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Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is not a perfect game; the action gameplay is dated and repetitive; the open-world seems overly ambitious at times, especially with consistent frame drops on PS5 and the learning curve to become the great detective may dissuade some players, but at its core it has a truly remarkable and insightful narrative about a young man trying to come to terms with the troubles of his youth, solving a number of grizzly murders along the way.
Riders Republic is one of the more fun things I have been looking forward to playing and relaxing with after a big day. There isn't immense pressure to win every event, and the progression happens with or without it.
All in all, Exo One is an intergalactic experience made excellent by its high-quality design on all fronts.
Battlefield 2042 has plenty of great ideas, but it feels like a package pushed out the door too early and all so that EA could place it the free-for-all that is Battlefield VS Call of Duty VS Halo for the holiday FPS favourite. Not a decision that'll be worth whatever this achieves for their bottom dollar, and DICE deserves better.
Impressive visuals and a combat system that offers a lot of experimentation are the pillars that make Bright Memory: Infinite. While still a shorter experience that most players will beat in a sitting or two, it will give the player an experience more akin to a blockbuster action movie.
Even as a game that feels more iterative, and less like a next-generational step, Forza Horizon 5 is still the best racing game you can play and the first must-play Xbox Series X|S game to be released since the launch of the console.
I really enjoyed the interactions with the dogs, seeing the small animations surrounding their feelings were some of the best moments I can think of while playing the game. It, unfortunately, couldn't outweigh the frustrations from the bugs, glitches, and subpar quality of the game in other areas.
Football Manager 2022 is the best in the franchise so far and makes sure that it’ll continue to sit at the top of the (small) mountain of sports management games.
Inscryption reminds me that games are capable of so much more than we often give them credit for. Daniel Mullins manages to weave a completely surreal and meta-focused narrative into a genre-bending game and successfully create an experimental work of art.
Age of Empires IV turns back the hands of time in more ways than one. Whilst it would have been good for it to turn back enough time that I would be able to deliver a full review at this stage, I have played enough of the game to deliver this review in progress.
Unpacking is truly a unique game that has done something no other video game has done before by crafting such a tremendously relatable character out of nothing but the rather mundaneness of unpacking boxes.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a surprisingly strong turn for a game adapted from a Marvel property. It focuses on the team dynamic to fill out its gameplay and relies on strong writing to carry its linear campaign while boasting nuanced performances and a soundtrack that would make James Gunn blush.
I usually am not a thriller or horror fan, and I can honestly say I love this game. The way it moved me throughout, making me feel a great deal and a broad spectrum of emotions, really speaks to this game on another level.
There's not an ounce of badwill in this game, and no matter what minor irritations I may have, it's a very wholesome, relaxing and gorgeous experience.
Circuit Superstars truly is built by motor racing fans, for motor racing fans. It effortlessly blends the appeal, controls and fun of arcade racing with simulation strategy involving tire degradation, fuel consumption and pit stops.
Unlike the previous two games in The Dark Pictures Anthology, I was pleased with how things played out with the core narrative, but this game had my least favourite cast of characters in all three of the games.
There are so many odd design choices in Echo Generation that grinds my gears. However, the more frustrating game design elements were often overshadowed by how much I enjoyed exploring the world, taking in the fantastic art design and listening to the game's music.
There are plenty of reasons why Back 4 Blood could be around for years as Turtle Rock adds additional content to the game, but I hope they start by tweaking what's here. The difficulty, for this type of game, feels wrong. Back 4 Blood is meant to be fun with friends, and although I'm all for the challenge and reliance on communication with your teammates, the higher difficulties are sadistic.
There's a lot to like here, even if there's plenty of room for improvement. It's far from esports ready, but it does feel like a solid first step for a great new franchise.
I'm content to keep TRIOS installed on my Switch and keep it as a mindfulness app of sorts. It's more suited on the handheld than PC, but if you're more interested in the maths side than the relaxing side, maybe you're happy to sit on your computer and solve puzzles into the night.