Mono and Six make a perfect team in a horrible world that draws you as the player and them as characters into its darkness so effortlessly oh and make sure you listen carefully throughout the end credits too! There will always be something extra creepy about discovering that the only way into a place is via the same way that someone escaped…!
But Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game is still fun to play and if, in the last ten years, found a love for the comic book that inspired it or the film that became a cultural icon, then this game is a really superb way to help celebrate that fandom. As a fighting game, this complete edition is absolutely worth to be in your collection but as a trip down memory lane, the asking price is worth battling an Evil Ex or two to have!
This naturally brings me back to the reality that this was made by just one person, Tomas Sala, who should be absolutely commended for what he has achieved with this game, for the beauty of it and its flaws. I am being more forgiving for the fact this is an indie game and the work of just one person because the size and scope of The Falconeer is truly remarkable but it does have issues but despite them, for the low price of the game right now, for the beauty of the world which is impressive alone to experience on your new Xbox Series S or X then this is not a bad way to kick off 2021 especially as it just received its first DLC content which is FREE to all owners of game with “The Kraken”. One thing is for sure, I would make a point of remembering the name Tomas Sala because I sense we will be seeing far more from him in the years to come and if given a larger team and budget, I am very excited to see what games he works on next.
Do not overlook this game and if you are a fan of big colourful worlds to explore with freedom to play as you like and a very satisfying experience, then just one more trip to Ubisoft’s Ancient Greece as Fenyx is definitely worth your time!
One for the Christmas list and definitely one to showcase the power of your PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X if you were lucky to get one but it has been a rocky launch for the game with technical issues still plaguing the online element that till need to be ironed out for this to be the enjoyment Treyarch wants you to have.
There is just so much to do and see in Valhalla which I have purposefully refrained from divulging too much about the main story so not to spoil it for you. Know this, Valhalla Is exactly the game this series needed right now by continuing on the path to the open world RPG that began with Origins but also being mindful to remember the games that brought us to this point and both celebrating it and using elements to enhance the experience of playing a good Assassin’s Creed game should give fans.
Watch Dogs Legion is worth your attention if you are a fan of the series and will other enough gameplay to make it fun to have and not a bad way to try out your shiny new next gen console should you get one or find one under your Christmas tree this year. It will be interesting to see what DLC will bring to it with the Season Pass but for now, there is enough here to keep you going and it will never not be fun to recruit a team of OAPs and have them take down an entire enemy base!
Little Hope managed to actually give me some hope for this series after Man of Medan ultimately failed to deliver anything other than a lacklustre experience.
If you are looking for that Star Wars fix until the next game appears or just as a way to get all Star Wars after watching Season 2 of the Mandalorian which kicks off this week, Squadrons has more than enough for the low price to make it satisfying for any fan whilst deliver an experience if you want an arcade flight shooter or a more hands on flight simulator style approach.
The Ancient Gods Part 1 is more of what made the main game so much fun and a stand out game of 2020 but it does feel held back by its own stubbornness to stick to the frustrating problems which should and could be ironed out. The ending sets up something very special to come in 2021 and it did remind me just how brilliant DOOM Eternal is if you had perhaps put it down since release but as 2020 comes to a close and silly season is about to launch some heavy hitting games and new gen consoles, this DLC is a perfect “remember why you loved me” reminder for fans of DOOM.
I can Peaky Blinders: Mastermind featuring in the upcoming end of year Christmas sales and this would be the best time to pick this up simply because of the very ‘one and done’ feel once you know how to complete the levels. But as a puzzle game, this certainly has enough clever elements to offer a fun experience particularly if you know the show and just as a puzzle game it works well. It just needed more substance to the earlier levels and the story to really make it stand out more and perhaps if there will be DLC or a sequel, they can focus on that and perhaps storylines from the seasons to help give the game the punch this sadly lacks.
Whilst not on the same level of Streets of Rage 4, I did enjoy this more than the over frustration focused Battle Toads. 9 Monkeys of Shaolin fits very nicely into a genre but it definitely could do with some quality of life improvements to fine tune more than fix some of the niggles I feel it has.
Crash 4 was indeed worth the wait capturing everything that made the series so loved and builds on what the N’Sane collection did in bringing the series back to a modern generation of console and gamers. It is tough but rewarding and does exactly what the original games did, it kicks your butt but never enough to make you feel like you cannot finish it……old school with a fresh look, this is definitely one for your game collection and with the new generation of console sent to launch in just over a month, I would not be surprised to see this get a PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade for Ray Tracing goodness potentially.
The Survivalists keeps everything simple and easy to follow but has some very rich and deep systems that keep the game from becoming stale. From playing solo or with friends, there really is so much to enjoy with this game and I found it really relaxing and a fantastic change of pace from all the big action AAA games around right now that I really hope this game does not slip under the radar as once again TEAM 17 have come up with a beautiful and rewarding game that is best when shared with friends but also as a full on solo experience should you choose.
CRYSIS Remastered is fun to play but its very much dated now and the issues this has only makes it stand out far more which is why it would have been better to have remastered all the series for the same asking price rather than just the first game and showing that this 2007 game, even with 2020 shine applied to it, still feels and plays like a 2007 game.
But this DLC has all the elements that makes The Outer Worlds so fun to play and serves as a good reason to return to it if you had put it down and enhances it for those playing it for the first time. Though it doesn’t hit that must play level, it is certainly worth picking up if you have enjoyed the main game and have an itch to return. Peril on Gorgon is satisfying though short and to capitalise on this, I hope the second DLC is released pretty soon into 2021 and not a long wait for it.
This was a fantastic trip down memory lane and playing some of the iconic skate parks like ‘School’ and listening to the original soundtrack sounding and looking even better on my Xbox One X and TV system of 2020 rather than the CRT TV and PlayStation One from 2001 and yeah, the value of this is certainly not lost on me!
Beautiful in visuals and in sound with a survival system that works best when the player learns from mistakes made, Windbound is a charming budget entry in a very crowded entry genre and may have stood out more if less of it was a tribute to a game like Breath of the Wild that simply does everything far better.
I had a great time with this which was enhanced due to having played the original, I also really liked the old school feel to the gameplay though after over a decade later, the mechanics feel more than just a little dated compared to more recent action games. The asking price does reflect this is a “would be fun to play” than a “must have right now” game. Playing the game does mean having to go back to a very old style of video game and its an adjustment that many may not be able to make but once you do get a chance to play this, you might just find yourself having more fun than you expected to.
Beyond Blue is a welcome bonus experience, correctly priced and manages to get the balance between being an educational title as well as a solid gaming experience as well which so few others have successfully done. I truly hope to see follow up titles or content for this game as the wonder of Ocean life was ever present just as it was with Blue Planet series of documentaries.