Redout 2 is a niche product that won't be for everyone. However, if you happen to fall into its target audience, then it'll offer enough to keep you entertained for some time. Just be prepared to fail over and over before things start getting fun.
It may just be an arcade-inspired rhythm game, but it's a damn good one at that. Mega Mix+ never tries to be more than it promises. The lack of any real sense of progression isn't ideal, but that can mostly be overlooked thanks to the immense tracklist and consistently fun gameplay.
Rogue Legacy 2 does everything a sequel should. It builds on what was already well done in its predecessor while reworking any ideas that weren't executed as well. Cellar Door Games has made something both franchise fans and newcomers should be extremely excited to play.
Following the disaster that was Borderlands 3's writing, there was some serious pressure on Gearbox to deliver this time around. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands isn't a spectacular game and doesn't live up to Borderlands 2, but I doubt most people will care about that. The simple fact is that we got a Borderlands game that is fun with a story that isn't painful to experience. That's a win in my book.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the best installment in the franchise yet. The vast innovations made to the alchemy gameplay loop make sure that the franchise's main selling point is the best it has ever been. Not only will Atelier fans love this, but just about any JRPG fan will have a great time playing it.
OlliOlli World is a wonderful skateboarding game that delivers everything I could have ever wanted. Its gorgeous pastel color art, flawless optimization, and slick controls combine to create a premier indie game.
Battlefield 2042 has a lot of problems. From its optimization, questionable design, and various bugs, it is clear that this game was not completely ready to be released. Yet despite all of that, I have still found myself having a good time bathing in the chaotic fun that is Battlefield. It needs some patches for sure, but Battlefield 2042 is by no means a lost cause.
As a huge multiplayer fan Call of Duty: Vanguard ticks all of the right boxes for me. It's chaotic and fast paced and besides some bugs that will surely be patched out, there's little to complain about. Unfortunately, the accompanying Zombies and Campaign modes are lacklustre and it is simply not worth buying the game for them alone.
Reflection: Second Light is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. It takes the ideas put forward by the original and improves all of them. There's better exploration, better visuals, and, most importantly, much better character writing. The original was an average and forgettable JRPG. In contrast, Second Light is one of the best JRPGs released in recent memory.
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a wonderfully crafted 2.5D adventure game that features well-made puzzles and engaging platforming sequences. Its surprisingly intricate confrontation mechanic coupled with the underlying messages about complex social issues ensure that this is a game for all ages, not just kids. It does a fantastic job of encouraging exploration and is overall a game well worth playing regardless of if you fit in with its core target audience or not.
The Eternal Cylinder is a gorgeous adventure game that features one of the most compelling stories I've seen in years. Its strict linearity may be frustrating for some, but that slight downside is vastly outweighed by this game's many strengths.
Medieval Dynasty is a survival RPG that manages to stand out in the oversaturated market that it occupies. By combining ideas from several other popular franchises, developer Render Cube has managed to create a genuinely unique product. Its story hardly stacks up against AAA RPGs like The Elder Scrolls but it's good enough given the game's many other strengths.
A decent skateboarding game with an entertaining theme and quirk. The physics and visuals imperfections hold it back for sure, but there's still enough there to have a good few hours of fun.
Assuming that you're not playing this kind of game for the relationship aspects, Pioneers of Olive Town is a good farming RPG. It continues many of the long-established trends of the Harvest Moon series, whilst adding in some welcome quality of life improvements. Although perhaps not quite on Stardew Valley's level, this is still a game that is worth playing and one that genre fans will enjoy. As a bonus, thanks to it now being on PC you don't have to deal with the Switch version's various performance issues.
Tales of Arise is a genuinely exceptional JRPG that does little wrong. The reworked combat mechanics aren't perfect, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't matter. Its storytelling, character development, visuals, accessibility, and PC version quality have all been produced to world-class standards. Bandai Namco should be proud, and fans should be thrilled.
When Kitaria Fables works it works really well. But when its issues begin to arise, the experience of playing through it can get awfully frustrating. These unnecessary design oversights detract from the game's clear strengths. Regardless, it isn't bad, and given its relatively cheap retail price, it is probably worth giving a shot.
Patron is effectively a more difficult version of Banished. But there are enough subtle differences to differentiate them and the game's overall polish is fantastic. Some outlying issues need addressing but the developers have shown themselves to be passionate and willing to take feedback. It's already a very good city builder, but given time I think that Patron could become a staple of just about anybody's Steam library. For just $20, this is a steal.
Button City is a good game that most people will have a fun time playing through. For just $20, it's reasonably priced and does a good job of putting a smile on your face. However, there is a missed opportunity to further explore certain topics which holds back the narrative's huge potential to be something more.
We Are Football lays the foundations for future titles to prosper. But as a game, it isn't all that great. The primitive match engine in particular is just not good enough in this day and age. Regardless, there are some good ideas present and it looks far more promising than most of the Football Manager clones that have come and gone. Even if you don't want to wait, it's not like We Are Football is necessarily bad. Some may find the streamlined, faster experience a refreshing change from Football Manager's more complex offerings.
Although certainly not extraordinary, MotoGP 21 is a decent enough racing game. Some more innovation would have been nice but given the complications caused by COVID, I can understand the limitations in place. Series veterans will most likely enjoy this but I can't see it attracting many newcomers with so many great racing options already on the market.