It’s this level of polish and accessibility that Blizzard have infused into Hearthstone that make it a great success, no matter how you feel about card games.

This is no Metroid Prime, and that’s a good thing. Rather, this is a reminder of what it means for a game to be of the Metroid half of a Metroidvania, and then some. That this IP exists in both the first-person genre-defining Metroid Prime series, and in its traditional 2D side-scrolling self is a testament to its flexibility and EMMI-like defiance of not being confined to a single shape...And in Metroid Dread, you’re not only getting arguably the best Metroid game to date, but maybe the best game of 2021.

The game’s various biomes are connected, which means your hunts are no longer bound by the old timey restraint known as ‘the loading screen’. This is a major improvement for the handheld side of the franchise, adding an open-world sheen and sense of realism to the biodiversity that is flora, fauna, and big bad monsters.

The campaign is worth checking out, Operations delivers clear forward thinking for Battlefield as a series in a way I think Rush never really did, and the maps are absolutely spectacular. Battlefield One is utterly brilliant.

Plus, it’s still one of the most intricately designed, fast-paced, and skill-centric multiplayer games ever created. One that can be enjoyed by players of all skill level.

Getting online and into the game though, rewards players with one of the most engaging single-player and co-op experiences in the business, so if you have patience and can look past Blizzard's biggest oversight, you're in for one of the year's best games.

In the end, with Diablo III being a game that millions have played over the years one might think it strange to refer to this port as essential or exceptional. But, in playing Diablo in handheld mode one quickly realises that the core experience, the flow, the skill and item-based action-RPG combat, is some of the best the genre has ever seen. Also, it’s a style perfectly suited to the on-the-go nature of the Switch. So, being able to take Diablo III with you wherever you go for a quick rift or bounty or two or three – is well-worth it.

I am thoroughly enjoying this new expansion for World of Warcraft. From the new additions to the enemy tagging system, to the way the new zones dynamically adapt to the player's level, and the way that the dungeon instancing system can now select players anywhere from Level 98 to 110 to fill a group, makes this new expansion one of the most player friendly experiences in WoW yet.

An RPG of this scope could never really be perfect, but Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire has got it where it counts – story. Not only in the linear progression of following a god to try and reason with a trail of wanton destruction, but in the open exploration and creating your own mark with Deadfire. There are very few lengthy, memorable, and expansive stories as what you can find here.

DOOM Eternal’s world is one that blends elements of traditional sci-fi with the sort of fantasy that resides, well, in the world of fantasy. Or, a cool-as-hell heavy metal album cover to suit the game’s heavy metal opera of fast drumming and chunky riffs, replete with choiristic guttural gregorian chants backing it all. There’s a vision and completeness on display that presents id Software as much more than tech pioneers. Eternal is as much a statement of renewed intent as it is a brilliant slice of first-person action from id. A studio that has taken the simplicity and peerless feel of DOOM 2016, Quake III Arena, and other past glories and expanded that into an experience that also captures the wonder of exploring new alien worlds and locations. To ‘Rip and Tear’ through.

It provides a compelling and mature story, great combat (eventually), all wrapped up in what is clearly one of the most visually impressive games to be released in a long time.

The game looks great and plays extremely intuitively, whether you stay with the buttons or go to the new right stick mechanics.

It isn’t without performance hiccups, especially the deeper you go. But the breadth of content here and the open-world nature both in terms of playspace and just pure choice in how you go about it is something rarely seen in games.

The problem isn’t that it’s too linear, it’s just that the balance is off. The combat variety across the three main characters bleeds into the storytelling and the relationships depicted across the lengthy story and wonderfully insane cinematics. With skill progression and hidden challenge stages to discover there’s reason to go back and tackle higher difficulties or certain missions from a different perspective. But there are diminishing returns when trade-in surprising story-beats and character moments for lacklustre level design and not enough variety in the locations you do battle.

It’s a compelling experience unlike anything else out in the market, despite borrowing heavily from a couple of other big guns. Thoroughly recommend.

Halo 4 stands as a particularly polished piece of fan fiction that not only deserves to be released, it carves its own way in an established universe, carefully paying homage to the tropes of what has come before, while boldly establishing its own mythology and gameplay lore.

Minor quality-of-life missteps aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is still an absolute gem, polished to a high sheen and worthy of slotting into any serious gamer's collection. Granted, if you've been keeping up with the Final Fantasy franchise recently, it won't feel like Square Enix has reinvented the gameplay wheel. However, it sure did reinvent the wheel of time. Without saying too much, what we have here is a divergent “defy destiny” tale that's sure to wrong-foot veterans.

And that’s what GT7 reminds you of throughout your journey -- that this series has always held car and automobile culture as its anchor point, and in return has become a part of that culture itself. To some, there may be aspects of GT7 that feel static or sterile, but Polyphony Digital isn’t the fun uncle, it’s always been the serious one. And in Gran Turismo 7, what we get is a serious dose of incredible, be it from an historical and cultured perspective, or in learning how to just drive.

DiRT 2 sacrificed a lot of its soul in the hunt for a wider, more youthful audience. DiRT 3 has halted this 'fun at the expense of realism' devolution, picks the perfect line between core and arcade, and ends up setting the pace for my favourite driving game of 2011.

Link’s Awakening remade and rebuilt for the Nintendo Switch is downright delightful. A memorable return to the stunning Koholint Island, and for newcomers to experience a journey they’ll savour for years to come. The Switch just got its second must-play Zelda.

It is densely layered in a brilliant way and will keep you pushing through, without pulling you away from the large amount of activities this playspace offers.

It’s the best-looking game across all three platforms (yes, even over The Witcher 3), but more importantly it just delivers in every aspect you could hope for. It’s challenging and engaging, expansive and enticing. Its game-world is wholly realised and gorgeous to look at, but above all else, it tells such an incredible story in so many new and unique ways, it’s impossible to ignore.

In how they’ve drawn out their impressive narrative stacked against compelling, open-world gameplay Spider-Man is now an absolute benchmark.

Those who don't like the vehicular action in Battlefield should probably go and play Call of Duty instead of even considering Armored Kill, but for the rest of us this expansion pack is as good as Battlefield 3 gets. But please, if you do end up buying the pack, for the love of all things holy, when you get in a vehicle, wait for your fricking team mates before you put your pedal to the metal...

For just over $30, you get a good four to five hours of gameplay if you take your time, more if you want to collect 100% of each area’s hidden elements. Most of that time is spent with a smile on your face and the realisation that the Vita is severely underutilised.

The best way to sum up Reaper of Souls is to unfortunately badmouth the original release, as this is the definitive version of Diablo III, which makes the version we all played two years ago seem like a work-in-progress. Everything has been changed for the better, and when you factor in all the new content and the fantastic new Crusader class, you have what is arguably the best entry in the series.

And as the door closes on the full Death’s Door experience, I’m not at all shy to say this is one of the best games I’ve not only played this year, but in the past number of years. It is stylish and polished to a fault, paced to utter perfection and just oozes confidence from the upstart two-person team at Acid Nerve. I sincerely hope this is a franchise in waiting, because if it’s not, I’m coming for you, Devolver Digital.

Thanks to Wadjet Eye’s now decade-long commitment to creating narrative driven point-and-click adventures that look and sound like products from a bygone era, it has seemingly done the impossible with Unavowed. Created a modern-day pixel-art driven, point-and-click classic. An adventure to savour, and one to revisit in the years to come.

As a remake, it solidifies the source material as timeless and iconic in ways that still feel relevant. Especially now, when it's wrapped up in one of the most visually stunning and immersive science fiction releases we’ve seen.

Best platformer I've played, experienced and ogled at in a long while.

Return to Monkey Island is the real deal, and like that quote above it’s hilarious. But, if you’re a fan of Monkey Island and the classic adventures from LucasArts there’s an extra dose of joy to be found. A joy that comes from a game and sequel that is born from the past and not one beholden to it.

The real test of whether or not Tales of Arise is for you will be in your desired level of investment, because the requirement for here, is nothing shy of massive. But what you get is a charming game built from tentpole JRPG, anime and manga tropes, glammed up the wazoo, and pegged down with a solid fighting and combat system, stunning animations, a unique art-style and maybe the best presentation in the series yet. I for one loved my time with the game, even at its cringiest, because the payoff for growth in power and the game’s pure characterisation is worth watching the handful of Alphen skits being a big dumb idiot.

The odds are never in your favour, but that's the whole point. In Spelunky, suffering is addictive.

Diablo III adds just enough to the console experience to separate it from its older PC sibling without stripping away the core action RPG base.

Pikmin 3 is quintessential, classic Nintendo, the Nintendo we know and love, the one that makes us buy every console regardless of our doubts and hang-ups. It’s not the killer app the system is begging for, but if you have shelled out for Nintendo’s new console it’s the best exclusive currently available.

Ultimately, it once again comes down to the experience of playing your first campaign. The excitement, strategy, conflict, uncertainty, and fantasy spectacle. The first dragon you take into battle. Crossing a vast body of water to formally introduce yourself to the strange Lizardmen that live in equally strange forests. Total War Warhammer II is a milestone release, for the simple reason that the campaign is both one the most intricately detailed and most open we’ve seen so far in a Total War game. Proving that a sequel can take a very different perspective, showcase a new part of the world, and be all the better for it.

The best part of the experience is just how much you feel connected to the story and becoming Spider-Man. Even when you factor in open-world design which is a mostly by-the-numbers checklist of things to collect and discover, the world-building and presentation are next-level.

Warlords of Draenor will remind you just why World of Warcraft is still on top after 10 years of service, even with its architectural problems that the Garrison feature holds.

It’s very much the spiritual successor it purports to be -- with forward thinking design and elements that flow in a way that reminds you of the timeless nature of the fluid, stylish combat of old. The lack of co-op is something you feel, but in terms of cinematic spectacle this is the Master Chief carrying the flag once more for Xbox. Albeit in that new-school form of being able to jump in and, well, play anywhere.

With arguably more gameplay content than the original, expanded diplomatic and battle strategies, and moving the series forward to the industrial age, developer Creative Assembly have released another stellar entry into this long-running series.

The art is something the videogaming landscape has never seen before and is, arguably, worth the price of admission alone. But we come for the art, and stay for the challenge. And boy, does Cuphead have challenge in spades. If you’re used to modern gaming, this is going to take you to absolute breaking point and might even push you away, but if you grew up on the more arcade-centric 8 and 16-bit games of the past, and love the challenges those games served up, then Cuphead is absolutely for you. Art and design combine, but with the sole purpose of crushing you -- what’s not to love?

In no way treated as an intro sequence, the expanded Metroidvania style second half of the game inadvertently overshadows those opening hours of brilliant platforming and action. But even so, The Messenger features an understanding of design, from the 8-bit to the 16-bit to the modern era, that make it more than a throwback.

NBA 2K14 is a truly next-gen experience -- it looks and plays amazingly, it offers a better connection to the real world of basketball than ever before and the way they've added in relationship management elements to both the MyCareer and MyGM modes makes the game feel significantly better.

In the end, as a foundation of what’s to come, Diablo IV is the opening salvo in what could end up being one of the most incredible action RPGs ever created.

The level of Warhammer-specific detail that has been translated into Total War mechanics is remarkable, ranging from the way in which different types of units compact each other to the way it’s incredibly risky and costly to venture too far into Vampire or Chaos territory.

Titanfall is a very good shooter, and I'm always a fan of any game that lets players use movement to separate themselves from the herd. Nevertheless, I feel like Respawn is simply setting the foundation here -- what they really want is for us to prepare for Titanfall 2.

Tomb Raider reaffirms the importance and value of having strong, realistic female protagonists in games, while also successfully transposing much of what people loved about the original titles into an adventure that feels superbly modern. It’s a better Uncharted game than Uncharted 3 was.

Tribes: Ascend is the most pure representation of the Tribes experience since Tribes 2 perfected it back in 2001. Almost every single part of the experience has been tweaked and improved, classes reborn and expanded, maps detailed and sprawling. You can ski like a master within minutes, but perfecting your routes, jumps and jetpack tactics are still the aim of the game.

Its accessibility over previous entries may be its biggest strength as for those who’ve always been curious about StarCraft multiplayer but may have felt too intimidated to give it a try will find that learning has never been easier, and is still a hell of a lot of fun, even if you’re not in it to climb ladders and make a name for yourself.

There's so much to explore, to experience, that I think it's essential playing — despite the slightly disappointing stealth.

You won’t play a game like it this year, or even from the past few years lest you dabble in the narrative adventure field, and even then Obsidian’s new opus is pretty distinct. Its writing is among the best I’ve experienced for this style of game, while the cadence of its unfurling mystery is such that the game draws you into its world ever so slightly, you’ll barely realise how deep you are into it before it snags you in its binding. Just go into it with an open mind and the desire to sink yourself into a good book, then let the game do the talking for you and strap yourself in for one of the year’s most unique offerings, and one of its best.

Those diehards mentioned in the opener above will be happy to know that the level grading system is back, and locked to the higher difficulty setting, which ties into those that want to learn the intricate and subtly deep nature of things. For everyone else who’ll still be scratching their heads at the ludicrousness of it all, from go to whoa, at least you can rest easy on the idea that it’s okay to mash your way through here, and that for Bayonetta, this is all pretty standard stuff -- OTT served with a side of sass, sexuality and style.

Wolfenstein II is packed full of great and memorable moments, not only in the story it tells but also the combat it presents. From walking the streets of Roswell, New Mexico and seeing KKK members walking together with Nazis to sneaking up on an unexpected soldier only to gruesomely amputate and decapitate them before they could recite their favourite verse from Mein Kampf. It’s provocative and intense in equal measure. And in the year 2017, when real Nazis are trying to make a comeback the world over, also cathartic. And necessary.

Deep, complex, and approachable, Total War Warhammer III is an intense, engaging triumph.

Back under the creative control of Toys For Bob, Trap Team delivers an experience with enough depth and variation to warrant a fourth buy-in to new toys and a new gimmick.

A richly detailed world that has been unmistakably crafted with love and is well worth its 1200 MP price tag. It exudes all the addictive familiarity of an every-man action-RPG, but it's presented in such a clever, charming and original way as to raise it to must-play material.

The game on both PS4 and Xbox One is gorgeous, though it appears the PS4 comes out ahead in a few areas, such as all cut-scenes being rendered at 1080p, while some on Xbox One are capped at 900p.

The Arcade mode and multiplayer alone add enough to the single-player campaign to keep you coming back for more, but for me the selling point of the game came in its presentation.

The story takes bigger risks, and is all the better for it. By no means is it perfect, but the negatives are so slight they don’t really warrant full disclosure. This is a bigger, meatier sequel, one that improves on an already great game. And again, it gets the balance right. The balance between survival, in terms of facing off against an army of foes as well as giant killer snow bears, and exploration, in the form of archaeology-by-the-way-of Lara being genuinely excited when she comes across an ancient trinket or mural. And story.

The year’s not over yet, but this is the best game I’ve played in 2014 so far, and I’m not even a huge car person. Well, I wasn’t before...An absolute must-own.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is marred only by its ease-of-play and its controls (or lack of variant control options), but is still more-than-playable. It is easily the most progressively designed game Nintendo has made from a tech perspective, while its visual design, comedic writing and overall charm scream “classic Nintendo”. Multiplayer and co-op add value, but the true goo here is in the game’s ever-enjoyable single-player campaign that will keep you checking, checking and checking again under that bed, for that hidden ghost, or that hidden treasure.

Titanfall 2 is worth playing, but it's not a must-play game right now. The two levels that I think will influence game design for years to come--they'll still be there next year. But therein lies the rub--with a playerbase split over multiple pointless variants of team deathmatch and a handful of other standard multiplayer modes, the population might not be there next year when you get it.

This is the level of ‘DLC’ other publishers and developers should be offering post-release.

Bungie has delivered a helluva final act to what's been a very surprising, highly purchasable rethink of this wayward franchise.

It has a sneaky depth to it, a crafty addiction about it, where you'll start out just playing a game a day and then suddenly you're browsing the forums on your phone during the intervention your wife is holding because your addiction to Heroes of the Storm has affected her in the following ways...

In some ways, the whole Lovecraft angle plays out here -- too big to conjure, fathom or even understand, Returnal is difficult to want to wrap your head around, and that’s largely because it hangs its space hat on that death loop (again, different game, same platform). If you’re a glutton for punishment, don’t mind a grind and will happily deal with unfathomable RNG forces at cosmic play, you will absolutely get something out of Returnal, but if like me, every time you die, a little piece of the part of you that wants to play more, dies too, then you might find yourself not return(al)ing to this in a hurry.

There is a ridiculous amount of cars to collect in Forza 7, including a host of never before seen vehicles. Each of which can be hurled around the truly impressive variety of tracks brought to life by stunning weather and time of day lighting effects. Plus, even if you’ve seen some of these cars and tracks before they’ve never looked or felt this good. Racing is exciting in Forza 7 and accessible at any skill level. If you were to strip away the visuals and leave behind the core mechanics of racing hundreds of cars across numerous tracks, Forza 7 is still one of the most well rounded and solid racers ever created.

Each major story adds to the world, the setting, the mystery. Throw in PC visuals that are easily some of the most impressive you’re likely to see this year or next, it’s the one part of the experience that lives up to the futuristic setting and promise seen in the many pre-release gameplay slices and trailers. But again, there’s a disconnect that creeps up every now and then. Immersion that breaks whenever you come across a bug or you can see the seams due to missing AI or missing features. No doubt Cyberpunk 2077 will be a better game on all platforms in three months time, and then three months after that. For now, it’s breathtaking on PC - for all the right, and wrong, reasons.

The beauty of F1 2021 is that it makes you want to learn about that, it makes racing on a track more rewarding on Lap 3 than it was on Lap 2. More fun the second time versus that first-run. It’s not perfect, seeing racers celebrate is always weird (they always do the exact same ‘Champagne Robot Dance’) and certain locations have that clinical sim-look that lacks warmth. With a little bit of extra personality and detail found in the seemingly incidental, then the F1 series has potential to be even better. As it stands, Codemasters has delivered a gem -- a fast and exhilarating racer for casual racing fans and F1 aficionados alike.

Spot rusting aside, Chivalry II's got heart, humour and has polished those combat fundamentals to a high sheen. Providing the devs can hammer out some of the launch day dents quickly, this knight's tale could become the surprise hit of 2021. Give it a shot. Because it's the attacks you don't see coming that'll bowl you over the hardest.

What you get in the end with Sparks of Hope is a lengthy Switch outing full of challenge and the ability to craft a game style that suits you. There’s lots of room to experiment with all of the micro on offer, but it’s conversely not a requirement you do. It does take itself a bit too seriously (to wit: Edge, the emo Rabbid once bad now turned good), but you can skip a lot of this and just get on with business, which is fun, engaging, modular and deep when you want it to be, and stunningly presented. If you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, this is a no-brainer and will hold you in good stead for the rest of the year, and then some. For everyone else, this isn’t quite go out and grab a Switch for, though if you were to package it up with the first two games, the recommendation quickly switches. Either way this is a fun romp in the Mario universe with Rabbids again, I just wish they never learned to talk.

A game that reveals its depth gradually, and one that is also set to spark some fantastic community support in the coming weeks and months thanks to the available mod tools and support.

If you've grown sick of JRPGs, as many people have, Ni No Kuni isn't going to change your mind. It's traditional, steadfast in its adherence to certain genre rules, and only stays away from a few of the genre's bad habits. But it's also a beautiful game, solidly built and full of whimsy, with some fun features and the sort of breadth you don't often find in game adventures these days.

An RPG story-driven game unlike anything else out there. One that features one of the best interactive bits of fiction this side of The Witcher III – with a flawed, interesting and awe-inspiring protagonist in the form of Meve. No doubt, we can’t wait to check out the next Witcher Tale.

An epic experience that haunts you between play sessions, enticing you to come back for more. It may not hit the lofty heights of Skyrim, but it comes bloody close and, unlike its most obvious comparison, boasts consistently fantastic characters, a memorable and compelling storyline, and breathtaking visual fidelity out of the box.

Star War Jedi: Survivor is slightly outlier in its foundational universe and in its pedigree and influences. It’s a mish-mash that somehow makes a whole, but for anyone keen on what that means, I can only say saddle up and enjoy the ride, because for its shortcomings and intimidation in size, scope and IP density, Survivor is one heck of a frontier game.

Even with its faults, from the weird two-halves of the story to the often poorly designed and uninteresting side-quests, Final Fantasy XV feels like a triumph. Discovering a new location or seeing a giant monster for the first time, Final Fantasy XV constantly surprises. And thanks to its likeable cast of heroes, provides as memorable an animated adventure of a boy band in a world filled with monsters could possibly be.

The characters are not only memorable, but the questions they and the overall story raise go beyond plot twists for the sake of plot twists. There’s care and an attention to detail worth celebrating here. Roman culture isn’t simply a cool historical backdrop, customs, behaviours, what we now know of the times can be found and felt in every corner of the world. And in many of the conversations you’ll have.

The world is full of activities and things to do, but they’re super-checklist heavy, and don’t flesh the world out enough. You can knock the experience over in about half the time of the original and while you unlock requisite NG+s and the like, you’re kind of left hanging. Upside down. Like a spider, man.

Thanks to a sloppy handling model, it lacks the precision required of its predecessor, so sim racers will probably struggle with the controls. Meanwhile arcade racers will struggle with more advanced driving techniques such as counter steering and throttle feathering. If you can get your mind into the right headspace for the game, approaching it as an arcade game with complex controls, there's definitely fun to be had here. It's just not up there with the likes of games dedicated to arcade or sim, but not both, such as Hot Pursuit or Forza 4.

Little touches like kicking enemies when they’re close into the air and then blasting them before they hit the ground is the sort of style needed to match Huntdown’s, well, style. Again, if the aesthetic grabs you it won’t let go until the final scumbag meets the end of your firearm. Just don’t expect your moves to match that of the funky synth-lines simmering below the neon, vibrant, and pleasantly grimy surface.

The RPG side of the game is handled very well, and its challenge is really very good in the larger modern gaming landscape. Combat still needs tweaking from a design perspective, but is more than passable while the checklisty mission system does need a major overhaul, but when stacked against the game-world created here, and how much content it’s filled with, it can be forgiven.

Control has flaws, but even these give it character. And don’t detract from the overall enjoyment. A brilliant slice of interactive sci-fi and action in a world where we're not only likely to remember for years to come. But, ponder its meaning too.

The Outer Worlds, as per this very review, will be compared to Fallout by many who play it. And really, it’s the sort of comparison that will probably benefit Obsidian’s latest RPG in the long run. Because in the end, Halcyon and its many denizens, corporations, and quirks feel like an original creation worthy of this style of RPG. And much like with the original Fallout, a place well worth visiting again in a larger and more expansive experience. Like, say, in The Outer Worlds 2.

The Walking Dead has experimented on the typical Telltale formula, with a lot of success, over the course of these three episodes, and this is definitely one of the more interesting things it has done.

Polished, fast, over-the-top and most of all fun, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a fighting game worth more than just a passing glance. Its lengthy campaign alone will keep you glued to the action for a while, but its other gameplay options and Dragon Ball universe depth make it something of a must own -- whether your DBZ fan alumni, or fighting game guru. One of the year’s excellent fighting game releases.

Lessons were learnt and learnt well. The looming Darkness has not consumed Bungie at this point in time. Quite the contrary. Destiny 2 is the glorious self-rez fans have been praying for. Stop orbiting it and dive in, today.

I’ve avoided as many spoilers as possible and barely scratched the surface of what’s in store for those willing to reward the hard-working developers of Hogwarts Legacy. The game-world is HUGE, and not nearly as checklisty as many other games of this nature. And certainly doesn’t suffer so-called bloat. Rather it’s rich and rewarding and inviting to a fault.

When you're on the track, Mario Kart 7 feels better than any Mario Kart before it, and for most fans of the series that will be enough. But it's the same basic formula we've seen in every Mario Kart since the SNES original.

Despite an unhealthy smattering of technical concerns, Halo: The Master Chief Collection really is an essential purchase for fans of the series, whether they’re in it for the campaigns, the multiplayer, or the best of both worlds.

With a far more approachable career mode (as well as the title modes and awesome title defense mode which plays out like it sounds), robust and deep combat system, great atmosphere, sexy graphics bolstered by entertaining and spot-on commentary by Rogan and Goldberg, UFC Undisputed 3 is easily the best iteration of the series.

Overall Cry Wolf is an exciting, successful finale, one that patches over enough of The Wolf Among Us’ problems for us to deem the full season a success.

The game itself, if you follow the heavily developer-directed path laid before you, has roughly 20-25 hours in it, and there’s more content yet to come, so balances and new content could sharpen the experience, but out of the gate it’s simply a schizophrenic collection of two key genres that, in principle, should gel, but here they kind of get in each other’s way.

At any rate, what’s here is fun and it’s Nintendo and there’s co-op for families or friends, but it’s all just so incredibly lite-on. And I say this with full appreciation and love of the likes of Super Mario Odyssey and Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Yoshi’s Crafted World -- there’s no challenge outside of 100% collection of items and in beating Treasure Road times, the rest is simply a cakewalk, and unfortunately all the bad doggo Awoofys in the game can’t make me think otherwise.

When the game sings in its strongest moments, however, it’s a joy to play. Solving environmental puzzles, discovering workbenches to upgrade your gear, uncovering hidden Codex entries, evading the enemy in rewarding, stealthy ways that empower the player’s sense of agency, and in unfolding the next bit of connective narrative tissue, A Plague Tale: Requiem is great. Excellent even. But it’s fleeting, and Asobo crashes you down to Earth just as quickly as you might have felt on top of it, driven largely by hard-fail scenarios and situations, bolstered still by antiquated or arbitrary gameplay systems.

In the end, Total War: Three Kingdoms is essential for fans of Chinese history, the romantic depiction of the era, and all-round history buffs. The steep learning curve is well worth the time investment as the enhanced and expanded diplomacy and management side moves the series forward in meaningful ways.

Far Cry 4 isn't a masterpiece. It's not going to rock any boats or blow any minds. It's a brilliant toy, a fantastic tool for players to screw around within when they feel like some lighthearted fun.

Whether playing by yourself or against others, Trials Evolution is an addictive blast that should not be missed.