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Without having played the original RUNE II at launch last year, I lack the understanding of the state that game was in. RUNE II: Decapitation Edition appears to be an improvement in just about every aspect. This game suffers from standard open-world problems like repetitive quest design, uneven visuals, and stiff dialogue; some of these things I suspect can’t be helped or fixed. For what issues remain, they don’t detract from the fact that I’m constantly booting up RUNE II: Decapitation Edition to begin the next quest. It can be a bit mindless, but it’s not aimless. I think it’s safe to say that RUNE II: Decapitation Edition has been saved from its own destruction by some passionate developers, and it delivers an enjoyable open-world RPG that has some rough edges, and should be given another chance at life.
Colorado is a tourist attraction for a reason, there’s so much to do here. And SCS Software has made Colorado, the DLC the same. If you rarely spend your time in free mode, this is the DLC that’ll change that. There’s lots of places that American Truck Simulator – Colorado doesn’t go, but what’s here is important for the trucking industry. This DLC captures the essence of Colorado beautifully, and is not disappointing. American Truck Simulator‘s Colorado is an essential purchase.
Bugsnax may not be the next big thing in creature collection, but it does a great job of bringing something new to the genre and demonstrates a lot of untapped potential therein. More importantly, it instills you with a sense of adventure in a strange new place to explore where any and all of your expectations are subject to defiance at a moment’s notice. The bugsnax themselves are consistently cute punctuation throughout your journey, but the journey of uncovering the mysteries of Snaktooth Island is far and away the real purpose of this game. Bugsnax will surprise you, it will delight you, and it will absolutely, positively burrow its way into your subconscious once you’ve dug in.
In all honesty, XIII from 2003 wasn’t that great of a game to begin with. PlayMagic clearly wanted to modernize and improve what that game did, while keeping the integrity of the game in-tact. But for some reason or another, just couldn’t come through on that. The game’s best feature is its cel-shaded graphical fidelity, being a remake that looks better than it plays. If you manage to pick this up, though I’d recommend you wait for patches and updates, you’ll either appreciate what’s been done or be convinced to pick up XIII – Classic instead.
Criterion and Stellar Entertainment did an impressive job with this one; I’m still having a hell of a good time drifting turns and chasing perps. It’s a testament to how well made the original game was that it can be re-released 10 years later with some small graphical tweaks and still knock my socks off.
Performance issues and bugs plague what would otherwise be a tremendous game on PC. This is a beautiful game, worts and all, presenting a complex use of particle effects, ultra high textures, and active scenery to tantalize. DIRT 5 is a combination of many styles and disciplines in all things off-road, offering something for everyone. It’s an incredibly social game, too, begging to be played with friends near or far. This is very easily the best parts of DiRT 2 and DiRT 3, which adds up to DIRT 5 — that’s just math. Codemasters puts fun first, an intrinsic element of all racers, with DIRT 5 excelling at that amid its accessible gameplay and gorgeous graphics.
There’s so much to like about Pumpkin Jack. What issues I do have are minor, and don’t impact the overall enjoyment. It’s a game that’s easy on the eyes, has satisfying combat, and rewarding puzzles. Pumpkin Jack will have kids and adults both wanting to play it, and having a blast working towards 100% completion. The soundtrack features a theramin and other spooky instruments that easily set the mood. Pumpkin Jack is a real Halloween treat.
The Solitaire Conspiracy almost shouldn’t work, but it’s an example of that rare bit of alchemy that manages to fuse together two things that have no business occupying the same space into a shiny, exciting new thing that’s a joy to behold. You could certainly break down the game into its distinctive components, but there is a throughline that runs through all of it that doesn’t just tie those elements together, but makes them feel like they belong in this place with one another. It’s not necessarily a revolution in gaming, but the story is cheeky and fun, and the Solitaire itself is fun enough that you’ll want to keep it installed to continue playing well after the credits roll.
WHAT THE GOLF? is both a delight and a consistently entertaining game as you work to solve its puzzles. It’s never frustrating, never overstaying its welcome, and always making you laugh. It’s full of fresh ideas with every hole, and the new modes make a great game even better. If you’ve been holding off on this, now’s the perfect time to jump in, and there’s multiple ways to get it now. WHAT THE GOLF? reminds you why you love gaming.
The future of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is brimming with possibilities in its scenario editor, mod support, and upcoming updates thanks to Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires. This is a game that stands tall next to Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. The trilogy is now complete, containing hundreds of hours for new and old players to enjoy, with the original trilogy ending on a high note in this release. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition re-establishes its rightful place in the series, completing the remastered trilogy of RTS excellence.
As with each title before it, Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! gave me that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of a hard day's work in just a few minutes. For as frantic as things can get on screen, it still feels relaxing to me, being able to keep my mind focused on the task at hand. Who knew that cooking in a fake apocalypse is a good distraction from the real one?
I think that Star Renegades gets a whole lot of things right, and it plays in an interesting space in the way it tries to cherry pick ideas from a lot of other successful games. Most of these mechanics are designed in a way so that they feed well into one another, and despite its complexity, combat still feels really good once you get into the groove with it. I’d be interested to see a version of Star Renegades with some of the excess fat trimmed down, if that were possible. Just a little more streamlining or editorializing of the mechanics could really benefit the game, because for me it’s something I’ll usually only play one or two runs at a time, and I think it could potentially benefit from a faster overall cadence. Still, it does an impressive job of juggling a lot of ideas at once and mostly keeping all of them up in the air. It’s not my favorite rogue like or RPG of the year, but it’s definitely unique and fun enough that it warrants some of your time.
While WWE 2K21 was canceled for this year, I found WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS to be a solid replacement. While they are not facsimiles to one another, it fills the gap nicely. I think there’s valid concerns with the microtransactions, but for the most part isn’t egregious or tacky. The game’s biggest modes are chock full of content for hours of entertainment, and even the remainder of the modes are fun to play with its stylized visuals. The longevity will lie in its multiplayer modes, and crossplay deepens the player pool. WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS is an ultracompetent brawler that doesn’t try to be more than it is, which is a really entertaining take on wrestling.
If you haven’t tried the Serious Sam games, now’s the time. This entry truly starts at the beginning, serving as a great jumping off point for anyone to get acquainted. It’s a return of the classic run’n’gun first-person shooter with some damn funny punchlines, and Croteam gives it new life with a story and improvements all around. Serious Sam 4 is resplendent, with astronomical hordes of enemies to dispatch by devastating and varied weaponry – this is Croteam’s best shooter yet.
Crysis was a technical marvel thirteen years ago, and in some respects still is. It was the game to beat in terms of graphics and benchmarks for so many years. Crysis Remastered tries to insert itself into that conversation again, but it’s just not there yet. It’s clear that Crytek and Saber Interactive have made some mistakes here, with removing features deemed essential to the experience, cutting a level inexplicably, and making visual changes that affect the mood. It’s not a mediocre remaster, just disappointing and hamstrung in places you wouldn’t expect. Crysis Remastered is still a solid science-fiction shooter sandbox, lacking things that are supposed to be the barometer of PC gaming excellence in favor for what seems to be console compromises.
I want more from Level 91 Entertainment, and soon. In the meantime, there’s so much more work for me to do to improve my times, beat that Grand Prix that’s been eating away at me, and complete 100% of each character’s story. This is a game with heart, soul, and fantastic controls. It’s not kind to you in its first few hours, and can put many off from it, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. It’s incredibly gorgeous to look at, but it won’t let you squeak by without working hard for your wins. Inertial Drift is revolutionary with its twin-stick drifting, full-stop.
When you figure out what your style of play and preferred level of challenge is, art of rally is a beautiful marriage of sim and arcade. This is a game that continually showcases its name through its visuals and easy-to-grasp controls. It’s simple, yet elegant. It’s complex, but intuitive. It’s satisfying, and rewarding. art of rally is transcendent.
All of that said, I think Spellbreak is a truly unique take on the Battle Royale genre which brings enough ideas to the table that it feels like a fresh multiplayer experience, even within the familiarity and comfort of the larger mechanical systems at play. It may not spark a revolution in multiplayer gaming, but it’ll give you something new to be excited about in an otherwise crowded landscape of all-too-similar shooters.
Is a dungeon still a dungeon if the majority of the levels are above ground? Well, the game doesn’t seem to need or want to answer this. When The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos isn’t crashing or displaying incorrect text, it’s actually a challenging game that provides some well-earned laughs. The combat can be lengthy, and even sometimes frustrating, but very rewarding when you scrape by with a victory. When you divorce the conflicting ideas being humorous and a hardcore tactical RPG, while ignoring the graphical faults, there is an enjoyable game in The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos. You just have to dig a bit deeper to find it.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is back in a tremendous way. Where every move, every level, every detail matches or exceeds the first two games, and doesn’t miss a step in its recreation. Movement in the game feels just right as the memories come flooding in. It’s so fresh and exciting thanks to the challenge system, as well as numerous other improvements and enhancements. Vicarious Visions have redefined what it is to be a remake, and have done so spectacularly. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is The Second Coming of Christ Air.