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Far: Changing Tides largely sticks to the same recipe as its predecessor, making its vessel more complex and sending players on a journey through a different world. Its description as a companion game is fitting – although you will get slightly more out of it if you play the series in order – and while I loved the original, the sequel didn't grab me as much.
After more than 55 hours spent playing, I'm still awed by just how great God of War is. This is the result of a clear, determined vision, its separate elements harmonizing almost perfectly to deliver an experience that understands the series' blood-soaked origins but is also not afraid to push it into a more mature and nuanced direction.
Total War: Warhammer 3's only major "downside" comes from it being the final part of an established trilogy that (successfully) iterates on its predecessor's structure without changing it fundamentally. If you're not a fan of its streamlined empire management, fantasy setting, and sometimes floaty-feeling combat, there's not much here that will change your mind.
With so many studios trying to hit the coveted MMO market, one thing is clear if you want to succeed - your game has to be unique. You can make up for tonnes of mistakes if you can just carve out a market for it. Although it has its own issues of identity - with a Diablo-like fighting system and enough extra activities to feel full - Lost Ark is a game that I'm looking forward to seeing grow.
Crusader Kings 3: Royal Court adds plenty of flavor and introduces new ways to obtain bonuses for your realm while fleshing out how deeply you can interact with it. The feature that gives it its name isn't as grand as it could be, due to repeating events and a 3D space that becomes a bit boring to look at even if you change its architectural style.
Dying Light 2 was my first contact with the series and it can certainly be an exhilarating open-world game. Its gorgeous city, intense chases, fluid parkour, and visceral, meaty combat are well worth experiencing. Although they never completely overshadow its accomplishments, boring gear, repetitive side missions, and a story that never finds its focus do, unfortunately, keep it away from greatness. But, if you keep some of your expectations in check, all these missteps can easily be drowned in an ocean of freshly-cut zombie limbs and peaceful paragliding.
A lean and mean addition to the Serious Sam family that experiments with a few new toys, and offers more of the same Serious Sam goodness we've been accustomed to. It has the odd instance of unnecessary padding via one too many gunfights, but overall keeps a breezy, brutal pace.
Nobody Saves the World's form switching and punchy, responsive combat carries the game where its other elements let it down. The star of the show is its surprisingly dynamic twist on aRPG mechanics that makes figuring out builds to counter the dangers of its dungeons rewarding enough to warrant spending 20+ hours killing monsters and helping its sometimes oddball NPCs.
Terminator: Resistance Annihilation Line is a worthy addition to the base game if you enjoyed your time there but it doesn't do enough to fix its many flaws. While the story is rewarding and atmosphere creepy, there's something just a little cynical about the whole thing.
Like Master Chief himself, Infinite lets its combat do the talking while looking towards a bright future. After that initial showing, we couldn't ask for more.
As a celebration of all things Jurassic, Jurassic World Evolution 2 serves as a worthy successor to the original. As a park management game, it struggles to find a meaningful focal point. Given Frontier's expertise in this exact department elsewhere, that's more than a little disappointing. A light, messy sim that acts as a tribute to the prehistoric pandemonium of the Jurassic Park/World series.
Overall, a fantastic game that yields a relaxing experience and a gaming experience for all. The adventure is fun and awe-inducing. The graphics and music are coupled well together and marry each other to make for an amazing fantasy feel.
Bigger But Not Necessarily Better.
The strength of Frogwares previous works is retained within more ambitious, freeform packaging. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One can be abrasive, both in gameplay terms and in its depiction of an iconic character, but it offers such rich and rewarding depth to its detective drama that it's much easier to accept.
Being able to actually claim territory I had captured in a war without it creating an immediate regional coalition against me. They're all mine, so gimme, gimme, gimme!
It's no surprise that Forza Horizon puts itself right into the mix with 2021's Game of the Year contenders. Playground Games has been getting it right for a decade now. This is the definitive experience in the series so far, one that excels both on PC and the Xbox Series X. Minimal issues, such as server connectivity, fail to spoil the party that is just crammed with happiness and adventure.
Running a cavalry charge around the enemy defenses to burn their Wonder to the ground while the clock ticked down to defeat. No horses survived, but victory was mine.
Unleashing a flurry of rockets from our Supremo backpack and blowing up a tank that never saw it coming.
Hiding in plain sight using an upgraded Aether slab and surprising and invading Julianna with a swift machete stab she never saw coming.
The psychedelia-infused trip inside the Psi King's Sensorium.