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I have so much love for this game as a complete package, and I'm excited to keep going with next year's PlayStation 5 remaster, but I can't shake the feeling that The First Samurai could've done more.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a weird game in that it feels like it should have came out several years before it actually arrived. It's stuck in time. It's easy to appreciate the budget that went into making it look the way it does, and I hope Respawn gives it another go; but it needed so much more than a shiny veneer to survive in this current VR climate.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a victim of bloat, but you can choose to ignore a lot of it and take in the sights. That's where Night City is at its best, and I sincerely suggest that you take your time going through it, as rushing will only lead to disappointment. Even just strolling through though though, you'll probably be left wanting more.
I spent close to a dozen hours with the main progression path in PixelJunk Eden 2, and I've hardly dug into the unlimited-time "choose your garden and Grimp" free-play mode. Whenever I feel the gotta-catch-'em-all collectathon itch, I'll be sure to head there first since that mode has its own achievements. You can't tell me the total number of seeds in each level and not expect me to hunt them down.
If the writers weren't so eager to spoil their own surprises, I think we'd be looking at one outstanding narrative-driven adventure here. As it is, Call of the Sea is a pleasing piece of pulp fiction and a decent test of your puzzle-solving skills.
This review is on the short side because there isn't a whole lot to Worms Rumble as is. You queue up for your mode of choice (which will probably be battle royale solo queue more often than not), you try your best to rank, unlock a few cosmetics you may or may not use; then repeat. Like the hundreds of games on the market like it, it can be a joy to play, but you'll likely want to wash it out with something else later that afternoon.
I was skeptical of Immortals Fenyx Rising after trying the demo, but it comes together with more context. It might be sloppy sometimes, even in regards to the conversation of open world adventures, but it offers up a lot of fast-paced arcade fun. I'd definitely be interested in a true current-gen sequel with a clear vision that shores up some of its bigger issues.
Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Twin Mirror is the rare game where I love the world, premise, and characters, but can't actually professionally recommend it. The foundation was laid, but a good story needs more than just the building blocks. In hindsight, following Life is Strange's episodic model might've worked wonders here, as it would've bought Dontnod extra development time along the way. All throughout Twin Mirror, people complain that Higgs abandoned Basswood and won't spend any time there. As it turns out, we need to spend more time in Basswood too.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands hasn't quite wowed me in the way that Legion did, but it's an improvement upon many concepts from Battle for Azeroth. There's a clearer story that seems to have more embedded bones, with a more pronounced set of zones that stand on their own. As always long-term support remains to be seen, but for now, WoW is still one of the best MMOs out there.
Thought it would greatly benefit from some post-release updates and tweaks, Tracks: Toybox Edition delivers just about everything I could have wanted with a wooden train set simulator.
I had no idea what to expect jumping into Until You Fall, but I ended up getting a nice series of workouts on top of a pretty thrilling VR combat simulator. If you're looking for the next thing to buy with your shiny new VR device, this is it.
There's something so magical about the way Overcooked mixes simple cooking instructions with frantic stage hazards that require verbal check-ins between co-op players. I can't get enough. I've lost track of how many times I've beaten these games, and it's a testament to their design that they still hold up so well. If you're hankering for more happy, shouty, don't-blame-me vibes, All You Can Eat feels definitive.
As Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge continues to evolve, it could get more interesting. Right now, it feels like a decent early VR title that was merely expanded upon. That's not necessarily a bad thing! I just wish several aspects of it were more fleshed out. It's still more captivating than the recent trilogy.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity brings some of the same "Warriors" baggage along with it, but as someone who was always into these Omega Force romps, the juice was worth the squeeze. The story was genuinely enthralling throughout and it serves as a great companion piece for Breath of the Wild, while forging its own identity in many respects. I suspect a lot of the alterations are going to be controversial, but I like that they took some big swings and really went with it.
From its shadowy story campaign to its frantic multiplayer action, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War offers the thrilling and magnetic gameplay expected of the series, shined up with solid character models, impressive vistas, and sharp visual effects. While there's undeniably room for improvement regarding innovation, Black Ops Cold War gets Call of Duty's third generation off to a strong start.
Bluepoint Games and From Software are among the best in the business, and we're fortunate to have their strengths coalesce for such a stellar remake. This console generation is less than a week old, but something tells me we're still going to be raving about Demon's Souls when it comes to a close.
The Falconeer tries to be a legit dogfighting game and it plays the part to an extent; but there isn't much holding it all together. I feel like I've said this often in 2020, but I wouldn't mind seeing the developer take another crack at it, because there's a lot of good groundwork here.
It's a shame this had to be $70 out of the gate on PS5 (it's $59.99 on PC) and that it has to be tethered to an always-online system. Whoever made that decision doomed this project's reputation, at least in the short term. Godfall is going to go down as one of the most divisive games of this generation's launch: a relic to some, a wild whispered-about gem to others. Make sure that before you get it, all of your action-junkie boxes are checked.
Kingdom Hearts is a good rhythm game that meanders way too often with its presentation. If you're a diehard fan who sings "Simple and Clean" to themselves in the shower, you'll probably love a trip down memory lane, while humming all of the battle sequences that a lot of casual players might skip over. Just know that it might take some work to get to your favorite parts.
You've probably played a game like The Pathless before, but you haven't played The Pathless. If you're into these types of games (you know who you are), this is another one you can add to the pile. I say "pile" endearingly, as it's short enough to justify playing right away without becoming backlog fodder.