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Rebellion has returned to a good-enough sub-series with a better-than-average sequel. Better visuals, better combat and better creativity has created an enjoyable game, but it still struggles against an always-increasing sea of undead competitors. While removing local co-op leaves a sour taste, it’s not a deal-breaker, but that core feature removal isn’t replaced with any feature that feels as substantial. It’s diminishing returns.
Long story short, unlike my journey across the not-so savage planet: if you’re looking for fun with a hearty helping of a challenge, you’re in the right place. If you’re looking for a serious game with deep lore, you’re in the wrong place. Journey To The Savage Planet is a short but sweet and fun romp across a shallow pond, not to be taken too seriously but to be enjoyed without thinking too hard about it. I’d love to see a more in-depth sequel in the future but, for now, I’ll remain content with slapping rocks and loving my Pufferbirds.
While the rejection of these moments of Dragon Ball Z’s story is upsetting, Kakarot still plays well. It’s the Dragon Ball Z game we’ve always wanted; warts and all, Kakarot is hands-down a ballistic and powerful adaptation of one of anime’s greatest shows. Just like how CyberConnect 2’s Naruto games vastly improved by the time the fourth and final entry came around, Kakarot only requires minimal tweaking to become one of DBZ’s greatest games.
Darksiders Genesis feels like the next great step for a series that has, until now, often struggled a bit to find its own identity. What could have been thought of as lesser-than by moving the camera from behind to above has in no way had this effect, with Genesis still doing an excellent job of letting you defeat endless legions of devilish foes as you explore to make your horseman (horsemen, in this instance) better, stronger and more badass. Strife’s ranged attacks would have been enough to solidify Genesis as a rollicking twist on the Darksiders format on its own, but the fact that you’re able to do so also as War with either in solo or with a friend in co-op is the cherry on top.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare attempts to provide everything a CoD fan could want, albeit to mixed results. Its campaign is easily the best seven-hour experience the series has ever crafted, even if it’s political meddling of true events is particularly insulting. Combined with a solid multiplayer mode that has a mostly polished set of maps and a gun unlock system free from disgusting loot boxes or microtransactions and it should be an amazing title. Unfortunately, Spec Ops is broken and lets the game down.
Shenmue 3 is an acquired taste, very acquired, but it’s everything I ever wanted it to be. As a Shenmue sequel it’s fan-pleasing perfection. As an actual game it leaves some things to be desired: combat is clunky , facial animations are unpleasing and there are numerous translation oddities. However, at the end of the day, it’s a game I’ve awaited for years and I’m far from disappointed.
Overall, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a solid Star Wars game. A meandering narrative, weirdly-chosen protagonist, shoddy start and technical issues make it hard to recommend, especially with such technical issues on base Xbox One consoles, but it’s still a fantastic game beneath its issues.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is an absolute treat, even if it’s fairly basic.
It’s clear that WWE 2K20 needs a lot more time in the oven. The departure of Yukes has clearly had an effect on the series’ annual development, an effect that publisher 2K should have realised and accounted for. Even with the countless bugs and crashes, there’s still a soul here that’s hard to extinguish and for all its faults, at least we know the bigger company is to blame.
Little Town Hero is a very unique RPG. It’s short, unadventurous and not that grand, but its quaintness is admirable. It’s enjoyable enough, and for a budget price-point, it certainly is worth the price of admission. For players who were hoping for a grand adventure similar to Pokémon, Game Freak isn’t aiming for that. This is a smaller experience, and it’s far from perfect, but it’s at least a refreshing entry in a crowded genre.
It’s easy to see how players would prefer the convenience of undertaking Geralt’s journey on the go, either from the very beginning or as someone who missed out on Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine and are craving a way to jump in right away. Switcher 3 is the ultimate fantasy RPG and the ultimate in convenience.
There is no saving Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It’s a disgustingly predatory experience wrapped around an expansive world with the soul of a corporate PowerPoint. It’s got all the features modern open world games have, but with none of the heart. If Ubisoft were aiming to make the dullest experience possible, well done, they’ve achieved their goal with flying colours.
Borderlands 3 does technically evolve the franchise, and it is a fun time for those who know what they’re getting into. While most of the quests don’t have the motivation that you’d expect, the core gameplay is incredibly engaging. Every Vault Hunter feels fantastic to control and the world-hopping adventure leads to some gorgeous locales, but it’s not a decidedly better game than what’s come before. It’s one step forward and a juvenile step back to impress its friends. Oh, and there’s a fart at the end just for good measure.
If anything, Gears 5 proves that not only does The Coalition knows how to make a solid game in the series, but they also know how to evolve a long-running franchise.
Looking back at it, Man of Medan isn’t the awesome successor to Until Dawn we wanted, but it’s a good step to delivering that successor. While it inherits a similar structure – and it’s bizarre performance issues – it just isn’t as enthralling as what came before. Some routes are disjointed and the cast and environment aren’t as interesting as the sassy clique that fought off the Wendigos, but it’s still a strong horror experience that makes for a fantastic co-op experience. The look on your friend’s face when you accidentally kill his character is one you’ll never forget.
Control is one of Remedy’s Entertainment’s most inventive and captivating titles yet. For those still bummed out over the disappointing Quantum Break, Remedy has done well to improve on everything that upset players before. There’s more of everything: combat, content, style and story. This is the proud return of Remedy: distanced from the cold grasp of television, this is a full, lengthy title that always entertains.This is one of Remedy’s best.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a different kind of survival game, one that's ambition sees it continually ride a fine line between being enthralling and infuriating. To refine 10 million years of human history into roughly 50 or so hours of playtime (providing your clan survives) is a staggering feat, for sure, but some mechanics are so abstract that it'll leave certain players at a loss. Providing you have the patience for it, however, Ancestors can be a rewarding trip throughout human evolution.
For those of you who love a challenge, Double Fine’s charming adventure is far from an easy game. With devious bosses, dastardly platforming challenges and that ever-so-engaging roguelike butt-kicking, RAD is another fantastic title coming out of Double Fine.
There’s always fun, albeit repetitive fun, to be had. It’s a perfect match for the Nintendo Switch, it’s a match made in Mars.
Should you get this game? Yes. 100%. Absolutely. I will say, however, that it’s important to note that Terraria has been hit by the dreaded ‘Switch tax’ and goes for an entire $29.99 on Nintendo’s latest console. While I feel that this version of Terraria is very much worth the $29.99, you can still get it cheaper elsewhere if you’re on a budget or if you don’t own a Switch.