Although The Ascent is far from perfect, it gets more right than it does wrong and is most successful at creating a world that is filled with interesting characters and fun to explore. The sections that require some grinding might frustrate, but there is enough variety in the combat to keep the gameplay from becoming stale thanks to the wide array of weapons and the cover mechanics. Add in the possibility for co-op multiplayer with some friends and The Ascent can certainly provide hours of riotous fun, especially with a release on Xbox Game Pass day one.
Trigger Witch is certainly not a bad game by any stretch, but it does feel like it doesn’t quite hit the highs that it could have. The surreal world and wacky concept can start to feel a bit stale after a while, as the action becomes repetitive and the story fails to really develop. Even with those complaints, though, it’s still a satisfying gameplay experience for the most part and will provide a few hours of fun for those who enjoy twin-stick shooters but want to experience something a little different from the genre.
Where Bus Simulator 21 excels is in providing a relaxing and strangely soothing experience, much like the Euro Truck Simulator series. Slowly driving around a city and picking up passengers can be more calming than expected, even with all the distractions and extra elements that have to be managed. Of course, that’s only when the game actually works properly and doesn’t suffer from any of the performance and technical issues. Until they are fixed with a patch, Bus Simulator 21 might be more of a headache than it is worth, but it will likely prove oddly therapeutic for some, which means even in its buggy state it still may merit a play depending on what a user is looking for.
Like its predecessor, Surgeon Simulator 2 can be a whole lot of fun, and there is certainly a lot more content this time around to keep players entertained for a long while. There’s some great comedy moments that can be had when performing the medical procedures, usually by accidentally pulling off a limb or attaching a body part in a place it shouldn't be. This is magnified during multiplayer, as the chaos of multiple people working on the same patient is very enjoyable. A few players might find the console controls a bit too frustrating and the puzzle segments are not entirely compelling, but it certainly gets a lot more right than it does wrong.
Although Echo Generation might seem unassuming at first, it is packed with depth and interesting ideas. The distinctive combat stops the action from getting stale, making it more involving and exciting than many other turn-based adventure games. The compelling story and host of charming characters help to push everything along, with a few twists and turns along the way. Anyone who is a fan of turn-based adventure games could do a lot worse than trying out Echo Generation.
Grid Legends is a more than capable racer but not quite up to par with Codemasters' previous games.
Rogue Legacy 2 is a worthy sequel that improves upon almost every aspect of the original, adding a wide array of new classes, abilities, and content.
A great racing game that any F1 fan will love, although it fails to really set itself apart from its predecessors.