Sam Aberdeen
Metal Gear Survive is Kojima’s true phantom pain. It’s a boring grind of repetitive missions, cardboard characters, and shockingly bad AI. It may get by on the strength of its association to the Metal Gear series alone, but die-hard fans will be very disappointed with how shallow of an experience it really is.
We know Arkane is capable of so much more which is why this feels like such a disappointment and a step back for the studio. Some inspired ideas and a creative concept can't hold Redfall up from buckling under its own blood-drenched weight. On the bright side, it's on Game Pass.
Scorn presents some incredible art direction and a biomechanical Giger fever dream of a world to get lost in, but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in it for most of your time: getting lost.
The Station does enough to be recommended to anyone who wants a very short burst of puzzle-solving with some genuinely gripping mystery and atmosphere, but it crumbles in the execution of the narrative itself.
Skull and Bones has fun naval combat and great ship customisation but it's buried by tedious quests, grinding and a shallow endgame that feels unfinished in its current state.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's outstanding visuals and fun freeflowing gameplay can't save it from feeling like a forced live service game constantly at odds with itself creatively.
When you step away from the controller and really think about the cracks in its foundations, though, Godfall simply becomes another looter with a poor launch that can't seem to do much of anything right beyond being just fine. A terribly uninteresting story and a severe lack of content turns it into a game that will only provide you the bare minimum fun factor, and there's a lot better you can do with your time and money right now.
Fallout 76 boasts an impressive open world in West Virginia, but it's a lonely journey on the country roads. It's greatest aspects are buried under a myriad of nagging technical issues.
Need for Speed Unbound ended up feeling like a step sidewards for the franchise instead of forward. It’s still trailing behind other arcade racers in the genre despite having a strong, stylish presentation.
Sonic Forces is one of the most charming and addictive entries in the series to date. With plenty of colorful energy, a great new character creation feature, and catchy soundtrack, it ultimately won me over in the end, despite its flaws.
Lords of the Fallen looks and plays great but frustrating difficulty spikes and an undercooked narrative hold it back from reaching the heights of its Soulslike counterparts.
It's not a deep experience and many might leave unsatisfied by its sluggish pacing, dialogue and story. Atlas Fallen is an easy recommend on sale but for now, 2023 has a lot more to offer.
Synapse makes good use of virtual reality and the DualSense controller through its mind-bending action and distinct visuals but repetition sets in far too quickly.
Diablo 4 is undoubtedly one of the best games that Blizzard has ever made with a well-written story, though the company's poor handling of post-launch content has dampened what could've been an otherwise phenomenal experience.
If you can get over the often daft AI, mild learning curve with systems that might be pretty complex for younger players, and few performance issues, then you might be swayed by its charm. It has a lot of heart and that's where it shines the brightest.
Forspoken has plenty of faults (most of them justified), but I'll be honest, the basic story is effective, the gameplay is flashy and addictive and the visuals are outstanding for the most part. Unfortunately it also fails to live up to its true potential which is constantly derailed by questionable writing and dialogue, lifeless environments and a protagonist that I tried my hardest to like, but just couldn't.
Evil West feels like a game ripped straight out of the past and dropped into the modern generation with a shinier coat of paint. Surprisingly enough, it ends up being a solidly entertaining action game despite problematic writing, it's overly simple storytelling and some technical hiccups.
Rainbow Six Extraction is fun when it leans into its absurd premise, but it also tends to take itself too seriously. Ubisoft apply all the knowledge gained from tweaking Siege's gameplay and it works well in the gameplay department, but it's a bit uninspired in other areas.
Farming Simulator 22 is an experience I can only describe as highly demanding, but almost as equally rewarding. Thanks to the bolstered business management elements of the game, you have several new opportunities to expand your business and truly feel like you're dominating the agriculture market.
Putting aside any nagging technical issues and the games simply not aging as well as one might've hoped, the Crysis Remastered Trilogy is worth a visit for curious newcomers to the series, and for veterans to absorb all the new visual improvements.