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Lamentum is a fine debut that happens to serve a very specific fanbase, the same players who will celebrate its lack of trusty modern gameplay conveniences.
War for Wakanda also suffers from a lack of meaningful post-game content as well, sticking to the same routine and vapid grind that was there before. It's not hard to imagine players departing after they finish the story and just waiting for a future character like Spider-Man to be added to Marvel's Avengers before coming back. Although there's some improvements made to the UI and a few other quality of life improvements, Marvel's Avengers - War for Wakanda is ultimately worth playing through for the brief story and Black Panther himself, but not much else. It succeeds at what it has always succeeded at and falls victim to the fundamental issues that have been there since launch, something that may leave a bitter taste in the mouths of lapsed players.
Murder Mystery Machine has its flaws, but it's packed full of content that should please puzzle fans, especially those who have a fascination with crime shows. While the outcome of individual cases may be easy to guess, the player still needs to back up their opinion with proof, adding an extra small challenge as it forces the player to think on a more detailed scale. Additionally, while the smaller cases may be predictable at times, the larger story heads in a direction that is entirely unexpected, tying together Murder Mystery Machine and making it surprisingly engaging as a result.
From a fantastic opening credits scene performed by Puddles Pity Party to its final exciting moments, I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar delivers exactly what fans of the first game have come to expect - a campy spy adventure with increasingly deadly stakes, dramatically elaborate puzzles, and lots of physics objects to pretend to eat or simply throw across the room. For anyone with a fondness for James Bond stories or 1950's noir - and access to a VR headset - The Spy and the Liar is a fantastic choice.
After spending time playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite with human squads, it remains clear that the game is at its best when played as a co-op experience. Fights become more frantic as players constantly communicate to address the incoming Xenomorphs, and having extra players on the team allows for more Challenge Cards to be activated to add some variety into each mission. It also makes the game a better experience on the higher difficulties, as the game warns players that the AI teammates won't be very helpful above the Standard difficulty. While players can still have a great time playing solo, Aliens: Fireteam Elite truly shines with other players along for the ride.
Axiom Verge 2 adds some interesting twists to the Metroidvania format and it does get good once the player unlocks the drone, fast travel, and some of the special abilities. If the player is willing to sit through a slow start and some dicey combat encounters, then Axiom Verge 2 becomes a lot of fun to play, with a world that's fascinating to explore and treasures that are waiting to be found in its beautiful and scary alien world.
Psychonauts 2 is a must-play for anyone interested in what modern platformers can do and what a compelling comedy adventure looks like in 2021.
Hoa takes players on a magical puzzle adventure.
As a whole, Madden 22 takes several solid steps in the right direction with very few stumbles backward. The straddling of console generations and lack of certain updates at launch make the game feel like it's only halfway to its full potential, but it still makes for an enjoyable entry for new players and current fans.
Ultimately, Iki Island is a solid eight-to-ten hour campaign completing most of its extras, and the upgrades on PlayStation 5 are tangible enough that it feels like the release of Director's Cut was more than justified. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the best iteration of an already amazing title, and should be a must-own for any PS5 user who hasn't played through the game once before. For anyone who has already done so, it's a bit of a tougher sell, though the upgrades and expanded narrative of the DLC do offer enough to make it a strong consideration for another go on PlayStation 5.
Arietta of Spirits is a safe but enjoyable top-down action adventure game. It has fun if simplistic gameplay and a solid story that provides a strong emotional core to keep the player involved. It's not a must-play, but certainly ticks all the right boxes for those hunting for a nostalgia fix that even the top franchises of the genre have abandoned.
The concept behind The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is so simple and genius that it's a wonder that it has never been done before - though it's worth noting that this iteration is done incredibly well, gracefully sidestepping many of the potential pitfalls of its conceit. The combat has a few frustrations that could use some ironing out, but they don't detract from what is a compelling and unique video game experience.
Twelve Minutes is atmospheric and hugely ambitious within its tight time limits, although the game is held back by unsatisfying narrative payoffs.
Overall, Recompile is a mixed bag that struggles to balance each aspect of its design.
Considering how few nostalgic throwbacks exist for Taito's back catalog, it's a shame that the Space Invaders Invincible Collection isn't a home run. Without the inclusion of Space Invaders Extreme, the whole thing would be a hard sell. This selection is by no means definitive, and several of the included games are mere variants with differences that even some hardcore fans may not recognize right off the bat. Anchoring the entire set, Extreme is certainly worth the time of anyone who enjoys a good arcade challenge, but the rest of the offering is only going to appeal to diehard fans of the arcade classic.
Despite being widely empty of content outside the main storyline, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] costs 39.99 USD on the Nintendo Store at time of writing. With gameplay more in line with mobile-app game expectations, those who enjoy in-depth JRPG titles may be frustrated with the lack of exploration, storyline, and graphic quality. However, for those wanting a simple experience that is easy to set down, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] might be a good fit. With a drop in price and a patch to improve translations and add content that takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch's capabilities, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] would be a more enjoyable experience for those interested in trying it out.
Overall, The Siege of Paris is a bit of a missed opportunity. It's still an awful lot of fun for those who enjoyed the base game, and the assassinations may be simple but do add a bit of a variety to the experience. However, there's little that's truly refreshing, and is not a must-have for those who own Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Overall Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 is a solid upgrade to the CMS series. All of the updated items and graphics will be a welcome addition to past players and a perfect place to start for new ones. It certainly isn't a game anyone would want to binge over a weekend, but any car repair fan will enjoy this one for years to come - or until the next instalment in the series, if it continues to evolve and adapt towards more detail-oriented play.
Overall, The Ramp is exactly what it says it is. It's designed from the ground up to entertain its players with a simple gameplay loop that can be enjoyed for a couple minutes or a couple hours. That simplicity not only makes it easy to pop in and out of, but its mechanics are incredibly addicting, and setting personal challenges becomes most of the fun. Given its low price and the hours of fun it provides, The Ramp is absolutely worth picking up and dropping into whenever one gets the urge to shred.
Greak is yet another great Metroidvania that manages to make the genre feel fresh and empowering. While the world of this story is dark, the feeling players are left with is one of joy, and its well-paced runtime leaves room for both a sequel and replay value. Ultimately, the most disappointing part of Greak: Memories of Azur is that it ended at all, and it's a must-play for anyone who finds the genre intriguing.