If you have a VR headset and are itching for something to play, Red Matter 2 is a must-play. It’s a clever little puzzle adventure game that continued to surprise me throughout, thanks to its intelligent puzzle design that keeps things interesting and varied. Not to mention the occasionally gorgeous visuals that must be pushing the Quest 2 to its limits.
BLACKTAIL is one of the biggest surprises of the year. It’s a game that pulled me into its mysterious and beautifully crafted world, filled with plenty of mysteries to discover. BLACKTAIL is a constantly engaging experience with only a few minor drawbacks.
For those who are huge fans of the original release, I am sure that this will be highly regarded as a fantastic remake. But this is more than that: for those new to the franchise, this is also a great point to step in at. Nightdive’s System Shock remake is one that will appeal to both audiences. The core gameplay mechanics may not the best or most polished, but it’s the world design, atmosphere and engaging plot that make for an experience that is still very much unique, and well worth the gigantic wait.
Diablo IV has been an incredibly long time coming and it’s been more than worth the wait. It has a massive world that always offers something to do, even if it is slightly repetitive. Whilst it’s not perfect, the amazingly addictive core gameplay and character building will keep me coming back for more months, or hopefully years, down the line.
It takes the ultra fast-paced and epic combat last seen in F.E.A.R., and dials that up even further. The game does features some of the best first-person combat I have seen since the original F.E.A.R. in terms grounded environments and glorious amounts of destruction. Whilst it does have some issues, Trepang2 dedicates itself to just being a huge amount of fun with as little baggage as possible, and I can gladly say it succeeded at that.
Remnant II is exactly what I was looking for. A straightforward soulslike shooter, that takes everything that made the predecessor work and fixed the few things that didn’t. The plot may still be a bit thin, but exploring the interesting worlds and fighting the bosses to get some great loot has been one of this year’s best experiences.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is my introduction to the series, and I’m thoroughly impressed. FromSoft has delivered an ultra-fast-paced and challenging mech combat game. The deep customisation, great replay value, and level design will keep me coming back for more. If you love FromSoft games and like action-packed mech gameplay, then Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a must-play.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways does everything a smaller DLC should be doing. It expands the story in an interesting way, whilst delivering the same high-quality cinematics and gameplay. There are some reused assets for sure, but they are used in such a creative and interesting way that it’s not a detriment to the experience.
Ghostrunner 2 is an utterly exhilarating and constantly exciting experience. It is bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it is always better than it. It has a few issues here and there, not to mention the fact that some of its additions and overall changes to the formula won’t exactly click with everyone. With that being said, it is still an excellent game.
Chimera Squad feels like an experimental game in the XCOM franchise, and that is very welcome. Although not every change and addition worked in here, I still appreciate how bold they have been with this particular smaller title.
Ion Fury is a total blast, as it doesn’t try to be anything other than a fun, challenging shooter. Giving a game like this a deep story or any other moment that isn’t comprised of killing enemies or solving puzzles would have been a detriment to its great gameplay loop and overall game design.
Right now, in its current state, Valorant is in a great spot for a free to play game. Sure, the lack of maps and grindy progression system can be off-putting, but the core gameplay here is phenomenal. A great twist on the Counter-Strike formula.
As a whole, Death Stranding is an extremely captivating yet polarising experience. It’s an ambitious title that dares to do something different in a sea of safe bets and genre clones, and for the most part, it actually does succeed. However, those minor annoyances and long stretches where nothing happens can bring the experience down a notch for some players.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered does the bare minimum a remastered should do (yet some don’t). There are small but subtle visual improvements in here and the performance is excellent. It’s a blast of a game due to how well it still holds up, as the remaster itself didn’t bring new elements to the table. It’s a touch disappointing not much has been done to this game, but at the same time, it still remains near the top of my favourite Need for Speed games.
Haven won’t be for everyone, but I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing experience with some charming characters. The amazing soundtrack is the icing on the cake. I was not expecting this kind of release coming from the developer of the high-octane Furi, but I’m glad that we got it nevertheless.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a much better game than I could have ever anticipated. It’s a very clever spin on the Monster Hunter formula, with a cutesy art style, turn-based combat that is easy to pick up regardless of your experience with RPG games, a serviceable story, and more than enough depth and sidequests to keep you busy for hours.
I don’t know what I was expecting from GRIME, but its unique absorbing mechanic, fast paced combat, and engaging platforming all come together. Whilst the genre of Souls-like Metroidvania’s might be becoming oversaturated, GRIME does more than enough to be deserving of your attention.
It might be a bit too short, and its UI could have been reworked, but I didn’t mind. I had a blast with Severed Steel‘s ultra fast-paced movement-based shooting, complete chaotic vibe and endlessly replayable arcade mode. If you are looking for a game that just drops into a map and tells you to have fun with it and its mechanics, then Severed Steel is an easy recommendation.
Chorus is a great game that just doesn’t quite meet its full potential. The amazing story setup doesn’t manage to hit the mark, with lacklustre characters and underwhelming emotional moments. One the other hand, the combat is definitely worth getting into, with some fantastically smooth controls once you get used to them. Fishlabs’ first attempt at a bigger-budgeted game ended up being a good one, and this is worth checking out if you’re in need of a substitute for the Rogue Squadron series of games.
Let me be clear: if you didn’t like Death Stranding when it first came out, then this Director’s Cut will do basically nothing to fix any of the game’s issues for you. It is still obtuse at times, a bit too long, a bit too confusing for some. However, if you were a fan of the original launch, then there’s just enough new content here to justify the upgrade. It sure gave me the perfect excuse to start a fresh save and enjoy these brand new additions.