Babylon’s Fall is a failure on multiple levels made worse by a plethora of outdated ideas and Square’s reluctance to innovate on the games-as-a-service model that ensures that it’ll never stand out in a sea of other mediocre live service games. This would have been an ok game if it weren’t for the premium track battle pass that really doesn’t seem to appeal to anyone. In its current state, it’s not worth the asking price.
FAR: Changing Tides is more concerned with showing a story rather than actually telling one, and it absolutely works out in its favor. Yet again, the series manages to tell an entire story without a single line of dialog. There aren’t many thrilling moments throughout the journey, but the ones we do have are some of the most eye-opening ones that I couldn’t even imagine being possible, even in the last game. There are very few games that allow you to look inward the way the FAR series does. If you’ve played and enjoyed the first game, you owe it yourself to have this game be part of your collection.
Infernax walks a fine line between honoring the classics while adding its own unique stamp to the genre, and I am glad that it did so exceeding well. The game wears its inspiration proudly on its sleeve. And as a game all about stopping a demonic invasion, it is all the better for it. On a final note, Infernax doesn't take a hard stance on difficulty as it has a classic mode and a casual mode. It takes the player's choice to heart and does all that is reasonable to accommodate player preference without butchering the experience. This is one game that deserves a place in your classics library.
OlliOlli World is visually beautiful and mechanically fulfilling. The game appeals to both casual and competitive players, all the while wrapped in a charming world inhabited by interesting characters.
Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition is a very good game, objectively. It is an absolute treat for seasoned veterans, and there is enough intrigue here that’ll satisfy new comers to the genre. The game has plenty of content and a story of survival with plenty of moments of self-doubt and revelations. But the game itself doesn’t run well on PS4. And that’s unfortunate. Only time will tell if patches can improve on the experience.
Lost in Random has the potential of a modern classic in the making. More than the Tim Burton vibes or the uniqueness of the combat mechanics. There is a certain charm to its writing and the line delivery that’s hard to place, be the epic poetry battle with Mayor Royam or Seemore giving Even a pep talk worthy of a sports underdog movie. It’s one of those games that I would actually consider a sleeper hit. As such, I highly recommend for the story content first. The combat, a near second.
AKIBA’S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed is more than your run-of-the-mill anime game. If you really look into it, you’ll find a challenging, yet flawed combat system. An entire series born from an urban legend with ties to the Hikikomori phenomenon in Japan. And an anime story complete with misunderstandings and pure intentions. The first one, I tolerate. The 2 after are reasons why you should be buying this game.
There is no more fitting way to close this chapter of Total War: Warhammer II than to end it with two of the most entertaining campaigns in the game. Both Oxyotl and Taurox are overpowered when played to their strengths. Under the right conditions, there is nothing the AI can do to stop you. If you’re looking for a random DLC campaign to pick up, I highly suggest picking this one up, along with all the free DLC content.
As a whole, Necromunda: Hired Gun is one of the more enjoyable shooters to come out this year. Unfortunately, minor performance issues on the PS4 prevent the title from truly shining. I also draw issues with how boss fights play out, and among other concerns. Other than that, it is a great game to lose yourself in for short bursts. So, it’s a good thing that it doesn’t require the player to stick around longer than necessary.
All in all, I believe MLB The Show 21 is pretty good at showing us the in’s and out’s of the wonderful game of baseball. the very fact that the controls can be tweaked to the player’s preferences really shows that the series as a whole is very welcoming to players of any skill level. On top of that, the adaptive difficulty setting scales depending on how the player is performing on the field. Potentially making it so that it’s not too difficult or too easy at any given time.
This is the most definitive version of the trilogy so far. For series veterans, we have a unified look for your customized Commander Shepard that you will experience adventures with till the bitter end. This not only applies to male Shepard. Female Shepard from the third game is the default model from the beginning. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will. For first-time players, you will get the best version of the games, complete with all the DLC’s. And a photo mode to boot! What more can you ask for?
I can’t for the life of me recommend Empire of Sin without giving it more time to iron out its issues. Gameplay-wise, it is quite enjoyable, but that enjoyable aspect gets drowned out in all the issues it has. Wait for them to fix the game until you decide to get it, and possibly a free story expansion with more icons to play with.
For the most part, the short-ish campaign can be rushed over a long weekend. Fortunately for the Black Ops Cold War, there are enough choices that might entice most players to go over the campaign at least one more time. For gameplay enthusiasts, there is always fun to be had messing around with perk combinations and higher difficulty settings. All-in-all, it’s a highly polished experience that plays it a little too closely on the safe side.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is equal parts fun and frustrating. One thing’s for sure with me though, it’s precision platforming is addicting. Whether you’re racing against the ghost Crash or surviving the Flashback tapes, when everything’s clicking at the right pace, there’s no greater feeling in gaming.
For series veterans and first-timers, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a labor of love for more than just the original game, but for the Mafia community whose support made this game possible. Series veterans will also take note of the changes in the story. The changes aren’t groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, just the framing of some story elements have been changed to make the story more in line with the current series of games. This is yet another amazing remake that fully embraces many of the things that made the original so special to so many people.
If you’re still on the fence about getting this game, know it comes with local 2 player split screen sessions. Not that many games come bundled in with local multiplayer anymore. This small detail gives more value to the experience, especially in the current year of 2020. This game just keeps on giving.
The most memorable things about NBA 2K21 that I’ll connect to it for many years to come are the Black Lives Matter t-shirts and the many tributes to Kobe Byrant. I guess I should thank Visual Concepts for at least remembering Kobe… and probably nothing else.
AWE may be a teaser for the next game in the series, but that would be disregarding the fact that the contents of the DLC are very well put together. In any case, we got a taste of what a Control game would be like when it enters the realm of Cauldron Lake. I, for one, can’t wait for what’s next in the story of Allan Wake and the Federal Bureau of Control.
Wasteland 3 is an amazing game from start to finish. There is even enough content here for multiple playthroughs, despite the fact that it doesn’t have nearly as many side quests as an Elder Scrolls game. It’s not hard to imagine investing 100+ hours into this game, it is that good. It’s good that the bugs and glitches only serve as a reminder that it is a very big game. One that easily hooks you on the world and its struggles.
If the idea of an all-out brawler in a tactics game sounds appealing to you, by all means, pick this game up. Just know that there are several strings attached you need to be aware of before committing to the long journey of taking over the streets of London.