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PositronX starts off as an amazing FPS game that's marketed as a rogue-lite, but players will quickly realize that it's more attuned to being a roguelike. Progressing through the four levels and it's quickly evident that a high level of artificial difficulty is added, with enemies getting more health and damage, while you're stuck with abilities and bonuses that don't scale accurately against the rest of the gameplay. The game ends up becoming a grindy mess with its only salvation being the music design and the occasional new weapon or ability for the player to experience.
With a practiced expertise, Frontier has translated their fantastic coaster creator to the next-gen consoles without compromising the core qualities of what makes this game great. The radial menu and optional keyboard/mouse controls delivers theme park magic unlike any other, and once again claims its crown -- the king of coasters among mere tycoons.
While it's very short on story, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a neat celebration of the Dark Seeker Saga before moving on. With a huge selection of fantastic tunes and a fun yet simplistic control scheme, this game will keep fans busy until Kingdom Hearts IV.
Just Dance 2021 is a solid entry in the franchise, though it might get stale next year if things don't change. However, its improved performance and bombastically entertaining song list will still get you on the dancefloor this time around.
Population: One is a fantastic and rewarding experience. Dropping into the map and taking on your opponents feels amazing, and it all comes down to your own skill. There are a few things holding this game back from being a fully immersive VR experience, but for what it has accomplished, it's done it amazingly. Big Box VR has set the bar high for the VR battle royale market.
Black Ops has absolutely returned with a vengeance. The fast, frantic pace is still there, and the gunplay is still just as great as you remember it. While the campaign may be the weakest part of an overall phenomenal package, it's still very satisfying and the espionage narrative packs a punch. The modes people are going to play the most, multiplayer and Zombies, are the strongest parts of Black Ops Cold War, and offer the best first person shooter gameplay in video games. PS4 and Xbox One players may be missing out on several improvements offered by the next-gen systems and PC, but it's not enough to detract from an amazing experience. My appetite for Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is definitely growing, and like Duran Duran, "I'm hungry like the wolf".
The Sims 4 Snowy Escape Expansion pack was quite enjoyable, and I am very excited to dive in with my regular Sim family to check out the Lifestyles and Sentiments between them. There is plenty to do to keep you busy with the new sports that were added, though honestly the rock climbing and hiking could have been more obvious to figure out. I am sure there are still things I have not uncovered yet in the expansion, but I look forward to exploring Mt. Komorebi further. It's a solid expansion, and I enjoyed it much more than the previous Eco Lifestyle expac.
Like previous effort ABZÛ before it, The Pathless leans heavily into the gorgeous cell-shaded world, and it does so with gameplay and story that keeps you locked and engaged for the entirety of its 10 hour story run. Comparisons to games like Shadow of the Colossus and Journey are apt, but seeing the world rush by at 4K and 60fps is a thing of beauty. Come for the frenetic gameplay, stay for the art.
From a purely technical perspective, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is a triumph. Delivering gorgeous ray traced lighting, blistering framerates, and high resolution, coupled with speedy load times and eye-popping visuals, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is the best possible rendition of the game. Returning special features like Turbo mode, Legendary Dark Knight mode, and Vergil himself is sure to keep any air-juggling Devil May Cry fan happy.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the best open world RPG this year. It's colorful locals are a joy to discover, combat and stealth feel deep and rewarding, and there's a viking hoard of things to do.
Bugsnax is an odd combination of Pokémon, a Cabela's hunting game, and Octodad. It's got a lot going for it in the fun gameplay, as well as a wonderful island filled with incredible creatures to discover. I do think the ending doesn't necessarily fit, and the backtracking is annoying, but it doesn't make the game unenjoyable. If you want the weirdest game of 2020 that's unusually entertaining, then pick up Bugsnax. Now if you'll excuse me, the Kero Kero Bonito song is stuck in my head again.
With visuals completely redesigned from the ground up, rebuilt mechanics, and even a dose of extra content, Observer System Redux delivers on the gritty retrofuturistic cyberpunk world of horror. Rebuilt stealth sections fixed the largest complaint, and the hitching in the original release is gone. The original was good, but this is great.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is truly the definitive version of Pikmin 3 with plenty of additions and quality-of-life changes that will make it difficult to go back to the original Wii U version. The side stories provide creative level design that was missing from the base game, all of the DLC missions are present, and the story can finally be played entirely with two players. Even if this doesn't lead to a Pikmin 4, it would be a great high point to end the series on.
Ghostrunner is a breath of fresh air. It takes the best parts of Hotline Miami and Mirror's Edge, sprinkles in its own style, and hands players a unique experience. Every single minute is a thrill ride that keeps the player packed full of adrenaline, and it doesn't stop until the end of each level. It's an immensely enjoyable and satisfying experience that will have you on the edge of your seat trying to master each segment. However, as the price point currently stands you're getting about 5 hours of content for $30, with the only replayability coming from leaderboard rankings.
Fuser is a wonderful title that will appeal to anyone looking for a good time with great beats. Whether you're spectating a user-created set or making your own beats with the base soundtrack of 100 songs, there's no better time to spin the disc and get the house poppin'!
With flawless lighting, excellent gameplay, innovative immersion, and a fresh new story, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the sort of game that we'll be talking about for the rest of the console generation. This is how you start a new generation of gaming.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit may have had its heyday, but this particular entry feels well past its prime with bland visuals, uninteresting courses, and terrible controls.
Foregone is a graphically gorgeous, if not derivative, romp that struggles to create many memorable moments or differentiate itself from contemporary action-platformers.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has topped themselves once again with Yakuza: Like a Dragon! This new take on Yakuza brings a lot of fun, new ideas to the table while remaining its heartfelt self. Turn based combat is somehow a perfect fit for this new direction, the characters are all instantly loveable, and the story is endearingly melodramatic.
Jurassic World Complete Edition is a technical marvel on Switch. Delivering everything in a single package, this version of the game carries with it all three expansion packs, and all of the optional dino packs, making it the most complete version to date. While the undocked version is slightly lower fidelity, it's a small concession for being able to build your own ill-advised dino park on the go.