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It’s great on its own, but combined with Hitman (2016) and Hitman 2 it helps make up the masterpiece which is the World of Assassination trilogy.
I’ll say it plainly. I love Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. I loved it 10 years ago and I’ve only come to appreciate it more since. I identify with Stephen Stills as talented, but also very sleepy, so I delight in being able to play as him in a game again. Yet for all of my love, it definitely has a tedious grind that might annoy people that aren’t into River City Ransom-style beat’em-ups. That said, with or without the movie or comics it’s based off of, I’d still consider it one of the best-in-class of side-scrolling co-op brawlers
To compare Super Meat Boy Forever to its predecessor is folly. They're two different types of games, but Team Meat makes sure to inject its unique seasoning into both. As far as auto-runners go, Forever stands along the top as one of the best in the genre, despite a short story length. With so many possible stage layouts, a multitude of challenging mechanics, and Team Meat's fluid platforming design, it makes this game feel like a joy.
I’d love nothing more than to sit here and tell you that it’s a perfect game and that you won’t have any issues playing it. Sadly, that isn’t the case. In its current state, Cyberpunk 2077 has a strong story and world, but those strengths are weighed down by bad design decisions and bugs aplenty.
I feel that when it comes to everything Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has to offer, Respawn Entertainment has gone out of their way to show us that not only does the Medal of Honor franchise still have meaningful life left in it, but there are things this game does that other games can look to as a benchmark of how to deliver a fully fleshed-out and visceral action VR experience.
Warhammer 40,000: Battle Sister is the kind of game I would expect out of this franchise. It’s bloody, visceral, and throws all sorts of enemies at you to cleanse through the mighty judgement of bullet and blade for the Emperor. The campaign is passable and the levels can sometimes feel uninspired with a few notable exceptions, but all of it feels like a vehicle to move you to the next fight. When those fights are up close and personal, Battle Sister sings with slashings and shooting a-plenty. When things get a little more long distance, the seams start to show a little much. That said, if you’re a Warhammer fan or just looking for a mostly solid action VR experience, Warhammer 40K: Battle Sister has more than enough ammunition and sharpened metal to please the Emperor.
Sam & Max Remastered is an exceptional remake of a beloved game from Telltale’s early days. Fans of the original will be really satisfied with what Skunkape Games has done here, as the visual and audio upgrades give a modern feel to the aging game. Though it’s a bit of a letdown that there’s no extra content or additions to the story, Sam & Max Save the World Remastered makes it more than worth returning to a 2000s classic.
DONTNOD’s self-publishing debut is a worthwhile experience. Twin Mirror is anchored by a fascinating, unraveling mystery and its complex relationships between characters. Though our protagonist feels a bit generic, his unique abilities add a solid spice to gameplay. DONTNOD continues to be an expert at crafting unique and engaging stories.
There’s a lot going on in Empire of Sin. Romero Games and Paradox Interactive build quite a hybrid of business management, character growth, and turn-based combat, and the 1920s Prohibition-era backdrop makes for an interesting story. The gang leaders are varied in so many ways between their business, combat specialties, and personal stories. Meanwhile, the overall flow of business expansion, hostile takeovers, and diplomacy or confrontation with other gangs also makes for a mostly engaging gameplay loop.
Ubisoft Quebec aimed high with Immortals Fenyx Rising, crafting a new hero, an epic tale filled with larger-the-life gods and terrifying monsters, and a giant island playground. It's an exciting story filled with memorable characters, even if some of the twists near the end are a bit hard to swallow. It doesn't quite pack the same punch as the studio's previous effort, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, if only because there aren't as many NPCs or other characters to play off of. For what it is, though, Immortals is a fun island getaway with simple-to-grasp combat and a lot of well thought-out puzzles. The Immortals legend isn't fully realized yet, but this is at least a good start.
Dirt 5 is a departure from earlier entries in the series, as it goes full arcade racer. That’s to its credit though, as the actual racing is satisfying and exciting. This means that the vehicles and their customization options feel a bit shallow, which could disappoint some fans. Thanks to an incredible Playgrounds mode and some pretty next-gen visuals, Dirt 5 is a solid offering from Developer Codemasters.
As far as an action-RPG goes, Demon’s Souls is as tough, but rewarding as I’d expect a Soulborne game would be. Bluepoint did an incredible job of pulling this 2009 title into 2020 and giving all the gloss and polish the PlayStation 5 can wring out of it while still playing perfectly smooth and mostly free of loading.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a solid entry in the long-running franchise, and a return to form for one of the most iconic titles in first-person shooters. The campaign goes big on thrilling espionage and exciting set pieces, though it does feel quite tone-deaf at times. Multiplayer is more of the arcade-feel that became synonymous with games like Black Ops 2, and will likely only get better once Season 1 kicks off and adds Warzone integration in December. Zombies doesn’t disappoint, as it once again proves to be the best alternate mode in Call of Duty. Treyarch reminds CoD fans that they’ve still got it with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a game no Zelda or Musou fan should pass up.
Sumo Digital has done a wonderful job bringing the visual aesthetic of the LittleBigPlanet franchise into a 3D platforming world. The levels are a delight to look at and shine brightly when paired with a top-shelf display. The various outfits and visual customizations that can be sewn onto Sackboy also look fantastic. I ended up using a Yak outfit I bought early in the game for the rest of my playthrough as I simply couldn’t get enough of how delightfully stupid it looked. When it comes to gameplay and story, it is fair to say that we’ve seen it all before, and usually done better. The main appeal here is to rehash old material with a 4K, leather-and-corduroy-upholstered refresh. If that sounds like a good time, Sackboy is sure to please, but it will leave other PS5 owners wondering when next-gen will actually show up. 7/10 yak outfits
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory doesn't always hit the right note. But as somebody who's followed the series for many years, there couldn't be a better tribute to its unforgettable music. It's pure Disney magic.
If you want a fairly mindless RPG experience that offers some different weapons and gear to mess around with, then Godfall will give you at least a few hours of fun. Just don’t expect a fantasy story worthy of its inspirations, or a world that fully explores its potential and you’ll be fine.
Frontier Developments’ Planet Coaster: Console Edition brings a celebrated PC title to both modern and next-gen consoles. New content makes the game feel a refreshed experience, rather than just an old game ported to run on new hardware. I ran into some tech hiccups while playing on console, but it didn’t rain on my parade hard enough to make me wanna close down the park.
Airplane Mode might be the most hyper-real gaming experience that I’ve ever had. Unfortunately though, it just captures a super boring part of real life. Outside of maybe actually sleeping, this has to be the craziest idea for a sim I could ever think of. I wonder if they’re working on “Sleep Mode” next. I had just as much trouble synching my headphones to Bluetooth as I do in real life, so the authenticity of this experience is worth commending overall, but I think Airplane Mode is a case of keeping it TOO real.
Ubisoft is known for their fun open worlds, but it appears that experience and previous stumbles have seen them take big steps forward, making Valhalla one of their best Assassin's Creed games in recent memory.