Gaming Instincts
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Dying Light 2: Stay Human is probably the first game of this year that you must play. It just has too good of a narrative to pass by, and it’s always a good time to meet new characters and get presented to a cool world. For those who enjoy titles where the plot is vital such as The Witcher 3, The Last of Us, Uncharted, or God of War, then this game will be right up your alley. Also, if you are looking for Game of Thrones in a video game format, then Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a perfect recipe for that.
Neo: The World Ends With you is one of the coolest RPGs you will play and not just this year. While the story doesn’t bring anything new to the table when compared to the original, this isn’t always a bad thing. The strongest points with both stories, which lies with the characters deliver in a way that few games do and make becoming invested in their journey easy.
Returnal is a unique experience that fires from all cylinders. The combat is tight and responsive. The progression system keeps the player intrigued and the story is delivered in a satisfying way. The one negative is its lack of save points, which was intentionally designed to avoid save scumming.
The craft and care of the Legendary Edition, from Mass Effect 1’s upgraded combat to Mass Effect 2’s new Pluto, honors its legacy for the dedicated fanbase. Barring minimal Mako fixes, every improvement is meaningful, making the Legendary Edition the foremost platform for a Mass Effect playthrough. I
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is a fantastic send-off as the last game in the series for this generation of consoles. It combines the best elements of Origins and Odyssey and makes it even better; it has great storytelling, a lovely cast of characters, a beautiful world, and plenty of areas to explore, and it is a lot of fun and feels great.
Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is not only a fantastic nostalgia trip for a modern age and old-school hardcore fans, it’s also a great game on its own merit and proves that modern day platformers can easily co-exist in a market that’s saturated with shooters, battle royales, competitive online games, and RPGs, if done right.
Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is a solid sequel. It has everything one would expect a sequel to have, such as better visuals, engine upgrades, additional characters to play, new areas to explore, and an evolution to the campaign gameplay. Honestly, it was surprising how much this game packed in when it comes to brand new content, especially for a generous $40 price point, as opposed to most other titles with a cost of $60.
I am just going to be flat-out transparent here and tell you that if you enjoy titles such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring but want a different setting in a completely different dimensional format with awesome atmosphere, sound, and music, then you must play Blasphemous 2. If you are a Souls fan, then you need to play this game. It’s simple as that.
Alan Wake 2 stands as an outstanding game, albeit with certain caveats. Players must embrace ambiguity and understand that it isn’t a detective game where unraveling the mystery rests solely on the player’s shoulders. However, within its scope, Alan Wake 2 delivers exceptionally well.
Overall, I believe Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a good game. However, it’s disappointing that the level of polish and stability isn’t quite up to par. I hope that with future patches and updates, the game will become a much more solid and enjoyable experience.
At the end of the day, The Last of Us is a two-generation old game already remastered for a new-generation console right after the launch of the PlayStation 4 with better visuals and overall fidelity. Sony, however, decided to take another shot at the game and create a completely new version for the PlayStation 5, introducing the franchise to those who have never played it or are about to watch the HBO series. The reality is that the fans are loyal and will most likely purchase anything related to The Last of Us brand, whether it’s something new or old.
In conclusion, Sniper Elite 5 is a worthy and well-executed cross-gen sequel that offers more of the same that you know and love. If you enjoyed Sniper Elite 4, then you’ll be happy with the new entry. If you’ve never played any of the titles, then you have no excuse not to try it. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass on day one, so if you do not want to spend the $60, then you can play it for free, thanks to your Game Pass subscription.
This game rallies its strengths and manages to deliver not just a great Superhero game, but a great game in general. Definitely don’t miss this adventure of Galactic Proportions.
Deathloop, like most the films it draws from, is not perfect. But what it gets right in its repetition is the zany over the top nature that the grindhouse was known for. Memorable moments will abound as you unleash your powers to take down the Visionaries or invade someone else’s loop.
nsomniac Games kept the very elements that made Ratchet & Clank special – Clank puzzles, diverse weaponry, whimsical charm – and expertly collided them with the current technological prowess. There are only a few imperfections with Rift Apart, the biggest criticism being a limitation of the dimensional shifting’s more extravagant functionality.
If one has been craving a true single-player RPG with a good leveling system, fantastic voice acting, good storytelling, and excellent pacing, then The Outer Worlds is a game that gamers must play. The game lasts around 30 hours, and that’s including completing both the main storyline and majority of side quests. Thankfully, with how many choices players have in this game, the replay value is high. It’s always fun to see the other outcomes in one’s next playthrough—or tenth.
Tropico 6 was a highly anticipated game and probably the best game in the series, as the whole world feels much more alive than in previous entries. The game’s pricing is fair, at only $50, and for how many hours of enjoyment it’s going to provide, it’s definitely worth a purchase. Like any other game, of course, Tropico 6 could use some improvement, especially in how much political choices and tasks actually matter and even more so in its military and combat aspects.
Overall, Halo 5: Guardians is a good addition to the franchise and has the best gameplay in the series, and that is a bold thing to say for a franchise that’s been running for 14 straight years. However, the technical sacrifices and image quality losses are a little too much this time around. Halo 5: Guardians is not game of the year material. However, it’s a great game on its own. The multiplayer is addicting, and the future story can go many interesting directions that will make the fate of Halo exciting.
Forza Motorsport will be receiving a final verdict of 8.5 out of 10. All in all, it’s a great game with a few weird design choices that hopefully could be addressed in the future. But the experience of racing itself is addicting, beautiful, and top-notch. It also has a ton of content for you to mess around with, 500 cars to collect, monthly rotational events to participate in, and a fun multiplayer mode to play by yourself or with your friends.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s storyline was disappointing, despite the compelling characters. However, the gameplay experience is nothing short of exceptional. It’s so captivating that I found myself yearning for more of it.