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This is the 15th anniversary of the original Destroy All Humans! release, and the remake is wonderfully timed and priced for a comeback. Black Forest Games remained faithful to that release, and modernized it in all the right ways to make it even more enjoyable. It’s a much better and richer game experience because of it, and I really hope this paves the way for a Destroy All Humans! 2 remake. Crypto-137 and Destroy All Humans! is the perfect way to beat the heat this summer.
Ultimately, Munch’s Oddysee as a game hasn’t aged particularly well. It shows very plainly that it was made in a transitional era, when 3D adventure games were still coming into their own and finding ways to create purpose for themselves. The charm of the Oddworld franchise is here of course, and performance of the game is excellent. As far as ports go, this is about as solid as you could ask for, but all of the improved performance mostly serves to center the shortcomings and frustrating mechanics of this awkward duck. For longtime fans of the Oddworld series, this is a fine way to revisit Munch’s Oddysee, but I don’t know that there’s much joy to be had here for anybody who isn’t a staunch fan, an avid collector, or a dedicated archivist.
F1 2020 is the most accessible Formula One game to-date. And the MyTeam is hands-down the best mode of the past few years. It allows you to forge a path all your own, and truly get invested in the things that take place as both an owner and a driver. Codemasters strips what didn't work in F1 2019, kept what did, and then built on that. The result is that while the real 2020 season of Formula One is abbreivated, F1 2020 is bigger and better than ever before.
Burnout Paradise Remastered on Switch is an incredibly well-optimized release that is clearly tailored for the hardware. It’s more than just successful, it’s outstanding, and regardless of the original game’s age, it sets the bar for the quality that we should expect from multi-platform ports making their way onto the Switch. It certainly has some rough edges in order to fit this package onto the Switch and to ensure it runs well, but still it’s wonderful to see that so much hard work has been put in to preserve the authentic Burnout Paradise experience, and being able to take this game with you literally anywhere for the first time ever is a bit of a thrill all on its own. I can’t say enough good things about this game; the original is already one of my all-time favorites, and now the remastered edition is the complete, modern day package that will allow the game to live on for another generation of players and old fans alike. Burnout Paradise Remastered is an excellent game, and the Switch release is a true gem that is indeed a little bit of paradise.
Maneater has a little bit of everything needed to make a game like this fun. A beautiful and brightly colored world, incredible shark animations, fun gameplay, and a not-so-serious comedic tone to it all. It honestly feels like a first in a genre and a way to bring back an arcade-like feel to games. Throw a score counter at the top, and I could easily see this as a cabinet you’d throw quarters into. I’ve seen the game run far better on more powerful hardware, and it’s incredible, so it’s a shame that the base PS4 suffers so much.
ELDERBORN spent five years in development to include Steam Early Access, and it doesn’t feel like enough still. It’s an unremarkable, yet interesting bite-sized Souls-like that’s worth playing, but at a discount. There’s a lot of squandered opportunity here, but the small team at Hyperstrange clearly has passion and talent. ELDERBORN wears its influences on its sleeve, and I can appreciate that.
realMyst: Masterpiece Edition on Switch is a curious to me. I think that on paper, it makes a lot of sense to bring Myst to the Switch, but the execution leaves something to be desired for me, especially when talking about a game that isn’t exactly new and doesn’t seem like it ought to be taxing from a performance perspective. It seems that the game could have benefited from some additional optimizations for the platform, and perhaps those could come in the future, though I wouldn’t hold my breath for that. That having been said, Myst itself is a great game, arguably one of the all-time greats, and none of the things that make Myst so special are changed by the issues with this particular release. It’s a great opportunity to connect with your gaming nostalgia, and if the Switch is your platform of choice, you can still get a great deal of enjoyment out of realMyst: Masterpiece Edition. It is far from a perfect port, but it is the same beloved game it always has been, and like an old friend slightly worse for the wear, you’ll still be glad for the chance to spend some time with it.
Whether you’ve played Mimimi Games’ prior game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, the earlier Desperado games, or you’re coming in fresh, you’ll find Desperados III is just an incredible experience. Every character’s ability is unique, and combining it with another’s in showdown mode for a synchronized attack is always satisfying to pull off. It’s rare you see a game utilize quicksaves as a core feature, though it works to great effect here. Mimimi Games’ touches on the real-time tactics genre for this once-dormant series are elegant and brilliant, and not to be missed. Desperados III is simply one of the best games of the year.
For a game that’s so dependent on its art style to drive home much of its personality, character interactions and the story are left to carry the weight of completing the sense of immersion, and most of the time that load is too great for them to bear on their own. The Outer Worlds on Switch just doesn’t land well without all of the aspects working together in concert. I’m not saying the game is unplayable, it just feels like the experience is severely hamstrung and it’s hard to get a proper sense of enjoyment out of it. There’s still fun to be had, but it comes in fits and starts, and it really doesn’t stand up to any of the other platforms the game is available on. If the Switch is your only gaming system, you’re really hankering for a space adventure, and you don’t mind or notice technical problems, then there may be something here for you. Otherwise, you’d do well to play elsewhere. To paraphrase the game itself, the Switch version of this game isn’t the best choice, it’s… well, you know the rest.
Ultimately, this is still the same Saints Row: The Third in terms of story and game play, though it does include 100% of the content from Saints Row: The Third: The Full Package, meaning all of the original game’s DLC is available to you from the jump. The visual upgrades the game has received are truly amazing, and are well worth making the journey back to Steelport whether you’re a long time fan or a newcomer to the series. While I did really enjoy how absolutely bonkers Saints Row IV was, Saints Row: The Third is truly the essential title in the series, and being able to experience it at this level of quality is a strange, unexpected gift. If Deep Silver is looking to set the standard for what remasters should be, they have absolutely thrown down the gauntlet in terms of what players should expect going forward.
Sneaky Bastards understands that stealth doesn’t have to be boring, and encourages creativity in Wildfire. With each upgrade or new passive meteor shard, I was drawn back to older levels to see if it was easier to complete a task I had to skip out on prior. The game has a great flow of risk and reward amid its stealth. Add in the emergent layer of manipulating your environment and the enemies around you, and you have a game teeming with unpredictability. Wildfire is chaotic and wonderful, all enacted by the spark of a flame.
It’s evident that 80’s OVERDRIVE takes inspiration from games like Outrun and Rad Racer, and thankfully does a lot new things to separate itself from what came before it. The racing feels good, and is backed by an appropriate synthwave soundtrack. However, later races have too much going on and with some randomness of collisions will force you to restart more often than you’d like. Some issues aside, 80’s OVERDRIVE is a solid racer with depth in a gorgeous and vibrant palette.
I’ve been a fan of Void Bastards since its initial release, and overall I feel the Switch port is largely successful, more so even if you’re playing in docked mode. There are some minor issues with the handheld presentation, but they’re mostly workable, and in the majority of cases shouldn’t prove too distracting from the overall experience. That said, you may find you have more trouble if you struggle with reading smaller text for any reason. Aside from that, it’s the same great game, with all the style, flair, and personality intact. It’s an excellent addition to the Switch’s growing catalog, and you’d do well to have it in your own library. I for one am happy to have a renewed excuse to start exploring the Sargasso Nebula all over again, and help a whole new crop of space prisoners work their way toward early release in some form or another.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered looks fantastic thanks to the work Beenox has put into it. The story still holds relevance, and there’s some wonderful nostalgia to go along with it now. This is a game begging to be a more complete package with additional modes, that just aren’t here. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered comes in at a scant $20, and remains one of the best single-player experiences ever.
Streets of Rage 4 is the surprise of the year. The grinding towards unlocking additional and retro character is a lowlight, the rest of the game is a highlight. The story is in-tune with prior games in the series, the artwork doesn't deviate from what you'd imagine this series looking like in 2020, and it's responsive and laser focused. Streets of Rage 4 keeps the history of the series in the rear view, yet moving forward by adding exciting and quality improvements to the series.
DOOM 64 on Switch is a great package. It’s a very fun romp through a unique 32-level campaign that many fans will not have experienced before, and it comes bundled with six bonus levels intended to fill in the backstory between DOOM 64 and 2016’s DOOM (yes, you read that correctly). The game looks gorgeous, it plays wonderfully, there’s loads of content included, and you can play it where ever you like. Plus, with a price tag of $4.99 it’s well worth the cost of entry even just as a curiosity, but I suspect that once you step inside you’ll be hooked.
Milestone has this series dialed in so well, it’s hard to fault it for things that have been removed or reduced when the racing is so solid. On one hand, managing a team feels way more robust, but the downside is that the TV broadcasting element is almost nonexistent. With what MotoGP 20 is, it charts more in a straight line than the incline that was MotoGP 18 to MotoGP 19. That said, MotoGP 20 offers a comprehensive and detailed career and a series of modes that offers something for everyone, old and new, experienced or not.
So, yes, the game is still great, and it’s still a blast to play. The presentation is phenomenal, it’s extremely well-polished, the voice acting is very good, much of the humor is still enjoyable (even if some of it is aging poorly), and it really does feel like the ultimate realization of the Saints Row fantasy. It may not be one of the all-time great releases in the history of gaming, but it’s a great deal of weird fun that subverts a lot of the expectations of the open world crime genre. The question remains to be seen as to whether Saints Row IV is the series’ final form, but if this is where things do truly leave off, it’s going out on a high note. There’s never been a better time to re-revisit Steelport.
Operencia: The Stolen Sun is full of charm, depth, and secrets that represents the best of the genre. There’s a lot of satisfaction in completing its puzzles, and overcoming enemies in combat. If you’re not a fan of backtracking or the way the saves work, you might not enjoy yourself as others in the genre. However, I think it’s an obstacle that you can easily overcome. The combat and puzzles are the majority, and the highlight. Operencia: The Stolen Sun shines bright in these dark times.
Remedy takes a step back with the odd happenings in the Bureau, and while the place is in dire straights, it doesn’t overwhelm you with that feeling because Jesse is so powerful now. Over the course of four hours, The Foundation solves its own mysteries in a satisfying way, while leaving the door open for what’s to come in Expansion 2. It also never spends too long on any one thing, and it feels like you’re repairing something over time. CONTROL – The Foundation maintains momentum from the main story without ever slowing down.