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For what it is, Disney Magical World 2 is a fine introduction to gaming for kids, but it could have been much more.
Century: Age of Ashes deserves to be recognized for its polish and stellar execution from day one and is definitely a game that fans of fast-paced and energetic PvP should keep an eye on.
There's plenty of laughter and tears along the way, and Endwalker manages to send off the Zodiark and Hydaelyn saga on an incredibly high note. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is a real crowdpleaser, and it should also leave everyone hopeful for what the future has in store for the MMORPG, even if this expansion is going to be incredibly difficult to top.
Chorus is a space shooter with stunning ship-to-ship combat, all wrapped up in an intriguing world that brings personality to an impersonal genre.
During its next stage of development, it will be interesting to see how ANVIL will establish its identity as something greater than the sum of its parts. It's clear that ANVIL is utilizing the best designs and systems from the games mentioned throughout this review, but it comes at the cost of not feeling like it's doing anything new or at least anything that is uniquely "ANVIL." With ANVIL: Vault Breakers promising regular updates, it has plenty of time to become something entirely its own.
There’s some merit in spending an hour or so dodging projectiles and dinging away at a half-dozen moving health bars, but Archvale would be immeasurably improved with more depth of content and character customization. A pure shoot ‘em up may not necessarily require those ingredients to flourish, but an action-heavy RPG definitely does, even one with such a pint-sized cute presentation. As it stands, Archvale poses some entertaining distractions for compulsive bullet-dodgers, but it could have been so much more.
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a fantastic couch co-op game, even for a system like the Nintendo Switch, which has no shortage of them, and is a great addition to the library of those who love playing games with their friends.
In spite of the technical limitations of the previous generation version, MXGP 2021 does manage to be a successful entry in the series that will likely keep motocross fans happy. It’s not as in depth as some other official racing sims on the market, but there's enough variation to keep players engaged while its race-to-race gameplay is still enjoyable.
Players that are familiar with the Let's Sing series can expect more of the same from Let's Sing 2022. The game modes, minigames, and avatars are the same as Let's Sing 2021, so there's nothing really unique about Let's Sing 2022 except for its tracklist. Although playing on a smartphone is convenient, there is a lag in the audio that players may need to work around. However, it doesn't affect gameplay much unless players are singing a fast-paced song against a difficult boss. Whether playing solo or with others, players can enjoy the fun variety of songs in Let's Sing 2022.
Grow: Song of the Evertree is like a storybook.
Overall, Beyond Blue is an interesting game with some solid story strands to propel its underwater gameplay. Its emotional impact doesn’t reach the heights of the likes of Firewatch, and its limited gameplay may put some players off if they want something more substantial or challenging, but nonetheless this is a well crafted and calm title that proves its worth. When it comes to education-based games, this is a good example of how engaging it can be.
While Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story provides a great experience in short bursts, none of its levels feel as replayable as the best of the developer's past work or the best of the rhythm genre. This is a fatal flaw in a game with gated progression, and there are no supplementary modes or other features to distract from it. As it stands, the game's mix of mobile mechanics makes its release on traditional platforms baffling, and only those who are immediately intrigued by Ziggs in a game outside of League of Legends will get something substantial out of the final product in its current available forms.
In Surviving the Aftermath, players need to build a sustainable colony similar to Endzone: A World Apart. The storyline gives players a goal to work towards as they explore the world map and enhance their colony. Aside from the ineffective tutorial and tips section of the game, players can expect a fun city-building survival experience. At its core, Surviving the Aftermath is a high-stakes building game where the biggest challenge is making the right decisions in order to stay alive in a dangerous, apocalyptic world.
For anyone new or returning to the Pokémon series, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl is a perfect starting point that bridges the gap between classic and modern Pokémon games. The quality-of-life additions make the game more accessible without making it feel bloated, the art style is simplistic and cute, and the gameplay mechanics will keep players moving through the adventure with ease. For veterans of the series, these versions are an easy recommendation and an excellent recreation of a fan favorite. With only a few exclusive Pokémon between Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, either one is an excellent choice for any player.
It's not as unsalvageable as Battlefield 5, but it's still hard to imagine this evolving into the definitive Battlefield game that DICE wants it to be. There is fleeting fun to be had here, but it's often spoiled by the game's blatant shortcomings. The maps are a slog, gunplay is bogged down by puzzling design choices, and there's no shortage of bugs that actively require the player to restart the entire game. It's a far cry from the 10-year-old Battlefield 3 and as it continues to age, the series strays further away from those glory days with no road to redemption in sight.
At the very least, Vaas: Insanity succeeds more than Far Cry 6 proper at moving the franchise forward. By the same token, sanding off the hard edges of a character conceived in a much different world could sever the last few connections to Far Cry's glorious past. The DLC's roguelike structure feels novel but incomplete, another ultimately unsuccessful attempt at mixing things up after Far Cry: New Dawn's RPG elements and Far Cry 5's DLC adventures into new genres. If Ubisoft can do a better job of recapturing the spirit of its other two antagonists in the rest of Far Cry 6's season pass (or in the recently rumored Vaas film project) franchise fans may finally have something to celebrate in 2021.
Overall this means that Knights of the Old Republic is still one of the best games ever made, even if it's not received any particular improvements on its older versions. The main pull here is that players can finally enjoy the title on the go via the Switch, and for Star Wars fans who have never played the game before it's another opportunity to enjoy one of the best Star Wars stories ever told. There will no doubt be debates about PC versus Switch for Knights of the Old Republic, and those who already own the game already aren't missing anything if they ignore this new port, but none of that takes away from one of the true classics of the early 2000s.
A lot of the issues with Sherlock Holmes Chapter One can be resolved with updates. The performances issues can be ironed out, John's obnoxious behavior can be toned down, and an improved hint system could remove the frustration of being lost during a case. With a few tweaks, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One could be an interesting open-world twist on the detective genre. As it stands, the game at launch still needs work before Sherlock Holmes can fully embrace his role as the greatest detective of all time.
Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas are some of the PlayStation 2's best games and helped to both pioneer and define the open world genre. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition does not provide the best way to experience these titles, nor should this be considered the "definitive" edition of the games included. The Definitive Edition is often prettier and slightly more modern in its controls and presentation, but missing features and poorly optimized content let down what could have been ideal remasters. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition feels rushed - and after twenty years, that's disappointing.
For being as strange and bloated as it is, Epic Chef is a very engaging experience. While there are an almost frightening number of different mechanics involved, they all work together in interesting ways to create a very cohesive experience. Some people will like specific aspects of Epic Chef over others, but the way in which they work together means that very few are going to have trouble engaging with the whole, at least on some level.