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Outside of these technical issues, Crysis Remastered Trilogy does an excellent job of porting a classic video game series to modern day consoles. It maintains the core gameplay centered around making players an actual super soldier while upgrading visuals and performance for a satisfying experience. Those looking to try Crytek's magnum opus series for the first time or experience the adventures once again should find a lot to enjoy about Crysis Remastered Trilogy.
In keeping with the tradition of past Jackbox Party Pack editions, Jackbox Party Pack 8 contains a lot of variety for its price tag, as well as plenty of cartoonish charm and some intuitive touchscreen gameplay. From the trivia of The Wheel of Enormous Proportions and the Pictionary-style fun of Drawful Animate to the chilling murder mystery of Weapons Drawn, this quirky minigame collection could make for a nice source of entertainment at the next family gathering or holiday party.
The Hinokami Chronicles is an enjoyable adaptation of the Demon Slayer anime, but it never tries to be anything greater. The combat is fun, fast-paced, and lets the player wield the explosive moves of the Demon Slayer Corps in a visually exciting way, but the story mode that makes up the bulk of the single-player content is stretched too thin. Fans of the anime should enjoy The Hinokami Chronicles, but it won't have much appeal to those who aren't already familiar with the series.
The terror and hindrance effects make each run feel uniquely challenging, and the story events and Disciple traits are where Rogue Lords really shines. Unfortunately, as it stands, Rogue Lords suffers significantly from its lack of balance and the repetitive nature of both runs and combat. It can be difficult to strategize when RNG constantly feels stacked against the player, and being forced to restart a book after a surprise, impossible boss fight is demoralizing. With some retuning, however, Rogue Lords could better capitalize on its great ideas and innovate for the roguelike genre.
Throughout Midnight Protocol there will be tense situations, difficult encounters, and plenty of mysteries to solve. As answers start to come in, more questions arise, and the game has a few major twists rivaling those in Resident Evil Village. Players will have the chance to choose who they will fight alongside and what kind of person Data will be. Reputation and available missions are affected by every decision in the challenging, high-stakes hacking world of Midnight Protocol.
Turtle Rock's Back 4 Blood is tough as nails and has some minor annoyances, but it's a refreshingly complete and competent multiplayer experience.
The constant ebb and flow of Disco Elysium's storyline makes for one amazing adventure that can easily be replayed, tackling problems in different ways each time. The Nintendo Switch is a great fit for this kind of game, and the adjustment of the controls was handled well by the team at ZA/UM. This is a perfect rendition of Disco Elysium for new players who are interested in the game, or returning players who want to relive the fever dream on a portable console.
Colors Live is a great fit for new digital artists, offering a taste of features present in bigger applications, but at a reasonable price. While the SonarPen would benefit from several design improvements like a Bluetooth option or a longer, slimmer cable, the pressure-sensitive stylus is a great addition to a non-traditional drawing surface. However, for those who are used to drawing on the iPad or a Wacom tablet, the lack of options could feel limiting, making it a less useful and enjoyable addition to a portable digital studio.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl contains the beginnings of what may end up being the most unlikely competitive fighting franchise ever conceived. It knows its audience and it has been able to appease them, garnering a lot of excitement along the way. However, where Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl missteps is in the handling of its properties. It's easy to get excited about the thought of Reptar dash-dancing across Jellyfish Fields, but it's tough to buy into the idea when there's a rogue ukulele serenading the mute dinosaur while it happens.
What Legend of the Kestrel Lancers comes down to is how much players enjoyed the spectacle and gunplay of MechWarrior 5, and how much they want to extend their time with the game through a new, and definitely interesting, story, and bigger battles. The gameplay is fun, tight, and tactically sound, but it was in the core game as well. The DLC offers more of the same, hampered by a lack of new mechs and diverse missions, but what is present in Kestrel Lancers is fun and purpose-built to give fans more of what they like. If players are only dipping their toes into MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, the base game has plenty to offer before players need to judge this DLC's worth.
These issues ultimately don't undermine just how charming Rainbow Billy is to play. With a message of good faith that rarely wears out its welcome and a brilliant take on turn-based RPG combat, Rainbow Billy is a game that was clearly made with a lot of care for its individual components. Providing players can turn off their cynicism, there's plenty to love here.
There is a vague story to Song in the Smoke and cutscenes that guide the player through their boss fights. The tips for how to defeat bosses or draw them out are revealed in a creative and immersive way. The environment and music, as well as constant sounds made by other creatures, make Song in the Smoke a truly mesmerizing experience. Players will feel the dread of traversing dangerous areas, and the satisfaction of defeating a powerful boss. Song in the Smoke is an unrivaled VR survival game with horror elements, and it gives players complete freedom to explore, hunt in, and conquer the treacherous wilderness.
There's a lot to like about Far Cry 6, but not a lot that's new.
Metroid Dread is an instant classic. Its seamless blend of exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and light touches of story creates one of the most engaging experiences on Nintendo Switch.
Between combat with free-aim and comprehensive exploration through the Geoscape, Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition has a lot of content to offer. Like other strategy games, such as Empire of Sin, players can win multiple ways, and there are plenty of chances to lose. Unfortunately, the console edition has a lot of issues with loading and crashing, but as long as players have the patience, the game is still enjoyable. Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition comes with the base game and four DLC expansions for players to tactfully explore.
Overall, however, New World shows a lot of promise and has plenty of room to continue introducing unique and genre-defining ideas to the MMO space.
While the fast loading times and updated graphics show off the beauty of Dharma City's neon-grunge aesthetic and keep players in the action, it's ultimately the same experience. Screen Rant's first Ghostrunner review perfectly sums up the PS5 version's experience, in that it's "Sometimes Fast, Sometimes Slow." Ghostrunner is a great game that provides a proper adrenaline rush when everything works as intended, but those hoping for any significant changes in this next-gen version will be disappointed.4
Aside from some performance issues and a rushed ending, JETT: The Far Shore provides a solid experience with fantastic flying mechanics, interesting world lore and a keen grasp of the spectacle of space exploration. While it's not the best among the many titles eager to tell their particular tale of the exploration of the stars, JETT: The Far Shore succeeds more often than it fails, and it's worth a look for those looking to scratch an interstellar itch.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a balanced mix of realism and enjoyable gameplay, with very few downsides. The game is challenging and can take some getting used to, but even with its level of difficulty, it's still a lot fun. Insurgency: Sandstorm offers the option to spend some time with AI teammates to develop strategies and practice. Although there is no campaign mode, players can also train at the range, which spawns in different types of enemy forces. Insurgency: Sandstorm is a realistic and difficult first-person shooter with diverse game modes and hours of unique entertainment.
Alan Wake Remastered's improvements are subtle and won't dramatically change the experience, but that also means it retains what made it so special in the first place. The atmosphere is chilling ,and the story holds up after over a decade, meaning it doesn't need a full-blown remake to still feel worthy of a modern retelling. Even with its flaws, Alan Wake Remastered is worth playing in 2021, especially for those who missed it the first time around.