Expansive's Reviews
It certainly is a far better performing game now than it was on PS4 / XO a few years back, and the extra content more that makes this a must-play package. True, the next-gen launch lineup is competitive, and there’s lots of choice, no matter what genre you’re into, but if you’ve yet to experience this world and you’re looking for a good sci-fi story to sink your teeth into, you’ll have a fantastic time with Observer: System Redux.
Connected is a real triumph, then. Even a year and a bit on, I can still find myself diving into this game, losing myself for hours at a time. The difference is this no longer has to remain a personal voyage of discovery. It’s now one I can embark on with friends and strangers from all over the world, while still feeling just as in sync with its message. This deserves to keep finding new audiences, it needs to be played by everyone, and in the back of my mind, part of me hopes the greatest players of the game use it to go head to head on the biggest stages. It’s nothing less than this magical game deserves.
Bugsnax is just an absolute delight on PlayStation 5. It runs smoothly, is very entertaining to play, and is one of the best examples of a third-party game making use of the DualSense – along with DiRT 5 but that’s another story. Whether you have a PS+ subscription or not, you simply must play Bugsnax to see how it makes use of Sony’s wonderful new controller and make space on your hard drive for a truly delightful adventure
The Falconeer is a remarkable achievement in more ways than one, and, rightfully, should be celebrated for what it does accomplish rather than what it doesn’t.
Between the campaign, the online, and the Gymkhana, you’ll have more than enough to keep you occupied and keep you coming back for more and more. And if DiRT 5 is any indication whatsoever, I truly believe it’s the racing genre that will benefit most of all from this gen. if this how things look and play from day one, I cannot wait to see how this hardware is used a few years from now. Simply stunning!
We’d strongly advise against playing XIII on current-gen hardware in its current state, at least. Next-gen, the game is considerably better but there’s a lot that’s still not quite up to scratch. We’d certainly advise waiting on this until at least the first update is live, but what we will say for sure is there’s other inherent problems here that go beyond re-balances and tweaks.
It’s About Time is my favourite platformer of 2020 and it’s not even close. Mario, I do love you dearly, but Crash 4’s take on merging something old with something new is clearly all I want from the genre right now. Toys for Bob understand this franchise better than we ever could have hoped and it shows.
Whether Deluxe edition does quite enough to tempt back previous players, with no visual upgrades to speak of and how good those side stories actually are, is another matter entirely. If nothing else, it’s a fantastic excuse to play a great game, but when you look at how much effort seems to be going into the Super Mario 3D World Switch port next year, you do wonder if Nintendo could have perhaps offered players just a little bit more to dive back in.
There were some pretty bad frame rate drops at times when the camera pans from the crowd to the ice, and there’s definitely a sharp learning curve on doing some of the shots and a level of complexity in the way they’re controlled which will be frustrating at first, but NHL 21 is the best Ice Hockey game I’ve played to date and it’s one sports franchise I’ll certainly be dipping in and out of in the months ahead.
Doodle God: Evolution has a decent chunk of content with some satisfaction to be had in making some unorthodox combinations. Who doesn’t want to create a dinosaur out of thin air? Or maybe that wouldn’t be such a good idea…
The Red Lantern is a beautiful game, but it’s also a deeply affecting one. It has the power to warm your heart and crush it in equal measure, all while filling you with a sense of wonder as you explore its rich and stunningly realised world. This one has crept into my Top 10 games this year and for good reason. It’s incredibly special indeed.
Amnesia Rebirth is the most ambitious game in the series. It also has the biggest production values, with some legitimate shocks and horror, and a well-engineered story, all told. While it may be far from perfect, it definitely shows how open-ended the Amnesia series has become and how flexible they can be with a license that seemed certain to be confined to spooky churches. While it didn’t quite grab me the same way SOMA did, it’s easily the best Amnesia game to date, and one of the better horrors I’ve seen this year.
I’ve really been enjoying spending time in London and I really hope Watch Dogs finds the success it deserves from here on out. The concept piloted here needs to be allowed time to blossom and grow as much as it possibly can throughout this generation. While Watch Dogs 2 is still the series high, Legion feels like something of a renaissance for the series – similar to how Origins changed the fortunes of Assassin’s Creed. It’s not perfect – and at times does still feel a little bit bland with more limited mission variety – but there’s some really smart and clever ideas here that could pave the way for some truly special games in the years to come.
If you’re looking to take a chance on a good adventure indie, with an entertaining story, Jenny LeClue offers a generously sized campaign full of twists and turns and clever gameplay hooks that you’ll really struggle to put down. I just hope this isn’t the last we see of this intrepid investigator. Fortunately, if the end of the game is anything to go by, it certainly seems like I’ll get my wish.
The Survivalists is fun, if not a little limited in its current state. Fortunately, there’s lots more coming down the tracks with the game’s extensive content roadmap which will surely flesh out the experience even more and make it interesting for months to come.
Completionists will relish all Isle of Armor has to offer, with so many new Mon to add to your dex and lots to explore, as well as some new and unique powerups that further alter the way you play, it makes for an essential purchase. If you’re coming into this for story, though, you’re probably going to be pretty disappointed as it’s over before it even gets going and you’ll feel like Game Freak could have done a lot more with it.
Ghostrunner is both hard and easy to love. It has a wonderful sense of style and there’s an interesting world that’s been built up here, but it definitely puts you through the wringer to get some free-flowing action and to appreciate everything that’s been cultivated. While it won’t be for everyone, there’s a fairly solid game to find under the blemishes and when you connect with it, you’re guaranteed one hell of a ride.
FIFA, to no one’s surprise, remains the kingpin of sports and FIFA 21 is the best this generation has seen. Providing you’re not playing on Switch, of course.
Being a newcomer to the series, I like what I’ve seen here, but hope that Milestone can be a little more forgiving next time around and make the game a little easier to fall in love with. I wanted to fall head over heels for RIDE 4, but instead I had to be content with settling for a middle ground.
There’s plenty of fun to be had here, though – as well as stress and sadness – so if you’re looking for a different kind of outer space adventure from your Star Wars: Squadrons and Hardspace: Shipbreakers, you’ve come to the right place. Everything you loved about Bomber Crew is still here, and a little bit more besides.