Cyberpunk 2077 ultimately fails to deliver on most of the promises made during the lead up to its launch, but what it does deliver on is really spectacular. It’s one of the strongest RPG experiences in this kind of setting, with killer characters and a thoroughly enjoyable suite of side quests that’s easy to love in spite of its faults.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, is a defining example of what you can do with musou games in the right situation. Not only does it shine Breath of the Wild's enjoyable characters in a new light, but it also provides a new lens to experience Hyrule through. It's an experience that is as much musou as it is Breath of the Wild, but integrates ideas from both, and melds them in interesting ways that's guaranteed to please fans of either game type. If you're a fan of Breath of the Wild, or musou games in general, Age of Calamity is well worth your time and attention, even if the Switch sometimes struggles under its ambitions.
Whenever I play a new Supergiant title, I always find myself absolutely enthralled with it, transfixed by its visual allure and engaging gameplay. After playing their second title Transistor, I was convinced that they wouldn't be able to top themselves, but I stand corrected. Hades is a perfect amalgamation of everything that makes Supergiant Games one of the best independent developers out there, with a killer gameplay loop, heartfelt story, and writing that will have you hinging on every single word. This game deserves all the attention it's getting and more, and I implore you to play it for yourself.
While the prospect of a multiplayer Avengers game is ripe with potential, Marvel’s Avengers is an experience stuck between two worlds. While its campaign is worth experiencing if you’re a fan, it’s hard to deny that the combat, gearing system, and presentation values are underbaked, leaving the core experience uninteresting and flat.
Ghost of Tsushima is a strong farewell for the PlayStation 4. It does fall victim to some of the traps we’ve seen in other open-world games of its ilk, but its engrossing combat, strong sense of progression and well-crafted narrative make it an experience that open-world fans — or those interested in what it has to offer — are sure to enjoy.
As the first showing for Polygon Treehouse, Röki is an incredible first impression. While it doesn’t innovate much within the genre itself, it excels in the areas that matter, and it absolutely delivers the kind of experience you would be looking for from an adventure game.
It’s not as bad as people are making it out to be, but pacing issues, a lack of innovation in combat and storytelling well below Naughty Dog’s usual standard ensure that The Last of Us Part II doesn’t come close to its predecessor’s greatness.
Despite a few issues, Valorant has a compelling combination of twitch shooting and ability focused combat, fueled by kinetic gunplay and the ever-alluring temptation to get better. I’m excited to see where Riot take this title in the future, and as a free-to-play package, I implore you to download it.
Moving Out is one of the best games that the couch co-op party game genre has seen and I implore you to play it, especially during the current times that we're going through. There was a moment where my girlfriend and I were quickly hurrying to carry our last few pieces of furniture to the truck, but kept running into obstacles (a level full of rakes), and what started as small giggles quickly evolved into uncontrollable laughter. It's these kind of moments that makes games like this a success, and Moving Out delivers greatly in this regard.
Much like the games it takes inspiration from, Speaking Simulator definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s a short physics-based romp filled with slapstick quality and well-written humour that’s bound to make anyone laugh regardless of whether you’re playing or watching. Despite its short runtime and minimal replay value, if Speaking Simulator piques your interest I implore you to give it a go, it’s as entertaining as it looks, but don’t expect anything much deeper than that.
There's something really special about MediEvil getting a well-deserved remake beyond the visual and audio glow-up. It provides the title with a chance to break out of the confines of relative obscurity to reach a wider audience. MediEvil deserves all of this and more with its fantastic tone, entertaining characters and story, excellent level design, and stellar pacing, even if a few issues hold it back. If you haven't played it before you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a go, and if you have played it before, rejoice in Fortesque's skeletal embrace.
The Souls games are some of my fondest gaming experiences ever, and while I never expected Code Vein to surpass them, it's hard not to be disappointed by its middling results. It's far from a bad game, it has systems and ideas that push the genre forward in exciting and innovative ways, but fumbles on the execution on some of the others that are core to the experience. If you have an interest in Code Vein's world or characters, or can't get enough Souls, you might find that the positives outweigh the negatives, but I can't recommend it to someone looking for the next transformative Souls-like experience.
It's clear that Untitled Goose Game is a labour of love from House House. It's an entertaining honk-filled romp that's guaranteed to satisfy anyone's wanting to become a goose. Your first playthrough will no doubt be your best due to the restrictive design, but the hidden objectives and unique environments offer plenty of reason to explore and experiment with its charming world and characters. There's never been a better way to simulate being a goose.
In an industry where new IP is getting harder and harder to come by, Control is a stark reminder that there are developers out there like Remedy who are willing to push the envelope to deliver new and exciting experiences.
The sheer visual variety on display here is staggering, from snow-capped peaks and frozen lakes to icy caverns covered in stalactites with fish perma-frosted into the ground. Hoarfrost Reach is a visual feast in a game that’s chock-full of them and provides a unique aesthetic not found in the vanilla game.
Man of Medan is a stellar example of how to push boundaries and innovate within genres that seem restrictive at first glance.
I have spent A LOT of time playing FromSoftware games. Ever since I fell in love with Dark Souls, I’ve poured copious amounts of hours into each game without batting an eyelid, and Sekiro is no different in this regard. Much like Bloodborne, it’s refreshing to see the Japanese developer step out of their comfort zone and try something new, with the end result here being a resounding success. Its combination of deep combat, excellent boss fights, and enthralling level design has left its mark as my favourite game to come from Miyazaki and his team. If you like any of From’s previous work, you owe it to yourself to try Sekiro, and even if you don’t and want to give it a try, I can’t recommend it enough.
I didn’t anticipate that Anthem would launch as poorly as it has. I use the word “launch” because I know a majority of the game’s current issues can and will be fixed if EA and BioWare stick with it. However, the game currently isn’t worth it in its current state. It’s a technically inconsistent mess of a looter shooter that can’t seem to nail down the fundamentals of the genre. The most diehard fans of The Division and Destiny might find something enjoyable in Anthem, but you’ll quickly discover there’s nothing to keep players from returning to those other games because they do it so much better. Anthem has a lot of potential that I hope it can tap into it, but it’ll be some time before it reaches a state that’s worth investing in.
God Eater 3 is a game that takes a still relatively niche genre and does some interesting things with it both narratively and in terms of gameplay. It’s a much more story-focused experience with an interesting world and compelling cast of characters that’s currently unrivalled by other games of its type, but it’s also ultimately held back by its gameplay. There’s a distinct lack of combat depth later on in the game, the locales feel uninspired, and its repetitive nature makes God Eater 3 a title I can only recommend to those itching for more games of this kind.
Metro Exodus is a flawed game, but this doesn’t hold it back from being a stellar narrative-driven experience. It’s hard to express what it’s like to play a shooter so invested in its atmosphere and immersing the player in its world. 4A Games have proven yet again that they’re amoung the best of the best at making these kinds of games. Metro Exodus is an engaging journey from start to finish, a tense survival based shooter that knows what it does well and does not hold back to ensure you know that it does them well. If you’ve never played a Metro title, I’d recommend starting with 2033, as narrative is a core part of the series, but Exodus is a perfectly fine place to start if it interests you, and long-time fans will be thoroughly pleased with how it’s turned out.