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Putting the obvious parallels to one side, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a thoroughly enjoyable game. The main character is very likeable, and the humour between the characters is great, while the Golden Isle looks fantastic and is filled with content without also feeling overwhelming. It takes a while for the combat to grow, and the end portion of the game drags on, but if you want a fun and compact open world game then Immortals Fenyx Rising is well worth playing.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory could have easily been a simple rhythm game with nothing but a huge set of Kingdom Hearts songs going for it. The fact that it goes out of its way to emulate the visuals of the series and recaps major story moments elevates it to something more. It's a shame that the new story elements of the game are held off until the very end, and that Kairi isn't even a playable character despite being on the cover of the dang game. Those issues alongside a surprising amount of missing Kingdom Hearts 3 music and a tacked-on item system add some awkward wrinkles to an otherwise magical, musical, melodic nostalgia trip for Kingdom Hearts die-hards.
There's a lot to like about PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay, particularly when it comes to how accessible it is for its target audience. This is a game that even the most novice of gamers can pick-up, play and enjoy. It also looks great, my son delighting in seeing all the pups and their vehicles. On initial play my son declared he "super loved" it and gave the game two thumbs up, but over the course of only a couple of sessions, the game's obvious flaws began to dampen both his, and my, enthusiasm. Far too soon, this latest Paw Patrol video game had been entirely forgotten about as we've gone back to playing with Lego instead.
Tenderfoot Tactics' uncompromising design and freeform structure might feel alienating to some, but persevere, and you'll find a deeply thoughtful, nigh on meditative experience layered with creative, confident turn-based combat.
The Signifier is almost an essential experience for anybody looking for a sophisticated and complex meditation on the effects of technological progress on the nature of humanity but as a game it doesn't quite hang together. Even more frustrating is the fact that its short running time means that it ends just as it's starting to find its feet. As a result it's a title that I am really glad that I have played but can't fully commit to recommending it.
Being a visual novel, If Found… won't be for everyone, but those willing to give it a try will find a beautiful and endearing story of self-acceptance. The gorgeous hand-drawn art and the story coming directly from a diary really give the impression of an insight to someone's life, and the gameplay idea of actually erasing history and identity creates an intensely emotional experience.
Was Uppers worth the years-long wait to be able to play it in English? Probably not. Even as a fan of the titles Honey Parade Studios puts out, there's something disappointing about the way Uppers is too scared to fully commit to the gritty, hot-blooded front that it puts up. By having one foot in there and another firmly planted in the same-old T&A antics of the studio, it fails at truly capturing either aesthetic successfully. It's still a fun brawler with satisfying combat, and it looks amazing on PC, but there are plenty of areas where it could be improved on.
Beyond Light isn't going to change anyone's mind about Destiny 2. Either you love the weekly grind, the increasingly complex lore, and pushing your mates off a ledge in a Raid, or you don't. For those who do, there's a lot to discover and plenty to grind for with the added benefit of the reworked game engine. They, like myself, will no doubt be sinking hundreds of hours into this over the next year. A solid, well executed update to Destiny 2, with even more content on the horizon.
Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga is a very nostalgic game, but not in the way you might think. It's not that it's a beat 'em up, nor that it's based on an ageing franchise, or even because it looks like it should be able to run on a Sega Saturn. No, it's nostalgic because this a licensed video game that is fairly terrible, using its branding as a smokescreen to hide a multitude of problems from an unwitting buyer until it's far too late. It's just like the good old days. If this was 1991 then Cobra Kai would have been published by Ocean Software.
I didn't expect Cardpocalypse to resonate with me as much as it did. It's a cute, clever and charming little homage to what CCG life used to be like.
As a single player game Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is utterly pedestrian, lacking the frantic pace of the original. Most of the repurposed features such as power ups and jumping on bubbles detract rather than enhance the experience, but add in some friends and it's still fun, especially if you want to be devious and sabotage the other players.
An unforgiving, unrelenting classic reborn for a new generation, Demon's Souls is no more accessible now than it was back in 2010 (though the frame rate is much better). If you've ever been the slightest bit curious about the Souls series then you can revisit ground zero in all its glory, making for one of the best PlayStation launch titles of all time.
Observer: System Redux is well worth playing if you enjoy psychological thrillers, a dash of cyberpunk, and noir detective fiction, and it all looks fantastic on the new consoles. The story has many layers to it, exploring the nature of parent child relationships, corporate domination, human augmentation, and mental health.
It may be I Can't Believe It's Not Zelda, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Age of Calamity is, for all intents and purposes, a prequel to Breath of the Wild. It might be a spin-off in a separate genre, but it's clearly a labour of love, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through one of the most interesting periods of Hyrule. If the first game was a love letter to the Zelda series, this not only improves on this concept in every way, but stands as one of the best Zelda games, period.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a decent entry in the series, but it feels like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be. The campaign is full of underused ideas, while the multiplayer misses some of the magical charm of Modern Warfare, opting for faster paced aggressive battles which just don't feel as satisfying. While still enjoyable, Black Ops Cold War fails to recapture the magic of Black Ops 1 and 2.
It takes a while for Godfall's combat to truly open up and when it does, you'll revel in its beefy ballet of well-timed blows and counters. That said, it's hard to ignore the flimsy scaffolding that keeps this PS5 launch title standing, the lack of matchmaking, and a loot system you'll quickly lose interest in. Although still great fun in short bursts, this isn't the rousing next-gen RPG experience you've been searching for.
Perhaps not <em>quite<em> as transcendental as it is in VR, Tetris Effect: Connected remains an incredible, visionary piece of work, that you can now experience with others. With its arrival on Xbox Series X, it can be a game for a new generation.
NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is a big step forward for the franchise and easily the best version of this year's basketball franchise. There might be the feeling that features were shorn from the current gen release to give it more impact, but from the inclusivity of featuring the WNBA in MyPlayer, to the sprawling The City online hub and the stunning graphics and gameplay improvements, this will keep you and your new console happy well into 2022.
Some games demand a remaster, to be brought bang up to date for an entirely new audience to find and enjoy. Asterix & Obelix XXL is not one of those games. In 2003 it was a solid, if unremarkable, effort. Now, seventeen years later, it just feels entirely unnecessary, with drab combat, pointless collectables and frustrating challenges. If you really need an Asterix and Obelix fix, best just go back and reread the comics I'd say.