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Immortals of Aveum comes at a time when games are almost like homework - they demand time and attention. They require you to almost put your life on hold and live a different, more exciting, and rewarding life in the vast virtual playgrounds they offer. This is not something to complain about — I look back fondly at the time when, for a good three months, I abandoned everything in my life to become an outlaw in the American Frontier when Red Dead Redemption 2 came out. Video games possess a transformative and teleporting power that frankly no other medium can replicate. But sometimes you don't need your games to be a full course meal. They're perfectly palatable as a snack. Immortals is that bite-sized biscuit that won't really leave a memorable flavour in your mouth, but will taste just fine, and be the exact kind of meal you need at that point. Right around the time when ambitious video games are showcasing the incredible depth they can offer, Immortals of Aveum represents a bygone simplicity and shallowness of the medium, that perhaps is just as important.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterclass in table-top-inspired CRPGs, rewarding imagination above all in a gorgeous presentation that brings the Forgotten Realms to life. Larian Studios' ambitious scope has birthed one of the most reactive worlds in all of gaming, where player choices govern both landmark events and smaller romantic flings with its delectable cast of companions. Through a nicely woven story that best represents its characters' misery and a combat style benefitted by unorthodox tactics, it has rightfully alarmed the larger AAA games industry to do better. Sure, there are some technical shortcomings in the final act, but that doesn't diminish its status as my Game of the Year so far. Baldur's Gate 3 is a certified must-play title and I can't wait to start my second playthrough — preferably as a monk Dark Urge, given how untimely and goofy his quotes are.
Still, it is an excellent action game with perhaps one of the medium's most likeable protagonists in recent times. Final Fantasy XVI is a worthy return for an iconic franchise — that much is clear. Whether this success can light the path for future Final Fantasy games and elevate the series to its past heights, is perhaps a trickier question to answer.
In a faithful leap forward that's meant to kickstart a fresh wrestling game franchise, AEW: Fight Forever stumbles quite a bit. This is true for its real-life counterpart as well - a relative newcomer to the scene which will take a while before standing toe-to-toe with WWE's decades-long legacy. Much of the gameplay feels like a good start though, thanks to a fast-paced experience that isn't harsh on novices, mixed with an absurd amount of brutality and gore. Unfortunately, the game is tarnished by clunky mechanics, dimwit AI, lack of commentary, shortened entrances, and a poorly-written story mode that does not justify its high price tag. I'll admit there's a foundation for a better sequel, but for now, I find it hard to recommend this to wrestling fans.
If you're in the mood to slay blood-lusting demons with an unhealthy dose of loot-clicking, Diablo IV is perfect for you. The sequel doesn't reinvent the dungeon-crawling space in any way, but borrows ideas to offer intensely frenetic combat, robust progression, and totally knocks it out of the park with its dark, sacrilegious themes that turn its sprawling open world into literal hell. The tight enemy scaling is certainly a downside, but Blizzard evens it out with diverse classes that synergise uniquely with abilities, making encounters increasingly thrilling. The presence of microtransactions — albeit cosmetic-only — is a sour sight and the narrative would've surely improved with better pacing. Overall though, it's devilishly addictive!
Through intricate world-building and a layered combat system, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor proves to be a worthy successor to Respawn's growing tale from the galaxy far, far away. While the core narrative is fairly decent, the sequel really shines when forming memorable moments with its characters and its locales that can be used as a creative playing field. The expanded world is certainly fun to explore, albeit collectible hunters might eventually face burnout with how cluttered the items are. Unfortunately, its positives are hampered by terrible performance — even with post-launch patches — making it hard for me to recommend until a few more patches roll through. Get it on sale if you're very keen, but otherwise you might want to wait a bit.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores often feels like one long side quest, but it attempts to fill some gaps left by the main game.
Dead Island 2 straddles the line between these wins and its demonstrable failures.
It's downright baffling how Naughty Dog went with the 'release first, fix later' mentality for its most important PC release. Even with the 14GB patch, The Last of Us Part I suffers from poor memory management, leading to a highly compromised experience fueled by stutters, sound issues, unusually long loading times, and more. Sure, underneath those problems, you've got one of the greatest post-apocalyptic survival stories ever told in gaming history, but the hurdles to get there aren't worth it. At Rs. 3,999/ $59.99, you're getting what is arguably PlayStation's first early-access PC port — a tight slap to those who avoided spoilers for nearly a decade. Unless you've got a bleeding-edge PC, don't buy this game in its current state, and pray for the issues to get resolved in time. I mean, if games like Batman: Arkham Knight and Cyberpunk: 2077 run fine and dandy now, I've got faith that The Last of Us Part I will get there eventually.
While the visual upgrade alone is a good enough draw to relive one of Capcom's all-time elites, Resident Evil 4 remake brings a wealth of new tweaks that contribute to a perfect reimagination. Even with deeper character development and extended gameplay, it still retains the original's charm through intense scares and goofy B-movie-like scenarios that never feel too old. The new knife mechanics tighten the core gameplay by adding an element of resourceful survival horror to an otherwise frenzied action-heavy affair. With the free, wave-style Mercenaries mode dropping next week, there's no better time for long-time fans or newcomers to jump in and experience the horrors awaiting in the iconic claustrophobic European village setting of Resident Evil 4.
Hogwarts Legacy ticks all right the boxes. It could have very easily been a watered-down RPG trying to cash in on its name, but at its core there is a robust and fun video game that stands up on its own, even if one doesn't care for Harry Potter. The fun combat system, consistently surprising world exploration, and a cast of likeable and colourful characters lift Hogwarts Legacy, as if carried by a levitation spell. Avalanche Software has borrowed a popular body of work, but made sure to breathe its own soul into it.
Returnal is a test of the human capacity to adapt and persevere, fuelled by a relentless stream of Lovecraftian horror. Mixing roguelike mechanics with the wonders of exploration, every biome on planet Atropos offers fresh challenges through randomised gameplay design, plus satisfying gunplay. The cryptic storytelling might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it never failed to keep my attention, making Selene an intriguing protagonist. There were a few performance dips here and there, but that's to be expected with the particle effects that flood the screen. Returnal is (and was) truly an underrated gem, and I hope this PC release gets more eyes on it.
When the excellent parkour and spirited combat mechanics work together as intended, they raise the game above its mundane peripherals. But, more often than not, Forspoken is bogged down by its by-the-numbers open-world design, its predictable story, and just a broader lack of imagination. By the end of its near-20-hour campaign, Forspoken hangs firmly in limbo, somewhere between fresh and stale.
With Dead Space, EA Motive has succeeded in mimicking the horrors of the original from 14 years ago, spicing things up with stellar detailing, satisfying gunplay, and tension-building that never strays from the original. Fresh narrative choices give Isaac Clarke some needed character depth, whilst creating opportunities for rewarding exploration through new side quests. This is a remake done right, playing to modern tropes without shying away from depicting gore and using crude language — something that will appeal to both veterans and newcomers to the franchise.
On the flip side, NFS Unbound fails to take advantage of its open-world setting in multiplayer. The absence of police online particularly hurts. The way music works in the game is also infuriating. All these shortcomings bring Unbound a few pegs down, in what is otherwise a solid entry in the NFS franchise. If you're on PC, I suggest you opt for the EA Play Pro subscription, complete the Story mode (and skip its abysmal multiplayer), and unsubscribe.
I would suggest waiting for a sale — but please, do not bail on this one.
As I have said earlier, I am looking forward to sinking hours into the multiplayer of Modern Warfare 2 despite its nagging issues. Yet I can't recommend it to casual gamers largely owing to its price. Activision is also notorious for never putting Call of Duty games on discounted sales. So, only go for this game if you are the type of player who craves the challenge of online gaming. Despite ending on a strong note, the campaign is not enough to justify paying its premium cost.
God of War is back after four-and-a-half years — and it’s great.
WB Games Montréal clearly bit off more than it could chew here, resulting in a bloated mess that fails on a technical level. Running on Unreal Engine 4, Gotham Knights on PC can look visually appealing at times, but constant frame drops and high-end PC requirements essentially doom it. At the end of the day, the game itself is tedious to play, and because of that, it's hard to see players waiting around for months for the performance issues to be resolved.
Drawing from the refined toolkit that powered Batman: Arkham and Marvel's Spider-Man, WB Games Montréal has produced a cookie-cutter superhero experience that's not looking to push any boundaries.