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Red Dead Redemption 2 is a triumph in world-building, character craft and downright skulduggery. Being bad has never felt so good as Rockstar toe the realism line while still keeping their sharp, trademark tongue in cheek. It's the keen attention to detail where Rockstar succeeds and this outlaw prequel comfortably outperforms their best works and in time, I believe, will be regarded as a once in a generation game.
With robust single-player offerings, as well as a fast paced and dynamic fighting system, Soulcalibur VI represents the best the series has been for a long time. It has a great and diverse roster of characters, and Geralt fits right into the world too. It's just a little bit of a shame that it's missing a few things from previous games. Despite this, Soulcalibur VI is easily the best Soulcalibur game and one of the best 3D fighters you can play right now.
Gone are the days where Call Of Duty sets the trends, but Black Ops 4 does a great job of keeping up. Choosing which mode to play first every time I launch the game is a struggle, with each being unique and impressive in their own way. Black Ops 4's individual components may not be groundbreaking, but as a package, it's one of the most refined Call Of Duty games. Black Ops 4 is a complete and polished package with Treyarch's deft touch of quality.
Starlink: Battle For Atlas is a fun game that adults and children alike will enjoy. The planets are beautiful and the amount of customisations that can be made in the game is impressive. Ultimately, the missions get a little bit repetitive and the Nintendo Switch version leaves a little bit to be desired in the visuals department, but as far as Star Fox goes, this is better than most Star Fox games in recent times.
The World Ends With You Final Remix is fantastic. A unique ARPG packed with a brilliant story, fun gameplay, and a fascinating premise, everything about it screams instant classic. Don't sit out on this one, especially if you can get around the initially jarring control options.
Super Mario Party has successfully stripped back a lot of the bloat to return it back to the simple, fun and classic game that it was intended to be. At the same time, the game cleverly uses a number of key Nintendo Switch features making it a game that almost anybody could enjoy. Unfortunately, the weirdly implemented online and lack of boards are only thing stopping it from joining the most top tier of Switch titles.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey successfully builds upon the already strong foundation that Origins set to provide yet another Assassin's Creed experience that still feels fresh and, more importantly, fun to explore and dive into. Even better, it does all this without the typical bloat you'd expect, although Conquest Battles do feel like a missed opportunity. Despite this minor letdown, Odyssey eclipses Origins in practically every way, and is easily the best Assassin's Creed yet.
Forza Horizon 4 offers racing fans endless, ever-changing amounts of fun. Few racing games are as dense with a seemingly infinite amount to do and collect. It's immensely liberating too, allowing you to play through it however you like. The open-world might have been better populated with environmental features and I wish the menus had been a little faster and easier to navigate, but it's a small price to pay for a game with so much under the hood.
Despite all this, Valkyria Chronicles offers something better than the standard fare in the tactical RPG space. Where it lacks in the storytelling department and capturing the emotion of the narrative, it makes up for in the depth of gameplay that it offers; it is sure to keep tactical RPG fans happy. The game is only let down by the lengthy discussion scenes and slightly frustrating chance-based combat – a small price to pay for a deep gaming experience. Additionally, the game feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch; definitely something to consider while you wait for the next Fire Emblem.
FIFA 19 is really solid overall with what feels like more changes than we've seen in the last few years combined. Ultimately, when you're making this many fundamental changes to a soccer game, you're going to have certain aspects that lack a little bit of polish, but it'll be interesting to see how EA continues to balance and improve the game over time. I also wonder at this point whether the next few years will be spent polishing this fresh feeling experience or if EA will continue to mix up the tested formula.
Transference is an ambitious experience that feels a little bit late to the party. It has an interesting premise and an atmospheric, well realised world brought to life with gusto, especially if playing in virtual reality. But despite all of this, it never truly transcends the slew of similar games that came before it and is over much too quickly.
Were it not for a lack of polish, Shadow of the Tomb Raider would stand right alongside the other action-adventure giants in truly defining the genre. It has a lot of heart, all of the pulsating set pieces that series has become known for and a primal Lara Croft at the height of her powers. As it stands, Shadow is still one of the best conclusions to a trilogy I've come across as it respects what it has always done best rather than muddy the waters with needless gimmicks.
Guacamelee! 2 is a fantastic, almost flawlessly designed and well-paced action platformer, complete with charm, humour and heart. It builds upon the first game brilliantly, making Juan's latest adventure just as thrilling and hilarious as I'd have hoped.
It's hard to fault Marvel's Spider-Man as Insomniac has taken their game to the next level. As a developer, they have gone from strength to strength and Spider-Man is a culmination of their past hits. There's a stunning verticality that compliments the game's watertight mechanics and, despite the literal boundaries, still makes the city seem boundless. If you're a Marvel die-hard, there's enough fanfare here to sink a ship as Spider-Man emerges as the new gold standard. Spider-Man is, without question, the best superhero game ever.
Mixing the best parts of Left 4 Dead and adventure epics like Indiana Jones and Uncharted, Strange Brigade is better than it has any right to be. Enjoyable solo or with mates, the puzzles and the open level design gives the game replayability, but the pacing and the derivative art direction stop it from being immensely compelling.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate builds upon the already comprehensive celebration of the Monster Hunter franchise that was established in the original Generations. There is heaps to do here regardless of whether you've played before, and the sheer volume of content on offer here is staggering. Yes, it's slightly less easy to pick up and play than Monster Hunter World, but what Generations Ultimate lacks in polish and pizazz it makes up for with unbridled depth and longevity.
After being revealed to a reasonable amount of fanfare, it's fair to say that We Happy Few is one of the year's biggest disappointments. Though there's a lot of the BioShock fingerprint evident here, this lineage isn't ever lived up to. The story, characters and the character of the world itself are positively to die for and exist as the game's few triumphs. It's a beautiful disaster of a game and was perhaps too ambitious for a developer so green as bugs, frustrating A.I. and a slipshod procedural generation robs We Happy Few of any chance it had to be great.
Overcooked 2's simplistic control scheme and basic premise means that anybody in your circle of friends can pick up and enjoy the fast-paced action the franchise has come to be known for. An improvement in every aspect, Overcooked 2's addition of ever changing kitchen experiences as well as online multiplayer options cements itself as one of the best multiplayer (especially co-op) experiences you can buy right now. Delicious.
I have no idea what it would be like to explore an alien planet with a toxic atmosphere in real life, but No Man's Sky sells itself with a sense of authenticity that I really have no choice but to believe that this is what it would feel like to take one small step for man.
Three Fields continues to slowly inch their way towards the Burnout successor everyone is clamouring for. At the end of the day, Danger Zone 2 is much too light on content to recommend despite scratching the itch to a certain degree.