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I finished AWE with a yearning for more Alan Wake and a yearning for more Control. Remedy has more or less confirmed we'll get more of both at some point in the future, although they might be presented through the lens of yet another series. That's the reality of the Remedy Connected Universe. As a trial run, AWE manages to be a great double-dip on some beloved narratives, even though it's not necessarily a great representation of either Control or Alan Wake individually. Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts, sometimes the lake is really an ocean.
From a purely visual novel standpoint, the game is entertaining and well-written, but it fails to make use of the one thing that makes it unique. It has the love it needs, but it will need more training before it can truly be called a "good boy."
Kandagawa Jet Girls delights with its boisterous, glowing presentation, cast of vibrant characters, and array of fun side-attractions. But the jet-ski action itself is mostly dull, struggling to offer a decent challenge or a genuine sense of speed. Jet Girls rides waves of goodwill thanks to its infectious personality, but this eventually gives way to tepid, monotonous gameplay, hampering what could have been one of Marvelous' best releases yet.
Fast & Furious Crossroads is the closest the series has come yet to delivering an experience worthy of the blockbuster movie franchise, but skids off track with dull missions, frustrating mechanics, and lonely multiplayer lobbies. Crucially, the driving itself just isn't fun, resulting in a bland experience interchangeable with any other street racing franchise.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a weak adaptation of the series, but the action mechanics just aren't all there either, dragging it down even further. With a few tweaks it could be a fun little weekend mascot game, but as is, this adaption isn't going to appeal to just about anyone.
Like the rest of the experiences found on Spica Island, these rhythm battles can best be described as quaint. And while that term may not be the one publishers race to add to an accolades trailer, I hope the developers see it as the compliment I intend it to be. Because this is not the most engrossing game I'll play in 2020 or one I'll even remember six months from now. But the congenial nature of Giraffe and Annika was enough to be a welcoming, brief respite from an otherwise weary world.
A Total War Saga: Troy plays it safe in some slightly disappointing ways, but brings enough new to the table that I would appreciate seeing its ideas make their way over to the next mainline Total War game.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is built upon a highly inventive central concept and smartly dressed in an authentic audio/visual package that accurately captures the dangerous world of The Shelby Family. The inventiveness of this core element is not captilised upon, however, which results in very repetitive and robotic gameplay. Die-hard Peaky Blinders fans might find a few hours of entertainment but, overall, Mastermind is a missed opportunity.
Nonetheless, I found myself largely enamored with Phoenotopia Awakening. Its often humorous and sometimes sentimental dialogue got through to me, and its challenging but tight platforming action really appealed. I'm a little bit weary from my trek through its expansive campaign, but I'm satisfied all the same. It's an aesthetically pleasing, unforgivingly mean, but an altogether lovingly assembled experience.
Battletoads is another one of 2020's infamous oddities. I suspect it's going to be highly polarizing (not only due to the adherence to retro style difficulty but the newness of the art and humor), but it somewhat won me over due to sheer force of will. I also can safely assume that I'm going to be on the higher-end of the spectrum of liking it: but if we never see these dudes again because this game was an absolute cacophony, I'll be a bit bummed.
Hyper Scape has some cool ideas, but still feels like it's in beta even after the 1.0 launch, especially on PC. We've seen Ubisoft snatch victory from the jaws of "somewhat underwhelming" before. Maybe they can do it again.
Despite my qualms with certain challenges and the last boss, I cannot get enough of Risk of Rain 2. I love the characters and discovering secrets while setting new goals for myself. As someone who mostly bounced off the first game, the sequel sucked me in like a Primordial Cube (an in-joke, hah!).
Having played through Horizon Zero Dawn on PC, my view of it hasn’t changed since I first played it in early 2017. There’s a lot of open world bloat present, but when it works, it works. And man is it still beautiful, especially on PC.
I did enjoy what time I spent with Lost Wing, though that didn't exactly last long.
If none of our hopes and dreams pan out (I'm sure at least some of them will considering the game's early success), Fall Guys is still one of the feel-good excursions of 2020. How much longevity players can get out of it will vary from person to person, but as someone who had essentially called it quits on the all-too-samey battle royale genre, I'm having a ridiculously fun time right here and now.
Merchant of the Skies is just disappointingly flat. It's enjoyable enough to play through — once. However, after you've accumulated your wealth, there's little left to be done. Another layer of challenge would have done the game a world of good, but as it stands, it's just a one-way trip.
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxiboost On is what Gundam Versus should have been in the first place. A more properly thought-out offline suite, split-screen support, LAN mode, a deep roster, and an improved netcode all lead to a superior package that can appeal to even non-Gundam fans. However, the lack of a proper tutorial and some questionable decisions with the online hold it back as a whole. Regardless of these issues, it has absolutely lived up to the hype of players who experienced it during its arcade reign.
Hellbound is pretty upfront with what it is. If you've already burned through most of the homages I listed above, give this a shot.
It feels really weird for a new take on Crysis to be releasing so close to the next generation, behind the curve. For those of you who are curious about this series and want to jump in, you could do a whole lot worse on the Nintendo Switch. If you want to play Crysis in the most shiny way possible and own another platform, it's best to wait.
Over the course of its roughly three-hour runtime, I laughed and smiled a bunch. That's more than enough for me. This could have easily ended up as an embarrassing attempt to relive and milk the franchises' past success, but it turned out to be something much more enjoyable. It's not the flashbang of passion and possibility that the original offered, because few things in this world are, but it feels like it has something unique to say, and I think most fans will walk away happy if they take the time to listen.