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FIFA 20 is pretty much what you'd expect from a new FIFA game. FIFA Ultimate Team continues to march on and grow, card packs and all, while the core gameplay has been tweaked, making attacking play feel great as you rip defences apart. The big new feature is Volta Football, and while it's a fun distraction, it's not quite as engaging as its FIFA Street predecessors.
Code Vein is addictive, yet frustrating. It's promising, yet unpolished. There are a lot of interesting ideas here that come together to craft a unique and engaging experience. I just wish that the flaws here weren't so glaring, because they keep Code Vein from being a great game instead of just a good one.
Dragon Quest XI is already an incredible JRPG, but this massively updated Switch release makes it almost mandatory. With new outfits, new quests, an entirely new 2D mode and a huge range of quality of life improvements, it's easy to consider this the best version of the game to play. The only thing holding it back from earning that title are some unfortunate visual and performance issues. A handy patch can fix the latter, but really the only reason not to prefer this version is if pristine graphics are your highest priority.
A lot of love and time has gone into Children of Morta, and the level of polish and complexity across its narrative and gameplay make it one of the most interesting roguelites to date. The difficulty curve and relative brevity of its story may put some off, but Children of Morta is a beautifully crafted, polished roguelite that deserves your attention.
At the end of the day – the long hard day of being a naughty little goose – Untitled Goose Game is something truly unique and special. It's a beautifully clean and simple puzzle game which will have you howling with delight, both when you play it through for the first time, and when you pass the controller to your partner saying, "You absolutely need to play this game where you're a naughty little goose…"
Utawarerumono: Zan is only for the most dedicated of fans to the series. Newcomers will be lost by the incredibly brisk and abbreviated story, and even though the combat is fun and the characters unique, there are just so many other Warriors-style games out there that provide fun gameplay and addictive action without slacking on the story. Hardcore Utawarerumono might get more pleasure out of this game than fresh faces would, but are sure to be just as disappointed by how thoroughly the story has been butchered.
With a quirkiness to it that stands out from the rest of the series, Link's Awakening still holds up beautifully well as a modern 2D Zelda game. Outside of some nagging performance issues, Link's Awakening is a wonderful remake of a Game Boy classic.
Daymare: 1998 feels like going back to visit a friend from school who still lives a youthful life free of responsibility. It's fun for a while, but you eventually realise that there is a reason you left that lifestyle behind. Were this released before Capcom's own Resident Evil 2 remake, its issues might not have been so apparent. Oddly stranded in time, this now feels too clunky for newcomers and is one for genre aficionados interested in the evolution of survival horror.
I've got very mixed feelings about Borderlands 3. Overall I like it and it's fun to play, but it could have been so much more and the writing feels like time traveling back to your high school days and being surprised and a little disappointed at how immature everyone is. Few things in life are as embarrassing as the person you were five years ago. If you're not embarrassed, then I'm sorry to say that you may well be the Borderlands 3 of your friend group; stuck in the past unable to grow or change in any meaningful way, relying on fart jokes as a stand-in for your personality.
I couldn't be happier about the return of the Ninja Warriors. The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors takes classic arcade action and updates it for a brand new era of ninjas. Combat is slick and addictive, and every level is more enjoyable than the last. Unfortunately, the ride just ends far too soon, and without any extra modes or stages to battle your way through after the credits roll, this is an excellent but ultimately far too short experience. I hope the Ninja Warriors stick around longer the next time they return.
eFootball PES 2020 may be a symbolic start of a new era for Konami, but it feels like not much has changed over last year's version of the game. In fact, it might even be that last year's version plays a shade better compared to this version. When PES 2020 works properly it is sublime, but issues on the pitch need addressed to really be considered worth upgrading.
Truly incredible, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a pop-culture gem that celebrates music and games in a passionately individual way. There has never been anything else quite like it, and if you have even a passing interest in gaming’s inherent value you need to play it. And then play it again.
Super Dodgeball Beats' manga-influenced visuals are sure to draw you in, but sadly aren't backed up by its middle-of-the-road rhythm action.
Once you fall into the groove, Oninaki is greatly enjoyable, even if it initially falls flat because of its repetitive combat. The story heads to dark places surrounding the central theming, occasionally in a ham-fisted way, but still manages to have emotional impact. Ultimately though, Oninaki is a gem of a game if you're persistent in putting in the work. Tokyo RPG Factory have done it again
You could reel off the array of influences you might see in Creature in the Well, but ultimately this is a unique, beautiful game that forges its own path amongst them. Simply put, it's astoundingly good.
Exception is a Tron-like visual feast, full of inventive and dynamic action platforming that's as satisfying as it is stylish.
Daemon X Machina sets the bar for robot action games. The addictive mecha fighting is almost flawless, but it's complemented by so many other incredible parts to the game. There's a rich, unique world filled with incredible and memorable characters, endless and addictive customisation, gorgeous visuals and a jaw-dropping soundtrack. Daemon X Machina rarely stumbles, and even when it did, I still couldn't help but be impressed by this amazing new experience.
Blasphemous is a great little 2D Souls-like which will definitely appeal to fans of dark and difficult games. It doesn't have the polish of the likes of Dead Cells and is more linear than true Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, but follows in the bloodied footsteps of titles like Death's Gambit and Slain: Back From Hell.
Greedfall has an ambitious story, but it's not backed up by the clearly repeated environments, simple combat and dull abilities that take ages to unlock. Seasoned RPG players might well be able able to look past those flaws in favour of the interesting, well written stories about political manoeuvres and oppression that make up the bulk of the quests in this pretty dark, deep world.
Apsulov: End of Gods is a worthy counterpart to other great Norse games of recent years. With only a small development team, it can't match the presentation of some of the games that inspired it, but it makes up for this with a distinctive character. Taking the ideas of Doom 3 and Dead Space and mixing them up with Norse mythology, this is a really interesting and enjoyable horror experience.