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Overall, Weird West dishes up an alluring world that you can explore to your heart’s content. Its story structure and procedurally generated travel encounters will keep players on their toes and ensure that no two playthroughs are the same. Even though there are a few glitches and the game’s camera can feel a little clunky at times, the visual style and depth of Weird West’s world more than make up for it. If you have a soft spot for comic books, interesting stories, and dynamic characters, Weird West will be a great addition to your library.
Rune Factory 5 is more of the familiar, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It makes enough small improvements that it does feel newer, but if you are looking for something leaps and bounds different from the last game, you will be disappointed. The game has a lot of charm and love put into it, but the abysmal frame rate does make it hard to recommend, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it. With some future patches addressing the game’s framerate issues and input delay, Rune Factory 5 could easily turn into a wonderful game.
FAR: Changing Tides is a stunning atmospheric adventure that makes you feel the ups and downs of sailing through a world that has been destroyed by unknown reasons. It excels at making you feel a connection to your vessel as it develops into something bigger, faster, and stronger throughout your time with it. However, opportunities for a deeper narrative and more rewarding exploration weren’t taken, so this intriguing world never felt fully realised. The tranquil atmosphere and art of FAR: Changing Tides is superb, it’s just a shame the somewhat repetitive gameplay loop wasn’t able to match those same standards.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is easily the best expansion since The Taken King. Savathûn and her story are engaging and thrilling to play, each mission putting the always stunning art and design on display. With glaive in hand, new mighty Void powers, and weapon crafting at your arsenal, Guardians will have a terrific time annihilating hordes of Hive in the campaign and raids. Unfortunately, it’s not a newbie-friendly expansion. The complicated narrative and deep history which is partly unplayable due to removed content, as well as awful UI, make it challenging for even previous players to jump back into the journey. If you’ve been playing Destiny 2 and still are, you need to play The Witch Queen.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands surprises and delights with its evolved gameplay and stunning world. There’s a confidence and charisma here that goes beyond what came before it, with spells and class abilities weaving themselves effortlessly between the cathartic gunplay. A cast of likable main characters and a storytelling technique that’s unique and smart both go a long way in creating a world that’s just fun to be a part of. Minor glitches and a rather unfortunate online matchmaking system do hurt the title, but the successes here far outweigh any inconveniences. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands stands out as a great title, even amongst the many we’ve seen already this year.
Enter Kirby and the Forgotten Lands with reasonable expectations and you’ll soon see one of the best refinements of a long-standing Nintendo formula yet. Cooperative play may waver in quality but does not diminish the wondrous experience ahead of you. On offer is plenty of platforming fun to sink your teeth into. Exploration, combat and the completionist itch that comes with a Kirby title are all present and strong here, and it also serves to be one of the longer adventures yet, with more to do than ever before. If you’re looking for the bright and joyous game to cosy up with on the couch this year, Kirby and the Forgotten Lands is without a doubt the one. Just maybe keep a suspicious eye on that beast pack.
When Ghostwire: Tokyo capitalises on its spooky surroundings by whisking you off into strange dimensions, fighting evil with powers you shoot from your hands, it’s excellent. The haunted, deserted Shibuya is a thrill to explore, and helping spirits with their final requests provides some engaging mini-adventures. Where it fumbles slightly is in the delivery of its open world, which regularly feels a bit old school as you chip away at the fog of the map, cleansing fast travel points as you go and repeating some filler tasks. Still, with a curious mystery laid out before you and a creepy atmosphere that will keep you on your toes, Ghostwire: Tokyo provides plenty of spooks and intriguing diversions around every corner that are just begging for your attention.
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is a game with the kind of visual presentation that must be revered and venerated by all, despite some weird fundamental gaps in its user-friendliness. Whilst there are absolutely some opportunities for additional polish, it’s ultimately a minor ding in what is otherwise an insanely impressive game. This is an example of the best of what indie games can bring to the table. It is beautiful, it is dumb, it is dorky, and it is constantly tripping over itself to show you its new cool ideas. The Legend of Wright deserves recognition and love for all the amazing stuff it’s bringing to the tabletop.
TUNIC is a dense journey filled with hidden paths and puzzles that provide a remarkable sense of accomplishment. Using an in-game instruction manual is a brilliant idea that makes learning and gradually revealing how the world works more enjoyable. While the combat isn’t flawless, the rest of the exploration is. This is a game for fans of classic action adventures, cute little foxes, discovery, and secrets. However, the real secret is how wonderful TUNIC is.
If you’re new to puzzle or precision platformers as a genre, What Lies in the Multiverse would make a great contender for your first game. The novel puzzles aren’t difficult nor punishing, and there is a lengthy and engrossing story to break up the platforming components, so you aren’t overwhelmed or frustrated by their continuity. As an added bonus, the game is beautiful and has a sprinkle of creepiness to keep you on your toes.
With Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Team Ninja has produced yet another rather good Final Fantasy action game. With its deep yet more forgiving combat system, it can appeal to those not seeking the challenging experiences of something like Nioh. Furthermore, with its complex mix-and-match Jobs system, it brings a uniquely Final Fantasy flair to the hack-and-slash genre. Unfortunately, its dull protagonist and plot may struggle to keep the attention of anyone curious about the backstory it is trying to create for the original Final Fantasy. The loot system could also do with some overhauls. Still, you can certainly do worse than Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin if you’re looking for a new multiplayer action game with some clever Final Fantasy twists.
After a poor last effort, WWE 2K22 brings the long-running wrestling franchise back in a big way, proving that the extra development time is just what the doctor ordered. It successfully streamlines its in-ring action so that it’s more adaptable to players of different skill levels, removing archaic systems that previously bogged it down. Animations and presentation are top notch, and there really is a game mode for everybody, with a lot of variety. While not all the modes deserve to main event when you dissect them in detail, there’s still a very strong foundation to build from; the bottom line is that WWE 2K22 is the best wrestling game in over a decade.
From a dismal effort on the front of graphics, user interface, player onboarding, sound design, and essentially every other aspect of game design, Babylon’s Fall is a failure. Games have bounced back from disastrous launches in the past, but in this case, I feel like it may be best to let sleeping dogs lie. The game’s one and only saving grace is that Platinum Games truly are the kings of combat, and while Babylon’s Fall is nowhere near the top of their collection of works, hacking and slashing your way through the Tower of Babel is at least, occasionally, kind of fun. It is just a crying shame that there is very little else to enjoy from the game; there isn’t anything pretty to look at, nice to listen to, or easy to engage with.
We may be some time away from a new Final Fantasy Tactics, if ever. However, save the iconography, because Triangle Strategy is more or less that very experience that players have been looking for. It’s the most sweeping, expansive fantasy story I’ve played in some time, with plenty of engaging political intrigue that’ll whet many appetites. On offer is some of the best and most strategic tactics gameplay ever, rife with reward. So many setpieces, close call victories, and narrative moments will stick with me for some time. If you’re itching for a tactics game to amaze and move you this year, Triangle Strategy is it.
Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden now proves this is a viable franchise that Square Enix should hold onto. While it doesn’t exactly reinvent itself and sometimes has some technical hitches, it’s simply a great and fun follow-up to lose yourself in for a few hours without demanding all that much. The talented and beloved team are pretty much on their A-game, bringing an excellent experience of gameplay, visuals, audio, and storytelling. With this, I can wholeheartedly recommend a journey into the deep blue sea. You won’t regret it.
All in all, the simple act of going CHOP CHOP on your enemies has been made so much more fun within Conan Chop Chop. It’s quirky and fun to play solo, but even more enjoyable in multiplayer. In fact, the game’s chaotic and funny nature makes it perfect to play with friends over and over again. With its easy to use controls and simplified gameplay set up, all abilities of gamers can pick this up and enjoy themselves. This quirky roguelite will certainly surprise you with how addictive and fun it can become.
Chocobo GP could’ve been a simple kart racer that draws players in with beloved characters and tracks from the history of Final Fantasy, but instead, Square Enix boldly chose to make a sequel to an unpopular PS1 game. Bolder still was the choice to gate the promise of a more interesting game behind season passes and premium currencies. Mechanically, Chocobo GP is sound, and has enough ideas and potential to stack up to other franchise racers. However, I’m anxious to see how long this game lasts after release. There’s every chance it’ll develop a loyal playerbase large enough that Square will continue to support it, and maybe even rebalance the game to make that price of entry less steep. But as it stands, I don’t think Chocobo GP offers enough at launch to justify the effort and money required to keep playing it.
Gran Turismo 7 is essentially a celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary, melding features old and new and presenting it on next-generation hardware. Polyphony Digital’s sheer love of cars and obsession with detail flows through every single part of this game. The forced main campaign could be a turn off for some, but it is countered by their use of subtle, innovative haptic feedback and the experience of driving these legendary cars around legendary tracks. There is a method to the madness. The world is quickly moving on from fossil fuels and combustion engines, but there is no denying that these are some beautiful machines… and this is a beautiful game.
Shadow Warrior 3 is an excellent FPS that fans of retro-style arena shooters are sure to have a blast with. Lo Wang’s quips might not land with everyone, and fans of the previous game’s RPG mechanics might resent the stripping down to basics with the gameplay, but Shadow Warrior 3’s efficiency is its greatest strength. By ramping up the over-the-top action with new traversal abilities and Gore Tools, Shadow Warrior 3 is the series’ most enjoyable instalment yet, and a strong recommend for shooter fans.
Despite some weaker elements, everything combines nicely in ELEX II to provide an unpolished journey, but one that I was thankful I experienced. The game is rather unique, with some modern touches and attributes. Yet at the same time, if you played this game without knowing anything about it, you could mistake it for something from over 10 years ago. It has a unique charm, and if you are willing to put up with some janky combat and odd glitches, there is certainly an engaging story to follow with exceptional dialogue and choices that really seem to alter the world around you. ELEX II takes you on a long journey filled with meaningful engagements and a world teeming with character.