Kurt Perry
A lot of anime games are full of personality but lack refinement and polish. Fairy Tail undermines those expectations by being well made whilst still capturing what made the original manga so special. Newcomers may find the limited retelling of the plot hard to follow but franchise veterans should have a blast.
A very respectable attempt at creating a 3D puzzle platformer but its pacing issues and somewhat frustrating camera design prevent Skully from being a great game. Still, there's some good value there for those willing to dish out the hefty $30 price tag.
A confused identity mixed in with its awkward transition to simcade makes Project CARS 3 one of the least satisfying racing games I've played in years. There may be potential for its more arcade focused design to be developed upon but Slightly Mad Studios is certainly not there yet.
A recycled mess that features the same bugs, financial exploits, and cheats that PC players have had to suffer through for years. MyTeam has seen some great innovations but they are completely overshadowed by NBA 2K21's shortcomings.
The original Spelunky's only obvious shortcoming was that its level design was somewhat limited. Spelunky 2 takes what made the original so great, fixes that shortcoming, and leaves us with one of the best-made indie games you'll ever play. A truly sensational effort from Mossmouth.
A wonderfully crafted Metroidvania that should have genre fans plenty excited. It's blending of combat, platforming, and puzzling keeps the gameplay fresh and varied throughout its entire 20-hour story. It may not be the most revolutionary game ever made, but it does what it set out to do very well.
Although Endless Memories could be described as somewhat of an acquired taste, it'll no doubt appeal to those who enjoy the Metroidvania genre. There aren't many games with better combat systems and both its art and animation are truly world-class. The first hour or so can be a little rough but once you get past that, there's a great game waiting to be explored.
Whilst certainly unique and interesting, Supermarket Shriek does have its limitations. As a single-player game, it struggled to keep my attention and the gameplay is fairly repetitive. But if you do have a spare friend and a couple of microphones to use there's potential for some good fun.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a good game that should be easier to stomach for franchise veterans than Modern Warfare. The campaign is fulfilling, albeit short. The faster-paced multiplayer is also easy enough to jump into and have fun with. It's just a shame that I can't shake that feeling that Treyarch's true vision has been held back by Activision forcing its ideals onto them.
A noticeable improvement over last year's installment. Football Manager 2021 addresses many of my personal peeves with the series whilst keeping the core design philosophy of the franchise intact. However, it is lacking a little in the way of new game-changing features and the few added haven't been implemented too well.