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Smash Bros. has often felt a bit like it was trying to do too much and while it has always been a fun series, the disparity between the fighting game and the party game didn't always mesh well. Ultimate is the perfect fusion of the two styles.
Transpose is one of most unique puzzle games that has crossed my path, and I'd definitely recommend it if you own one of the major VR systems. It's an experience that looks to show people that can do what seems impossible, and holds a message of positivity at its core. Transpose is a puzzle game that deserves the attention.
The Haunted Island is the perfect way to close out 2018. Playing this game made me happy and giggly in a way so few video games make me, and it's the kind of video game experience I wish I had more of. In an industry that only grows larger and more expansive every year, this latest release from Grace Bruxner is a standout treat that goes against the tide of video games and delivers a silly, adorable adventure that everyone deserves to experience.
Subnautica is a perfect example an open world survival game that doesn't rely on action, horror or combat elements to excite. Whilst these classic gaming features are involved to an extent, they take a back seat compared to the story, crafting and surviving elements. And this is what sets Subnautica apart from other survival experiences out there. Don't let this be the one that got away.
Just Cause 4 is the best entry in the series to date, offering spectacular free-wheeling destruction on a scale that's not been attempted before. Rico remains one of gaming's most enjoyable protagonists, but more than ever before, it's really all about what he's capable of doing rather than the events unfolding around him.
Arca's Path subscribes to the ‘do one thing and do it well' school of video game design, making it simple and intuitive to guide your ball through the steadily more complex and maze-like levels. It might lack some of the charm or adventurousness of other VR games released this year, but Arca's Path is a wonderfully accessible VR game that's incredibly easy to pick up and play.
Civ VI released two years ago for PC and has grown through updates, tweaked gameplay and DLC since then. The Switch version is just the base game, but that's more than OK. There's plenty to sink your teeth into, providing hours upon hours of unique experiences, accompanied by a divine soundtrack to really get you in the mood for building nations. Civ VI is a titan of a game and well worth your time, even if you've already spent hours on the PC version, because, now it's portable, which is potentially dangerous to those who have jobs. Now the threat of taking “just one more turn” can haunt you wherever you go.
The performance of the bikes and uninspiring career structure mean that the game quickly becomes a grind. In the first hour or so of gameplay, you are overwhelmed by the choice of bikes, tracks and artful menu design. But long-term, your excitement is quickly replaced by tedium. Which is a shame.
For newcomers, the initial grind might be off putting to some, but the wealth of things you can do in the game will keep you entertained for hours.
Gensokyo Defenders, like so many Touhou spinoff games before it, is a low budget affair that fails to capture the same level of satisfying gameplay and unique artistry present in the original games. While the gameplay is functional and sometimes entertaining, every other part of the package serves to bring that enjoyment to a screeching halt.
Both games suffer from the same issues of small track-lists and bizarre character-locking, but if you're a fan of Persona, you'll still end up having a hell of a lot of fun.
Flashpoint is a promising expansion that adds a wealth of variety to the Battletech package. It won’t occupy you for nearly as long as the base game did, but it definitely adds enough to justify dipping back in for a while.
Darksiders III, while more limited in scope than its predecessor, provides a tighter, more deliberate experience that elaborates on the lore we've seen so far. The smaller world of Darksiders 3 may disappoint some fans of the previous game, but this feels like a reboot of the series. Poor PC performance, a lack of side-objectives and some unimaginative world-design point to a game with ambitions bigger than its budget, but Darksiders II is a fun and challenging experience that kept me engaged across the length of its story.
Turf Wars is ultimately a significant improvement on its DLC predecessor, but still missing the depth and subtlety that made the main game so good.
Building on the foundations of the 2016 game, Hitman 2 is full of the best Hitman stealth action yet. Yes, it's evolutionary in some ways, and you have to accept the series' idiosyncratic take on the genre, but there's space for it to keep growing with the return of Escalation missions and continuing Elusive Contracts. Whether you're a blackmailing pink flamingo he satisfaction of an expertly planned and executed hit is like nothing else.
Overkill's The Walking Dead could have been something special, but it finds itself dragged down by poorly implemented and designed systems. There's flashes of what could have been, and there's a chance that Starbreeze will turn this game around in the coming months to rebuild from a poor launch, but as it stands I couldn't even recommend this game to the most hardcore of The Walking Dead fans.
Steel Rats is an undeniably daring experiment; fusing gameplay mechanics, varied visuals and control inputs that have no right to go together. The game should be an absolute mess, but it deftly weaves these disparate elements together and what we are left with is a thrilling and refreshing stunt=based shoot 'em up.
Maybe it is just the way the game is designed, maybe it is because of the poor balance, but The Legend of Evil ends up feeling like a puzzle game. It doesn't work as intended, or at least it doesn't seem like it. Without better balance, or maybe just a better explanation of what you are meant to do, this game has an unplayable campaign, but an enjoyable enough ‘arcade' mode.
The Bug Butcher is a spiritual successor that is very much possessed by its muse. This isn't a subtle nod, it is soaked in Pang and it's great because of it. The ability to play the game endlessly to beat your own score will keep you coming back. The fact that you can do it with a friend is just an even bigger incentive. The Bug Butcher isn't reinventing anything, but it is a damn fine version of a classic game.
While Road Redemption does have its issues, it did more than enough to keep me playing. Following in the tracks of Road Rash, it nails that one more go feeling that you can lose so much time to. However, while the core gameplay is entertaining, the surrounding package could have been better with basic online and and a roguelite structure that some may find uninspired. Road Redemption is a mixed bag that is fun to play, but it could have been so much better.