Wccftech's Reviews
Barring a sci-fi horror tale that doesn't quite nail the slow building reveal, Housemarque has absolutely succeeded with their fusion of third-person shooting and roguelike elements in Returnal, one of my personal favorite PlayStation 5 titles so far.
Total War: Rome Remastered is a great remastering of one of the most influential and important strategy games in the history of gaming, though it is warts and all. Certain improvements are invaluable in bringing the original closer to modern sensibilities, though they only go so far, allowing issues like pathfinding to remain, as well as a dense-as-concrete AI, even though it has been improved. However, no matter the issues, the gameplay is engaging, exciting and most of all, fun. This is a massive game, featuring two extensive expansions that have also been remastered, and one that I would recommend to any fan of the original, any fan of Total War and anybody who wants to ease themselves into the series with a game from simpler times.
MotoGP 21 is yet another slow, tentative step forward for the bleary-eyed series. There are clear improvements visually, with the physics, and with a few new features to aid realism. However, for every improvement, some areas are showing their age or have abandonment issues. The tutorial is as absorbing and educational as a brick wall, the career mode just feels shallow, and finding that balance for non-simulation purists can be a chore. Still, these are balanced by the strong racing when you find those perfect settings and the improving AI. Also, the use of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller is brilliant, putting the feel of the bike into your hands.
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced is not a good game. It is a perfectly average title from a decade or two ago that is somehow being released now. Despite its relatively shiny graphics, there is nothing interesting beneath the chrome.
Once players get past the poor onboarding experience, Monster Hunter Rise might offer the series' best entry for first time players while series veterans will fly over the competition with the new Wirebug mechanics.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... restores lost content alongside a brand new ending but requires players to retread the same 60+ hour grind to experience what's unique to this oddly numbered JRPG.
With a new top-down view, solid world design, and much better pacing, Immortals Fenyx Rising - The Lost Gods is, without a doubt, the best expansion released for the open-world game by Ubisoft. While the experience it's not fundamentally different from that introduced in the main game, the tweaks to exploration and combat make the new journey enjoyable, especially if one hasn't had enough of Fenyx's universe.
While MLB The Show 21 is another solid entry in the series, the pitch to Xbox newcomers and those looking for a next-gen experience isn't as strong as it could have been. Pitching, fielding, and existing modes get some welcome adjustments, but truly significant additions are thin on the ground and the series' presentation is stuck in its tracks. Hardcore hardball fans and Xbox owners who haven't experienced MLB The Show before should have a good time, but this franchise may be in need of a rebuilding phase within the next year or two.
Trials of Fire is an amazing blend of RPG, turn-based, and roguelike mechanics that manages to be both deep and accessible at the same time. With a great storybook presentation, tons of different options to customize the experience, and the multitude of builds made possible by the great deck-building system, even those with a passing interest in roguelike and role-playing games will find plenty to like in the game.
Disco Elysium doesn't shy away from its problems, but each one just cements how interesting those flaws are. Minor technical issues can be fixed, but what the game does, how it does it, and how the player responds is something that no other medium, no other game has achieved.
SaGa Frontier Remastered shows the two-decades old JRPG such great reverence by restoring lost content along with modern conveniences. With a high learning curve and an explorer's mindset necessary to truly enjoy, SaGa Frontier does require more experimentation and desire for less-traditional storytelling to get the most out of it.
Demon Skin is a game that tries; it shows potential but fails due to missed opportunities and a lack of refinement. The combat is decent – though it can suffer from movement issues and unfair AI - and the game features good environments, but everything else proves to be a letdown. The story is incomprehensible, with no buildup, engagement or payoff, and the level design features far too many annoying, inexplicable, and often cheap instakill traps. It's not impossible to find some good aspects, but they're fighting a tidal wave of nitpicks and negatives.
With an excellent stage and puzzle design, an engaging story that takes some unexpectedly dark turns, and a great presentation, Oddworld: Soulstorm is as good as the first entries in the series if not even better thanks to some new gameplay mechanics. The high challenge level and some other issues here and there may put off some players, but don't let them stop you, even if you just have a passing interest in the series, or the genre as a whole: a game like Oddworld: Soulstorm hasn't been released in a very long time.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination has a certain nostalgic charm, and not just because of its retro 007 stylings. It feels like something you might have found on your dad or friend's computer back in the Windows 3.1 era and sunk a few diverting hours into. Unfortunately, a lack of depth, challenge, and modern features makes the game hard to fully recommend in 2021. Some fun can be had if you keep your expectations in check, but don't count on Evil Genius 2 taking over your world.
Spacebase Startopia is a decently comical management simulation that looks back at and expands on the original Startopia. With a wide number of buildings and areas to develop, aliens to satisfy and even hire, there's a fair amount to do. Spacebase Startopia isn't without its issues, such as too much forced 'comedy' and a campaign that drags like a marathon, but you're still likely to have a good time if you like management sims.
It Takes Two is one of the most varied, inventive games ever made, serving up dozens upon dozens of different styles of gameplay in a remarkably polished, approachable package. An inconsistent level of challenge and lack of editing may strain your relationship with the game at times, but It Takes Two is good enough to justify working through the rough patches.
With its ancient China setting, Immortals Fenyx Rising: Myths of the Eastern Realm could have expanded the main game's experience in a lot of meaningful ways, but Ubisoft Chengdu preferred to play it extremely safe, presenting an expansion that, in reality, expands very little. Lacking the good writing and the hilarious characters of the main campaign, and any major gameplay change, this DLC expansion is a worthwhile purchase only for those who haven't had enough of the puzzle-solving seen in Fenyx's adventure. Everyone else will find this adventure in the Eastern Realm a little stale.
Murder on Eridanos provides an intriguing story to follow thanks to its murder investigation premise, even though the DLC otherwise maintains all of the pros and cons of The Outer Worlds and its previous DLC, Peril on Gorgon.
Stronghold Warlords is a decent strategy game. While the city-building and sieging truly let the game shine, the slow and sluggish pace between these can truly drag it down. The new diplomacy and warlords system adds something to the series and makes for a welcome change, but it's impossible not to think of this as a game that feels and plays like a strategy game from 20 years ago, for better and for worse.
PixelJunk Raiders has a unique vibe and some interesting ideas, including smart implementation of Stadia's State Share feature, but it isn't anywhere near as fleshed out or polished as it needs to be. Cheapo presentation, clunky combat, unbalanced roguelike mechanics, and a lack of variety combine to extinguish the game's promise. PixelJunk Raiders may stand out like a minor oasis on the desolate Stadia release calendar, but there's a much wider, more vibrant world of roguelike-flavored games out there to explore.