Charlie Hall
Sadly, Days of War feels like its developers tried and failed to reach a bridge too far, and that’s a real shame.
Despite its imperfections, fans of tactical strategy games should snatch XCOM: Chimera Squad up as soon as possible.
This is a near miss, but as anyone who has ever played a turn-based game will tell you, a near miss can be all the enemy needs to take you out. This is an interesting, but hardly essential, addition to the Gears family.
Even if you just show up to take in the sights, it’s an experience that is well worth your time. Just turn on the AI pilot, kick back with a glass of Champagne in first class, and enjoy the ride.
I’m looking forward to the dozens, if not hundreds, of more hours yet to come.
From inside my HTC Vive Pro, I feel totally immersed in the action. I'm surrounded by cockpits that look just like they do in the classic films. My ears are filled with familiar Star Wars sounds that I can immediately recognize, and Squadrons' excellent binaural audio brings it to life all around me. I can look in any direction, moving my head as fast as I want without the game struggling to keep up with me. Even while boosting, rolling, and turning to keep a bead on other players during multiplayer, I always felt in control.
Ultimately, it’s that modern-day Mr. Rogers moralism that saves Bugsnax in the end. I’d happily recommend it to any family, and to any parent looking for a few hours to themselves — either in front of the screen for a bit of casual gameplay, or in the next room while the kids enjoy it all on their own.
Look no further than the integrated proximity chat, which incorporates voice and text. It's not nearly as nuanced as the Teamspeak plugins utilized by dedicated military simulation groups like Shack Tactical (a group of which I am a member, for what it's worth). Camelpoop420 sounds just as loud and shrill when he's across the street as when he's right next to you, and the directional audio in these situations is a bit hit-or-miss. But it gets the job done. You can heckle, you can taunt, you can make people panic as you stalk them through the smoke... or you can make friends.