Chris Jecks
All in all, Road 96: Mile 0 feels like a missed opportunity. Rather than building on what the original game had done so well, it deviates to tell an uninspired story with a gameplay mechanic that just doesn’t really feel all that interesting to play. Road 96 fans will find something to like here, but don’t go in expecting an epic sequel. Even at just five-hours, it can feel like a bit of a drag to finish.
The development team has to be applauded for pushing the boundary of the horror industry with its ideas. It’s just a shame that it stumbles so heavily when it comes to the execution and dilutes its strongest element with generic, repetitive gameplay.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town does have that compelling farming gameplay loop that we’ve seen time and time again in different series, but it lacks depth — much like the rest of the game — to keep farming sim veterans coming back. At a time where the likes of Stardew Valley continue to push the genre forward and provide greater longevity, it’s difficult to recommend this rough-around-the-edges excursion to Olive Town.
The wasteland of West Virginia is a dangerous one, filled with interesting things to uncover off the beaten path and the potential to improve. But right now, it's hard to recommend it to anyone outside of die-hard fans of the series.
Robinson: The Journey was one of my most anticipated VR titles and the final outcome is incredibly disappointing. The control scheme feels like an afterthought, motion sickness plagues the exploration and puzzle-based gameplay, and a number of technical hiccups lead to things taking far longer than they really should or, in some cases, so infuriating you’ll feel like giving up.
Hardcore fans of the original game may find some fun here, but those who have played more comprehensive farming sims from recent years, like Stardew, don’t expect it to keep your attention for too long.
Redfall feels like a victim of the great, Game Pass machine. A game with heaps of style and potential that ultimately falls short in core areas like story, mission variety and technical performance. I can’t help shake the feeling development may have been rushed in order to fill a gap in the subscription service’s exclusives release schedule. It’s fun in parts and its wider potential occasionally manages to shine through, but it ultimately serves as another reminder that Microsoft’s first-party offerings still lag behind the best the industry has to offer.
I’d gone in hoping for a groundbreaking style of narrative-driven experience, one that operated on a sprawling web of branching paths over the course of 30 years of events, and was left underwhelmed by a fairly by-the-numbers entry in the genre that only dips its toe into its three decades-of family history and character entanglement. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll probably have some fun with this, but it’s hardly the revelation that the decision-based, narrative-driven genre feels like it so desperately needs.
Trek to Yomi feels like a victim of its own cinematic inspirations and artistic ambitions. While satisfying at times, the combat is ultimately pretty one-note and begins to outstay its welcome by the time you’ve reached the end of Hiroki’s journey. I’m a sucker for artistically driven indie experiences, but there’s got to be some strong gameplay forming a foundation for it, and I can’t say I overly enjoyed my time accompanying Hiroki on his quest for vengeance.
Sable will find an audience that truly adores its free-form exploration, stylistic visuals, engaging writing and chill soundtrack, but for me, these redeeming qualities were lost in a sandy sea of emptiness and repetition in its core mechanics. Its messages certainly resonated with me but its gameplay lacked the variety to truly keep me hooked for lengthier sessions. If you’re looking for a chill experience and can overlook any performance issues that aren’t quite resolved by the time you pick it up, then Sable will deliver. I just can’t help shake the feeling of missed potential here.
The Ascent is a tough game to recommend for solo players in its current state. Its buggy, tedious at its best and utterly frustrating at its worst. While I’m sure playing with friends will resolve some of my chief complaints, more fundamental issues like a rather boring overworld can’t be fixed with a few laughs with friends.
If you’re looking for something to pass the time on a flight with a friend, or just something to occasionally whip out once you’ve had a few drinks then it’ll do the job, but it’s unlikely to be a staple party game for years to come.
If you can pick up Maquette from free as March 2021’s PlayStation Plus title, it’s difficult to argue against. But if you’re looking to pay full price for this 3-hour puzzler, you’re money’s better spent elsewhere.
Marvel’s Avengers is a game of two halves, and neither are anything special available.
The Crew 2 still isn't fully delivering the ambitious open-world racer that Ivory Tower nor Ubisoft wants the series to become, and I can't help but feel it's because it's trying to accommodate both the single-player and multiplayer camps. Its single-player content, while fun, lacks any real impact due to its literally non-existent story, and its the absence of any PvP feels like a massive missed opportunity.
As a season, Guardians of the Galaxy delivered the kind of experience I wanted. It's the most I've found myself laughing and smiling since Tales From the Borderlands, and I enjoyed the adventure and story laid out here more than the sequel movie that released this year.
Though it drags a little during the middle, episode four did manage to hook me back in by the end. I'm intrigued to see exactly how the series pans out considering the state of the Guardians by the episode's close.
While I have to tip my hat to Housemarque for trying something different, Matterfall feels more like a side project than a proper release in the developer's esteemed lineage of twin-stick shooters. The controls lack the same level of slick polish, the main experience is short, and there's little to keep you coming back.
I find myself waiting for the finale with mixed feelings. Episode four's finale has me eager to jump into the finale and face what comes Javi and the group's way, but I really hope Telltale nails down the pacing for episode five.
Rime has the potential to be so much more than it actually is. It's got stunning presentation, an intriguing world, and some neat ideas. However, all of this is overshadowed by the more mundane puzzles and glaring technical issues that come with it. While Rime may well have looked to some of the modern greats for inspiration, it'll struggle to be remembered for half as long.