Prodeus is stupidly fun, looks incredible, sounds fantastic, and is launching into a subscription service many people reading this may have. It’s been a bit of a weird marketing cycle leading up to the launch of the game, but I hope as many people as possible at least try it out. It’s one hell of a love letter to the FPS genre for both the old and the new.
Soulstice came out of nowhere for me and it is fantastic. Its mix of brilliant combat, an intriguing plot, great music, and occasionally gorgeous graphics had me hooked instantly. This could be the beginning of a great series and one excellent title you do not want to miss.
Deathloop is the best game Arkane has ever made, which is saying something. It is a brilliant culmination of their learnings over the years, and I absolutely love it. World-class writing, world-building, and story are matched with fun gameplay, great performance, and one of the smartest game worlds I’ve ever seen. It’s finally out on Xbox and it’s on Game Pass so do yourself a favor and play this near-masterpiece.
Blind Fate shows potential for this rather new dev team. They nailed multiple parts of what it takes to be great, with the writing being solid and the voice acting being fantastic. It looks good but feels terrible to play, only getting to almost decent after many hours. It can feel wildly unfair but there is still just enough there that it may be worth checking out if you can find it at a decent price. It may not be the best Samurai game, but it’s got spirit.
This is one of my favorite games ever. Coming back to it for the 3rd time for this review has only reinforced that feeling. It’s gorgeous, well-written, has excellent combat, a ton of depth, and with it now being on Game Pass it is well worth giving it a try.
$70 at launch is a big ask, but this is a very big game. The gameplay is the best it has ever been, and the live service is the most predatory feeling, but there is enough other content on offer that I’d still recommend this year’s title.
Steelrising is a mix of decent to damned good parts that takes the Soulslike Action RPG and puts it into one of the most ridiculous and awesome settings I’ve seen in a while. Mediocre graphics are countered by a fantastic art style, fun combat, incredible music, and a story that I found myself deeply invested in. If you’ve got an itch for the genre and don’t want to wait for Lies of P, then Steelrising is an excellent alternative to hold you over.
This is one of the, if not the best gaming experiences of my lifetime.
Children of the Worm adds in some good-looking new environments, a throwaway story featuring a solid new character, and some of the craziest firefights I’ve ever seen. Solo or alone Back 4 Blood is always a good time, and the base game is still on Game Pass. As long as one member of your group owns the expansion you can all play it, and you’ll have a hell of a (short) time if you do.
As a remake of a 2006 title is one of the best looking to date. It doesn’t add or change much to the overall package but if you’re looking for some good fun, especially with a friend, then Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed is worth picking up if the price is right.
Soul Hackers 2 is a solid game. It’s not the most impressive technically and you can see the budget constraints, but it tells a fascinating story with a style few can match. If you’re a fan of Dungeon Crawling JRPGs then you should check this one out.
Overall it's a step in the right direction that I hope carries the franchise back to its once great heights.
At only $10 US Cyber Heist is well worth a purchase if you enjoyed The Ascent in either solo or up to 4 player co-op. Graphically it’s still a stunner, the gameplay is fun as hell, and while damned annoying the balancing issues can be “solved” if you are willing to do a little side mission grinding. The base game is still on Xbox Game Pass at the time of this review as well, and at this price, you won’t find many better-looking experiences.
Saints Row is a big, over-the-top, extremely fun game and if they can sort out the bugginess quickly it’s an easy one to recommend.
Cursed to Golf is charming, smart, sounds and plays great, and is full of heart. It mashes up a side-scrolling arcade golf game with roguelike mechanics in a fresh and exciting way. At only $20 US at launch, I think it’s well worth a purchase if anything you’ve seen here has you intrigued. This is one curse that’s well worth the cost.
Midnight Fight Express kicks serious ass. It is short, sweet, and packs one hell of a punch. The combat never gets old, and with it coming to Game Pass at launch I highly recommend it to anyone that likes action movies.
Tribes of Midgard is a large number of simple systems that work well with their co-op focus. The new survival mode makes solo play a hel of a lot more appealing, as well. Retailing for a very reasonable $20 US this one is worth checking out if you have a group of friends interested in it.
Arcade Paradise is a delightful surprise. Full of wit, heart, and damned fun minigames it’s worth a purchase if the thought of an idle-style laundromat management sim full of fun as hell arcade games sounds enticing.
Cult of the Lamb is awesome. The game offers up beautiful visuals, hilarious dialogue, is damned smart and plays like a dream. It is one of the best roguelikes mashed together with one of the best community builders I have ever played.
Far Cry 5 upped the gameplay of the series in satisfying ways. The entire campaign was finally playable in co-op, and the premise had potential. In the end, it misses the mark severely story-wise, but it’s a really fun shooter. It isn’t the best experience on any Xbox console but it does run beautifully on even a mid-range PC. Since it’s on Game Pass either solo or co-op it’s well worth checking out.