Given the original title is over 15 years old, the remaster may be forgiven for some of its strange quirks. Although a much longer and deeper narrative or a more streamlined and involved gameplay loop would be preferred, it is a product of its time. This knowledge helps to ease any discontent the title may exude from dated gameplay and narrative elements. In addition, developers Black Forest Games have made some wonderful improvements to the older title, including the addition of the long lost Area 42 Mission - originally cut from the game due to time constraints. Overall, the enhanced visuals, slightly updated gameplay, and old fashioned call-it-as-it-is humour; helps to elevate Destroy All Humans! as one of the better action games of 2020. Granted, it may not be a grade-A contender by modern standards, but it is a faithful and wonderful remake of a classic, and is far better than anyone could have hoped for.
It may still have a long way to go before it can be considered a “full-fledged” release, but there is no denying how wonderfully complete Artificer: Science of Magic already feels. Similarly, the game plays like the best of its genre while carrying an art style that is simultaneously unique and exceptionally creative. The combination of art style, addictive gameplay, and manufactured “need” to survive “just one more day” is real, and well worth investing time into.
As far as these ports go, they are pretty solid. The entire Borderlands Legendary Collection runs at a locked 30 frames per second and comes with the added benefit of very quick loading times. The stuttering issues can always be patched out with future updates and the bad texture loading can likewise be solved by optimising future builds of the games. Unlike the Handsome Jack Collection, the Borderlands Legendary Collection includes the first game, as well as the second and their prequel/sequel. For ten or twenty bucks more, it would have been nice to have included Borderlands 3. Nevertheless, the package is great for anyone who has yet to play the franchise or for gamers who desperately need it on the go.
Paws and Soul may not be some triple-A action spectacle, but it is a beautiful and colourful display of what it may be like to explore and reflect on memories of a life long lived. It does so with aplomb as well, as it showcases wonderful and easy puzzle segments that never hurt the brain. The music helps to immerse you while the gameplay lets you embody the game's literal spirit. Paws and Soul successfully accomplishes what it is set out to be, a beautiful tale with ethereal ideologies to make it an experience worth enjoying.
Ghost of Tsushima focuses intently on telling the story of the last Samurai of Tsushima. It tells the tale of Jin's inner struggle to contain the demon he was destined to become, and to bring peace to Japan before the war reaches the mainland. The game ensures players have as many options of play available at all times, with an extreme focus on just how much they can do while exploring a beautiful open world. While the game does not push the limits of story telling or graphical prowess, it does serve as an excellent open-world title where becoming a samurai is enjoyable, engrossing, and as morally challenging as real life.
Ultimately, the XCOM 2 Collection serves its purpose of bringing a masterpiece to a mobile platform. Granted, it could do with additional polish and optimisation, and the very cumbersome UI could be better on the small screen. However, the game looks and plays well beyond the aforementioned issues, and adequately serves as a great mobile way to play what is arguably the best tactical turn-based shooter of the last decade.
While Iron Man VR is not the most spectacular or ground breaking VR title available, it does a great job of making you think and feel like you are Tony Stark. The world is big and beautiful and you can get lost in it so easily, that it is astonishing how limited the actual campaign actually is by comparison. It is also nice to see all of the classic characters make their warranted appearances throughout the experience - particularly the banter between two of Tony’s virtual assistants, Gunsmith and Friday. Naturally, it also helps how great everything looks, despite the massive lack of anti-aliasing. Overall, the game is great fun. While there is little reason to return to the game after completing the campaign, it is possible the title could become a household go-to for children and big fans of the character. Iron Man VR does an incredible job of driving home the fact that you can be Iron Man, and that is the only thing that counts in this PlayStation VR experience.
The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is a surprisingly great game that, with the added benefit of getting two for the price of one, also includes a bevvy of improvements, new support, and multiplayer options.
The Last of Us Part II does an incredible job of letting you know the world is a lived one, where people exist, and animals and places have continued on with or without the protagonist. However, with all of these things going on in the background and the world, it ensures you know you are living every single moment of Ellie’s journey. You get to experience her meeting new people, learning to trust these people, and eventually love these people. You get to see her memorable moments with Joel, and how she managed to grow up into a young woman capable of doing the most perilous of tasks herself. You also get to see the slower side of her life, where she sits down and reflects, where she plays the most beautiful acoustic cover of Take on Me on the guitar, and how she sits on a balcony and stares out into the sunset. This is Ellie’s journey, and it is one of the most beautiful, aggravating, heart wrenching, entertaining, fun, and riveting stories I have ever played (and enjoyed). It may not be perfect for all types of gamers, especially those who might get irritated during sections where the combat will result in Ellie’s death; but it is perfect, beautiful, engrossing and gorgeous in every other way! Although a new decade has only just begun, The Last of Us Part II is already at the top of “absolute must play titles” for the decade ahead.
There are no two ways about getting the expansion if you are already a fan of the game. It adds so much to the vanilla experience that going back to an expansion-less version seems like a foreign idea. While many of these changes will undoubtedly filter their way down to those of you who are holding out on the expansion, the value is there in both the new setting, the expansive new story, and the first free seasonal pass and level 30 boost.
Two Point Hospital is admittedly a great game. From an intriguing focus always managing to stir a chuckle, to gameplay that always keeps you on your toes the game has a lot going for it. It is just a bummer that it will only reach a very niche audience.
If you are hungry for a good 4X title, you need not look further than Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Its namesake is the literal benchmark for 4X games for a reason, and Civilization VI only cemented this fact on PC, and now on console. Controls may take a bit to get used to, but other than that there are very few reasons you anyone to not to pick it up.
Someday You’ll Return does some things well. It is a great psychological horror game with cool new platforming gameplay and a detailed crafting system. It also looks amazing! It is just a shame, then, that the story is as uninspired as it is, with voice acting that pulls you out of the immersion quickly. It has a lot of potential, but I would not call it a must-have just yet.
Whether you like methodically making your way from room to room and figuring out the greater narrative, or prefer long and lengthy spoken and/or text-based narratives that explain every single detail of the story, The Shattering should sit well with you. It has a decent blend of both, which are further complimented by the unique aesthetic. A pity then, how the player-character and accompanying cast are not as stimulating as the rest of the game. As a result, the overall experience is a mixed bag of genre filling tropes, ultimately boiling down to an adequate experience at best. Hopefully future titles from Super Sexy Software will only improve on the best parts of The Shattering.
The original trilogy (staring Marcus Fenix as the protagonist) may have been the franchise at its height, but I can see Gears Tactics becoming a whole new beast of its own merit. From the excellent gameplay boiling down to cover-based movement and fast-paced actions, through to the progression and customisation systems put in place to ensure players always have a choice, it is evident that Gears Tactics is XCOM redefined, and it is exceptional.
Despite the subject material, Construction Simulator 3 Console Edition ends up being an extremely addictive title. Whether this is because of its strange easy-to-play nature, or because I just like simulation games, remains to be seen. Whatever the case may be, I can say that it impressed me far more than I thought it would. The port from mobile to consoles has also been fantastic. However, I do wish it would come to PC in the future. With that said, the only realm qualm I have is with the game’s physics – they need a bit of work.
Resident Evil 3 Remake is a great game. It looks phenomenal, has incredible real-time puzzles, and spectacularly creates an eerie feel to every traversed hallway. Jill is also real badass and very much a worthy competitor for Nemesis. The game may be short and feature only a few memorable moments when compared to the previous remake, but it remains an incredibly fun romp into the everyday struggles of Racoon City.
It is very rare for a game to come along and hook me the way that Ori and the Will of the Wisps has. I love Metroidvania titles and have grown accustomed to the various little ways they force you to double back on yourself. In this regard, Ori and the Will of the Wisps kept reminding me of some of my favourite Metroidvanias (namely the later games in the Mega Man X series), and has rightfully earned a place as one of the best in the genre. Similarly, I love soulslike titles, which are basically Metroidvania titles where challenge and exploration take precedence over storytelling and mission structure. Ori and the Will of the Wisps peters on the fine line between Metroidvania and soulslike, which ultimately makes it a truly incredible and unforgettable adventure.
Anno 1800 Seat of Power is a lot of fun. It may come with a few caveats (like needing to be a long-term player with good standing amongst the populace), but the tradeoff works in your favour once the Palace has been built. Overall, the Anno 1800 Seat of Power expansion is a wonderful addition to an already spectacular title.
Despite the platforming elements possibly being the worst addition to Doom Eternal and personally feeling that codex entries and the story should be more obvious to players, I will say I adore how much effort has been put into the game to make it a wonderful standalone experience. From excellent level design where arenas grow larger, taller and deeper; all the way down to the brevity of weapon acquisitions and constant arsenal updates, it is clear the developers want fans to feel like the Doom Slayers their characters are made out to be. Doom Eternal is excellent in this regard, and is easily one of the fastest, best and most entertaining first person shooters on the market today.