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Despite some initial skepticism that they could pull it off, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is everything I want a Guardians of the Galaxy game to be.
Poirot's latest outing is a better proposition than The A.B.C. Murders a few years ago, but it's not quite perfect. With no puzzles to solve, evidence that's easy to locate, and mind maps where guidance is closely at hand, there's very little challenge for adventure genre aficionados. The story is entertaining, Poirot is represented very well, and what gameplay exists has been created competently, but it sometimes feels more like a visual novel than it does a genuine adventure mystery game.
While The Good Life has its charms, most of the gameplay just feels really sluggish. Many of the story quests will have you making your way to a point on the map to watch a cutscene, you'll then have to make your way somewhere else to watch the next one, and so on until the quest ends. The side quests also end up feeling repetitive and while it can be pretty relaxing to go through all the quests and slowly tick them off, for many players this will get tiresome pretty quickly.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is an impressive addition to the series that not only looks stunning on next gen, but also plays out in multiple player controlled scenarios, than can vary from triumphant, to downright heart breaking. It's a dark journey through horror and blood, with only you (and maybe a friend in co-op) to determine who makes it out the other side.
The Crysis Remastered Trilogy is a great blast from the past. Fans of the series will have a great time replaying these classics, or maybe introducing younger gamers to one of the late aught's can't-miss franchises. It's a shame Saber Interactive didn't have more fun with additional modern features, but this still represents great value. At a launch price of $49.99 USD for all three games, this is a no-brainer for Crysis fans, as well as gamers looking for a lot of first-person shooting action without breaking the bank.
WRC 10 is a safe entry, celebrating the long, rich history of the World Rally Championship, while taking care to not break anything that was already working well. If you missed out on WRC 9, you may be content with picking that up for a bargain (assuming you have a disc-based console). If you want the latest and most up-to-date rally racing simulator, though, then WRC 10 is more than competent at providing a ton of fun for rally fans everywhere.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a great Smash clone that painfully underutilizes its Nickelodeon license, to its own detriment. Lacking some of Nick's biggest characters, franchises, and environments, absolutely no voice lines whatsoever, and all wrapped up in a rather unimpressive package, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a good concept, and one of the best Smash-alikes to come along in the last 20 years. But it really needs a stronger presentation and more thorough use of its namesake license to earn a better foothold as a mainstay character brawler.
Up until that bizarre glitch, enjoying Alan Wake Remastered was like the best kind of deja vu. Muscle memory steered me toward the hidden caches, triggered reminders to backtrack just a little here and there or look around that corner for collectibles. Alan's somewhat stiff voice, the ancient rockers, Barry-all of these things, campy as they were, welcomed me home. Those cold waters of Cauldron Lake sure are impossible to escape.
Aragami 2 had potential to be a great follow up to an indie classic released five years ago. Unfortunately it lacks any real challenge and feels bloated with repetitive mission types and locations. The game starts to overstay its welcome after a while, but there's definitely fun to be had before reaching that stage if you can put up with the plenty of bugs that still need to be fixed.
While it may not wholly evolve the franchise in a radically new way, Far Cry 6 smooths out many of the wrinkles and growing pains previous Far Cry games have had, while building on a foundation that's largely worked for the series since 2012's Far Cry 3. Far Cry 6 strikes a great tonal balance, a variety of activities and exploration that never get dull, another imposing villain whose presence can be felt throughout, and a brilliant main character. Yara is a fun playground because it's Dani's playground, and that's a crucial part of the equation, part of the meaningful growth the latest entry brings to the Far Cry franchise. ¡Viva la Revolución!
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a lot of fun for fans of the BattleTech franchise. It may not be the flashiest game around, and its story can be very campy at times. But this is pretty much your best bet for playing a 'Mech game on a PlayStation console. If you have (online) friends, co-op will likely provide some extra thrills, and the generous DLC support is great to see. It may be a bit rough around the edges, but MechWarrior 5 is more than welcome on PlayStation after all this time.
The overall story is fine but lacks that punch to push it over the top. If it were a movie it would sit comfortably with in the B movie section next to Pooka! and The Babadook-which is damn good company, if you ask me. Depending on just how long it takes you to solve the various puzzles, In Sound Mind takes an average of 12-ish hours from start to finish. Not too shabby if you are looking for a game to run over a single weekend. Could be just the thing you want this Halloween.
For as much as FIFA 22 has done right with enhancements to the the on-field product, they seem perfectly content to not offer up new ways to engage with the sport. While HyperMotion helps bridge the realism gap that's been present for a bit, it isn't quite substantial enough to warrant calling it game-changing. This may be a positive step in the right direction for the franchise, but it's still quite a ways from genuinely raising the bar.
A Juggler's Tale is enjoyable for what it is, but it doesn't quite reach the particularly memorable nature of similar indie games it so obviously takes inspiration from. There's a great introspective narrative with some brilliant themes regarding personal freedoms and cutting the strings of toxic relationships throughout, but a short runtime and occasionally obtuse puzzles and mechanics leave it feeling a bit more tangled up than it should by the end.
Editor's Note: To support the developers and employees at Activision Blizzard pushing for change, we are covering the games that they are working hard on making. However, we need to acknowledge that employees seek a shift in the company's culture, even as they are still passionately developing games. We will continue to report on the issues at Activision Blizzard as the employees seek to reform the culture and make it a safer, equal, and more inclusive workplace, even as we highlight the games those same workers are creating.Diablo II: Resurrected is Diablo II in everything that matters. Its strict adherence to the tone, themes, and even gameplay of the original makes this an incredible time capsule, revisiting a classic restored, yet not iterated on. It's the best of both worlds; a game that looks and plays wonderfully in 2021, but embodies the dark experience that was first brought to the world more than 20 years ago. They just don't make games like this anymore.
Despite some balancing issues and some issues with how cars are obtained, Hot Wheels Unleashed is still a ton of fun thanks to its breakneck-speed racing, a detailed track editor that would make your inner child jealous, awesome collectible cars, and packed single-player content. Add in the nostalgia for playing with Hot Wheels cars and tracks as a kid, and you might find it to be one of 2021's hidden gems.
Every new line of code written enhances the original experience, bringing new ways for existing players to enjoy Death Stranding again. Whether you're here for exploring the factory and playing with the new toys like I am or want to challenge friends for top spot on the racing and firing range leaderboards, odds are there is a reason for you to come back. Reworked missions will aid new players into the world more smoothly than the original release, too. I definitely felt as though the difficulty spike wasn't nearly as harsh thanks to this. Keep in mind that while the Director's Cut expands and adds delicate touches here and there, this is still a game that requires patience and time for the best results.
Murder Mystery Machine could be a great distraction from the usual adventure games. Its emphasis on deductions rather than evidence gathering turns it more into a puzzle game than an adventure game, and it genuinely makes you feel like you're working things out for yourself. The problem is it's held back by several design issues that didn't translate well from mobile platforms to console and these can dilute the fun.
It's pretty amazing to think that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is Ember Lab's very first game. With absolutely stunning visuals and impactful music this is sure to leave an impression on people. Gameplay-wise it doesn't do anything particularly new or innovative but that doesn't stop it from being loads of fun. This is a small adventure with enough challenge and heart to keep you entertained for the full 10–15 hours that it'll take for you to reach its conclusion.
Lost Judgment is a subtle improvement on the original, and continues the fun of seeing the seedy sides of Kamurocho and Ijincho while staying mostly on the good side of the law. A new combat style combined with a few more tricks up Yagami-san's sleeves provide more entertaining ways to dispatch or get the upper hand on enemies, and of course the usual slate of minigames offer a much-needed respite from the main campaign's twisted story. It may tread a lot of the same ground as the previous game, but that is absolutely a good thing.