PHOGS! is a great two-player co-op puzzle game with just enough floppiness to make executing the solutions challenging. Never frustrating but always satisfying, PHOGS! is a solid choice for kids or adults. Gorgeous storybook art and fantastic music keep PHOGS! warm and fun, and a simple control design makes the game accessible to a wide range of audiences. Clever, charming, and fun.
Submerged: Hidden Depths exists on its own chill plane – an exploration game that is truly about exploration and little else. Though some may feel that Submerged is lacking in mechanics, those that get onboard with its subdued vibe will find a lot of beauty in the experience. This is a gorgeous game, and exploring its mysteries is a reward in itself.
Just Dance 2021 continues the franchise in precisely the way fans expect; beyond the 40 new tracks, this is virtually the exact same game as last year, and that is totally fine. Happy songs, bright colors, and fun animation make for a welcome good time, and the exercise certainly doesn't hurt. If you have never tried Just Dance, take the leap. It's much more fun than you think it is.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an audio-visual feast, a living work of art that continuously delights and amazes players with its bottomless well of creativity. Some pacing issues can't do much to detract from the amazing level design, tight platforming, and astounding soundtrack. Sackboy is a pure delight.
Five Dates is a solid entry in the FMV game genre, offering an interesting take on dating during the pandemic. While there is nothing revolutionary here, the way the game plays with expectations and subverts players impressions is interesting enough to give it a shot. Fans of the genre will likely enjoy this one.
PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle is a remarkably entertaining modern twist on what is perhaps the most beloved game of all time. This game manages to retain the fun of old school PAC-MAN, while adding in an extra layer of tension and strategy to the mix by letting players invade each other's games. Brilliant idea, and fun game.
Godfall has all the ingredients for an enjoyable epic game, but somehow these ingredients are assembled into a soulless Franken-game that feels empty and soulless. While the combat is solid, and some of the boss fights are clever, players will still be left wondering why they should continue playing. Gorgeous to look at, but ultimately numbing to play.
The Pathless is a remarkably well-designed game, guiding the player forward with intuitive design while providing plenty of opportunity to experiment and play. With a great locomotion system and an amazing soundtrack, The Pathless will easily see players losing hours while under its hypnotic spell. Fun and rewarding puzzles, a nice story line, and plenty to see and do make The Pathless a great game, regardless of which system you play it on.
With a huge variety of music, an amazing UI interface, and enough content to keep you happily bobbing your head for days, Fuser is one of the best music games ever made. Even those with no musical skill will enjoy learning how to create great sounding mixes in Fuser, and the game gives them plenty of leeway to practice. Fuser is a burst of happiness, light, and live music, all of which are sorely needed in the world right now. The highest recommendation.
Much of Watch Dogs: Legion feels revolutionary, from its "play as anyone" hook to its Black Mirror-esque science fiction setting. While the gameplay only iterates slightly on previous games, new wrinkles provided by character traits keep things fresh. Watch Dogs: Legion delivers a stark warning about what our future may hold, but maintains its entertainment level throughout. Legion is a witty, bracing wake-up call.
While getting started can be a chore due to the poor tutorial implementation, clearing that barrier reveals a fun and interesting casual strategy title. Playing as a band of unapologetic vampires is a hoot, and taking over large swaths of land is entertaining. Mixing a wide variety of features from across the strategy genre, Immortal Wars somehow makes it all work together. An interesting diversion for strategy fans.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time goes far beyond expectations with the number of characters, modes, and levels that it includes. Series newcomers are likely to be rudely smacked upside the head by the blistering difficulty, but longtime fans will delight in the incredible ways this title iterates upon its storied past. Highly recommended.
Cake Bash is an extremely polished four-player collection of minigames and competitions that is perfect for families as well as more experience players. This is the sort of game that is meticulously designed so that anyone can pick up a controller and enjoy it. Though the amount of content in the game feels light, the amount of entertainment to be gained from this package far outweighs the asking price.
Torchlight 3 offers a solid foundation of ARPG goodness, but the balance of loot drops and progression feel off to the point where long sections of the game feel interminable. When everything is clicking, players can destroy waves of bad guys with the best of them – but expect an ebb and flow to the good times.
With some unexpectedly complex and challenging controls, Star Wars: Squadrons is not the sort of game that you jump into and play casually. Squadrons is a surprisingly deep flight sim-style space battler that benefits from all of the sights and sounds of the Star Wars universe. While fun played on TVs, Squadrons really comes to life in VR, despite some resolution issues. This is simply the best Star Wars space battle game ever produced, and is a dream come true for fans.
Do you think you know all the words to Killer Queen? You probably do not, and Freddie Mercury almost assuredly sings it better. That doesn't mean that it isn't fun to try. Let's Sing Queen has a great, deep track list and offers some simple fun. If you enjoy hyper difficult karaoke, you'll get a kick out of this title. Warning: "Under Pressure" is much more difficult than you think it is.
Good game design is good game design, regardless of age or platform. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 takes the levels from the amazing original PS1 titles, and blows out the scope in every direction. Adding a ton of modernizing touches without ever losing sight of what makes these games great, THPS 1+2 is a riotous success. Lock in for some extended play sessions, and get your blister band-aids ready because this game is additive beyond belief.
With a well-written story, fantastic world building, and great, bloody combat, The Walking Dead Onslaught is a fantastic companion piece to the beloved AMC show and a great VR game in its own right. Supply runs provide a perfect mix of speedy action and tense combat, while the narrative portions feel carefully and artfully constructed. While the VR-level budget peaks through on occasion, this is an amazingly well-made and entertaining game.
It is wonderful to revisit the setting and characters of The Outer Worlds. But due to the way the expansion is nestled within the greater story, the admittedly entertaining and well-written adventure ultimately feels a bit hollow. Fans will enjoy hanging out with Parvati for a few hours – and some narrative twists keep things lively – but some changes or expansions to the gameplay would have been very welcome.
With a stellar campaign and set pieces that rival anything in the MCU, Marvel's Avengers already delivers a ton of value. But add on the endless multiplayer and future characters, and this game is poised to be a classic. Some early bugs distract from the fun, but the bones of the game are solid. Marvel's Avengers is an amazing achievement.