Dalton Cooper's Reviews
Psychonauts 2 was worth the 16-year wait, as it's easily Double Fine's best game so far and a strong contender for Game of the Year.
As it stands, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is the comprehensive, definitive Ghost of Tsushima experience. Its new multiplayer mode isn't in the game yet but will be coming soon, and in the meantime, fans still have the current Ghost of Tsushima: Legends experience to check out, the base game's story mode with PS5 features, and the substantial Iki Island expansion. Newcomers and returning fans alike have reason to check out Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, with it hopefully keeping fans satisfied until they can get their hands on Sucker Punch's first game built exclusively with the PlayStation 5 in mind.
Those who can put up with NEO: The World Ends With You's slow start and repetitiveness will find a game with great combat and a ton of content.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a compelling twist on The Legend of Zelda formula that will appeal to fans of Nintendo's popular franchise.
The more serious technical issues will likely be addressed in future Scarlet Nexus updates, but in the meantime, the game is still a safe bet for big anime and Japanese action-RPG fans. There's serious bang for the buck, as Scarlet Nexus has New Game Plus and is stuffed with content, being one of the few games with two playable characters where going back through with the other one is actually a worthwhile endeavor. If the combat didn't lose its luster in the last five hours or so and if it wasn't bogged down with so many boring static cut-scenes, it would be much easier to recommend it to everyone else, too.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is the definitive way to experience the game, and the Yuffie Intermission DLC is a must-play for fans.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a solid pick for those who are looking for a nostalgia trip as well as anyone that missed out the first time and is needing a fun local co-op game to play. There are many aspects of the game that haven't aged well, but the fun factor trumps a lot of those issues. Plus, the game gives players plenty of bang for their buck, with a ton to do in the main story and some unlockable content, including a Gauntlet mode and fan favorite character Drizzt Do'Urden. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was a great game in 2001 and it's still a ton of fun to play 20 years later.
Resident Evil Village doesn't have the most engrossing or satisfying story in Resident Evil history, and its more action-oriented approach is likely to disappoint fans that enjoyed RE7's pure horror. However, Resident Evil Village is packed with replay value, rarely has a dull moment, and should leave Resident Evil fans excited for the franchise's future.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is a free PlayStation Plus game on PS5 at the time of this writing, so PS Plus subscribers have no reason not to download it and give it a go for themselves. After all, there's still a lot to like about the game, like its dark story and engaging puzzle/platforming gameplay. However, those on other platforms who have to actually pay to play it may want to hold off until Oddworld Inhabitants fixes some of its more serious bugs.
RetroMania Wrestling is a game designed with a very specific type of professional wrestling fan in mind, and those individuals may be able to enjoy it for what it is. It has a nice selection of arenas and a small but decent roster. The biggest problems with RetroMania Wrestling are its lack of content and high price point, but maybe future updates will make it a more fully-featured game that matches its asking price.
Hazelight Studios' It Takes Two is one of the best co-op gaming experiences there is and an absolute joy to play from start to finish.
The next-gen upgrade for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time makes an already fantastic and content-rich platforming game even better.
Flow Weaver is a virtual reality escape room experience with a dull story that doesn't understand what makes escape rooms fun.
These issues will be ironed out and Valheim's content roadmap ensures that plenty of new content will be added to the game as well throughout 2021. In its current state, it's an incredibly engrossing experience and perhaps the first survival game of its kind to match Minecraft in pure fun factor. And if it's already this impressive in early access, one can only imagine how good it will be when it has its full release.
Bowser's Fury is great while it lasts, but it is admittedly short, and so Super Mario 3D World's high price tag on Switch may be hard to swallow for those that have already played through the game on Wii U. Double-dipping makes more sense for someone who is wanting to take advantage of Super Mario 3D World's online co-op functionality, but other returning players may want to wait for a sale. However, anyone that hasn't played Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U should go out and buy Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Switch immediately, as it is a fantastic Super Mario 3D platforming experience with enough content to keep fans busy for weeks.
Little Nightmares 2 makes some major quality of life and gameplay improvements while still delivering plenty of scares to keep players on edge.
Out of the gate, Destruction AllStars is shallow and struggles to give players a compelling reason to stick with it for the long-term. But like other live service games, it's possible that Destruction AllStars will improve as the developers address fan feedback and add more meaningful content to the game. The foundation is there for Destruction AllStars to eventually be great, with reliable performance, beautiful graphics, and fun core gameplay, but there's a long way to go if it ever wants to reach that point.
Ryte: The Eye of Atlantis is a dull virtual reality puzzle game that completely fails to capitalize on its interesting premise.
The Medium is a gorgeous next-gen horror game with a haunting game world anchored by old-school survival-horror style puzzles and exploration.
Wrestling Empire is a throwback to the glory days of professional wrestling video games on the Nintendo 64, but isn't quite as memorable.