Assassins Creed Valhalla is a lot of fun and easy to sink dozens of hours into. It is the best entry in the more recent trilogy and genuinely elevates the gameplay mechanics. Content could be considered somewhat bloated still, but it is diverse enough and the setting and story is solid most of the way through.
There's a lot of surface detail, that is clearly just set dressing, yet it still provides one of the most incredibly realized and mature worlds to date. The story and characters are wonderful and pull you into their needs and wants. If you don't mind a number of immersion-breaking bugs or lack of polish, then Cyberpunk 2077 absolutely measures up to be one of the best games out there, but only if you're willing to put the work in to find the good stuff.
Watch Dogs Legion is a fun and satisfying open world sandbox, with lots of tools for destruction and various strategies to go about completing your objective. It's great in short bursts, but rarely has you hooked on any one thing to keep you coming back.
All in all, Ghostrunner mixes all the best parkour elements from Mirror's Edge and introduces it to the chaotically symphonic combat of orchestral violence that is Hotline Miami. Run, die, run, and die again; it's brutal in all the best ways and will have you aching for a perfect run. Whilst it does have some issues and can feel a little short, your time in Ghostrunner will be wholly enjoyable, and filled with so many ecstatic moments of blissful victory.
All in all, Star Wars Squadrons ends up trying to cater towards many different players, whether that be beginners or experts, flat screen or VR, and ends up feeling a bit flat with a lack of nuance and depth. However, the VR and HOTAS support more than makes up for it, and the simulated flying mechanics are decent if limited. It's an enjoyable experience for the average Star Wars and flying sim fan, and perfect for getting beginners more interested in the latter. But you will almost definitely enjoy it more with a head mounted display and a full throttle-and-stick setup.
The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon adds a nice chunk to the already delicious pie, It's a satisfying extension of an already entertaining experience, so if you enjoyed the base game then you will definitely enjoy this new expansion. The writing is stellar as always, with the typical Obsidian charm that hooked us the first time round. And whilst it's mostly just more of the same, I'm perfectly happy with that.
As a standalone, single player adventure, Marvel's Avengers is a great experience that is well worth it for major fans of the Marvel universe, Movies and all. However, the majority of endgame content suffers from repetitive and uninspired missions, making the progress from vigilante to superhero a boring task. Though the promise of free post-launch content for 2 years is enticing for even the most hardcore and dedicated Marvel fans.
Despite the glaring flaws in Horizon Zero Dawn upon release, and the occasionally shoddy dialogue and uninspired activities, what shines through are the major moments of awe-inspiring wonder and childlike discovery. The overarching story is also a joy to unravel, touching on some major themes and topics still unseen in many games today. And the standout star of the show is of course the mechanical creatures, who always steal the scene no matter the occasion.
Overall, the Destroy All Humans! Remake is a fun trip down memory lane, very fun in fact. And whilst the crude and immature humor appealed more to my younger self than now, it's still a ridiculously entertaining ride. The remake's biggest saving grace is nostalgia, and finally bringing this old classic to the PC system. Whilst fans of the original will be very pleased with the nostalgia trip and additional new content, even if it isn't quite substantial.
Death Stranding is a wholly unique and fresh experience that will surely appeal to only a few, and the surprisingly engaging experience of essentially being a delivery man in the post-apocalypse is hypnotizing. Kojima's standout weird and wacky writing is left unhinged here, and that can excite some or terrify others, but the truth is that Death Stranding on PC is definitely the ultimate version of such a very, very strange game.