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WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a budget brawler with a high price tag. Despite the core gameplay being quite solid, a lot of the content is locked behind microtransactions and grinding away at matches. These things stop it from rising to Superstar status.
Serious Sam is a series that has long alluded me and I'm starting to think it might have been for the better. Although this fourth iteration might feature some staggering, titanic battles and silk-smooth gunplay, its existence feels like a clear reminder that it's often best to let the past stay dead. Serious Sam 4 is an excavation from a long-outdated era that is more Duke Nukem Forever than it is Doom.
Hangar 13's remake of Mafia is great. The story is as interesting as ever, and only minor technical issues take away from what is otherwise a welcome reintroduction to Tommy Angelo and the Salieri crew.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is another must-own game for Nintendo Switch. It brings together three games from three different generations and shows just how timeless the Mario franchise is. At the same time, it is a shame that Nintendo didn't celebrate the iconic franchise a little more throughout the presentation of the package.
A great campaign and excellent gameplay can't keep Marvel's Avengers from feeling like lost potential. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix seem to have big plans for the game, but right now the multiplayer-focused Avengers Initiative mode feels nothing more than a monotonous, boring old grind.
At the end of the day, Peril on Gorgon is more The Outer Worlds. Whether that's for better or for worse will largely depend on how much you're itching to re-enter the Halcyon Colony and how satisfied you are with the game as it is. Obsidian have doubled down on delivering best-in-class RPG design backed by fantastic writing and quest structure and a solid gameplay loop, even if it gets there without much of an attempt to break the mould. Hopefully the next expansion throws caution to the wind a little more, but if you're dying to jump back in I can absolutely recommend nipping off to Gorgon for a weekend.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a one-way ticket to the turn of the millennium. It's a complete, beautiful love letter to not only Tony Hawk himself as an icon but to a time when both the series and the sport of skateboarding itself were most pure and fun. As a bundle, and with the multiplayer providing even more longevity, this game offers unrivalled value.
Windbound is a beautiful artistic accomplishment in terms of presentation, but fails to make good on its promise of bringing together an open-world single-player game and typical crafting-survival elements. Despite attempts to make it approachable for all, it is an ultimately frustrating affair that squanders its potential with the same rigid survival mechanics that we've seen in a lot of other games and that's a real shame.
Tell Me Why is a Dontnod game throughout its every part, right down to its bones. Although those bones might be bare, it has a lot of soul. With care, Dontnod dive into discomfort and drag us with them throughout three concise episodes that explore the power that comes coupled with familial ties, both bound by blood and by the metaphysical, as well as memory and all of its heartbreaking deceptions.
No Straight Roads has a laundry list of inspirations and it proudly pays homage to them all in one way or another throughout the journey. Though a few of the game's ideas end up feeling underdeveloped, the game has a lot of heart, a slapping soundtrack and the best boss encounters you'll see in a videogame this year. Just like Bunk Bed Junction in Vinyl City, I expect Metronomik to chart well within the indie scene.
Project Cars 3 is bustling with things to do. It's as accessible as the series has ever been, and while marred by some inconsistencies in its presentation, is for the most part a joy to play.
Battletoads is a victory for Microsoft, Dlala Studios and Rare. It successfully takes a brand that's been dormant for over two decades, breathing new life into it and updating it for the modern generation ardently. While it's a huge shame that Battletoads isn't playable online, and makes some missteps in it's third act, it's hard to deny that this is the most charming rendition of our favourite videogame amphibians. But most of all it's funny, and that's refreshing.
Even with its budget price, it's somewhat difficult to recommend Mastermind given its brevity and few technical issues. I expect Peaky Blinders fans will most enjoy Mastermind as a gritty snapshot at pre-series Birmingham that expands on their favourite television family. I'd even go so far as to give it a cautious thumbs up for those who enjoy working up a mental sweat.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game that you have to play to understand just how incredible of an experience it is. It's an incomparable adventure that consistently surprises and delights. The game provides you with all the tools necessary to conquer the unthinkable task of flying the plane. Asobo has laid an incredible platform that will provide hours upon hours of joy for both casual gamers and flight experts alike, and it's only upwards from here.
Fall Guys is not only a charming, whimsical take on one of television's biggest spectator events, it's on my shortlist of the year's very best games. I don't think the Mediatonic team could have ever dreamed just how big of a success their one-page pitch inspired by It's A Knockout would amount to. It's insanely addictive with the rapid turnaround episode-to-episode making it easier than ever to keep telling one of gaming's biggest lies: "Alright, just one more."
Horizon Zero Dawn was the most beautiful looking console game when it released in 2017, and it's even more stunning on PC. If you've waited to play it, then you're in for an absolute treat, and if you played it on PS4, but have a capable PC, then I'd definitely recommend you play through it again before the sequel hits.
Skater XL is definitely going to be a polarising game for some – the intuitive and deep control methods coupled with the expansive open-world environment make for a great time to just chill out and skate around, but some players may miss the ‘action’ of the game or feeling a necessity to reach a goal. While challenges will keep you going to better yourself, some may be turned off by the limited game modes and replayability. All in all, Easy Day Studios have crafted a truly interesting skateboarding experience that gives players the ability to skate without leaving their home.
As the first showing for Polygon Treehouse, Röki is an incredible first impression. While it doesn’t innovate much within the genre itself, it excels in the areas that matter, and it absolutely delivers the kind of experience you would be looking for from an adventure game.
Destroy All Humans! makes an earnest effort to improve on every aspect of the original, but it’s hard to avoid the issues stemming from the era in which it came from. Despite it’s numerous improvements, Destroy All Humans is still plagued with banal repetition and tedium especially as the adventure draws to an end.
Devolver’s seal of approval is more than ever evidence of a classic as Carrion’s credentials as an incredible Metroidvania title as well as an inverse horror experience will never be in question.