Lords Of Gaming
HomepageIf you were lucky enough to score a PS5 this holiday, Sackboy is a 3D audio showcase. If you can’t get enough of the PS5’s pack in-game Astro’s Playroom, Sackboy: A Big Adventure fills a platforming void Sony has been missing for years. While it does have some problems, these are issues most people will be able to get past. Even if it is resorting to buying the $90 version of the game to play as Sackboy Porter Bridges. Or never leaving the disc in your PS5 when you turn the console on. If you are looking for a family game to go with that new PS5, or are just wondering what happened to the platformers in Sony’s past, Sackboy is a must buy.
This is a major turning point in Destiny. A new subclass blueprint and a phenomenal new location make Beyond Light required playing for all Destiny fans. Centering the expansion around literal and emotional coldness paid off in spades. The Exo Stranger, easily the series’ most mysterious character, needed to happen at some point, and Beyond Light was that perfect moment. Even though Europa’s frozen moons don’t cover the glaring flaws, weather effects are great additions to Destiny. When we look back at Beyond Light in a year or two, we’ll see the groundwork for bigger features and story beats in this add-on.
After sinking in dozens of hours, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory became one of my favorites in the series. It is a perfect bookend to the Dark Seeker Saga storyline while teasing its next big step forward. While it is not the best stepping on point for newcomers, it makes a solid landing spot for veteran fans.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales as a sequel is a half-step from Marvel’s Spider-Man. The game is not trying to bring a fresh take on superhero open-worlds. Rather, it is refining the mechanics and shaping it around the true star of the game: Miles. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a completely character-driven game that knocks it out of the park and some. Miles, his family, and friends, his neighborhood – all are standout parts of this personal coming-of-age story that triumphs the original game. Take into account the rich Hispanic and Harlem culture is seen throughout, and you have something truly unique.
Overall, Dirt 5 is a well-thought-out off-road package that is built upon a successful foundation. Satisfying driving, robust physics, and weather effects remain core to the experience and content is aplenty. The game’s playground mode is a wonderful addition that will help spark its players’ creative juices. While Dirt 5’s graphics and effects are impressive, it does have technical issues like pop-ins and weird audio bugs. A day-one patch and GPU driver optimization should address these issues. All in all, Dirt 5 continues the trend of Codemaster’s already impressive racing pedigree.
As flawed as Dynamax Adventures are, this add-on showcases so much of the future for Pokemon. Yes, Dynamax Adventures should be revisited, but it is still a great addition to the series. Vast open areas should be the standard for Pokemon games now, not just a great showpiece. On that point, bringing back Roaming Legendary Pokemon was the best way to highlight the Wild Areas’ value. You need to regularly change your team for Legendary Clues, so thank goodness you have universal PC access. Finally, letting the player choose which Legendary Pokemon they wanted was a wise design choice, reinforcing a good precedent for future Pokemon DLC.
Disc Room has its sharp edges. I find the story to be fun, imaginative, and clever. With that said, how the story is presented over a few short comic strips with no lines of spoken dialog or names is going to be divisive. Also, I think Disc Room’s difficulty is going to turn some people off. You really have to be patient, die a lot, and adapt. Players should not be bothered by giving up and moving to a different room before coming back. This could be a game you might want to stay away from if you smash controllers. However; there are three difficulty sliders that slow down the pace of the game, decrease the complexity of the goals, as well as the hazards.
Overall Star Wars: Squadrons struggles to find its identity. For a console gamer, it is a small spin-off of Battlefront with a great story and fun flight controls. Yet for a VR consumer, this is one of the biggest games of the year. Moreover, if we are talking about PSVR, this could be the most impressive game to come out all year on the platform. If you own VR on PC or console and enjoy Star Wars you have to pick this game up. The same can be said with flight sticks There is a fantastic story with unique game mechanics. Compounded with a high level of detail given to every aspect of the game. It is a fantastic all-around experience for even the most novice Star Wars fan.
As a new Sam player, I had a ton of fun in both the single-player and co-op modes. I spilled a lot of sweat reloading the last save-game many times until I barely made it through alive. Finally succeeding in killing all the waves of enemies gives you that thrill of accomplishment that many games strive for but few achieve. The soundtrack is one of the highlights of the game. It works with the action very well except for inconsistent timings. Graphics on the other hand feels outdated, and not even the high-res textures can save it from appearing disappointing.
Overall, the game is a complete modern-day experience of both original Tony Hawk games. Aided by remarkable visual improvements, multiplayer, and a park creator. Plus nearly all of the music you know and love is back. All with the feel of one of the greatest games ever made. The discounted price undersells what Vicarious Visions have accomplished here. If you are new to the series this is a great place to experience what the big deal is while not having your eyes hurt from the aged visuals. If Tony Hawk was a part of your youth, this is a must-own game.