The Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah DLC is fun. I would have liked to see the area somehow attached to the main map, but I understand that there are, likely, technical limitations involved. To my knowledge, there is still no word on when server transfers will become available. The more I played this DLC, the more I have enjoyed it. But the remaining technical issues and visual bugs hold it back from being a fully immersive experience in the Conan universe. I am glad the developers have added more PvE elements to the new map. Though your mileage may vary at times. I played for hours without a single program freeze two days ago. Whereas yesterday I had two within a few hours. I initially enjoyed Conan Exiles' original map but became bored quickly. The Isle of Siptah DLC, with its various improvements, now feels more interesting to me in comparison.

Ultimately, I’ve had a blast with Chivalry 2. It improves upon every single aspect of the original game, and feels more stable and polished than Chivalry ever did. There is some jankiness to the game (I’m not sure if the aforementioned self-catapulting is actually supposed to be an option), but it doesn’t take away from the fantastic combat. Getting a kill never gets old, battles are unpredictable and memorable, and there are seemingly endless ways to take down your foes.

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is the most impressive game in the series. Opening up the world, streamlining the classes, and introducing features slowly - like augments, upgrading gear, and multi-weapons, will go a long way to ease new players in to PSO2. Fans of the series will surely find a lot to love, but with a short story, limited questing, and a monotonous level grind that doesn’t provide much in the way of variation, I can see many players hopping back to the legacy PSO2 servers, or moving on to something else, until new content updates roll out over the course of the year. New Genesis is full of potential, and I’m PSE-Bursting at the seams to see what they have in store for us.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an excellent game for anyone who loves turn-based RPGs or D&D in general. Since there are so many options for difficulty and game rules, pretty much anyone can play it regardless if you want something easy to experience the story, something extremely challenging, or something in between. Additionally, although I did run into some issues early on, all of them got better as I moved further into the story, which is the reverse of most games that typically start super polished and get rougher as you move closer to the end. This isn't a game to sleep on.

These games were BioWare at the height of their powers. BioWare showed us the culmination of everything they learned from their previous games and created a story truly epic in scale…and they actually pulled it off. It devastates me, then, to know these games are from a bygone era. The BioWare which crafted these games simply doesn’t exist anymore. Replaying these three titles continues to hammer that point home. I know I’m cherishing every second I’m spending within Legendary Edition. These games are a treasure and deserve to be recognized as such.

Biomutant is a fascinating game, one that definitely belongs in a foregone era of gaming but somehow still works in today's industry. The world is massive and packed with things to do, combat is fast and fluid save for a few minor issues, and the story definitely keeps me interested throughout. There's jank, sure, but it's jank that somehow works in the game's favor, almost as if it's part of the game's identity. If you come in expecting a Game of the Year candidate you may leave disappointed, but if you're looking for a new adventure brimming with personality, Biomutant is absolutely worth your time. Just be prepared for that fast travel mechanic; it still shocks me every time.

Riding along the Oregon mountain side is pretty fun if you aren’t on chase missions, and there’s nothing more satisfying than the instant stealth kills, watching Deacon dig his knife into the spine of a freaker and pull it straight down. If nothing else, Days Gone is a good game that’ll hold you over while waiting for that next game.

I’m enjoying my time in Hood when I can get in the right environment. It’s fun to take down a whole team in a string of headshots with Robin, or assassinations as Marianne. But that fun is incredibly dependent on whether I’m playing with my friends or not. At its very core, Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a good game, it just requires good people around you to make it so.

All in all, if you're a Total War fan, especially someone who loved Rome: Total War back in the day, Total War: Rome Remastered is a fantastic way to jump back into the older game with some modern improvements. You'll have to get past some of the more archaic bits of the design, but the core experience: conquering the world and ushering your faction through Rome's civil war period is still so satisfying.

By itself, Resident Evil Village is a fantastic addition to the survival-horror genre and focuses more on empowering the player rather than cheap horror elements. As part of the series, Village lacks in the story department and seems like it tries to cast too wide of a net to appeal to a greater audience rather than catering to the hardcore fans. Diehard ResE fans might be disappointed at the lack of lore in Village, but casual fans won’t feel like they need to have played every prior entry in order to have a good time. Ultimately, I’d recommend Resident Evil Village to anyone that loved Resident Evil 4 or who felt like Resident Evil 7 was too horror-focused.

At times, the game is nearly unplayable, and more than once, I’ve either crashed or watched a teammate crash at the final Drop Pod, or during a story cinematic. Still, Outriders manages to entertain far more than it frustrates. If you were like me, scoffing at the demo, thinking that there was nothing more in this shallow looter-shooter, it’s time to think again. If you’re looking for a challenge, and you don’t mind the interstellar flight to Enoch to find it, Outriders is the game for you.

Monster Hunter Rise is some of the most fun I’ve gotten to enjoy on my Nintendo Switch since the system launched. It brings back some of the traditional aspects of Monster Hunter, but still respects my time and lets me get into the action faster than ever. I would say that Rise is probably the easiest Monster Hunter game to get into now, and the portable nature of playing it on the Switch means that it’s enjoyable virtually everywhere. Unfortunately, the list of monsters is one of the lowest in the franchise’s history and, as of right now, the story is still unfinished. It’s well-polished and fun to play, but feels incomplete and lacks any kind of endgame. I wish the fun wouldn’t end, but after only about 50 hours spent in-game, there wasn't much left to see.

My time in Blade & Soul: Revolution did have some bright spots. Putting together an auto-play deck, and watching the story unfold were certainly enjoyable. Unfortunately, the hands-off approach to leveling really puts a damper on the attachment and investment to my characters. If you’re familiar with idle-games and you’re looking for an comprehensive experience, Blade & Soul: Revolution might just be the game for you.

Evil Genius 2 allows me to tap into my inner mastermind, creating an evil empire worthy of Blofeld himself even if the game is more Dr. Evil in its demeanor. It’s not a perfect empire, as some technical aspects are more frustrating than fun, but I still had a nefariously good time tapping into my inner evil.

The Outer Worlds Murder On Eridanos is my favorite story in the Outer Worlds. Obsidian did a great job at presenting this murder mystery and created an experience I wanted to explore and adventure in. A bit too much hand holding lead to a few moments of mild irritation and a lack of any new combat mechanics feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Overall, though, it was a great experience and one I would recommend if you’re a fan of Outer Worlds. The DLC drops today(as of the time of publication) on Steam so head on over there to check it out.

Bravely Default II isn’t revolutionary by any means, but it’s still good classic era JRPG fun that’ll scratch the itch for an old-school adventure at least for a little while.

Persona 5 Strikers is a brilliantly executed melding of the Dynasty Warriors style gameplay with Persona 5 characters and systems. It delivers a solid story while staying true to the roots of both games. There were some small issues with how some of the systems were set up, the default sorting for the items list for one, and I wish some of the actual content of my P5R saves would have carried over. Despite these minor issues, I had a blast hanging with the Phantom Thieves again and working to make the world a better place. I would never have thought to ask for this melding, but it's a beautiful experience.

I think Nioh 2 is one of the most underrated titles of 2020 and launched at a dreadfully inopportune time. Thankfully, The Complete Edition brings all of the new missions, weapons, magic, and ninjutsu skills that were added post-launch and brings it to PC. This is by far my favorite Souls-like or Soulsborne game and I applaud Team Ninja for pushing Nioh to an elevated status in Nioh 2 and introducing new mechanics, like Burst Counter, instead of letting the combat remain static. Despite the lack of graphical options to choose from, Nioh 2 still ran fantastic and much smoother than on my PS4 Pro. If you are at all interested in a new and challenging Souls-like game, or just love grinding for loot, then Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is a must-buy on PC.

So is it the perfect game? No, unfortunately, it is not. But if you like werewolves, are familiar with the original Werewolf: The Apocalypse universe, or just want to hulk around as a giant wolf throwing people around like ragdolls then it might be worth your time.

Hitman 3 defies every expectation I had for it, from the size of its maps to the scope of its missions. I am truly free to approach these jobs however I wish, so long as the objectives are met, and that freedom is downright exhilarating. It’s not without its foibles, the inconsistency with its enemies being one that I ran into, but any issues are easily overcome by the quality of the overall experience. This may be 47’s last hurrah for a while, but dang if he doesn’t go out swinging.

Cyberpunk 2077 is not perfect. But the fact is, it doesn’t need to be to completely surpass my expectations. Given my experience and placing that against my expectations, I can unequivocally say that Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the greatest games I have ever played. The brilliant world, outstanding level design, seemingly endless density of detail paired with exceptional performances in incredibly engaging stories, all backed by truly groundbreaking graphics technology combine to create a supremely exceptional experience.

While the music, opening narration, and world-building were absolutely fantastic, I did feel a little disappointed in the direction of the story. It could have been so much more-so much larger! From the first venture, I found myself wound up in the fantasy of the world, and couldn’t help but hum Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky theme as we drifted along. However, it felt like I was waiting for a turn, or a twist-something that revealed a sinister underlying theme. The world was practically begging for it, but that never happened. The lack of conflict between the kingdoms cemented this disappointment as I played. Regardless, it is still a gorgeous game, with incredibly relaxing gameplay, and an enjoyable building experience for those that seek out city builders.

Obviously, Shadowlands isn't perfect. There are some balancing and tweaking which need to be done and will continue throughout the expansion. However, this is an expansion where I can honestly say the core systems feel solid.[...] Blizzard has struck an outstanding balance between giving us plenty to do and respecting the fact not everyone can play 24/7. I'm currently at a point where when I have free time, I want to log in and do things instead of feeling like I have to for x, y, or z reason. It's a great feeling.

In all, Raji: An Ancient Epic was a great game. Yes, I had some problems with it’s length and the ending but if I step back and look at the game in its entirety, I can recognize that Raji was a gorgeous game. It was educational and made me want to learn more. My hope is that we’ll get a sequel to be able to explore ancient India once again and perhaps right the wrongs this game committed...only time will tell.

There are a lot of enjoyable aspects to Immortals Fenyx Rising, but very little feels new. Instead, it’s similar and safe, like I’ve done this all before. And I have but with a different main character and color palette. Its biggest sin is being entirely forgettable once you move on to the next game.

If The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the calm, reserved child, then Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is its loud, rowdy older sibling. The action starts at 10 and never lets up, giving me battle after battle of tight and fun Musou action. The story beats are for the most part great, but a few of them definitely left me wanting for more and not in a good way. Age of Calamity delivers on the action-heavy goods, just don’t come in here expecting the story to blow anyone’s minds...and that’s the real Calamity.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is surprisingly one of the best JRPGs that I’ve played since I beat Dragon Quest XI over three years ago. It’s especially impressive coming from Ryu ga Gotoku studios which has never made a turn-based RPG before. However, there are some glaring issues that take away from the overall experience; most notably the lack of a weakness indicator and wonky AoE moves during battles. If only the battle system was perfected, then Like a Dragon would be a top-tier JRPG. Regardless, I would recommend to any RPG fans that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a must-play title.

At its core, Godfall is a fun hack and slash ARPG. Stunning visuals give Godfall a leg up against the competition, whereas mostly well executed yet uninspired design decisions mean the rest of the game doesn’t live up to its potential. The negatives don’t outweigh the positives, but there are enough design errors to ultimately cause Godfall to blend in with the crowd. As I already mentioned, Godfall is not a Game as a Service, so we won’t be seeing the continual updates and upgrades that games like Destiny 2 or The Division 2 have received. Hopefully that doesn't mean Counterplay is finished with Godfall because it would only take a few tweaks here and there for it to complete it's ascension to gaming godhood.