Joe Apsey's Reviews
The Horizon formula has been perfected in Forza Horizon 5. Playground Games has retained what fans loved in previous games, but offers fine-tuned gameplay and a more diverse open world to explore. This is one of the most polished games of the year, and with continued support and regular content, it has the potential to thrive.
Rainbow Six Extraction is a refreshing addition to the co-op shooter genre that ditches endless horde slaying for refined, tactical, and stealthy gameplay. With enough support and new content, Extraction could set a new benchmark for co-op games.
Metro Exodus is an amazing and beautiful game that offers a new style and experience from 2033 and Last Light. With polished visuals and an amazing soundtrack, the changes 4A Games have implemented create awesome environments and enjoyable gameplay, taking you across various landscapes of Europe. However, in doing so, the survival horror and dark, claustrophobic tone have almost entirely been left behind at the station.
The Hong Kong Massacre is a game that will leave you with vivid memories. The awesome stunts you pulled off, the impossible feats you were able to achieve, and the crazy killing sprees will all stick in your mind. It is a game that perfectly executes on a vision and offers some of the most gratifying few hours you can find in gaming today.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is an excellent stopgap before the inevitable Wolfenstein 3. You can dip your toes back into the world and the new combat changes come together to create the best combat in the series. Light RPG elements help add a new flavour to the franchise as well. Jess and Soph are the standout stars of Youngblood and help lift up the underwhelming and largely inconsequential main narrative. The overall package isn't as good as The New Order, but Youngblood is a silly, fun, and gory romp worth experiencing.
Just Dance 2020 pushes the franchise forward by creating more complex choreographies and introducing new themes and styles of music through its diverse songlist. The returning modes remain as solid as they were with a few noticeable quality of life improvements. At its conclusion the All-Stars Mode feels a little underwhelming, but no matter what occasion or reason you want to buy it for, Just Dance 2020 is highly recommended.
Ashen is one of the best souls-likes around and its quality matches that of the games that gave birth to the genre. The mystery and lore help to build a fascinating world that excellently complements the open and varied environments and strange, contorted creatures you will fight in them. A44 have provided a big breath of fresh air in a genre desperately in need of reinvigoration.
Darksiders Genesis is a rousing achievement, taking the pillars of the franchise and bringing them to a new genre and perspective. That shift is pulled off almost to perfection, creating one of the better games in the franchise and a satisfying and rewarding combat experience with a lot of meat on its bones.
Krillbite should be commended for what the achieve with Mosaic, crafting an experience that wholly commits to its themes, atmosphere, and narrative. Each moving part of the game contributes to the whole journey and creates an exceptional replication of the bleak, hostile, and depressing lifestyle that is modern capitalist-fueled city-life. It isn't a particularly enjoyable game to play, but that lack of gratification is just another part of the magnificent mosaic that is, Mosaic.
Othercide is the most pristine AA game I have played. Its haunting world and grotesque creature design cement themselves as some of the best in gothic horror, whilst the unique, timeline-based combat provides a twist on traditional tactical games. Othercide is far more than just a striking art style and everyone should give one of the most unique games of the year a shot.
The Jackbox Party Pack 7 brings us a collection of five games that make for one of the better packs to release in recent memory. Talking Points and The Devil And The Details should be new mainstays for how frantic and fun they are, with Champ'd Up and Blather Round complementing them nicely. Quiplash 3 disappoints with its changes, but the package as a whole is a thrilling collection for any party or group gathering.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is an impressive and quality JRPG that successfully acts as a jumping in-point for new fans and also ties itself to the series' past in exciting and engaging ways. The turn-based combat has been infused with some mechanics that help retain the action and over-the-top hilarity the series is known for. Mini-games once again shine and there is a lot packed into Ijincho. Like A Dragon paves the way for a bright future for the franchise.
Outriders is an excellent video game that doesn't drown itself in marketplaces and all the traditional systems we have come to know from a live service. By positioning itself as a complete experience, with dozens of hours of content to play through, along with engaging, varied, and deep combat, it exceeds expectations and manages to lay a firm foundation for a franchise that I hope manifests itself in the future.
Where The Heart Leads is a fascinating and enthralling look at life and the full timeline of it and just how every moment shapes us as humans. Marrying gameplay and narrative wonderfully, Armature has created one of the best narrative-adventures ever. Overall, it is a little long and the opening doesn't grab like the end does, but even still, Where The Heart Leads is a journey like no other. It is an experience that I will carry with me as I progress through life.
Starlink: Battle For Atlas is a fun and enjoyable open-world space sim that tells a charming story with a likeable cast of characters. Despite its repetitive side activities and money-sucking selection of toys, the core gameplay loop and combat system are worth your time. The fact that everything can be brought digitally is also a plus.
Discovering the secrets of the Freedom Town cult, who has power and influence where, as well as the inner workings of the leadership are the best parts of The Church In The Darkness. That combines with excellent stealth gameplay, a dynamic and engaging scenario-based narrative, and some excellent characters with great voice acting to create a memorable and unique experience. An experience that is only held back by a few technical issues and some missing quality of life features.
The Surge 2 is a much better, engaging, and rewarding experience than the first game. Dozens of quality of life improvements, more interesting environments and characters, and the addition of parrying makes The Surge 2 a must-play for anyone who even slightly enjoyed their time with the first game. However, the game holds itself back from being an excellent souls-like with some poor lighting in areas, intense difficulty spikes, and a final area that is just plain unfun.
Avicii Invector is a wonderful tribute to the EDM artist and celebrates his work by creating a diverse tracklist from across his career. The rhythm gameplay has its own unique twists and provides a challenging experience. The visual effects can get a bit much at times, throwing off your streak, but the game is still a wonderful way to surround yourself with some of the best EDM music from the past decade.
Journey To The Savage Planet is a fun, arcadey ride with its comedic characters, cartoony art style and unique blend of game genres. Secrets and secondary objectives galore, creative creature design, and a rewarding gameplay loop only add to that ride. Although the co-op disappoints, you shouldn't overlook Typhoon Studios' great first game.
Bloodroots combat is fast and frenetic that is on par with games like Hotline Miami and The Hong Kong Massacre. With great presentation and a good amount of replayability, Bloodroots is a wildly bloody and thoroughly satisfying time.