Is this the big shift that will win over people who bounced off Cyberpunk 2077 at launch? No. Instead what Phantom Liberty represents is a small slice of the best that Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red has to offer.
I feel like an accessory to the crime by awarding Need for Speed: Heat such a high score, given the blatant theft of Forza Horizon’s entire schtick. But, at the end of the day it works and the few additions that Heat does bring to the formula help it stand apart. Need for Speed: Heat is a return to form for the series, and a great foundation to rebuild the tattered franchise on.
GRID’s reverence for motorsport is clear and it seems that the natural audience would be die-hard petrolheads, but the arcade handling and stripped back stats are squarely aimed at casual racing fans. But if that’s the case, then the diminutive car roster and by-the-books campaign structure are unlikely to cut it.
Ultimately, Transference weaves an effective, but grim tale of one man's descent into the madness and the horrific fate that he has sealed for his family. The puzzles aren't particularly challenging, but their difficulty works well within the pacing of the story, engaging your brain enough without dragging the story to a halt. Its claims of 'bridging the gap between games and movies' fall flat, but if you can stomach the hefty price tag, Transference is a worthwhile addition to the narrative-driven puzzle game genre.
Ultimately, Immortal: Unchained serves to highlight one thing above all else. Every frustrating aspect of the Dark Souls experience is tolerated and even praised by its fans because the underlying combat system is so fantastically well-realised.
Unravel Two is a fantastic successor to the original and the ultimate proof that you don't always need to reinvent the wheel in a sequel. The addition of a second playable character and slight speed boost are all Unravel needed to elevate itself from a good game to a great one.
All in all, Warmind represents Bungie finally getting its PvP house in order after a rocky start, but this success comes at the cost of an underwhelming PvE offering. The campaign is a one-note run through a handful of missions that boil down to run here, kill dudes then throw a magic space javelin at more dudes for the big finale.
Despite a few tiny blemishes on its record, Rainbow Six Siege is the most satisfying shooter experience of this generation, and few titles can boast its depth and longevity. By bucking market trends and offering a unique experience, Ubisoft has carved out a sizeable niche with a focus on methodical gameplay and teamwork over the run-and-gun style of the other big shooters.