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Biomutant attempts to channel many inspirations into a compelling package. It does much of that extremely well, excelling at world building and creating a fluid combat system to drive the experience. The one area it falls short is in tying it all together with an engrossing narrative. It not only fails at the narrative, but even worse, fails at the very mechanics of delivering the story. Wander the world on your own initiative and experience a great game; follow the path of the main quest and suffer the letdown of a mediocre tale, told poorly.
Knockout City is a rollicking good time, restructuring dodgeball into a competitive team sport that anyone can enjoy. Appropriate for all audiences, there is plenty of fun here for casuals and the hardcore crowd alike. Knockout City leaves plenty of room for the game to grow and expand, making it a solid platform for success as a living game. Bright, cheery, inclusive fun.
Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey translates the franchise's beloved gameplay successfully into the VR space. With a ton of devious puzzles and a few different modes to play around with, there is plenty of content here to keep bubble poppers busy for a while. The slightly twitchy aiming can be difficult at times, but overall the game is exactly what fans might expect.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends brings players into an alternate universe where Robin Hood and his Merry Men are a gang of murderous thieves. While the core heist gameplay loop offers some fun for committed players, the structure around those heists doesn't give much reason (beyond getting better) to keep playing. The thematic darkness doesn't help; when the Sherriff of Nottingham drops f-bombs and smashes people's heads like pumpkins, I kinda tap out.
Space Commander: War and Trade makes the transition from mobile to console without considering what changes would make the game more palatable for console players. A very basic trading system, a fiddly map, and super simple space combat all add up to an experience that underwhelms. There is a lot going on in Space Commander, but not very much of it is fun.
Resident Evil Village earns a spot right up there as one of the very best Resident Evil games in the franchise's 25 year run. Village is an amalgamation of what made Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 7 fan-favourite entries. Though it also delivers on it's own ambition with new breeds of terrifying enemies never seen before in Resident Evil. The Village is a desolate, decrepit, dolorous setting but undeniably beautiful thanks to some of the best art direction ever seen in the series. In an age of day one patches and bugs, Resident Evil looks and runs flawlessly on the PlayStation 5 version used in this review. Resident Evil Village is a Game of the Year contender.
Subnautica: Below Zero further refines the survival sim, setting a new highpoint for the genre with sky-high production values and amazing world building. Every excursion is risky and rewarding, as the game continues to tease, push, and pull the player ever deeper into its labyrinth. An extraordinary visual delight, Below Zero has the chops to match its graphics with superb gameplay. Subnautica: Below Zero is a masterclass in game design.
Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is nice and relaxing-and that's about it. While the game is nice to look at and listen to, there's very little challenge and, for a collect-a-thon, I can see where that can turn some people off. If you don't mind a simple game then the budget price tag might not seem too high. But if you're looking for a challenge, you definitely won't find it here.
When you're advertising 34 different endings, your survival journey needs to be survivable. But Ashwalkers rarely made me feel like my survival was on the line. I was hungry for more human interactions between squad members. But the bulk of the writing is saved for the badge-ridden hall of fame at the end of this post-apocalyptic Oregon Trail.
Skjoldur Story doesn't have a long tale to tell, but it is packed full of puzzles galore, and put into a colorful world that is fun to explore. It can be frustrating when you have to repeat yourself when you die. Skjoldur Story can feel like a nostalgic trip, so fill up the tank, grab some snacks, and buckle up for the journey.
Returnal is a shining technical achievement, possibly the best looking game on PlayStation 5. With addictive gunplay, a brutal learning curve, and a focus on exploration and temporary buffs, roguelike fans will be in heaven. Be warned though, the difficulty level is not for everyone. Though I learned to love Returnal with time, many players may walk away frustrated.
Zen Studios takes eight of their beloved Star Wars pinball tables and blows each of them out into the VR space in delightful and unexpected ways. Each of the tables offers hours of fun, and Zen provides a ton of ways to interact with them. The "basement cave" framing device provides a great extra layer of reward for engaging with the game. Recommended without reservation.
Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition has a lovely, relaxing vibe, and some pleasant, very recognizable farming mechanics. But some quest problems lead to frustration – and worse, hours of bewildered wandering. When progression grinds to a halt and there is nothing to do but grow endless crops, Deiland starts to feel less pleasant, and more like a purgatory.
Outriders is far from perfect. But a game doesn't have to be when it facilitates such a high degree of fun and interesting gameplay mechanics.
A touch of paint was added to Star Wars: Republic Commando, but the brush was small. Gameplay feels just like it did in 2005, which is great because of the solid foundation, but this enhanced port can feel like it runs slow at the worst times. By not changing much players might be better off remembering the past with rose colored glasses.
SWARM performs some technological voodoo, allowing players to swoop, twist, and turn through its levels with no trace of VR sickness. An arcade game to its core, SWARM knows exactly what it is, and delivers on that experience with gusto, with smooth action and impressive visuals. An amazing amount of fun can be gained from swinging through the air and shooting evil robots. Highly recommended.
Trials of Fire is a fantastic deck-building game. It is enhanced by also acting like a rouguelike for endless replayability, and it crafts a rich world around its characters. Trials of Fire only disappoints on one front: that the story it actually tells seems more like a teaser than an epic. While I can't complain in that it is priced like a single episode in a longer saga, I am left wanting for the rest of the saga. Maybe that's altogether not the worst thing...
As a video game reviewer, it's very rare I've ever awarded a perfect score. The last two games I awarded with that score were The Witcher 3 and God of War. I say this just to emphasize how It Takes Two really is, in my view, the perfect co-op experience. At least, it's the closest to perfection that I've had the joy to experience to date.
While you were partying, Narita Boy studied the techno-blade. Impossibly good pixel art is locked behind bad-but-gets-better platforming and okay-but-gets-cool hack n' slashing.
Breathedge offers some decent exploration and survival gameplay, tucked among very slow trips to gather materials that sometimes feel like they are wasting the player's time. A hit-and-miss sense of humor can sometimes amuse, while other times causing something close to fury. A mid-game pivot seems to drive the game off track-changing the mechanics in a way that feels jarring. Enjoyable for stretches, Breathedge can't help but shoot itself in the foot occasionally, in ways that are more frustrating than fun.