With Gears 5, The Coalition took some risks, and it makes for one of the best entries in the series yet.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the Star Wars game that fans have been crying out for years now. While it doesn’t do anything new, its clear inspirations from Dark Souls and Tomb Raider have helped to create an epic, sprawling adventure that’ll have you ready for more the moments the credits roll.
Life Is Strange 2 isn’t some pleasant walk in the park, but a perilous slog across the country, staring adversity in the face and overcoming it in search of freedom and a fresh start. It’s not always comfortable to watch, but it’s a journey well worth taking for fans of the series, and narrative-driven experiences in general.
Journey to the Savage Planet is well worth checking out if you’re looking for something to fill the void of time you’ve got during this fairly quiet start to 2020. The sense of exploration drives you forward, the satirical comedy lands every time, and the presentation on the whole just adds to the magical sense of exploring and mapping an uncharted planet.
Fans of the first game, as well as platformer and metroidvania fans in general need to give Ori and the Will of the Wisps their time. As long as the performance issues are completely ironed out in the near future, this is one platformer that’ll long be remembered.
A blend of excellent gameplay and a compelling story that feels true to the Gears universe is guaranteed to turn the COGS of series veterans and newcomers alike. Gears Tactics should be on the radar of all Gears fans, even those entirely new to the tactics genre.
Minecraft Dungeons is undoubtedly entertaining, and despite all my gripes I find myself being pulled back in, drawn to take on ever-more difficult challenges as I grind toward better gear.
SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete feels like the full-length vision of the concept that was the original game. With more abilities, enemy types, levels, and lore, this is one of the easiest games to recommend for fans of the original.
Dontnod has clearly doubled down on its forte and looks set to continue delivering well-written tales all within that same familiar framework.
Marvel’s Avengers is a game of two halves, and neither are anything special available.
Star Wars Squadrons gives you a decently-sized single-player campaign, an enjoyable albeit limited multiplayer and VR support for all modes on PS4 and PC, and all for $40. If only there were a few more maps and one or two game modes, this would have been near faultless.
The Medium isn’t perfect. Bloober Team’s most ambitious ideas aren’t realized to their full potential, but it’s a step in an exciting new direction. The pacing stumbles in the middle, but that’s where the enticing narrative picks up the slack to drive you through. The dual-reality mechanic goes just about far enough to keep its slowest gameplay moments interesting, and paired with a fantastic narrative and exceptionally eerie atmosphere, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of Bloober Team’s work in the past and the horror genre in general.
The real star of the show, however, was Bowser’s Fury, which innovates on the foundations laid by previous 3D titles, to provide some of the most enjoyable, open-world platforming I’ve had the pleasure of playing. This is a must-buy for Switch owners and Mario fans alike and is sure to tide you over the next couple of months.
If you can pick up Maquette from free as March 2021’s PlayStation Plus title, it’s difficult to argue against. But if you’re looking to pay full price for this 3-hour puzzler, you’re money’s better spent elsewhere.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town does have that compelling farming gameplay loop that we’ve seen time and time again in different series, but it lacks depth — much like the rest of the game — to keep farming sim veterans coming back. At a time where the likes of Stardew Valley continue to push the genre forward and provide greater longevity, it’s difficult to recommend this rough-around-the-edges excursion to Olive Town.
Adios’ fantastic, profound narrative offers an interesting glimpse from a rarely-covered perspective. It’s only elevated by a pair of fantastic performances from its leading cast members, that lend an authentic feel to the tale. While the superficial gameplay may not be to everybody’s tastes, if you’re looking for a short and bittersweet story, Adios is a solid choice.
If you’ve not yet experienced the game — or just thoroughly enjoyed the original release — then the Judgement PS5 version – and I imagine the Series X|S versions – are the absolute best way to experience Kamurocho through the eyes of a detective. The visuals are better than ever, the 60fps framerate really amplifies the fluidity of Dragon Engine and combat, and load times are near non-existent. It may take a little while to get going, but once it has got its claws in you, it’ll be difficult to put down.
When Maskmaker shines, it shines bright to the point I had a beaming smile on my face. It’s just a shame these moments only tend to pop up towards the very end. If you’re looking for a circa five-hour VR adventure with some magical moments, you could do worse. Just don’t expect a groundbreaking VR experience.
The Colonists is a great game overall. It simplifies the 4X strategy genre down into a charming and chilled experience with adorable little robots that make watching your civilization thrive all the more enchanting. Its problems on the Switch come from a lack of mouse and keyboard inputs and some rather vague (or buggy) mechanics that could do with further explaining for novices and newcomers alike.
By simply being an interactive experience, ‘The Longest Road on Earth’ won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of the genre or want some ‘chill out time’, or even just want something to serve as food for reminiscent thoughts, I implore you to find a moment to take a stroll down this road. If nothing else, it’s a reminder to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Life’s too short not to.