Benjamin Guthrie's Reviews
Deathloop is a highlight of 2021 releases and a great time loop adventure with solid combat abilities, a gripping story with fun characters, and smart systems that bypass some of the restrictions of its narrative form. There are some issues with the game in regards to the ending, enemies, and how hand-holding the game can be, but I think the game’s competent blend of inspirations can make some of those points easy to forget.
WarioWare: Get It Together! is a wonderfully weird yet delightful game about completing micro-games. The character abilities could be better and people's mileage is going to vary heavily, but what is there is unique and a lot of fun to play.
When the conditions are right, Cannon Brawl is an enjoyable take on artillery games that offers fast-paced strategic fun. That fun only lasts so long though, and I don't think this will be the next game for you and your friends to huddle around the TV and play for hours on-end.
Hades is the best rogue-lite I have played to-date. It manages to weave a great story through its run-based gameplay effortlessly, and its combat is an absolute blast. More than anything, though, it manages to stay engaging at high hour counts, which is something I cannot say for most singleplayer games I have played.
While the combat is stylish and its open-world is fun to explore, Biomutant is a game that bit off more than it could chew, leaving a lot of parts feeling half-baked.
It isn't going to be the best or most memorable one-of-these you'll ever play, but Days Gone on the PC is a solid checkbox open-world zombie experience to sink a few dozen hours into.
This isn't going to be a new game for most, but Ghost of Tsushima is the best checkbox open-world game to-date. While it struggles with some story issues, the combat, world, activities, and characters are incredible, and this game's beauty is like no other.
Oh so short yet oh so sweet, Speed Limit combines five arcade games into one cohesive package of nonstop action and blockbuster movie style.
Hitman 3 is another one of those in the best way possible. It wraps up the World of Assassination trilogy nicely by keeping to what makes the series great while also diving deeper into the story. Now is the best time to visit or revisit this trilogy, and the future is bright for IO Interactive.
Black Ops Cold War is a game living under Modern Warfare's shadow, with its identity not really going beyond being a clone of last year's release and a lack of content keeping the experience thin. The zombies mode shines in this game, and there is huge potential there if the developers treat it right, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the game.
This isometric stealth game doesn't bring anything new to the stealth genre table, and it struggles with believability, but it's still a fun and charming little game worth checking out.
Much like Remnant, Chronos: Before the Ashes skirts the edges of being a Souls-like and offers something unique. The combat is too slow and the aging mechanic doesn't do enough, but its mix of puzzles and combat delivers a fun experience I got hooked on.
While its gameplay feels archaic, Mafia: Definitive Edition has a story and a city worth experiencing.
Borderlands 3 is a fun game, and I think it nails the combat better than the other games in the series. Unfortunately, the fun combat couldn't distract from the game's constantly annoying humor and bland co-op action.
Destroy All Humans! is a fun power fantasy with gorgeous visuals and fun abilities. It's a bit on the easy side, but I think overall the game is worth its 30 USD price tag.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order isn't the best Souls-like on the market, but it's the best entry point for newcomers. The game has a great balance between a challenge and a power fantasy, and it blends all of its inspirations well to create a package worth checking out.
Summer in Mara is a fun blend of farming and adventure while also housing a surprisingly lovable cast of characters. The game suffers from being too large in scale, but that didn't stop me from having an enjoyable time with the game.
Doom Eternal is an adrenaline-fueled ride full of great action, but it trips over itself with too many systems added to the combat. I love Doom Eternal, but I love 2016's Doom a little bit more.
Half-Life: Alyx is a full VR experience the platform needed years ago. Its great story and interactive environment shows what you can do with virtual reality and a larger budget, and I hope this game blazes a path forward for more high quality VR experiences in the future.
In Other Waters mixes a unique perspective with relaxing gameplay and excellent music to create an experience worth trying out.