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Last reviewed: Palworld · yesterday
there's no denying that Age of Mythology’s gameplay can feel simplistic, which is ironic, considering how influential the series has been. Having played a bunch back in the day, the missed campaigns are appreciated, but we can’t see ourselves regularly returning to the well.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't quite BioWare back to its absolute best, but it is the most cohesive and emotionally engaging RPG that the studio has delivered since Mass Effect 3. Its shift to crunchy action combat is an improvement over Inquisition's middle-of-the-road approach, and although the game feels a little light on meaningful player choice, the storytelling pulls no punches when it actually matters. This is a gorgeous and gripping adventure, backed by a cast of endearing heroes and deliciously devious villains.
The Town of Light is a powerful experience that highlights a fascinating, if chilling, chapter in human history. The heavy atmosphere is achieved through the very real setting of Volterra, and Renée's unfortunate tale of life inside its walls that represents the woes of many real people. The story meanders a little too far into obscurity and can become confusing, and some long load times scupper things further. While you won't necessarily have fun in the traditional sense, it's worth playing if you're at all interested, as it contains some striking sequences that will stay with you long after you finish.
WipEout Omega Collection is an impressive remaster that shines at high speeds, though elements of this compilation are starting to show their age. Despite being boosted all the way up to 4K on the PS4 Pro, some of the tracks are returning for the fourth time, and while WipEout 2048's contemporary layouts look luxurious on the big screen, it can be hard to shake the feeling of familiarity on occasion. That said, if anti-grav is your bag, then there's nothing quite like the original – even with the number of inferior pretenders on the racing scene these days.
Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku!'s bite-sized stages are best suited to quick stints of dungeon delving. Stay much longer, and you might stumble across the frustrations that lie in its depths. Bouts of trial and error gameplay drag down an otherwise addictive release, and convoluted upgrade systems keep you from getting straight into the action. Still, the process of powering up your pixelated protagonist is a rewarding one once you find your groove.
Clementine is The Walking Dead, and by showing her transition into womanhood A New Frontier is just about a must for fans. But while it lays the foundations for new regulars in Javi and Kate, the fact is that all of the season's other story threads come to an abrupt and unsatisfying end in Episode 5: From the Gallows. There have been many good moments over the course of the season, but the finale does little with them, and the journey feels like a waste of time as a consequence.
Mixing things up a little could have worked wonders, but as it is, playing Neon Chrome is an exercise in tedium occasionally broken up by the odd exciting moment. The progression system amounts to little more than slowly increasing numbers next to things like 'health' and 'damage', and contradictory design choices mean that despite options being made available to you, the best option is almost always the same one. Ultimately, Neon Chrome is a game that wants you to keep coming back for more, but one that offers few reasons to actually do so.
Seasons After Fall isn't a perfect game to play, but rather a delightful game to look at. While it definitely could've used some more substance in its last couple hours, the games ethereal OST and lavish art style means that it is definitely worth checking out.
In terms of gameplay, Tekken 7 is masterful. Its overhauled rage system gives its already punchy combat a whole new dynamic, while helping to level the playing field for more casual players. Its story mode isn't quite the blockbuster that it thinks it is, but the insanely addictive treasure battle makes up for that on the single player front. Meanwhile, its online components can't be faulted – the newly introduced tournaments being a real highlight. Tekken 7 is a fantastic fighting game, and one of the best entries in the series.
Dating back to January of this year, Max's adventure has been quite a ride. After a couple of episodes that were pretty shaky, the French developer righted itself and delivered three consecutive home runs that absolutely blew us away, and this has culminated in a finale that delivers on everything that we could have possibly dreamed of. We definitely hope that Life Is Strange sees something of a second season, and we can't wait to see what DONTNOD does next.
Danger Zone is about as barebones as arcade games get, and yet its explosive gameplay loop is so addictive that it's somehow passed our crash test relatively unscathed. The presentation may be offensively simplistic and the runtime a little on the short side, but once you've launched your Smashbreaker a few times, you'll feel like all is well in the world.
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition doesn't revolutionise the action RPG genre, but it certainly has helped it evolve. The scrapping of class systems and skill trees gives you more control over the character that you want to make, while the hordes of collectable loot will keep you chopping and changing your loadout for a long time. While its story is a little stale and there is still something very conventional about how Haemimont Games' latest is set out, the variety of gameplay and four-player co-op will keep you coming back to Zagoravia for hours.
Portal Knights brings some interesting new wrinkles to the crafting genre that has become so popular recently. The increased focus on combat works well, particularly with the boss battles and having a clearly defined end goal is a great way of keeping you invested. Unfortunately, some of the other additions like the poorly thought out stats system and the reliance on random drops for creating crucial portals keeps the game from ever fully achieving knighthood.
Tequila Works' long-awaited title takes you on a heartfelt adventure through large, open areas full of personality and imaginative puzzles. Comparisons to the likes of Journey or ICO were inevitable, and while it can imitate a little too closely, it has just enough fresh ideas to set it apart. Its clean and colourful presentation is backed up by a truly excellent soundtrack, and the story conjures up some wonderful moments along its fairly brief duration. Those looking for a fun, cohesive, and original puzzle platformer could do far worse than investing some time in RiME.
For those of you which fantasied about your favorite DC characters fighting by bumping your action figures together, Injustice 2 extends that fantasy into an impressively executed video game. There's a lot to offer, and it will take you hundreds of hours to unlock everything, let alone attain the Platinum Trophy. The game's depth in fighting, story, and customisation options make it a worthy addition to not only any fighting gamer's library – but demands to be tried by people of all tastes.
Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 builds upon an already fantastic fighter, and those previously invested will no doubt appreciate the various additions and alterations. Guilty Gear's knack for combining incredible style with deep, almost open-ended combo-based gameplay is as impressive as ever, even if this isn't the most robust of expansions.
Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada attempts to shake things up with a bigger emphasis on RPG elements and a more personal story, but it doesn't always hit the mark. Seeing events unfold from the perspective of just a few characters does make for an interesting and engaging narrative, but the pacing is bogged down by boring filler missions. Likewise, chopping huge historical battles into bite-sized chunks adds depth to each scenario, but the epic scale and the thrill of thriving battlefields are lost in the process. Spirit of Sanada certainly isn't a bad game, but it is one of the weaker Warriors titles on PS4.