Novastream's Reviews
My first playthrough of the game has been incredibly fun, choosing the Light choices and restoring the trees to bring balance to the world was a great first choice. Being able to go back now and make darker choices to see how that turns out excites me. There is a whole plethora of different tribes and missions I haven’t seen yet and I have been playing for 40 hours. After a first half year of really mediocre titles coming out, Biomutant feels like the first truly great game of 2021. If you are concerned about the delays or the fact that this is a new studio’s first game, don’t be. Experiment 101 have crafted a open world playground filled with creatures, history and an array of monsters that I fell instantly in love with. The British narrator was a complete surprise to me and this inclusion elevated the experience to something incredibly special. The game runs really well on the Playstation 5 (the system I reviewed it on) and I am looking forward to a next-gen patch that will elevate that experience.
Overall The Medium had a lot of promise but failed to live up to the hype and promises from the studio about a great story driven double world scare fest. Hopefully if there is a sequel, they will spend more time on the story and characters and making it scary and less on the gimmicky two world thing. While the two world connect was fantastic and executed well, it really shined a focus on the lack of quality in the story. The graphics are beautiful on next gen-consoles and I can’t wait to see what Bloober does next.
Immortals : Fenyx Rising attempts to re-create an Assassins Creed style open world game on a smaller scale that will appeal to the audience that Ubisoft are missing out on, entry level gamers and younger teenagers who aren’t quiet up to the challenge of something like Assassin’s Creed or Watch Dogs. That being said if, you are heavily into greek gods you will relish in the personalities of each one that are littered throughout this game. While the gameplay may be not as innovate as it wants you to think it is, it does offer a more laid back approach to a Zelda style game. The voice acting is top-notch and the design should be praised for its unique approach to the world. If you are looking for true innovation then this is probably not the game for you. If you enjoy light hearted open world romps, this will suit you perfectly and if you are a parent looking to offer your kids an open world adventure that is suitable for all ages, then this comes highly recommended.
Sumo Digital has resurrected Sackboy and delivered a solid platformer on par with games like Super Mario 3D and Yoshi’s Wooly World. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of previous Playstation platforms like Crash Bandicoot, it does a great job of showcasing the new features on the Playstation 5 and the DualSense controller. If you are looking for a platformer that utilises the best of the PS5 features and that will make you smile, this is the launch game you have been looking for.
The rapid fire in which the game throws everything at you is only accelerated by the power of the Xbox Series X and at times left me completely breathless. There were many times that I paused to watch and really pay attention to the synchronisation and moments when this game stops to let you breathe and take in the scale of this epic open world adventure. The improvements to gameplay and fighting mechanics are a welcome change to an almost tired combos that haven’t changed much in 23 years. The sheer epic scale of the world and its inhabitants are on a scale that hasn’t been seen before in this franchise. The world looks so real there are times you blink and are convinced it is real. All of this is bolstered by the power of next gen consoles with a story you won’t soon forget.
Bugsnax is the surprise of 2020. It looked like a cute game for children and has transcended into a work of art. The game has a lot to say about loss, depression and the human mind while able to blend with a hilarious Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs style premise. While this game may not be for everyone, it is a solid second entry for Young Horses and I for one cannot wait to see what they do next.
Watch Dogs Legion is a triumph for Ubisoft. It is a massive leap forward for the series by reflecting things that are happening in our world right now and fusing them with a view of the future that after this year isn’t outside the realm of possibility. The mechanic of being able to recruit any player you encounter works spectacularly well and lives up to the promise. Transporting players to London showcases a new location outside of the USA for the series and is a welcome breath of fresh air. Watch Dogs Legion is the clear best of the three games with a clear message about trust and technology.
Developer Toys for Bob have done what we imagined impossible, delivering a new Crash Bandicoot game in 2020 that both honours the original and also manages to help push the franchise forward, bringing Crash and co. back into the gaming spotlight where they deserve to be. While platforms are definitely not for everyone and there could have been a little bit more spit and polish on the gameplay side of things, it isn’t a huge detractor for fans of the original games, who will, like myself, love this game and rejoice that Crash is officially back.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is the must have game for Mario fans. It is a beautiful HD package that will keep you coming back for more. While there isn’t a full package of remade graphics and behind the scenes that we wanted, it is the first time that Sunshine and Galaxy have been released outside of their initial release, and this is enough to justify the price. You need to get on this game quick as it is only available for sale till March 2021.