As Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge continues to evolve, it could get more interesting. Right now, it feels like a decent early VR title that was merely expanded upon. That's not necessarily a bad thing! I just wish several aspects of it were more fleshed out. It's still more captivating than the recent trilogy.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity brings some of the same "Warriors" baggage along with it, but as someone who was always into these Omega Force romps, the juice was worth the squeeze. The story was genuinely enthralling throughout and it serves as a great companion piece for Breath of the Wild, while forging its own identity in many respects. I suspect a lot of the alterations are going to be controversial, but I like that they took some big swings and really went with it.
The Falconeer tries to be a legit dogfighting game and it plays the part to an extent; but there isn't much holding it all together. I feel like I've said this often in 2020, but I wouldn't mind seeing the developer take another crack at it, because there's a lot of good groundwork here.
It's a shame this had to be $70 out of the gate on PS5 (it's $59.99 on PC) and that it has to be tethered to an always-online system. Whoever made that decision doomed this project's reputation, at least in the short term. Godfall is going to go down as one of the most divisive games of this generation's launch: a relic to some, a wild whispered-about gem to others. Make sure that before you get it, all of your action-junkie boxes are checked.
Kingdom Hearts is a good rhythm game that meanders way too often with its presentation. If you're a diehard fan who sings "Simple and Clean" to themselves in the shower, you'll probably love a trip down memory lane, while humming all of the battle sequences that a lot of casual players might skip over. Just know that it might take some work to get to your favorite parts.
You've probably played a game like The Pathless before, but you haven't played The Pathless. If you're into these types of games (you know who you are), this is another one you can add to the pile. I say "pile" endearingly, as it's short enough to justify playing right away without becoming backlog fodder.
Bring your family and friends into your Sackboy: A Big Adventure playthrough and have a blast. Or play by yourself. It doesn't really matter, as Sumo Digital has once again tapped into the essence of what makes this series so special. It's innocent, it's fun, and it feels unique. We need more games like it, even if they don't push the genre forward...which is by no means a requirement.
My advice? Wait to see how the next-gen upgrade of Destiny 2 shakes out if you're either on the fence about returning, or jumping in for the first time. Come December 8, it should be a drastically different experience, as the lessened load times and sharper visuals (and performance) should help smooth over some of Destiny 2's shortcomings. It still has many.
If you're the type of person who plays racing games for hundreds of hours, Dirt 5 might let you down and I completely understand why. But for everyone else, it's a very accessible and personality-filled game that should keep you busy for a while.
Bright Memory has the potential to be great once Infinite arrives, but for now, it gets a very light recommendation with some provisos. It's not technically impressive even as a Series X launch title, but Bright Memory is worth pursuing either way if you grew up on classic action romps.
Just like Into the Spider-Verse, I was pleasantly surprised by Miles Morales. I came in fully expecting it to be a side story, but it was much more than that. If this is setting us up for Spider-Man 2 where both Miles and Peter are playable: I'm in.
Astro Bot has replaced Knack as the cute Sony mascot and I'm okay with it. Although Astro's Playroom isn't a killer app, booting up your PS5 and playing it for free is a great way to get accustomed to your shiny new toy from multiple angles.
Fuser does what it says on the side of the box, but there could have been a more compelling foundation to keep you going past the point where it feels like you've done it all. Which, in this case, can be quicker than a lot of other rhythm games.
I've alluded to this several times, but Borderlands 3: Designer's Cut is a strange DLC in that it feels like a hodgepodge of a few planned updates mixed into a pack. Mostly good updates, mind, but stapled together by a mode that I have no desire to play again. Pick up the first season pass before you take a gander at the second.
For all its shortcomings, I wouldn't mind seeing WayForward get another crack at this series with a more concerted effort to bring in non-fans, with more depth. Bakugan is a world worth exploring. For now, you may want to stick with the physical game.
Kirby Fighters 2 has the right stuff buried underneath its foundation: you just have to dig to get there. With a few tweaks here and there in terms of unlocks and the way content is delivered, it could have been a much stronger package for both solo and party play. As is, you're going to have to put in some work.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another re-release that isn't going to blow some people away, but provides another means with which to play a potentially forgotten Wii U classic. For me, it still holds up, and then some.
Now that the season pass is in the hopper, it's easy to feel like Pokemon Sword and Shield are a transitional generation to something greater. Sure, I liked Sword and Shield for what they were and filled out my Pokedex in a matter of weeks, but there are several half-baked elements that needed more time in the oven to really bring the whole loaf together. For now though, with two DLCs under its belt, that loaf doesn't taste half bad with some butter.
If you're desperately looking for more Doom Eternal, The Ancient Gods – Part One will give it to you.
There's plenty to criticize, but Super Mario Bros. 35 is a free download, so give it a shot. I've played many rounds already and will jump into plenty more until that fated March 2021 eShop removal death date. Hopefully Nintendo has a change of heart like it did with Jump Rope Challenge and updates the game to address some of its shortcomings: because it has even more potential than a temporary flight of fancy.