Forza Horizon 5 drops players into the beautiful setting of Mexico where the sun will shine, but where it can also be treacherous as players will also have to navigate through thunder and sandstorms. As they progress through various events, players will be called upon to drive around various areas of Mexico expanding the Forza Horizon festival across the country and opening new types of events; races, off-roading, sprints; just to name a few.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is definitely going to be in the game of the year conversation. Time management nuisance aside, the game has it all; great environments/locale, enjoyable cast of characters, addictive combat system thanks to its combination of real-time and turn based; not to mention the Archetypes mechanics. Gamers looking for something diverse that will keep them busy for the foreseeable future absolutely need to get their hands on Atlus’ latest opus.
The game looks great with its dark and brooding visuals. While each level has a menacing, dark-ish style, they are uniquely themed such as a forest, living train or even shooting the undead on the Moon. Enemy design, while a bit repetitive, is top-notch and creepy. Bosses are big and grotesque creations fun to challenge. The soundtrack is a high octave hard rock score to get your blood pumping as you shred The Meat’s armies. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Iron Meat aside from the fact that unlocked characters doesn’t offer any variety in terms of gameplay and the fact that given its old school inspiration, the gameplay is limited. When clearing the game, you can replay it and choose which level to play. Whether you’re looking for an old school inspired challenge or some quick fun, Iron Meat is an absolute must play. The gameplay is addictive, easy to pick up and play and some classic co-op action. While the gameplay is limited, the levels and challenge is very fun and addictive. Even after clearing the game, you’ll find yourself replaying levels to hone to skills or just as a stress relief. Iron Meat is a must buy. Don’t miss out.
Not only has playing this game filled my brain with vivid and fond visuals of being a kid in the 90s, but it has also brought me core memories with my 6-year-old son. Being able to play split screen with him and laugh and spend quality time with him whilst having the best fun, is what Hypercharge Unboxed is all about. Digital Cybercherries has managed to tear my child away from the domination of Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft and he now craves time on this with his Dad and “just one more game” before bed. I can’t thank the team enough for bringing this to consoles and making it accessible to those without a PC. So, I have to grant Hypercharge Unboxed with the perfect score and I have several reasons for this. It sits on the pedestal of indie greatness that very few achieve alongside stunners like Cuphead and Vampire Survivors. In the three quality weeks I have had to review this, I have racked up over 50 hours of gameplay and I’m nowhere near done. It is a game that will be cemented to my hard drive for years to come because it will now be the couch co-op go-to game of choice and the closest feel to the best shooters on old-generation machines, a salute to classics like Timesplitters and the early Halo titles. If you don’t purchase this game at a very reasonable price point, you’re missing out on one of the best games to come to Xbox in 2024.
Horizon Chase 2 is definitely a must-play. It’s the best arcade racer since… well… its predecessor. It’s easy to pick up and play and can be hard to put down. Lots of content to unlock whether it be new rides or visuals styles. Whenever you need a change from racing sims or looking to give the racing genre a shot, Horizon Chase 2 is your best bet. Don’t miss out.
Destroy All Humans! is a semi-open world game as players are thrown into different open areas to complete mission objectives in order to move on to the next. Each mission contains a vast open area where players can take a bit of time to explore before heading directly for the objective.
8 Bit Adventures 2 is a great addition to the RPG genre and a great to homage to classic games from the NES era; from the pixelated visuals to the turn based gameplay. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it adds its own few twists on a proven formula. That being said, 8 Bit Adventures 2 is absolutely worth your time and money; whether or not you’re an RPG fan or not.
Huntdown is definitely one of the best games I’ve played thus far in 2020. From its simplistic and addictive gameplay mechanics, to the arsenal of weaponry at your disposal, the fact that its perfectly balanced, and the unique and challenging bosses makes this game a must play.
Beyond Hanwell is one of the best survival horror experiences of the year. It features a perfect mix of puzzles and action, the ambiance is unsettling, combat is tight and enjoyable. You’ll be immersed in the world and won’t want to put it down because you’ll want to explore the city and find new buildings to enter. Fans of the genre will savor every instant of this game. Depending on your tolerance for fright, if you’re looking to dip your toes in the genre, Beyond Hanwell is a great, albeit nerve-racking, place to start. Beyond Hanwell is one of the best games of the year.
River City Girls is definitely one of the best gaming experiences of 2019. The game is perfectly balanced, addictively fun and with an enticing soundtrack, old school and new gamers alike are sure to enjoy this title from a classic genre.
PGA Tour 2K21 features a handful of game modes. You can either play a local match, play online with friends, practices and of course, the pièce de résistance, tackle the PGA Tour with a custom created character. The PGA Tour mode will have you go through qualifying rounds in order to be considered worthy of the PGA Tour. While the qualifiers are pretty perfectly balanced (also according to the selected difficulty; more on that below), the PGA Tour is a progressive climb through the golfing world ladder. As you clear courses, the difficulty, complexity, and challenges increase progressively making for a fun and perfectly balanced challenge.
Aside from the visual upgrade, the Special Edition of the game allows players to play as Vergil, Dante’s brother. While you’d expect a new perspective or shorter storyline from Vergil’s point of the view, it’s basically the same game minus the cinematic cutscenes; same areas, same bosses.
Katamari Damacy ReRoll has one of the most original, quirky, and unique presentations. The game is very much color and cute; the Prince looks to be made of various shapes while in the few cutscenes we get, the characters are all blocky; which is quite humorous.
The game’s boss battles are incredibly fun and intense; when first trying to take them down, you’ll fumble a bit and get your ass kicked; especially when you have a sliver of the boss’ health. But once you get into a groove and learn the enemy patterns, they are definitely some of the most fun boss battles envisioned. They feature a perfect blend of fun and challenge.
Sayonara Wild Hearts is an experience. While yes, it is a videogame, once you’re done with it, it feels more like an experience; as if you attended a concert. Sayonara Wild Hearts is a very simplistic, addictive game suited for any gamer. It’s a unique rhythmic gaming experience with simple gameplay easy to pick up and play. If you’re looking for a fun, relaxing, albeit a bit short, gaming experience, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a must play.
The Alto Collection is definitely one of best games to come out this year on Xbox One. Sure, it’s not as deep as some other sports games, but it’s easy to pick up and play mechanic makes it ideal for gamers of all ages. The goals aren’t that difficult and both games’ procedurally generated levels ensure that no playthroughs are similar. Don’t miss out.
I’ll be honest, New Super Lucky’s Tale took me by surprise. When it first came out under the Super Lucky’s Tale moniker, I kinda dismissed it as it looked generic. But the more I played New Super Lucky’s Tale. It’s easy to pick up and play, perfect for gamers of all ages, features a great variety of gameplay mechanics. The long load times can be annoying, but it doesn’t deter the whole experience. If you’re looking for something light, play New Super Lucky’s Tale. It’s definitely worth your time.
Touhou Luna Nights is definitely one of the best Metroidvania games. It’s fun, addictive, easy to pick up and play and features a setting that can be reminiscent of the Castlevania games. The time manipulation definitely adds to the fun factor as it can be used in a myriad of ways. Finding and using new skills that opens up more of the map is always one of the best things about Metroidvania games. If you can overcome and push through the difficult boss battles, you’ll definitely find one of the most action-packed experiences of the year.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the best adventure games of the year. It captures the atmosphere of the movies, using Indy tricks is a blast. Whilst the game isn’t perfect, it does have a few quirks like borderline bulletproof enemies, Troy Baker, and some unnecessary brief sequences of gameplay, it doesn’t deter the whole experience. I’m not going to lie, but I believe featuring third person perspective would’ve added to the fun. Either way, don’t miss it, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is great banger to end the year on.
Sniper Elite Resistance is another worthy entry in the franchise. While the game engine is starting to show its age, it still plays very well and the gameplay is solid; aside from slightly wobbly controls when requiring precise positioning. If you’re played any previous entry in the series, you know what to expect whereas if you never played a Sniper Elite game, Resistance is as a good as any to jump into the series. Fans of shooters should definitely pick up Sniper Elite Resistance; it’s a consistent entry in a solid franchise of shooters.