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There's a compelling story underneath all the hacking and slashing, with interesting characters and extremely well-done level design. The puzzles are very clever, something that I would expect from a Darksiders game, and there's simply a lot of content to enjoy throughout a nearly 15-hour playthrough.
Lastly, I have to mention the name, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. To me, it sounds like Star Wars Jedi could be a new line of games, with Fallen Order being just the first one. We can only dream.
I'm quite sure that Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't redefine the open-world genre, but it surely brings it to a much higher level. And it's not just through sheer size that it does that, but by combining writing, visuals, music, voice acting, and gameplay mechanics to deliver an engrossing experience that sometimes is better than the one in the real world.
Need for Speed Heat is far from the revival of the series which fans have hoped for, and makes you wonder what happened to Criterion. Ghost games did a decent job steering back Need for Speed into safer waters, but it lacks the passion and the visceral fun which made Underground legendary. Need for Speed Heat is a decent game, but not a memorable one.
All in all, Sparklite is a nicely built game, if you scale your expectations to an indie title and you do not expect the bells and whistles of AAA game. There are flaws though, especially when it comes to the story. The narrative part occasionally feels neglected, Sparklite relying mainly on the thrill of exploration. Also even though it is fun, the game is rather short and offers no replayability, thus having a hard time justifying its price.
The extremely stupid humor, top-notch combat and wide range of weaponry make Borderlands 3 one of the best shooters of all-time. Although it's an old formula, Borderlands 3 offers one of the best shlooter experiences you can get.
At one point, it forced me to look through the eyes of a little girl caught in the rubble after a Russian bombing in a town somewhere in the Middle East. Her dead mother right next to her and the screams of people topside is not something that I'll soon forget. Modern Warfare might be a game, but it's worth playing so that you can get out of your comfort zone, even for just a little while.
One thing that I would have liked to see in Blasphemous is a full-fledged fast traveling system, instead of the barebone one that we actually get. Still, Blasphemous is clearly a must-play title for those who love Souls-like mysteries and gameplay mechanics, just don't go in expecting a masterpiece.
Despite the lack of polish, John Wick Hex is truly a very fun, yet tough game to play. The solid combat mechanics and amazing soundtrack create an addictive loop that makes you forget about some of the more frustrating moments. If you're a fan of the John Wick franchise, this game is a no brainer.
Having the game take place in space opens up the future of the franchise to a wealth of sequels. If Obsidian plays its cards right, we might be witnessing the birth of a great franchise. There is no doubt The Outer Worlds is almost a masterpiece. Sure, it could use some work here and there, but it's a perfect delivery system for the hungry human imagination that longs for the stars.
It's a pity that all these great changes are overshadowing the core content of the Shadowkeep expansion, but I can't say I'm surprised. For newcomers to the universe, Destiny 2 will be quite overwhelming, while veterans of the series might not find enough reasons to buy the new Shadowkeep expansion unless they really want to check out the new raid and all the gear it drops. But I'm leaning towards "wait for sale."
Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and Baldur’s Gate were never easy, but they are legendary. They are games that need to be experienced by anyone who calls himself a true fan of RPGs, but those people probably already own it on PC and can enjoy them using a mouse.
If you can get past all the negatives, Daemon X Machina is a very refined mecha game that truly catches the spirit of the genre but falls flat when it comes to narrative and characterization.
Even so, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening perfectly evokes the original game's presentation on the Game Boy, while bringing the visuals up to date using ingenious toy-like character and diorama world designs. With a top-notch presentation and charming gameplay, Link's Awakening is the living proof that any good game, no matter how old it is, can be revived and brought to new audiences.
Luckily, many aspects of the game are well above average, such as the anime artwork and the story. If you can get past the somewhat clunky combat and boring world, Code Vein can be appealing more often than not.
If what they had in mind was a little better than mediocrity, than the game is a resounding success. I can only hope that the developers understand this type of incremental improvements are no longer enough, and that's it's time for a new kind of wheel.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint will get some extra content, but it's clear that the focus of the game is now the multiplayer part, with the single-player working only as an afterthought. I can only hope that Breakpoint is only a step towards a more polished experience.
Even though it lacks the presentation of a high-budget game, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is one enjoyable nightmare that I can't recommend enough to cRPG fans. Bristling with mythos creatures, beautifully-drawn environments, and great Lovecraftian inspiration, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a fantastic RPG that no fan of the cosmic horror should skip.
The game looks better than ever but plays the same, so newcomers to the series should not skip one of the best JRPGs of all time, I would be "brokenhearted." On a serious note, Ni no Kuni remains the same charming game that I've played several years ago and I'm glad that Bandai Namco has decided to bring it to a larger audience.
WARSAW wants to be a mashup of World War II and Darkest Dungeon but doesn't bring anything new to the table. WARSAW is a blatant Darkest Dungeon copy with no innovation or unique gameplay mechanics whatsoever. Everything that it might go as original in WARSAW exists in Darkest Dungeon in a slightly different form. Add to that the design flaws, bugs, and balancing issues and you have a subpar experience that can't be balanced by the tense atmosphere and interesting setting.