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Star Wars Outlaws marks a massive return to form for open-world games for Ubisoft, signalling the birth of a potentially great franchise. 

In my experience with Star Wars games, I have always believed that Star Wars games work best with a more linear structure. While I found both Star Wars Jedi Survivor and Fallen Order enjoyable, the games shone best in the more linear sections than the large sandbox sections. Star Wars Outlaws dares to be the first major "open-world" game and it is quite a tall order. I am happy to report that Outlaws may have just pulled it off. Star Wars Outlaws knows exactly what it is right from the jump and spends the next 30 hours or so honing to near perfection that feeling of being a slick operator within the underworld. Star Wars Outlaws is a fantastic effort from Ubisoft Massive that showcases the kind of open-world magic Ubisoft was once lauded for in the age of Black Flag and AC II.&nbsp;&nbsp;Star Wars Outlaws gracefully and intelligently avoids the pitfalls of the standard Ubisoft open-world experience and delivers a much more manageable set of open-world maps that the player can sink their teeth into without being overwhelmed. It also helps that the game is packed with great writing that provides the character with something interesting to say at all times. Going into Star Wars Outlaws, I could not help but feel a little tentative, given I hadn't particularly enjoyed The Division games by Ubisoft Massive fearing a looter-shooter-type structure. All my fears were quelled mere minutes into the game when I was greeted with some of the most well-done cutscenes, dialogue and an open world that felt inviting.&nbsp;&nbsp;Star Wars Outlaws is a definite stone-cold hit in a game franchise that is often more miss than hit. Despite not attempting to reinvent the wheel, the game is packed with fresh ideas on well-worn-out concepts to build an experience that doesn't lose steam throughout its roughly 20-hour runtime.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Star Wars Outlaws: Double Crossing Your Mates is Fun</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240821151104_cd9ad6f8f8.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;For the first time in a very long time, a Ubisoft game finally felt like it benefited from an open-world structure. Kay Vess and Nix's adventures span beyond just the main questline and the best experiences are often found in the game's numerous side quests that come in the form of Faction quests or exploration (plundering) tasks. Ubisoft Massive's decision to implement smaller open-world planets rather than 1 giant map adds the kind of variety and freshness that has been hard to come by in recent years. The game takes place over 4 different planets - Toshara, Kijimi, Akiva, and Tatooine (yes, we're going to Tatooine in Star Wars Media - AGAIN). Each world feels and plays a lot different than the others. While the perenially dark Kijimi is a frosty, claustrophobic cityscape that has you scaling rooftops and navigating narrow streets, Toshara is a mountainous, arid playground that lets you make full use of your Speeder.&nbsp;&nbsp;Traversal in Star Wars Outlaws does not reinvent the wheel and neither does combat. Yet, they work flawlessly because they feed into the game's thematic elements to near perfection. Kay Vess is not a Jedi neither a soldier, armed with only her Blaster - your choice of tackling objectives will usually default to Stealth. While you can successfully charge into enemy bases and come out the other end scraped and bruised, it will always be better to sneak around and make away with your objective (usually stealing something or hacking something) without the enemy ever laying eyes on you. Speaking of enemies, ou get to pick yours. While, yes, Imperials are always the bad guys - the game has a total of 4 Syndicates - Pyke, Ashiga, Crimson Dawn, and the Hutt Cartel. Throughout the game, the player can choose to be partial to a Syndicate, which will affect their Reputation level with them.&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240821233044_eca312ad0b.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;All Syndicates can offer Kay contracts which she and the player can choose to honor or not. Breaking the Contract usually means picking one Syndicate over the other, resulting in not just a boost in Reputation but also Credits. This creates an exciting gameplay loop that feeds into the thematic elements of the game where Kay is a freelancing scoundrel who works the Syndicates to her benefit. However, pissing off somebody too much creates interesting situations. For most of your quests deal with infiltrating and stealing something - it helps if you're in the good graces of a Syndicate you're just about to steal from. Being good with a Syndicate allows Kay to enter and roam freely in their Districts except for the Restricted Areas. Getting caught in the Restricted Area does not immediately trigger a mission failure (most of the time), but a loss of reputation with the Syndicate that just caught you trying to steal a Datapad or some such. &nbsp;This adds another level of complexity to the open world as the player can now strategically execute contracts for Syndicates to gain access to their areas that will help them with another quest.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240823034459_39335374f5.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;Combat works pretty standard and so does stealth. However, it is made a lot more interesting with the addition of your companion, Nix. The little Merqaal can complete several tasks, from distracting enemies to trapping alarms and detonating grenades at Kay's command. Stealth feels a lot more involved with Nix and the game makes sure to put Kay in situations that incentivize stealth instead of forcing it on the player. Although there is a lack of variety with enemy bases, having prior of the area you're about to stealth through significantly reduces the challenge. While lower difficulties will offer players a more breezy experience with a decent amount of challenge, the most ideal way to play, I found, was to crank up the difficulty to utilize Kay's entire inventory and Nix's many useful abilities. &nbsp;While Traversal isn't anything to write home about, it serves its purpose of making going from Point A to Point B a relatively fun experience. The Speeder is fairly enjoyable albeit a little challenging especially when it comes to collisions. Space Combat leaves a little to be desired as the only way you can make the most out of it is by completing certain Expert requirements to add more functionality to your spacecraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240823212943_393b57112b.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;While the open world on the planets is where you'll find most of your quests and contracts- &nbsp;a good chunk of the game unfolds in space. Where it's slightly riskier as enemies will most likely have you outgunned at nearly every turn. Picking a fight is a lot more calculated decision than on the ground and you're more liable to abandon a fight rather than die a slow death by a thousand torpedoes. Ultimately, Star Wars Outlaws is a welcome change of pace from the standard Ubisoft open-world and the most fun I've had playing Star Wars this side of Force Unleashed II.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240821023626_6b1ea4c503.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws_20240821023626.png">&nbsp;Now, to the part that won the most brownie points with me. Star Wars Outlaws, thankfully, stays away from the Jedi and the Sith to tell a more personal story about a relatively lower-powered character. Kay Vess and Nix are two lowly thieves that happen to find themselves in the crosshairs of one of the most feared Syndicates in the galaxy and the only way out is to pull off the greatest heist the Galaxy has ever seen. This puts Kay and Nix on a trajectory to meet interesting crew mates, Syndicate bosses, and nasty Imperials. Like my favourite Star Wars media, Outlaws concerns itself more with the politics of the Galaxy - starting interesting conversations around the grey-ish moralities of the Rebel Alliance and who pays the cost for an uprising.&nbsp;&nbsp;Class warfare and politics form the backdrop of Kay's story while the Syndicates take centre stage. Through the course of the game, Kay builds a reputation that has Syndicates chomping at the bit to use her services, which she can then use to her advantage. Although it did feel like Kay came off more naive and blue than I would have liked in the start, I am happy to report that the game does have a solid arc for her as she comes into her own towards the end of the game. While the game touches on similar themes previously explored in other media (most notably in Guardians of the Galaxy), the game buys enough goodwill from the player to excuse some of its telegraphed twists and character betrayals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240823121903_348447490f.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;One of the only complaints I had with the story was the villain - Sliro. Even though the character was deeply underdeveloped, he always had something interesting to say, thanks to the game's fantastic writing. The same goes for some of the other grey characters like our "handler" - Jaylen Vrex. The game's standout characters included Kay, the BBX Unit Commando ND-5 and a/trigger-happy Hutt bombmaker Ank Each character is given a key backstory that adds a ton of depth that I wasn't quite expecting, which helped me invest in the crew a lot more than I had anticipated.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game's best story moments happen in your dealings with the 4 Syndicates and your choices will help shape tip the power balance in one's favour over the other. One of Star Wars Outlaw's best feats comes in the form of not overly relying on the member berries. While, yes, there is the odd cameo and reference that will get a dry chuckle out of you, they do not overstay their welcome. Star Wars Outlaws charts its legacy and leaves players with a Star Wars story that could be considered one of the best in the years to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Presentation and Technical&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240823165429_81e161449b.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws_20240823165429.png">&nbsp;I played Star Wars Outlaws on a PS5, and for the most part, the game looked pretty serviceable on Performance mode. While cranking it up to Quality meant the lighting and textures were significantly improved, it didn't feel good enough to sacrifice 30 frames per second. The game also has a Performance RT mode capped at 40 frames per second, which is a sweet balance between the two modes. The game also lets you play in the CInematic 21:9 mode, which is a pretty neat addition. While it looks like the default way to play the game would be in 21:9, it just didn't feel like I was getting enough information to work with. While fidelity was an issue on the PS5, it helped the environment work was some of the best I have seen in Star Wars. Each area has been worked to near perfection, especially the nebula in the Kijimi orbit or the arid and stark Tatooine.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Star_Wars_Outlaws_20240824111922_61fd708dee.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws ">&nbsp;Where the game does run into a bit of trouble is on the technical side of things. As the game stands, certain voice lines for characters are repeated at the weirdest moments possible. I had ND-5 ping me about a Sabacc game that I had already finished and won well after it had wrapped throughout the entire game. Thankfully, bugs and other technical glitches didn't get in the way of the overall experience. While it does feel a little rough around the edges, it's nothing that a Day 1 patch probably cannot fix.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Final Word: Star Wars Outlaws</h2>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/star_wars_outlaws_jabbas_gambit_not_included_in_standard_edition_33f82857d5.png" alt="Star Wars Outlaws: Jabba Gambit Exclusive To Premium Edition">&nbsp;Star Wars Outlaws is a bright spot in Ubisoft's current game output and stands out as one of the publisher's finest achievements. The game perfectly encapsulates the Space Scoundrel experience that fans have been yearning for since the time Harrison Ford as Han Solo burst onto the scene. This has all the markings of a potentially massive franchise if Massive can capitalize and iterate on the already great Reputation system. It will be interesting to see what the fan response will be towards the game as it would be a travesty if this ends up as the next Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, another solid space sci-fi title that failed to meet publisher expectations in terms of sales.&nbsp;Given that Star Wars has a massive fanbase, it stands to reason the game is bound to do well financially, considering the quality. Overall, Star Wars Outlaws is a fantastic open-world adventure that gives you pretty much everything you need from a game like this.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gameplay

Story

Presentation

Performance

Value for Money 

Ubisoft Massive

Star Wars Outlaws 

Star Wars Outlaws Review: Space Scoundrel Simulator 2024

Console

Summer Game Fest Prince of Persia Key Art

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic return to form for the franchise, breathing new life into one of Ubisoft's most iconic series. 

&nbsp;Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an anomaly in every way. For one, the game follows an altogether different protagonist who is not the titular Prince. The game is a Metroidvania 2D action platformer, a first for the franchise. This genre isn't exactly the go-to for major tentpole franchises like Prince of Persia, unless you're Nintendo. The game boasts a distinct art style and structure that sets it leagues apart from the franchise's past in a bold, new direction brimming with potential.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our new fresh-faced protagonist is Sargon, the youngest of the elite warrior group - Immortals, tasked with rescuing Prince Ghassan from Mount Qaf - a place ravaged by weird time powers. If that plotline seems vaguely familiar - it is because that is practically the premise for most of the Prince's previous adventures - Warrior Within, Forgotten Sands, and Prince of Persia 3D. Only this time, you play as not the Prince. &nbsp;What the game lacks in originality concerning plot and storytelling - it more than makes up for it with its rewarding combat, traversal, and ingenious level design.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game takes very little time and gets you adjusted to the pace and complexity of combat - throwing a big boss fight your way only mere minutes in. The tools at your disposal are quite simple - a pair of trusty swords, a bow and arrow, and a projectile weapon used for puzzle-solving and combat. The combat, while easy to pick up, gets increasingly challenging facing up against stronger enemy types that rely on speed and range rather than brute force.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the best action platformers I have played this side of Metroid Prime and it is truly the comeback fans have been waiting on for the franchise. The game is genuinely challenging and constantly demands the player's mastery over its systems to get through each section. While the game was a thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish in its fast-paced 15-hour or so campaign, I couldn't help but wonder exactly why this needed to be a Prince of Persia title. While the game shares much of its DNA with the classic Prince of Persia brand, it could very well stand on its own two feet as a bold, new IP by Ubisoft, because for one, you don't even play as the Prince. On the flip side, because the game is a "Prince of Persia" spin-off, it will be positioned for more success than if it was a new IP.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Prince of Persia The Lost Crown: Turning the Clock Back&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240105101320_e686927c2a.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia_ The Lost Crown_20240105101320.jpg">&nbsp;If you've played a Prince of Persia title before, you know sort of what to expect going into The Lost Crown. Challenging platforming puzzles, time powers, and a Metroidvania structure. The game does not deviate from the tried-and-tested formula except in the most drastic way - by making the game a 2D platformer, much like the original Prince title from 1998.&nbsp;&nbsp;The most stunning quality about The Lost Crown is its unabashedly challenging combat that is showcased in the game's many fantastic boss fights. True to its apparent inspirations in Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest - the game consistently forces players to polish the seemingly simple combat mechanics. At several different points in the game, the game resembled the best bits of a soulslike game - using death as a mechanic for the player to improve with each attempt. In Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's best moments, the boss fights to resemble its puzzles - demanding the player to learn attack patterns, time their dodges, move in for quick stuns, and parry attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240105104150_4a449be326.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia The Lost Crown">&nbsp;On Medium difficulty, the game feels sufficiently challenging, leaving enough room for players to experiment with their approach to combat and pull off flashier moves. On higher difficulties, there is little to no room for error as the game demands precision, speed, and a healthy dose of flair. It is recommended that players at least give the default Medium setting a go first to figure out exactly what kind of game they're looking to play. If it's a blisteringly punishing combat experience you're looking for, you might want to crank up the difficulty setting. If you're only looking to enjoy the platformer puzzle side of things, you will enjoy your time with the game even with the difficulty on lower presets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking of difficulty, the game is gracious enough to allow players to tweak individual aspects such as parry timing, enemy damage count, and things of that sort. Combined with several accessibility options, including a portal to skip platforming sections entirely, the game is pretty inclusive for players across a wide spectrum. One of the game's most ingenious features comes in the way of a neat almost 'screenshot' feature, allowing Sargon to pin a certain section of the game world to the map screen - allowing players to remember exactly what puzzles will require a future power-up to solve. This essentially eliminates the backtracking hassle, which makes me wonder why other Metroidvania games haven't done it before.&nbsp;The game's highlight comes in the form of its boss fights, as each one of them will demand the player to use a different kind of approach. While some bosses are lumbering giants that require patience to kill, others will fill the arena with tons of projectiles, asking you to perfect your timing for jumps and dodges. Its this variety, combined with the game's flair for presentation that makes each boss fight memorable, adding tons of replayability off of the boss fights alone.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240105003014_20f7d5d7b7.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia The Lost Crown">&nbsp;The game's main story takes upwards of 12 hours to wrap up in its entirety but I would personally implore players to venture deep into the map, take a few detours here and there to stumble across secret bosses, puzzles, and characters as all of it is ultimately aids your character, allowing you to be stronger for the end-level boss. The game's puzzles made for some of my most frustrating moments in the game, almost in a good way. At several points during the game, I had to rage quit, hoping to come back to the same puzzle hours later with a fresh mind, and hopefully, with a new perspective. 9 times out of 10, that was usually exactly what I needed and I was able to figure out the solution with relative ease. What makes your brain tickle with some of these puzzles is that often what seems like the easiest way to do it is the correct one and you don't need to try and figure out cleverer ways to get the job done.&nbsp;&nbsp;All put together, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown might just be the most fun I've had playing a Prince of Persia game since The Two Thrones back in 2005. While Prince of Persia (2008) was impressive with its art style and ambitious design, it just couldn't bring everything together as The Lost Crown could. The result is a game that draws from the series' past to deliver an experience that feels familiar yet fresh.&nbsp;<h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240104235810_04d1b9c5f2.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia The Lost Crown">&nbsp;While I couldn't get enough of The Lost Crown's boss fights and deceptively clever puzzles, I cannot say the story was a positive motivating factor. The game starts relatively well with a fast-paced intro that introduces the game's primary characters and our protagonist, Sargon. But save for a cutscene here and there, not much is revealed about Sargon, or how he came to earn his reputation as the "Rathabar". All I can safely say about our protagonist is that he's good with swords, is entirely too trusting, can rock a sash like nobody's business, and is entirely unimpressed by the fact that he can now manipulate and bend time to his will.&nbsp;The 12-hour campaign follows a rather cookie-cutter storyline that fails to deliver any meaningful surprises or twists. Each "plot twist" is telegraphed to death and the story simply brushes over what could have been potentially interesting beats. As Sargon, you ride to Mount Qaf with your "Immortal" buddies to save Prince Ghassan (yes, the Prince has a name in this game) from forces looking to do timey-wimey god stuff. &nbsp;Spliced between the routine "go to this place to unlock this door" quest are interesting dialogues that hint at a much larger scheme, none of which really pay off by the end of the story.&nbsp;The game's narrative and world-building also have a somewhat jarring quality to them as nobody really seems to take note of the fact that the "Immortals" aren't exactly very human. For one, one of them can shoot arrows like a World War II-era machine gun while one literally conjures storms like he was Thor's second cousin. These feats are regarded as somewhat 'par for the course', which okay, seems like it could have used some more explanation.&nbsp;In the end, the story is serviceable but nothing to write home about. If it weren't for the exceedingly well put-together presentation and art-style, the game could have really soured on me this story was supposed to be the highlight.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Graphics, Presentation, and Art Style</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240107152345_7ecba030cf.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia The Lost Crown">&nbsp;The star of the show alongside the gameplay, The Lost Crown's art style and pompous flair have a ton to do with why I came away with a generally positive opinion of the game. The game's stylized action and presentation over photorealism is not only an inspired choice, but the correct one. In my opinion, while I personally loved Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within and The Two Thrones, both those games lacked the charm that Sands of Time and the 2008 soft reboot had in spades. The sort of fable-like quality of Prince of Persia supports the ethos of the world more than the gritty, photorealism approach that the aforementioned games had.&nbsp;Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown retains some of the "Arabian Nights"-like quality of The Sands of Time and mixes it with anime-like character title screens, presentation, and flair. The result is a wholly unique creative voice that helps the game stand apart in a big way. I thoroughly enjoyed the Dragon Ball Z-like character face-offs, power-ups, and introduction title cards that the game likes to show off every now and then. It is a real let-down that it couldn't be paired with an equally compelling story and characters.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lost Crown has one of my favourite level designs in any action platformer - a raging sea frozen in time replete with ravaged ships, rogue waves, and thunder strikes. The impeccable design, paired with a masterful score by Gareth Coker (of Ori and the Blind Forest fame) and Mentrix makes for a solid visual and audio package that elevates each section of the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Prince of Persia The Lost Crown: Final Word</h2>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Prince_of_Persia_The_Lost_Crown_20240107183458_66274304c4.jpg" alt="Prince of Persia The Lost Crown">&nbsp;Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a deceptively complex game that makes you rack your brain - whether it be boss fights or its several platforming puzzles. The game's masterful score and beautiful presentation elevate it from the routine major IP spin-off it could have turned out to be. While the game lacks severely in the story department, it manages to rise above and present a game worthy of the Prince of Persia brand as perhaps the best game in the series since the original Sands of Time trilogy from the early 2000s.&nbsp;&nbsp;In all my time with the game, I did not encounter any major bugs, performance issues or other such impedances on my PS5 - making it one of the more polished titles I've played in 2024. Although the game is solid in every way, it is going to be a tough sell for the average AAA gamer at the $60/Rs 4,999 price tag. While I would heartily recommend the game to those who frequently enjoy playing action-platformers, it is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. For those who reserve this kind of price tag for the average tentpole PlayStation Studios release, I would say wait for a sale as the game is incredibly polished and packed with solid content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Review copy provided by Ubisoft and reviewed on a PS5.

Ubisoft 

Graphics and Sound

Value for Money

Ubisoft Montpellier

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown 

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown Review: You're Not the Prince 

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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora delivers a stunning game world, albeit one that doesn't iterate on the Ubisoft open-world structure. 

&nbsp;The latest from Ubisoft Massive, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a gargantuan game world that looks stunning in practically every frame and goes the extra mile to fill it with exceptional detail. Where it begins to lose a lot of its steam from the opening moments is with its mechanics and structure which have not been iterated on since Far Cry. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, despite its beautiful game world and decent movement controls, falls apart at critical moments and does very little to be more than the standard Ubisoft open-world shooter.&nbsp;The Far Cry comparisons are inevitable as the game practically wears the skeleton of the franchise underneath its Na'vi skin. If you've played a Far Cry game before- you're going to find yourself at home clearing outposts across the map while you join some kind of resistance group against the baddies. The game attempts to put an Avatar spin on things with quasi-survival mechanics such as Food and Energy. Unfortunately, the mechanics ring hollow and don't carry much importance outside of forcing your character to retreat every once in a while to pop a fruit while being shot at by a mech.&nbsp;Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a solid game in isolation but it is severely weighed down by the game's refusal to grow past the tried-and-tested open-world game formula that has haunted every major franchise by Ubisoft.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora; Na'vi Far Cry&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/IMG_0293_bdba8f4b50.JPG" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review">&nbsp;Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora takes a little while to get going, but immediately, it's made clear that Ubisoft Massive has nailed the movement controls for the Na'vi. As a young Na'vi, you will be towering over human characters by a lot and it translates to the movement as well. The movement feels both fluid and quick even when playing on a controller and the sense of pace as you string multiple moves together as you traverse through the map feels decent. The movement controls begin to show cracks around the 2-hour mark as traversing long distances across the map becomes a lot more tedious. The game also takes its sweet time in introducing your Ikari (your flying mount), at around the 5-hour mark. But by then, players are liable to have grown tired of a system that once felt good at around the 1-hour mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;The shooting suffers a similar problem as it doesn't feel outright inadequate at first, but by the 4-hour mark, it becomes a lot more tedious than it felt earlier in the game. The primary weapons at your disposal are an Assault Rifle, a Heavy Bow, and a Light Bow. While the bows sound great and feel adequately powerful, they begin to lose their novelty when going up against multiple mechs simultaneously in a medium-sized arena.&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/IMG_0280_f1c9767dd6.JPG" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review">&nbsp;Speaking of combat arenas, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, doesn't do nearly as much to distinguish itself from the likes of Far Cry in terms of world design, level structure, or progression. This is most apparent in the standard "Clear the Outpost" level structure first introduced in Far Cry 3. Even though the game has decent individual parts, it rarely ever comes together in one glorious moment a la the gladiator level in Far Cry 4 or Blackbeard's farewell in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.&nbsp;&nbsp;For the most part, individual pieces of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora feel great but the lack of cohesion between systems and mechanics is what ultimately led to none of my sessions with the game lasting for longer than an hour and a half. It also doesn't help that the characters in the game have very little for you to latch on to and are often vessels for exposition.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even though the campaign feels like a bit of a let-down, there is a good game here somewhere, based on its strong movement controls and fairly responsive parkour-y traversal across the map. I was not able to try out the co-op mode, but there is a good chance that the game takes on another shape entirely when experienced alongside friends and other players.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Story&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/IMG_0287_dbfe751ee0.JPG" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review">&nbsp;It has been my long-held belief that Ubisoft open-world titles live and die by the effectiveness of their narrative. In terms of mechanics, every Far Cry game after Far Cry 3 has been virtually identical save for the introduction of a minor mechanic here and there. The differentiator, then, comes from how effectively the narrative can motivate the player to go from one same-y quest to the other. For instance, Far Cry 4's narrative was one of the more compelling reasons I was able to get through a lot of the tedium of the campaign.&nbsp;&nbsp;The same works the other way around as one of the biggest reasons Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's campaign felt like it dragged a tad bit too much was it couldn't effectively deliver the gravity of the situation or populate the world with interesting characters. The story follows a young Na'vi kid kidnapped by the RDA to be part of the The Ambassador Program (essentially Na'vi child soldiers trained by the RDA), who then fight their way to freedom and join the resistance against the RDA.&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/IMG_0284_c14f966faa.JPG" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review">&nbsp;It doesn't help that the game telegraphs the villain with a gigantic menacing horn as soon as he walks into the frame in the first 20 seconds of the game. This means that the game trades nuance for a quick way to get a reaction out of the player. Sadly, because the villain and his motivation lack very little nuance, there is a strong chance players will not feel nearly as motivated to take down the dozens of medium-sized outposts strewn all across Pandora.&nbsp;&nbsp;The campaign is about 18-20 hours long, but feels more like 30 given the gigantic scale of the world and the jagged pacing of the story. While there was nothing egregiously bad about the story and narrative - it wasn't particularly memorable either. Save for about 4 great cinematic set-pieces across the campaign, there is very little about the campaign I can recall off the top of my head.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Graphics, Performance, Sound Design</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/IMG_0292_994a8d8a45.JPG" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review">&nbsp;Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an undeniable technical marvel by Ubisoft Massive and its visual and audio presentation impresses in practically every single moment of gameplay. Built on Ubisoft Massive's proprietary Snowdrop engine, the game world looks nigh perfect in nearly every lighting condition. The game looks particularly great at night, thanks to the bioluminescent flora. The sound of a dozen species all around you on a set of great speakers or a pair of headphones is some of the best audio design work I've experienced this side of The Last of Us Part II.&nbsp;Frontiers of Pandora is a great case for studios to develop games on their proprietary engine should their budgets allow as each bit of the game world feels hand-crafted with exceptional attention to detail. In all my time with the game, I experienced no crashes or virtual artefacts save for a couple during particularly busy scenes. Now and then, the weather would change a little too dramatically, but those instances were rare enough for it to not be a massive nuisance.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game runs a steady 60 frames per second at Performance Mode and the Quality Mode looks just as pretty as it should at native 4K. Given the game's movement and swift animations, a 120 FPS mode on the console would have been appreciated, but, it isn't essential to the experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Final Word: Avatar Frontiers of Pandora&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/AFOP_KEY_ART_WIDE_VERSION_Ubisoft_Forward_June12th_2023_8_15pm_CET_11_15am_PT_1920x1080_A_SONY_fda3ababd6.avif" alt="Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Ubisoft Forward">&nbsp;Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not exactly ambitious in terms of game design or level structure, but it is a good first step for Ubisoft Massive to build upon in a future sequel or online game mode. The game's faults mainly come from its resistance to growing past the boundaries of the standard Ubisoft open-world game, but it is an issue that can be overcome in future entries should Ubisoft deem the franchise worthy of a sequel.&nbsp;The game is the definitive Avatar experience, given that it is one of two games available for the IP and this is the more refined and polished one. Speaking of polish, it does feel the game has received the due time and care that it needed and that is thoroughly appreciated. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has a decent game in it somewhere, but one that is under the rubble of the Ubisoft open-world game structure. However, Ubisoft Massive deserves praise for a highly polished, great-looking, AAA game that delivers the kind of visual and sonic experience that is expected off of AAA studios.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Graphics and Audio

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Review: It's Like Far Cry with Flying Horses  

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Launched as a full-scale VR title, Assassin's Creed Nexus is almost exactly what one would want from a VR entry. Unlike many others in the space, AC Nexus is a true sandbox VR title that not only gives players the freedom to run and explore like the standard franchise entries but goes above and beyond to prove that VR isn't a gimmick. Here's what to expect heading into it.

After a lukewarm reception to Assassin's Creed Mirage, it's up to Assassin's Creed Nexus VR to restore fans' faith in the franchise. A huge departure from the standard entries, AC Nexus VR is nothing short of spectacular when it comes to VR games. Up until now, players had some form of compromise with VR games whether it came to length or depth in gameplay mechanics.&nbsp;Assassin's Creed Nexus VR redefines freedom and brings to life the vision of what an Assassin's journey would look like. From parkour to air assassinations, this game delivers what every player imagined an Assassin's Creed VR title would be. Here's a spoiler-free look at what players can expect when stepping into the shoes of Ezio, Kassandra, and Connor, across different eras of the franchise.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://gossip.gg/gaming/news/assassin-s-creed-mirage-a-return-to-its-roots-or-another-misstep-in-a-tumbling-franchise">Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: A Return To Its Roots Or Another Misstep In A Tumbling Franchise?</a> &nbsp;<h2>Assassin's Creed Nexus VR: Proving That VR Isn't Just a Gimmick</h2><div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-7nObnsa48?si=N0HqMM2tFkwtW9UP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay, in-game mechanics, and AC Nexus' design philosophy</h3>&nbsp;As expected, AC Nexus takes a completely different approach to gameplay and progression as opposed to mainline entries. Gone are the vast sprawling landscapes, replaced by small sandboxes with infinite potential in terms of gameplay opportunities. With early gameplay reveals, players were excited to see that almost any surface was scalable, and Ubisoft delivered. Grabbing onto rocks that jut out from walls, vaulting over objects, and swinging from poles, all feel smooth and intuitive when done right.&nbsp;Progression isn't limited by tasks or collectibles with the developers opting to reward players with new abilities and moves with main story progression. Players will be swapping between the three protagonists of Ezio, Kassandra, and Connor, following unique stories in each timeline. Here, players will familiarize themselves with new mechanics like throwing knives, a bow and arrow, a tomahawk, and more.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQuCy8nfCq0?si=-UULyooVQj8ZzM9Z" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;Using all of these mechanics together in gameplay is extremely satisfying. Swordplay is crisp, allowing you to parry or block and dash in with the hidden blade for an instant kill. The tracking and accuracy of the bow and arrow is impeccable giving those with even mediocre aim the confidence to take shots from afar.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stealth is satisfying, albeit a little lackluster when it comes to creating a challenge. When undetected, the enemy AI is fairly slow to detect the players' presence and can even look away as the detection meter goes up. However, for most players, this won't be an issue as it's extremely fun to sneak behind and stab a guard with the hidden blade before yanking their body out of sight.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="Ywgjq4r" data-context="false"><a href="//imgur.com/Ywgjq4r"></a></blockquote><script async="" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Puzzles in AC Nexus are fairly simple and there are a few sprinkled in between bouts of action. Most of the time the answer is fairly simple, but the act of physically moving to a lever, feeling its tactile response, and getting the solution is rewarding nonetheless. Interactions with objects feel good, even allowing players to pick up dice for a mini-game later on.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="dKS9Yfw" data-context="false"><a href="//imgur.com/dKS9Yfw"></a></blockquote><script async="" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Synch points, parkour challenges, and collectibles are spread throughout most missions, incentivizing players to explore the world. Most collectibles provide bits of lore and information on the time period that players are in, drawing them further into the space. To sell the realism even further, players can even pick up food to eat, bringing it up to their face to chow down.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>VR Comfort and usability</h3><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="CPejI15" data-context="false"><a href="//imgur.com/CPejI15"></a></blockquote><script async="" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>AC Nexus VR provides a bunch of comfort options for players with varying degrees of comfort in VR. Personally, I am not prone to VR sickness and managed to play two to three hours of the game at a stretch on the immersive setting with no issues. However, Ubisoft has gone above and beyond making this game accessible to all, even including a fear of heights option that renders an outline of the real floor in a player's room to reduce the feeling of vertigo.&nbsp;The visuals in the game are quite good for the scale the game provides, displaying a powerful level of detail system that draws in more detailed textures the closer players get to objects. Accessing weapons is easy and intuitive, allowing you to reach outside your field of view, but reliably choose the weapon you want. Overall, the weapons and combat system work well in VR, proving quite easy to pick up even with all comfort settings set to off.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="J4t9Kks" data-context="false"><a href="//imgur.com/J4t9Kks"></a></blockquote><script async="" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>However, it wouldn't be a Ubisoft game without its fair share of bugs. This time, my progress was completely halted by an inexplicable bug that refused to let me climb any surface. As seen in the clip above, I was constantly clipping through and falling to the ground no matter what I tried. While a restart did fix this, it was fairly frustrating, and broke the immersion a fair bit, giving me the feeling of 'jank' usually associated with Ubisoft titles. However, after this point, it was smooth sailing, barring a few visual artifacts that seemed to be level-specific.Note: The game was played on a Meta Quest 2 in a bright, well-lit room where controller tracking wasn't an issue. Additionally, both controller batteries were confirmed to be above 90%.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Final Thoughts</h3><div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4DaCicuyoZA?si=fOatbh1ny7G44uVI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Overall, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is one of Ubisoft's biggest wins in recent history. Built across many years, the passion behind this project burns bright and shines through in almost every aspect of the game. It truly is the definitive way to bring one's imagination of the Assassin life within reach, allowing players to run, jump, scale buildings, and take down foes as they please.&nbsp;One could easily lose oneself in each distinct era, admiring the sense of depth VR offers and truly appreciating the environment. Combat is fluid, fun, and engaging, giving you an extremely rewarding feeling no matter how you choose to play. The story is held together by a few cutscenes that play out in front of you, truly putting you in the shoes of the greatest Assassins of all time.&nbsp;&nbsp;All in all, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is a slam dunk that nobody with a VR headset should skip. It's well worth the $40 price tag and those looking to live their dreams of being a Master Assassin will not be disappointed.Review key for Assassin's Creed Nexus VR provided by Ubisoft and reviewed on a Meta Quest 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Visuals and Sound Design

Ubisoft Red Storm

Assassin's Creed Nexus VR

Assassin's Creed Nexus VR Review: Ubisoft's Leap of Faith in VR Doesn't Disappoint

Games

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Remedy's latest effort, Alan Wake II, is a glorious creative uppercut that will surely leave an indelible mark on the genre and industry at large.

For a studio that is known to consistently break the mould and pull creative left turns every chance they get, Alan Wake II still manages to be a wholly masterful surprise that exceeds lofty expectations. The Finnish game-makers' latest effort is a mind-bending, slow-burn horror-survival game that breaks new ground in terms of storytelling, mission structure, and presentation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Powered by a seemingly inexhaustible pool of creativity, Alan Wake II bucks the trend at virtually every stage to create a storytelling experience that could not be delivered through any other medium but that of video games. The game is equal parts unsettling as it is breathtakingly beautiful and the balance that Remedy achieves with a slow-burn detective story paired with a healthy portion of mind-bending horror is downright masterful.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Alan Wake II: All Thriller No Filler&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alanwake2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_12_05_38_49_da8fa454c1.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;Alan Wake II takes the players back to Bright Falls, in the shoes of FBI Agent Saga Anderson, as she and her partner, Alex Casey (played by Sam Lake himself) investigate a &nbsp;grisly murder that reeks of cult activity. Soon after, they discover that something else far more dark, sinister, and physics-defying may be afoot in this sleepy town. This leads to her discovering the deep, sinister secrets of the Cauldron Lake and the Dark Place, which eventually leads her to our tormented writer of horror "autofiction", Alan Wake. Saga discovers a source of malice in Bright Falls that is turning people into the "Taken", shadowy beasts out for blood.&nbsp;&nbsp;For those concerned about whether they'll be able to follow the story if they haven't played the original - rest easy. Saga's campaign has her explore much of Bright Falls' mystery in a way that sheds light on the last game - allowing players to piece together the events of the last game. However, if you've played the original, you will have a deeper understanding of the lore and characters such as Scratch, Thomas Zane, and the Old Gods of Asgard. Save for that, Alan Wake II is not obtuse to the point where you'll be clueless if you haven't played the original.&nbsp;&nbsp;While Saga continues her investigation in Bright Falls, Alan continues his journey in The Dark Place, the dimension in which he has been trapped for 13 years. Presumed missing/dead all this while, Alan has been chipping away in his Writer's Room in The Dark Place all this while trying to write his way back to the real world. The story plays out in 2 sections - while Saga's section is a slow-burn detective thriller a la True Detective and Dark, Alan's personal nightmare dimension section is wall-to-wall craziness and horror that regularly throws curveballs the player's way.&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alanwake2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_17_46_40_35_997fc2275f.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;The story moves at a steady, brisk pace - allowing players to play through each section in any order they please. The player can choose to switch realities and play as either Alan or Saga. To finish the story, players must complete both Alan's and Saga's chapters individually - the order they choose to do that is left entirely up to the player. This creates a deeply rewarding experience as players can witness the same events through different points in the story with vastly different perspectives.&nbsp;At its core, Alan Wake II is a story about telling stories. It dives deep into the heart of what makes a powerful story and the impact it can have on the world around it. In the case of Alan Wake, his stories quite literally manifest themselves into reality - forcing him to question just how much damage his creations can wreak on the world. This causes him to examine the craft he has dedicated his life to.&nbsp;&nbsp;Saga, on the other hand, has to be the world's best detective as she dives deep into the minds of witnesses, suspects, and even victims, to piece together the clues to solve crimes in a matter of hours, if not minutes. While I initially felt that Saga would pale in comparison to Alan in terms of character complexity and general flair - I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was not the case. &nbsp;Saga is a deeply compelling character who has several layers to her beneath the Batman-level detective skills. Ultimately, while I thoroughly enjoyed Alan's foray into madness and general weirdness, I found Saga's arc just as compelling, if not more in parts.&nbsp;To not spoil major story beats and character revelations - let's just say Saga and Alan's arcs are deeply interlinked and a certain creative decision with Saga's character made her all the more compelling and deeply rooted in the story of Bright Falls. The two protagonists are aided by a cast of solid support characters like the aforementioned Alex Casey, Ahti the Janitor (from Control), Tim Breaker (played by Shawn Ashmore), and Mr Door.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alan_Wake_2_Screenshot_2023_10_28_13_47_03_89_cbd18b39b2.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;The tonal shift between the two story sections is handled quite brilliantly and never really feels jagged and disorienting. Instead, players might appreciate the more grounded nature of Saga's arc after several different levels of mind-bending Alan Wake sections and vice versa. Alan Wake II is a triumphant achievement in storytelling and one that will probably be talked about for years to come. Now that the Remedy Connected Universe is up and running in full swing, I cannot wait to see more of what this world has to offer. The game has organic tie-ins with Control that never feels hamfisted and even has nods to Remedy's seminal Max Payne. For one, Det. Alex Casey is voiced by the incredible James McCaffrey and played by Sam Lake - giving us a &nbsp;hint as to what the upcoming Max Payne remakes might look like.&nbsp;&nbsp;The story will take about 12-13 hours to complete on Standard difficulty - with an additional 8 hours or so if one were to complete the numerous side quests and collectibles strewn across the world. The game's most notable achievement in narrative and level design that stands out is the fact that it has virtually no filler. The game's narrative is incredibly lean and polished to weed out any fat - meaning that no level or section ever feels boring or rote, with each having significance to the overall arc. Suffice it to say, Alan Wake II's story will hijack your senses in the best way and leave you wanting for more by the time the credits roll.&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alanwake2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_15_36_54_65_5fd65ea5e1.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;While the narrative design alone was enough to bowl me over - I might even say the gameplay is just as much a hit. The original 2010 felt more like an atmospheric horror that often turned into a shooter - with Alan taking on hoards of Taken with his trusty flashlight and weapons. The sequel pumps the breaks in a big way to slow down the pace of combat to the point where it is now a full-on survival-horror experience. Resources such as Flashlight batteries and ammo are quite scarce, paired with an Inventory system that tasks players with rationing their resources and taking frequent breaks from combat to make sure they're prepared for the next fight.&nbsp;At any given moment, the protagonists will be fighting no more than 3 enemies, but the fact that each enemy is now more resilient than before makes it a far more rewarding combat loop. Hoards of Taken will occasionally overwhelm you by sheer force of numbers, running away is not just an option - it is imperative. Conveniently placed Safe Havens (light sources) allow players to take a breather and avoid the Taken. The Inventory management and survival-horror mechanics are reminiscent of games like the newer Resident Evil 2,3, and 4 Remakes. While it takes cues from Capcom's new remakes, the combat loop never feels derivative of other works.&nbsp;The star of the show, however, is a fantastic technical marvel that is the Mind Place and Writer's Room. Both Saga and Alan employ a certain mechanic that allows them to take stock of their situation and drive the story and level forward. Saga uses the Mind Place, a version of the Baltimore Field Office in her head that allows her to put Clues up on the board to solve murders by stringing together evidence and eyewitness accounts. This serves a dual purpose as it is not only an essential mechanic to drive the story forward, but it also acts as a good visual representation of the story so far - allowing players to keep track of events, characters, and story beats.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alanwake2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_16_48_42_39_e5fdbda217.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alan_Wake_2_Screenshot_2023_10_28_00_26_38_84_8be4c2c755.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;The Writer's Room is Alan's version of the Mind Place where he uses the Plot Board to change the version of events in his story to change the environment around him in The Dark Place. This allows Alan to get through puzzles, access previously inaccessible areas and witness murders that drive the story forward. The switch between these mind places and the game world is seamless. With the press of a button, the game seamlessly switches to either the Mind Place or the Writer's Room without any loading screens or pause in gameplay.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game continuously keeps players on edge even when there are no enemies on the screen. Throughout my time with the game, it always felt that there was always someone in the room tuning the guitar string just close enough to the point of breaking but never truly ever releasing the tension.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the story is never truly linear, what makes the game even more of a joy to experience is the almost open-world and open-ended structure of missions. Saga and Alan can both individually make their way through sizeable open-world chunks and uncover new mysteries and collectibles strewn across the map. Saga gets to explore the lush and deeply unsettling woods and the surrounding towns while Alan has to wade through a nightmare version of New York that is equal parts terrifying as it is downright gorgeous.&nbsp;&nbsp;All of these in congruence make for a uniquely singular gameplay experience that feels truly fresh. Remedy's innovative gameplay design and Northlight Engine create a style of game that I don't think I've ever played before. Alan Wake II is undoubtedly the most unique gameplay experience I've had in years and carries forward Remedy's legacy of innovation and creative daring.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Presentation and Performance&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alanwake2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_17_04_14_31_ca057c0ba6.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;Alan Wake II is out now for new-gen consoles as well as PCs. I reviewed this game on a PC running an NVIDIA RTX 3070 as well as partially on the PS5. The beefy system requirements that were released gave me strong cause for concern as issues with optimization are a major conversation around games that require hardware of this sort. I am happy to report that the game runs seamlessly on modern consoles as well as PCs. In all my time with the game, I did not experience any significant frame rate drops, texture pop-ins, or crashes.&nbsp;&nbsp;For a game that looks this gorgeous, it is a wonder that my PC didn't immediately catch fire. While I was not able to play with Path Tracing on PC or console, the game looks downright gorgeous. This is achieved through not just great fidelity - but also extremely smart lighting and environment design. Both New York and Bright Falls look and feel exceptionally great.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game consistently ups the ante in terms of presentation, splicing in FMV footage with in-engine gameplay sections. These live-action cutscenes are acted and written to perfection with Ikka Villi (Alan Wake) putting on an absolute show as the perenially confused and unhinged Alan. While Villi provides the performance, Matthew Porretta voices the character yet again. The Talk Show segments in particular were some of my favourite segments in the entire game - slicing through the horror and tension with a healthy dose of dark humour and much-needed levity.&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alan_Wake_2_Screenshot_2023_10_27_23_36_09_18_f6f2103786.png" alt="Alan Wake II Review">&nbsp;The game's magnum opus comes in the form of a genuinely breathtaking segment in the Dark Place featuring Sam Lake, Ikka Villi, and the Old Gods of Asgard, played by the real-life Finnish rock band and frequent Remedy collaborators, Poets of the Fall. The band provides many songs to the game, including a fantastic 14-minute musical, Herald of Darkness. &nbsp;The level is reminiscent of Control's masterpiece - the Ashtray Maze and dare I say, it might have even trumped Remedy's effort from 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alan Wake II is a resounding technical masterpiece that will deeply resonate with players from a purely visual and sonic perspective. The game truly feels new-gen and stands as a testament to just how far we've come in terms of technological advancement.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Final Word - Alan Wake II</h2> <img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Alan_Wake_2_keyart_hero_1_9dff5faf24.jpg" alt="Alan Wake 2 Key ARt">&nbsp;Wake II, at its core, is a survival-horror game that dives deep into its protagonists' psyches. A technical masterpiece that aims to fully harness the power of modern hardware, Alan Wake II is a visual and sonic treat that is nigh unmatched. Pairing relatively simple gameplay mechanics with atmospheric tension and horror, the game is a truly pathbreaking achievement in video games that will be talked about and dissected for years to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;An absolute technical marvel, Alan Wake II is a triumphant creative left hook that will floor players by the time they reach the end of the first chapter and it then proceeds to impress even further. Alan Wake II is a strong contender for Game of the Year and it truly solidifies Remedy as one of the few major AAA developers unafraid of taking massive creative gambits.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Epic Games

Remedy Entertainment 

Alan Wake II

Alan Wake II Review: A Groundbreaking Slow-Burn Thriller for the Ages

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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a fairly ambitious outing that feels solid for the most part, but cracks begin to appear the deeper you go into the story. 

&nbsp;Insomniac Games' follow-up to Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) and Miles Morales (2020) is a fairly ambitious title that shines, for the most part. The studio carefully picked its battles with regard to what areas to innovate in and where to simply iterate. The swinging and traversal have received the most amount of love, with Web Gliding being a more than welcome addition. The break-neck speed of the traversal is not just a bonus change of pace, but an absolute necessity, given the increased scale and scope of the open world.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the map is significantly larger, it is still replete with the charm and detail that makes Insomniac Games one of the best studios in the business. The combat is fundamentally the same, with a few bells and whistles in the form of new abilities mapped to the L1 and R1 buttons. One of the things that is abundantly clear from the first 20 minutes of gameplay is that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is going all-out with regard to boss battles, set-pieces, and general scale of things. The result is a game that feels a tad bit deeper than the original and Miles Morales while also making leaps in terms of cinematic set-pieces and boss battles.&nbsp;The story is a rather simple affair - the Spider-Men must find resolve deep within themselves to overcome increasingly dire odds as they go up against Kraven the Hunter and some other key figures from Spider-Man's vast coterie of villains. The introduction of Harry Osborn is meant to be the emotional bedrock of the story in the sequel as the dynamic between him and Peter is perhaps the most crucial. While the story was functional and had some really high points, mostly by way of the captivating Kraven the Hunter, cracks begin to appear as the story progresses and begins to lose steam by the time you reach the final boss battle.&nbsp;&nbsp;For the most part, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a solid affair that makes very few missteps and leaves the player with a largely satisfied feeling. The few missteps come in the form of the story, which starts off as strong as a Spider-Man story has ever kicked off, but a meandering 2nd Act and a largely bloated 3rd Act make for a jagged narrative experience that doesn't quite hit the same emotional highs as the 2018 original.&nbsp;<h2>Marvel's Spider-Man 2: An Undeniable Technical Marvel That Impresses in Parts</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231020002404_953d555803.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Marvel's Spider-Man 2 doesn't try and reinvent the wheel, which is the right call to make. Insomniac's combat system from the 2018 game and Miles Morales has easily been one of my favourite combat systems in gaming history. The system takes lessons from games like the Batman Arkham franchise to deliver a combat loop that gets more frantic the longer you extend your combo and one that incentivizes quick thinking, creative use of gadgets, and most importantly, style. Marvel's Spider-Man 2's combat makes full use of both the Spider-Men's new abilities.&nbsp;Perhaps the biggest change introduced in the sequel is the speedy traversal. Web Swinging has been sped up quite a bit and players can dump points into Traversal abilities to go even faster. Web Swinging can be combined with Web Glide to go even faster and further than previously possible. As I said, the map dictates that players get around faster as there is now simply way too much of it. The new map now includes the original area of Manhattan as well as parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Web Glide changes things in a big way, making traversal not only a lot quicker - but somehow, even more fun.&nbsp;While the two have clearly different animations and moves, the combat feels practically identical, save for the unique ability each one possesses. The biggest way Insomniac shifts the dynamic in a big way in combat is the introduction of the Symbiote suit. The Symbiote suit feels exceptionally powerful, with the sound design truly hitting home the brutality and bone-crunching strength of the suit. As Peter, players will be able to tap into "Surge" mode to unleash the full powers of the suit - allowing the player to get rid of large hoards of enemies with only a few hits. &nbsp;The sound design work on the Symbiote suit does its fair share of the heavy lifting in selling the idea of a somewhat roided-up Spider-Man that smacks more than he talks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231021134857_271698fa48.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Swinging and gliding around the city, like always, is one of the best parts of any Spider-Man game and this one makes it a little more sweet by allowing Peter and Miles to team up organically. The Spider-Man as well as some other allies can drop in on an ongoing crime, making for an organic Ally team-up that feels like an idea lifted from Gotham Knights but done in a much more polished way. While the team-up combat doesn't work much differently, it still allows the player to execute fancy moves with their Ally (in an effort to not spoil the main story - let's just say that there are more Allies than just Peter/Miles).&nbsp;&nbsp;Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a much larger, faster, and occasionally meaner game than the original, expanding upon key ideas from the 2018 game. Yet, the game feels more like an iterative title than a full-blooded evolution of the original. The game scarcely pushes the envelope in any significant way, which also means the game isn't exactly taking any major risks. The result is a sequel that ultimately feels like it is playing a little too safe in parts - especially the combat and mission structure. While the bombastic opening was a welcome change of pace from the usual game openings, that sort of mission structure does not make a return in the game. Save for one fantastic side quest involving Black Cat, the game rarely ever deviates from the standard mission structure players have come to know.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231020152901_3a1bd2c6e4.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Insomniac Games have quickly established themselves as one of the best storytellers around, especially when it comes to Spider-Man. 2018's Spider-Man established both Peter and Miles as deeply likeable characters that persevere in the face of major tragedy. One of the things that the 2018 game benefited from was a solid 3-act structure that worked effectively and ended on an emotional high-point that has stood as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the character. (Spoilers for the 2018 game incoming) The ending to Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) remains one of my favourite Spider-Man moments as it encapsulates the very essence of the character, with Peter making the greatest sacrifice and not injecting Aunt May with the antidote, saving thousands as a direct result.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dilemma such as these makes for the best Spider-Man stories and the personal stakes of each character is essential. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a story of two 3rd Acts that never quite hit the high points as the original. Kraven the Hunter plays the foil to our webheads for most of the game and proves to be a rather interesting, multi-dimensional character. It is surprising the layer of backstory and characterization Kraven receives and it is truly riveting when players learn of his ultimate motivations. Yet, his singular obsession with "the hunt" is not nearly as compelling as Martin Li's duality in the 2018 game or Doctor Octavius' manic obsession with greatness and payback. Kraven plays the part of hulking, unbeatable brute well - proving time and time again that the Spider-Men are going to need a little "extra" to beat this primordial beast of a man.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231021144233_1_3fa60bce9e.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Harry Osborn is introduced as a key player right at the start and his story unfolds in a rather unexpected way. The game makes a couple of really interesting creative choices with the characters that appear promising at the start. Ultimately, his story arc leaves a lot to be desired as the ending to his story didn't quite carry the emotional punch that it should have. Peter's dynamic with Harry is ultimately what the success of the game's narrative rests on, so how you feel about the story is ultimately reliant on how invested you are in their friendship.&nbsp;Peter and Miles receive a ton of characterization in equal parts. Peter struggles to hold down a job while Miles comes to grips with certain "negative" aspects of his personality while trying to become a better Spider-Man. The symbiote ultimately shifts the dynamic in a big way and Peter suddenly adopts a much meaner attitude as the game progresses. While Yuri Lowenthal certainly pulls his weight in selling Peter's growing brutality and resentment - Peter's motivation as to why he's suddenly so mean never quite hits home. While I was hoping that the game would drive home Peter's grief taking over - the game just simply tells you 'the symbiote is making him mad' and that's what you're going to have to believe.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231020011531_6f8bb3388c.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Given Miles' arc has him struggling with his need for payback and revenge, it somehow makes more sense for him to bond with the symbiote than Peter. Without the symbiote suit, Peter appears to be quite well-adjusted. The game ultimately tasks Miles with learning what it takes to be Spider-Man and that was ultimately a rewarding arc than Peter's this time around. A character that truly shines this time around is MJ. While MJ had her own little side quest in the original - she's given a lot more to do this time around. MJ's sections now play out a stealth-action 3rd person shooter (I see franchise potential here). While the gameplay isn't all that impressive (it's pretty routine), MJ's role in the story is a lot more active this time around and she proves herself to be a key asset to the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, to talk about the big Symbiote in the room- Venom. Even though he is one of my favourite comic book characters ever, Venom has always been sort of a mixed bag. In some iterations of the characters, he is a comical anti-hero while in others he is a ruthless beast fueled by pure hatred. Insomniac's take on Venom is a little more one-note. Venom shares a common obsession with his host but wants to go about it in his own unique way. He is a little more than just the 'angry voice in his head' trope and has little to no personality aside from his one singular obsession.&nbsp;&nbsp;While Venom's character design and Tony Todd are nigh perfect, he doesn't come across as very compelling as a character. The final act of the game hinges heavily on Venom but the character has very little to add to the mix in the way of intrigue or tension. His character intro and the following gameplay section, while impressive, is the only high point of the character. Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man 2's over-reliance on gigantic set pieces and scale often comes at the cost of intimate character moments and personal stakes that made the 2018 original so great.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Performance, Presentation, and Sound Design</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231021144445_dab8c1d8cb.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was heavily touted as a true showcase of the PS5's power and for the most part, that stands true. The game runs at a stable 40-45 frames per second on Performance Mode with Ray Tracing as the game runs on a Native 4K resolution. That by itself is quite impressive, but it's hard to shake off the feeling that the game does feel a little bit more rough around the edges as compared to the 2018 game. In a side-by-side comparison, I found that the 2018 game feels a tad bit smoother and more polished visually than the sequel. Perhaps it's down to the scale of the city and the sheer variety of ways the character can zoom about the open world, but New York appears a little bit rougher than it did in 2018.&nbsp;Fidelity mode fixes a ton of these issues at the cost of frame rate. While it fixes most problems in terms of resolution and textures, sacrificing frame rate isn't really a choice for Spider-Man fans as the game is best experienced at higher frame rates. In my time with 26 hours with the game, I suffered only one major crash as the game failed to load textures for a district and forced a shutdown. Thankfully, this would be the only time the game crashed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Marvel_s_Spider_Man_2_20231021200036_1_dc75b58fa2.jpg" alt="Marvel's Spider-Man 2">&nbsp;Insomniac Games are rightly heralded as one of the most technically brilliant studios in the industry and it is reflected in the game's sound design. The reworked punch and attack sounds truly make for a heck of a soundscape that immerses you in the world. The sound design work on the Symbiote suit incentivizes players to tap into Surge mode often if nothing but to hear the bone-crunching sound of these punches.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Final Word: Marvel's Spider-Man 2</h2>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Spiderman_2_5fa33e20e5.png" alt="Spider-Man 2 Gameplay Overview Trailer State of Play">&nbsp;Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an ambitious yet safe sequel that isn't looking to reinvent the wheel in any major way. While the game is serviceable and often enjoyable, it doesn't feel that significant a step up from the original in terms of gameplay or storytelling. A meandering second act grinds the pacing to a halt and often compels me to abandon the main quest altogether and experience some of these side quests.&nbsp;Speaking of Side Quests, the game's most interesting story arc comes in the form of The Flame side mission, which takes a rather unexpected turn right towards the end. Die-hard Spidey fans might spot the hint early on as to the true identity of The Flame. The game sets up several characters for a sequel, one that is shaping up to be quite the dark affair from the looks of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;The game consistently implies a darker tone rather than adopting one altogether, which feels like a cop-out. While Kraven and The Flame make for exceptionally enjoyable foils to our Spider-Man, Venom is a major let-down. While the game is a safe sequel, it is still a cut above the rest when it comes to open-world adventure titles. &nbsp;

PlayStation Studios

Insomniac Games

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review: Sticking the Landing, Almost

ACM_art_Standard_Wild_20220910_10.20pm_CEST_Paris-Time-HD-scaled.jpg

Assassin's Creed Mirage releases today with a lot riding on it. Touted as a return to the franchise's roots, Mirage is a make-or-break title for many long-time fans. With the identity of Assassin's Creed in the air, does Mirage do a good enough job of keeping it alive?

&nbsp;Picking up from the (depending on who you ask) disaster that was Valhalla, the bar was pretty low for Assassin’s Creed Mirage to impress. While Ubisoft has taken a lot of feedback into consideration while crafting AC Mirage, it seems most of the criticisms have been taken at face value and the changes have been in a manner that doesn't feel fully fleshed out.&nbsp;As per the developers’ words, AC Mirage was meant to be a return to the franchise’s roots, and to a degree, they delivered. The world is significantly smaller, and most of the RPG elements from recent entries have been gutted, but what’s left behind is a rather hollow take on what made the original Assassin’s Creed titles great. Here’s a spoiler-free review of Ubisoft’s latest attempt at salvaging what’s left of the Assassin’s Creed franchise after a decade and a half of evolution.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://gossip.gg/gaming/news/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-review-righting-the-wrongs-of-the-past">Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Review: Righting The Wrongs Of The Past</a>&nbsp;<h2>Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Why a Formula isn’t Guaranteed Success</h2>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IRNOoOYVn80?si=vK88wEDs4fBnilPU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;<h3>Preface on in-game mechanics and AC Mirage’s design philosophy</h3>&nbsp;Before delving into specifics, it’s important to go over what AC Mirage represents as a whole. Splitting from the blueprint of unreasonably large maps and collectible hunting, Ubisoft has clearly made an attempt to create a smaller, more intricate world with space that serves a purpose, rather than force exploration.&nbsp;&nbsp;This scaling down of everything applies to the protagonist, Basim, as well. Gone are the ludicrously large skill trees of AC Valhalla and in its stead is a humble progression tree that many players who aren’t willing to put 100+ hours into a game will appreciate. While this is certainly welcome, the way this is implemented in the game leaves a lot to be desired. While upgrading skills and items can be worthwhile, one can simply ignore progression and complete the game without any issues by just blazing through it.&nbsp;Additionally, Ubisoft has done away with a number-based XP and ranking system. Instead of certain Assassinations, or combat moves awarding XP to rank up and gain skill points, progression is now tied to Basim’s journey. While other smaller activities and side missions do provide some skill points, players must simply get through the story to unlock the majority of skill points available.&nbsp;Basim now has a set of tools that he can use to his advantage. Of these, the throwing knife is the most essential, allowing players to get into inaccessible areas by destroying bars that block them. The game encourages players to use all the other tools like the blowdart, smoke bomb, trap, and noisemaker, and each of these tools can be upgraded, offering more functionality based on your playstyle. Unfortunately, the Assassin’s Rush ability more or less nullifies the need for any tools whatsoever. Allowing you to chain kills by teleporting to targets, this ability almost singlehandedly breaks all the effort put into emphasizing stealth. More on this later in the review.&nbsp;<h3>Story and Characters</h3>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9hjico7nYvo?si=G-ilO7IrrPKKerwl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;Players returning from AC Valhalla will already be familiar with Basim and his cryptic motivations as a Hidden One. Set a fair few years before the events of AC Valhalla, players will start their journey as a young Basim, a thief on the streets of Baghdad. Haunted by visions of a ghost or ‘jinni,’ Basim is always ill at ease, looking for a way to be free of what haunts him.&nbsp;&nbsp;As part of his exploits as a thief, he is regularly contracted by the Hidden Ones to procure items for them but is never told why. Eventually, overcome with the need for answers and a better way of life, Basim undertakes a job for Roshan, the Master Assassin. After begging to be inducted into the guild and being subsequently rejected, Basim tries to prove his worth by stealing an artifact in secret.&nbsp;&nbsp;In typical Assassin’s Creed fashion, things go sideways fairly quickly, and spectacularly. The fallout results in his thieves guild being brutally slain because of his actions and Roshan ultimately saving his life. Now taken under Roshan’s wing, Basim trains to be an Assassin, a journey that he eventually does complete despite his visions and nightmares. After completing his initiation, Basim returns to Baghdad where his journey as an Assassin continues.&nbsp;Here, Basim needs to work through the web of the Order, meeting allies, and snakes in the grass while doing so. Through his journey, Basim’s relationship with his closest friend, Nehal, his mentor, Roshan, and his fellow guild members evolves in a way that’s believable and interesting. However, the way the antagonists are set up leaves a lot to be desired, something that will be discussed in a later section of this review.&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mxpYHW-M_Ac?si=91YRa37w06V7will" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;During Basim’s training phase, players are familiarized with the revised combat system in AC Mirage. While still fairly simplistic, the combat system disincentivizes full-blown combat, punishing players for rambo-esque brawls in large groups. The rudimentary stamina bar, parry, dodge, light strike, and heavy strike remain unchanged, making it easy to pick up for both new and returning players.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now trained in the ways of the Creed, Basim must help each bureau in Baghdad weed out Order members belonging to their borough. Purpose-built to allow smooth parkour and quick getaways, the streets of Baghdad feel natural and a lot more fun to traverse than its inspiration, the first Assassin’s Creed. The world itself is divided into the Wilderness, the Round City, and its three surrounding districts, each representing different aspects of society like industrialism, trade, and arts. While the latter three areas are incredibly dense, the rest of the world is an empty expanse barring a couple of settlements dotting the map. These settlements do serve a purpose in the story, which makes them fun to explore as part of the narrative but give little to no rewards when out exploring of your own volition.&nbsp;Gameplay is fairly open-ended with most Assassination missions dropping players into a sandbox with multiple ways to tackle a problem. Weeding out a target feels rewarding and the path you choose feels unique enough to make you proud of your decisions. However, the non-assassination missions all fall short. Players WILL have to go through a few dull missions that simply task them with either tailing someone, stealing something, or breaking in somewhere.&nbsp;To open up more gameplay opportunities, players will more often than not have to use a new form of currency called 'tokens.' These tokens are Merchant Tokens (can be used for discounts/opening certain chests), Scholar Tokens (used to distract guards by paying musicians or getting maps from the Cartographer), and Power Tokens (used to bribe your way out of notoriety or pay mercenaries to fight guards). These tokens can be gained via pickpocketing in the open world, completing contracts, and finding loot chests. These tokens can help reduce the running around Basim is meant to do in certain missions by bribing people for information. This is a strange design choice as this ultimately reduces active gameplay.&nbsp;Outfits, weapons, and gear are much like AC Valhalla with limited sets being available. Each set is unique and provides buffs of a certain kind that can be upgraded later on. Overall, a prudent decision as opposed to AC Odyssey where players would hoard loot and swap swords every two fights because some NPC dropped a better one.&nbsp;<h3>The Good, The Bad, and The Disappointing</h3>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KQYxOzuiyks?si=HYgJBA8SWpKCmu6O" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;What’s evident about AC Mirage is that it’s a turning point in the Assassin’s Creed franchise much like AC Origins. The developers have acknowledged that things went too far with Valhalla, and it was time to dial things down in terms of scale. This feedback, however, has been taken a little too literally. Instead of delivering a smaller, richer world with more detail and care, we get a smaller city, a less rewarding progression structure, and a story without the aspects that make it interesting.&nbsp;&nbsp;As compared to AC Unity with its faithful recreation of the Notre-Dame, or AC Brotherhood with The Colosseum, Baghdad feels strangely characterless, a space for a ton of NPCs to be crammed in just to make it feel alive. The way the narrative is delivered in this space doesn’t help matters. Unlike older games where players come face to face with their enemies (think Elpenor from AC Odyssey) and truly despise them for who they are, your targets are mostly unknown, only being revealed via the clues left behind in the main story, giving the player zero investment when it comes to dealing with them, dehumanizing them, and ultimately making them feel like NPCs.&nbsp;Digging deeper, here lies my main gripe with AC Mirage: Basim feels like a pinball. To get your target, you get bounced around from NPC to NPC, either being told to retrieve something or take a smaller target out. In this pursuit, the hand-rubbing anticipation of taking down someone you hate from the bottom of your soul (like Cesare Borgia) is simply absent because you never even knew who your enemy was just five minutes before stabbing them in the throat. All of this makes the middle portion of the game incredibly tedious, (which in some ways is like the original Assassin’s Creed, so kudos to Ubisoft, I guess?) prompting you to just speedrun the missions.&nbsp;&nbsp;The main assassination missions are well thought out with limited entry points, and a few intelligent opportunities to work around barging your way through. Whether this is via bribing someone, distracting a group of guards by hiring mercenaries, or finding your own way through, the possibilities feel endless. Disguises can also be applied to get closer to your target with well-constructed scenarios and believable exchanges between characters.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JpkJFhNblhU?si=aqW8Y_Yd2bUeYF_m" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;However, this brings us back to the Assassin’s Rush ability that completely undoes all of the effort the developers put into making a tricky level. Just upgrade your ability, rock up to a group of guards, mark five of them, and slice through them in a second. This is especially overpowered in the earlier parts of the game where most enemies don’t stand around closely, filtering out individually or in groups of two. Enemy AI is generally poor and its response to dead bodies is laughable as it just puts them in a low detection state, aware of a presence, but not aware enough to raise an alarm.&nbsp;&nbsp;To illustrate why this is an issue, here's an instance I faced during my playthrough. During a mission, there were multiple sections where I couldn’t break up a horde of guards. I simply killed one, barely in view of the others, prompting them to come investigate the body one at a time. Standing in the exact same spot, executing more soldiers invited more to investigate the spot until there was no one left. This completely broke the illusion of the world and a challenge, prompting me to take the easiest route out every time.&nbsp;While the developers have done a good job incentivizing stealth, it is still completely possible to take on a hoard of enemies and survive. By stocking up on heals, you can survive almost any encounter regardless of enemy type. Light enemies can be parry-killed instantly like in AC 3 while heavier enemies are armored, only taking damage via the legs or the back. What is laudable is the removal of enemy levels which means that a stealth assassination is a guaranteed kill. To me, this is an extremely welcome move. After all a blade to the temple is a blade to the temple, no one should come back from that no matter how high their “rank” is.&nbsp;<h3>Final thoughts - Assassin's Creed Mirage is a sign of better things to come</h3>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mMV4rEb0F3o?si=SIooxi1emYC-HzJ_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>&nbsp;While playing through the game it was evident that Ubisoft was caught between safety in their Assassin's Creed formula and delivering something truly unique. Instead of blending the best parts of the old and new Assassin’s Creed philosophies, what we get is a mish-mash of dull ideas that are ultimately less than the sum of their parts. Comparing AC Mirage to the peaks of the franchise, Parkour isn’t as fluid as AC Unity, Basim isn’t nearly as interesting as other protagonists like Ezio or even Kassandra, and the world design is at par with something like AC Syndicate’s London, but nowhere as enthralling as Paris.&nbsp;&nbsp;But, what AC Mirage does deliver on, is being an improvement from AC Valhalla. Unlike the last few entries, AC Mirage does bring the Creed back to Assassin’s Creed. We come face to face with the brotherhood, learn its principles, grow with Basim, learn that not everything is black and white, and learn that there could be a purpose higher than oneself. This is something AC Mirage has to be commended for, daring to break the mould of the last three games that made the player feel like a God, bringing them back to Earth as a mortal.&nbsp;&nbsp;As for the modern component, it straight up doesn’t exist. Those looking for more exposition on the modern-day story will have to wait for another installment. While this isn’t a deal breaker, it failed to ground the stakes of the story in the real world, other than the game states that we NEED to care about Basim.&nbsp;&nbsp;All in all, AC Mirage is a mixed bag with a few strong points, but many more flaws. While no part of the game is egregiously poor, there’s nothing spectacular about it either, and depending on who you ask, that makes the “return to roots” claim, void. For anyone picking up this game, it's important to temper expectations and go in expecting nothing but an interesting story with rudimentary Assassin’s Creed gameplay that is somewhat reminiscent of older titles. Expecting an AC 2-esque game would simply be folly.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>PC Port Report</h3>&nbsp;AC Mirage is a phenomenal PC port. Light on VRAM usage, high on fidelity, and easy to run, the port is a breath of fresh air considering the spate of disgusting PC ports in 2023. Players on weaker hardware can comfortably churn 45+ FPS with maxed-out textures and adjusted settings that lean towards medium. All upscalers work fairly well with even Intel XeSS providing an acceptable experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through my 20-ish hour playthrough I faced 0 crashes, soft locks, or game-breaking glitches. Those worried about performance on older hardware like the GTX 1650 can rest assured that they can push 40+ frames a second at 1080p medium/high with FSR 2 on. Maxed out, the game looks brilliant. Lighting is masterfully done, streaming through the lattices of structures, softly illuminating indoor areas. The world emanates a warmth that you’d expect from a region like Baghdad, perfectly highlighting the Ubisoft design team’s excellence.&nbsp;&nbsp;Review key for Assassin's Creed Mirage provided by Ubisoft and reviewed on PC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ubisoft Bordeaux

Assassin's Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: A Return To Its Roots or Another Misstep in a Tumbling Franchise?

Mobile

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.01

Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion addresses major concerns from the base game's questing to deliver a far more compelling experience. 

&nbsp;Cyberpunk 2077 has seen incremental updates over the last couple of years, with the game progressively appearing more impressive year-on-year. The latest and only expansion, Phantom Liberty, is a final punctuation mark, standing as a testament to CD Projekt's tireless toil these last few years. On the foundations of the sweeping changes from 2.0, CD Projekt was able to address some of the base game's most disappointing aspects and fix some fundamental issues with quests.&nbsp;For one, Phantom Liberty's quests feel a little bit more open-ended, with players having a lot more agency when it comes to key decisions. This is true for not just the main quest, but also Gigs and Side Missions, which feel far more rewarding and deeper this time around. Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion is a solid ride from start to finish and the game's insistence on player choice to combat monotony and encourage replay value is an inspired decision.&nbsp;The expansion carries forward the legacy of CD Projekt's fantastic expansions a la Blood &amp; Wine and Hearts of Stone for The Witcher 3. The game is a tightly-scoped yet ambitious foray that rarely ever makes a misstep - both in terms of gameplay or story. Right until the final credits roll, Phantom Liberty weaves a tale of espionage and paranoia that will have players second-guessing every character's motives and consistently keeping them on edge. CD Projekt's final flourish on Cyberpunk 2077 ends in a dangerously addictive expansion that has a lot of replay value, perhaps even more so than the base game. &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty: 17 Hours of Pure Paranoia and Chaos</h2>&nbsp;<h3>Gameplay</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230926133616_9cb9c87a16.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077">&nbsp;The biggest change the 2.0 update brings to the table is easily the new Perks and Skill Progression systems. For one, it gives the game more of an RPG feel than any other system in the game. Previously, "builds" weren't really a thing in the game as my gameplay style didn't have to necessarily match what I dump my Attribute and Perks points into. The game combats this by introducing a new "Skill Progression" system that takes into account your play style. &nbsp;&nbsp;For instance, playing as a stealthy Netrunner through Gigs and Quests will automatically level your "Netrunner", "Headhunter", and "Shinobi" Skills. While if you're going guns blazing into firefights, you'll gain XP for "Solo". This gives you access to certain key gameplay benefits such as increased movement speed, perk points, etc. Thus, incentivizing players to stick to their build, resulting in a more specialized character rather than a "Jack of All Trades" type character.&nbsp;Melee combat has also received a massive upgrade in terms of balancing, making them infinitely more viable in both the base game and Phantom Liberty. The improved gunplay and melee balancing are all great things, but it also means you're going to want to play on a higher difficulty if you seek a challenge. On the Normal difficulty, my V was able to plough through multiple waves of enemies without ever breaking a sweat. While that is a perfectly okay way to experience the game, you might want to up the difficulty level if you are over Level 45 heading into Phantom Liberty.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230926200954_c0ff4b592c.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty">&nbsp;My favourite part about Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty comes from its vastly superior questing as compared to the base game. Side Jobs and Gigs are a far more rewarding experience this time around. For one, every Gig you take up in Dogtown is going to take you upwards of 30-40 minutes to finish and it is replete with important player choice, character development, and most importantly, interesting characters. The district's most powerful Fixer, Mr Hands, has about 10 Gigs for V and each of them presents a unique challenge to the player, both in terms of gameplay as well as the choices they're going to have to make.&nbsp;Another key area of the game that is sure to excite fans of open-world titles is the introduction of a vastly more competent Police department in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. Gone are the omnipotent drones that manifest themselves into existence exactly where you're stood, replaced by active NPCs spread all over the city - keeping a watchful eye. Upon witnessing the crime, the player will gain a Wanted Level, much in the vein of games like Grand Theft Auto. To that end, the drill is pretty standard from that point. Continuing to wreak havoc will cause the Police to react more aggressively and evading them is a massively more challenging affair now.&nbsp;Making the chase a lot more interesting is the fact that you can now shoot out of your vehicle and the police actually chase you now. The vehicular combat is ramped up several notches by introducing the new weaponized vehicles, allowing players to use mounted machine guns and missiles. Finally making it to a 5-star Wanted Level is a taxing challenge and players are rewarded for this extraordinary feat by facing up against MaxTac - Night City's apex predators. MaxTac is the absolute boss of bosses in the game and is liable to rip you to shreds in a matter of seconds.&nbsp;&nbsp;This open-ended approach to quests is precisely what I felt missing from the base game, which is a feeling echoed by the majority of the Cyberpunk 2077 community. It is truly impressive what the dev team has been able to pull off with side quests and Gigs. That is not to say that the Main Quest doesn't get any of that love. For one, despite the brevity of the story - Phantom Liberty's main quest is filled with a ton of variety, including a very James Bond-style level and a hilariously obvious nod to the character in both the name of the quest as well as a weapon you receive during the quest.&nbsp;<h3>Story</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230926233157_090cd97c28.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty">&nbsp;Prior to the release of Phantom Liberty, while I was impressed by the leaps the game has taken in terms of gameplay - I was far more excited about the story. Safe to say, CD Projekt does not disappoint and delivers yet another harrowing tale in Night City that is sure to leave players feeling bittersweet yet again. The overarching theme of "Night City always wins" is prevalent throughout Phantom Liberty as it is in Edgerunners and the base game. However, this time, you're wrapped up in business that will have you question pretty much everything.&nbsp;The story kicks off with V being contacted by a mysterious netrunner, Songbird, who says that they might be able to fix V's Relic condition. This sets V on a path that has him rescuing a President, working with a dangerous spy, and tango with a warlord. Throughout your time with these characters, the sense of paranoia around whether you're being played is palpable. The main quest is structured extremely well and despite a muddy section right after the explosive opening, Phantom Liberty picks up the pace in a big way and throws a number of curveballs your way.&nbsp;There is more than just the main quest here in terms of story as there's an interesting subplot with Mr Hands as well. The elusive Fixer appears to be making a powerplay and wants to shift the dynamic of Dogtown in a big way. This is where you come in and strategically strengthen Mr Hands' position in the district. While I enjoyed the main quest a lot, the Mr Hands subplot somehow felt just as rich, if not more.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230926171250_e0bd6d4faa.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty">&nbsp;While Idris Elba graces most of the marketing and promotional material, his character, Solomon Reed didn't feel nearly as significant as he was made out to be. While Reed is certainly a compelling character that has layers to him that I did not expect - the expansion's primary focus is Songbird. Much of the story revolves around her and it helps that she is massively interesting. Phantom Liberty takes learnings from the base game and strives to develop each character outside of their 2-line description. Each character feels like they have their own set of motivations, fears, and most importantly, goals. Idris Elba's Reed is a lot more subdued character than Keanu's Silverhand but there are certainly moments where he's finally let off his leash.&nbsp;Unfortunately, some characters do not get this multi-layered treatment. Specifically, characters like President Myers and Kurt Hansen (the main villain) leave a lot to be desired. Save for a memorable quest where you play as Kurt Hansen himself (shout to Idris Elba's Choke Hold during this mission), the character never really felt like much of a threat. The same goes for President Myers, who seems to transform into a whole other character should you make different choices towards the end.&nbsp;<h3>Visuals and Performance</h3>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230927000152_02260f1d4c.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty">&nbsp;While the console version looks about the same, with key improvements to character models (Keanu now has human-like textures on his face), the PC version of the game looks positively gorgeous. Performance doesn't appear to be an issue on the PS5 - no crashes, pesky bugs or annoying glitches in the 11 hours I've logged into the game. The vastly superior UI makes for a far better experience, leaving me baffled as to why the older UI ever felt adequate.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/Cyberpunk_2077_20230926202830_43a3cb3dbb.jpg" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty">&nbsp;On the graphics side of things, Cyberpunk 2077 remains gorgeous for the most part and I'd highly recommend the PC version to most players if you want to see the game running at its best. Even on a console, the game looks pretty great - with Ray Tracing turning City Central and Corpo Plaza into a retrowave enthusiast's playground. While console players will not have access to Path Tracing, the game is still pretty to look at. &nbsp;Dogtown is devastatingly grimy and the way it's lit makes for a rather interesting visual treat. The harsh, heavy lighting makes for truly memorable and moody set pieces that will be forever etched in the player's minds.&nbsp;<h2>Final Word: Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty</h2>&nbsp;<img src="https://d2dgkt5728m0bd.cloudfront.net/CB_2077_a80bb777bc.png" alt="Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Quest Explored">&nbsp;Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty marks the completion of CD Projekt's and Cyberpunk 2077's redemption run and it is safe to say that the game is definitely worth its price tag and then some. The same goes for the expansion that will easily deliver upwards of 15-20 hours of solid gameplay. The seamless performance and the lack of any major bugs or glitches should finally be of some comfort to those who have been waiting on the fence for the last few years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Phantom Liberty is a delightful dip into paranoia and it makes for one heck of an experience. The game does away with convoluted plots and strives for a much more concise and lean story experience that, in my opinion, is far more rewarding. The expansion makes for a solid companion piece for the game and even affects the base game by offering players a secret base game ending - which should delight fans who wanted an Epilogue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Review: Righting the Wrongs of the Past