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Deliver us the Moon: Fortuna provides a believable setting and various modes of movement in normal, low, and no gravity that work believably and easily, and puzzles/solutions that aren't overly complex. There are also vehicles that get to drive on the surface of the moon. The story, if not edge-of-the-seat engaging was interesting if not compelling, but the lack of a final chapter is deeply disappointing.
Sir Hans Capon's DLC could've been chopped up and interwoven into the vanilla game's numerous subplots, but it was much more fun, this way, taking it in as a whole. It's a romantic comedy with a bloody start, but that's medieval Europe for you. I was only disappointed the DLC starts off with a mission structure that's a little too tried-and-true for Kingdom Come.
There are a couple of technical issues that hold back Life is Strange 2, it's got some weird visual glitches, and I encountered a few crashes in the short, but ultimately interesting story of two brothers, and their suddenly upended life.
The Council is a revelation. While the technical aspects of the game are somewhat questionable at times, the storytelling, world building, and RPG mechanics are simply stunning. I found myself propelled from episode to episode, salivating at the idea of advancing the story and outsmarting the game's lifelike characters. With twisty surprises, diabolical puzzles, and rich historical context, this is a game that makes the player feel intelligent for playing it. The fact that the story is deliciously twisted is just the icing on the cake.
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is competently built, attractive to look at in some areas, but rather bland in others. The gameplay was approachable and the difficulty curve was shallow, so players experienced in the genre may find it to be too easy to provide a meaningful challenge. Conversely, players new to the genre, or those that aren't especially good at it, will likely find it to be more engaging.
Dark Eclipse is inarguably difficult to learn, but once you are over that hump the game is simply spectacular. Just because you don't understand everything right out of the gate doesn't mean that deep and thoughtful design isn't present. There is real depth of strategy here, and the fun visuals are just the icing on the cake. I'm hoping that the audience that has currently found Dark Eclipse sticks with it (and continues to grow), because this is a great game that deserves to thrive.
Original Sin 2 shakes your hand a little too hard when you first meet. It needs to relax until you get to know it better. It's endlessly surprising, with characters that lose their stiffness over time, in dialogues and battle logs that piece together a dangerous, thoughtful world. It's tough. But the reward is that you get tougher, too. It still needs to clean up some of its tactical sloppiness, though. Having a ton of options in battle is only good if its rules are fair and make sense.
Film company SpectreVision dips their peanut butter into Ubisoft's videogame chocolate, and the two great tastes taste great together (in a horrible, family-murdering sort of way). While some might balk at the shorter length of Transference, I found the experience to be spot-on, particularly while played experienced in the very high-end VR. With a unique take on “walking simulator” mechanics and some fun (and not overly difficult) puzzles, Transference feels like an afternoon well-spent. Just be ready for some dark, adult themes. They don't call mad scientists ‘mad' for nothing, and Transference has one doozy of a mad scientist.
There is still work to be done, but the core of the experience is fixed. And what we have is a new version of that original game I poured hundreds of hours into. A version I am looking forward to pouring in hundreds more.
Forsaken looks and feels like the Destiny 2 we all wanted at launch. It now has to stand the test of time, but the first few weeks of the game are a solid indication that Bungie has learned from their mistakes, and are on a path to perfecting what the game should be. Good story, great core mechanics, a satisfying and rewarding grind, and a really exemplary unique game mode mark Forsaken as one of the best expansions in the life of the series. If you were holding out or looking for the moment to dive into Destiny 2, this is it.
By taking a fun and exhilarating boxing framework and painting it with the glorious trappings of the Creed/Rocky franchise, Servios has delivered a game that is simply magical. Sure, the campaign is a little short and the hit detection might feel a bit wonky, but in the heat of the moment none of that matters. Whether fighting AI opponents or engaging in the more challenging fights against real-life players, you will find yourself bouncing in place, floating and stinging with the best of them. This is a game that will leave you sweaty and proud. How many other games can say that?
Despite a few hiccups here and there, Mega Man 11 is a pretty solid entry in the series. While I would have liked to see some more challenges that weren't just “traverse the stage for the umpteenth time”, possibly an endless mode similar to Mega Man 9 and 10, the implementation of the Double Gear System and the multiple difficulties make the game accessible to any player, newcomers and veterans alike.
Not since Breath of the Wild have I enjoyed an open world game this much. With so much to see and do, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of, it not the best, game in the Assassin's Creed franchise—and absolutely a game of the year contender.
Remaining true to its roots with engaging ship to ship combat but shifting the gameplay to a more narrative focused exploration game, Star Control: Origins excels at it's prime directive. As we push out from that core loop there are elements that can drag on, but the central experience is where it stands tallest, incorporating a playful tale with entertaining delivery around excellent two dimensional, top down ship to ship combat.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the most unique co-op game I've ever played, but it's also a brilliant idea that is well executed, and it suits the Nintendo Switch particularly well.
Just about everything works perfectly in Gun Club VR.
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker has both its good and bad moments. Unfortunately a lot of the bad moments for me was with the combat and constantly getting knocked down with barely anytime to defend myself when getting back up before the onslaught continued, but a lot of that I'm willing to chalk up to my own lack of skill. Still, the VR Missions are enjoyable once you learn the nuances of combat, but don't expect to see me floating around the online lobbies any time soon.
Firewall: Zero Hour is an incredibly immersive experience that will appeal to military shooter fans, as well as fans of very well-made VR experiences. It is hard to express how deep and involving this game can be, it simply has to be played to be believed. Though I have a few minor quibbles with the progression and the flow of matches, I still whole-heartedly recommend this amazing multiplayer experience. Firewall is a system seller, and playing it one realizes that yes, VR might just be here to stay.
Is the gameplay fun? Sure, but it's largely the same as last year. Career mode gets Champions League branding but nothing else noteworthy. Pro Clubs and Seasons get ignored. The Journey is fun, but cannot make up for the rest of the largely ignored modes. If you love FUT, you'll love this game. Otherwise, it just isn't worth banging your head against the wall for another year of much of the same. The rating might seem harsh, but when you've played this same game the last couple of years, you get tired of it.
Blind is basically a room escape game that does an excellent job of taking a fairly common type of game and making it extraordinarily uncommon. It uses an innovative simulation of blindness to add a large measure of personal discomfort and stress to truly make the player feel as if they MUST get out of that building, but doing so is going to be next to impossible with their unexpected and frightening affliction.