The List's Reviews
But, as is always the case with Assassin’s Creed, the setting really makes it stand out. A built-in codex features a treasure trove of historical research, all of which has fed into this version’s immaculate creation and, while its various systemic changes will annoy some, there’s no denying that its representation of historical Baghdad is a joy to explore.
New theatrical set-pieces have been captured using ‘volumetric video’ which means that it’s possible to walk around the ghostly actors as they perform; it’s not quite as spooky as it sounds but it’s technically impressive. While the performances are a big improvement on the original’s famously hammy sequences, they’re knowingly arch and fit right into the setting. And although the mansion design has been slightly tweaked, fans of the first game will feel right at home; the house starts off in a ruinous state but progression helps to bring it back to life by dusting cobwebs and fixing its disrepair. There remains much love for this franchise and it’s great to see new technology and artistry being used to bring it bang up to date for a modern audience.
It certainly looks the part: lush, dynamic backgrounds are detailed with cascading waterfalls, impossibly huge machines and enormous mythical beasts. And this is just as well given that players will become very acquainted with the map. When new abilities are unlocked, it’s necessary to return to previous locations that can then be explored further. And in order to keep track of awkward sections, it’s possible to pin screenshots to the map, a neat feature we’ll hopefully see taken up by other games. The Lost Crown is a bold new entry for this series and a great entry point for players new to the genre.
Thankfully, its sequel is a calmer affair. Set aboard an ocean liner, it relies on a more subtle creepiness and is much less reliant on clichéd tropes such as thunderstorms, dolls and toy clowns. Away from the constraints of the first game’s mansion, it presents a more imaginative mise en scène and the path forward is mercifully clearer. Overall, this is a good package with plenty of scares, although at times it can feel a bit much, like being bludgeoned by a haunted fairground ride.
Player customisation (historically a really big deal in this series) is laughably limited, the menus are buggy, there’s terrible lag when taking shots, and there’s no proper tutorial to explain how all the complex systems work. And yet it is the best-looking golf simulation around thanks to the heft of EA’s vast resources. Knowing the importance (and price) of the PGA licence, it’s hard to imagine the various issues won’t be fixed. But it was obviously released way too soon and currently sits in the rough.
As its unwieldy title suggests, unlike 2016's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered there are no multiplayer modes included which does make this an incomplete experience, although when its predecessor was resurrected its multiplayer lobbies were frustratingly sparse. Despite its testing difficulty spikes, Modern Warfare 2 is still an exciting, globe-trotting adventure which looks great on modern hardware.
While Left 4 Dead is a clear influence, Fireteam Elite really hasn't grasped the notion that players need some room to breathe and collect their thoughts. Nowhere is safe, and the constant onslaught quickly becomes tiring. While missions only last about 20 minutes, they're unwaveringly stressful, and there's so much to take in that the motion tracker – annoyingly located on the far right of the screen – is practically redundant. If it's just you and the Working Joes on a squad then Aliens: Fireteam Elite can feel like hard work; it's very much at its best when played with friends, basking in the nostalgia of this resilient series.
Call Of Duty: Vanguard is less enticing than its recent forebears and that's a real problem when it's facing its own competition with free-to-play battle royale CoD: Warzone riding high (not to mention rival Battlefield 2042 out later this month). But with a solid multiplayer mode on offer, there's enough here to keep fans occupied over Christmas at least.
The co-op PvE shooter has entered something of a renaissance recently, particularly thanks to the success of Back 4 Blood, although whether or not Extraction has the staying power to sustain an active community remains to be seen. Exploiting the popularity of the Siege universe is a canny move, but for every Left 4 Dead (still going strong) there's an Evolve (now long defunct). Extraction's high difficulty, even on the easiest setting, walks a fine line between alienating casual players and giving hardcore survival fans something to chew on. But the enduring familiarity of its specialists gives it a fighting chance.
Although notable as the first game to use Unreal Engine 4, the graphics are perfunctory and drab. If only more effort had gone into crafting an interesting environment rather than relying on the game to conjure its own random shocks.