content and some tighter scripts.
Overall, F1 2021 is an excellent entry in the series, with a number of additions and tweaks that make it feel refreshing to play. With one of the most comprehensive Career Modes available in a sports game and enough options to make it accessible to anyone, F1 2021 is enjoyable for newcomers and veterans alike. Fans may want to keep an eye on outside influences on Codemasters as time goes on, particularly with cosmetic options, but F1 2021 still provides the incredible thrills and deep choices of how to play that the series has become known for.
A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories is a mixed bag overall. Visually it's extremely impressive, and when the player is able to focus on the game's puzzles it's an immersive head-scratcher. However, its struggles with platforming and combat, alongside its camera issues, means that the title ends up as a good idea not entirely successful in its implementation.
Overall, though, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! shows that the original game has lost none of its power. Those wishing to visit the game again will find its new content deep enough to warrant a replay, and its excellently-told story will still hold weight with newcomers. Go in spoiler free where possible and enjoy its twists and turns.
Overall, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a faithful adaptation that has been made with a lot of love. It's not perfect, as players may find the controls a little loose and the lack of change and additional features may make some question its worth, but it's nonetheless a good recreation of the fantastic Master System title.
A pixel-based visual novel.
Light on puzzles, high on atmosphere.
In short, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is simply brilliant. Between its thrilling gameplay, fantastic graphics, and charming story, it's a must-have for PS5 players everywhere. There haven't been many games to justify a step into the new console generation as of yet, but this is definitely one of them.
Overall, The Magnificent Trufflepigs is an interesting character-driven story that doesn't quite meet its potential. It lacks the nuance required to be a truly great, especially when it comes to its broader plot, but there's still charm here among its performances and solid depiction of village country life.
The Longest Road on Earth is still relatively successful. Its unique and interesting gimmick allows it to reach places that other indie games have yet to travel, although it does fall into limitations with just how engaging it can be thanks to its pacing and self-inflicted restrictive nature. Nonetheless, fans of character-centric experimental works will likely want to give this a go, and it's a useful blueprint for potential future innovation, too.
This leaves Wrath of the Druids as a decent if uninspired first major DLC pack for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Its truly brilliant moments are worth playing, and those who enjoyed the core gameplay loop of the main game will be satisfied. However, elements like resource gathering and generic side quests could certainly have been cut to make way for more divergent design, to make use of Ireland and all its history.
A compelling story underneath the dourness.
Cutesy charm and lots of character are present in spades.
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced still isn't for everyone, since it's far from the smooth experience that FPS fans have come to expect even with the technical updates for its PS5 release. Nonetheless, it's a game that understands the Terminator franchise, and the heart behind its creation shines through in spite of its limitations.
Overall, MotoGP 21 is a clear step up from last year's entry into the franchise. The title makes good use of the new hardware available, all the while expanding the scope of the gameplay experience, particularly for detail-centric players. It might not be for everyone, but motorcycle racing fans will get a real kick out of MotoGP 21.
Ashwalkers is still a fascinating little narrative experience. There's an interesting and at times surprisingly uplifting world to explore, and it's worth playing through the game multiple times to see where its branching pathways lead. That said, its brevity means that there's not quite enough meat on the bones to really envelop anyone in its atmosphere, which could leave some explorers wanting more.