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While Call of Duty: Vanguard does what it does well, it’s as I wrote at the start: the expected experience. There’s nothing overly surprising here, no major shakeups to the gameplay, nothing that rejuvenates the franchise like 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, Call of Duty: Vanguard offers a solid experience for those looking for their annual fix from the franchise.
Riders Republic is a surprisingly good time with arcade-like extreme sports that feel thoroughly unique from one another. Online events are the best parts of the game, though it can get bogged down by glitches and server-related issues. Despite that, Riders Republic is still one of my surprise pleasures of 2021.
But, as is the case with almost every Mario Party game, be aware of what you're getting into with Superstars. If you're not careful, friendships will take a hit, just because of the random nature of this beast. That's just Mario Party.
Forza Horizon 5 is big, loud, and bold. If you found little value in the series before now, this new version will do nothing to change your mind. For the rest of us, the best Xbox game of 2021 is here (at least for another month - there’s still an elephant wearing Spartan armor in the room). The concept of the pack-in game is pretty much dead in 2021, but if it weren’t, Microsoft should be tripping over itself to make the Series X Forza Bundle a reality. We live in the era of Game Pass now, so plenty of folks have the ability to visit Mexico at discount rates. I desperately implore you to take the trip.
The Shin Megami Tensei games have often been some of the most mechanically inventive and unique, and that remains the case with SMT5. Combat is challenges and dynamic, and the party-building options are limitless. My only issues with the game boiled down to JRPG tropes that likely won’t bother hardcore fans. It’s not only an excellent JRPG, but a wonderful new entry in one of the genre’s most influential games.
As someone who generally hates sorting things out and often leaves boxes out for weeks at a time, I can say that Unpacking is a much better experience than the real thing. If only actual unpacking could be such a calm exercise.
Those looking for a short, unsettling stroll can find one with Happy Game. One thing to note about it is that it's a short romp, able to be completed in just a few hours. There's nothing that would make me want to revisit it, but I certainly can't fault it for what it is: a seasonal treat filled with tricks.
Square Enix and Eidos Montreal don't exactly pull this job off flawlessly. In fact, it gets ugly at points. Yet, oddly enough, that feels very appropriate for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
NHL 22 doesn’t feel like the next leap forward for video game hockey. It barely feels like meaningful DLC.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is another fun horror romp from Supermassive games. The game improves upon its predecessors by finally removing the fixed camera, and I found several of its characters to be endearing and worth caring for. Though it still falls into some of the same issues as past games in the franchise, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is worth playing if you’re a fan of the interactive horror/drama genre.
There could have been a little more done, specifically with the user interface, but the extras that are here make this a fun collection. If you didn't get to experience this handheld era of Castlevania games, maybe take some time to see what you missed.
Resident Evil 4 VR is one of the most surprising delights of my entire year. Every part of the base game is here, and it all fits and feels right. Every bit of the schlock, fear, and intensity is joined by a well-thought-out array of VR gunplay, puzzle-solving, melee, and other satisfying interactions. Resident Evil 4 is one of the absolute high points of the entire franchise. This is a full-on adaptation of it with nothing left out. If you weren’t cool with the narrative, scares, or schlock before, this probably won’t change your mind. But if it was the controls bothered you, this is easily the best and most enjoyable version of Resident Evil 4 to ever come out.
There’s a lot I like about Echo Generation. The adolescent youth in sci-fi suburbia story is really charming and aided thoroughly by the game’s gorgeous voxel visuals and delicious soundtrack. There were definitely some parts held down by archaic design decisions, such as the utter lack of a hint system or direction and the need to grind experience, especially on new party members. However, Echo Generation also has a lot of fun tried and true RPG design to it as well. All-in-all, it makes for a game where the good journey, music, and combat will likely overcome most of the distracting missteps you may come across.
Some movies work better in theaters. Some games work better on bleeding-edge hardware. The stars have aligned and a premium Crysis experience is available for the masses. There's never been a better time to put on the NanoSuit than right now. 8/10 8K roach shaders
Was everything perfect? Not at all. The biggest frustration came from the gamepad controls. I started playing with my preferred d-pad input but found that aiming the water hose was nearly impossible until I swapped to the control stick. The adventure also ends just as things were really getting heated up. Nuclear Blaze understands the value of not wearing out a welcome. Just when I had decided that I was smitten with the game, I reached its narrative conclusion. If the idea was to leave me wanting more, then the mission was successful. Because this is still a small indie project based on a game jam submission, potential buyers should understand that Nuclear Blaze does not burn for long, but it does, in fact, burn twice as bright.
Likewise, if you are burning to play a Left 4 Dead-style game but you only have a newer console, Back 4 Blood should fit the bill, though there are several more interesting options out there if you look. At the end of the day, this is an inferior version of Left 4 Dead 2 that lacks the style, charm, gore, and engaging characters it tries to reproduce. That said, there is a decent foundation here and there are worse ways you could spend a weekend with some buddies.
Not having every fighter out of the box is going to be really frustrating for some players, but if nothing else, experiencing the Demon Slayer story is a pretty fun ride.
The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is another winner for the team at Jackbox Games. With the team increasingly experimenting with new ideas and tweaking old ones, it's hard to envision the Jackbox train slowing down anytime soon.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl simply feels like a barebones platform fighter. Combat is pretty decent, but there’s just so little surrounding it. The game’s greatest sin is how little it leans into the over-the-top zaniness that is Nickelodeon and its extensive history of memorable characters and moments. It lacks identity while being based on some of the most unique entertainment properties of the past few decades.
I really appreciate how much Lone Echo 2 takes a mostly don’t-fix-what’s-not-broken approach to the original game’s formula. So much of it is simply a continuation of Lone Echo 1 in both narrative and form, and that’s fine. It does just enough to make things different by introducing a few new tools and increased threats to go along with them, and with only a handful of control or visual bugs that stood out as a result. Jack and Rhodes’ efforts to survive continued to make for a compelling story throughout and this is definitely an adventure fans of the first will want to see through. Ultimately, Lone Echo 2 is just as much a solid blend of narrative and puzzle solving in the VR space as the first one was and continues to show Ready at Dawn has a winning formula for VR players of all styles and comfort levels.