MMORPG

Burning Crusade Classic has been an excellent launch of some of Blizzard’s best expansion content to date. It’s an excellent experience for veterans and players who never got to experience Burning Crusade the first time around. However, if you are looking for an authentic TBC experience, this isn’t it.

I wanted to love Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance so badly. I grew up reading R.A. Salvatore’s novels about Drizzt and his companions. Baldur’s Gate was my first CRPG that I ever played. The original Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Dark Alliance II are probably my favorite games from the PS2 era. But sadly, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance just misses the mark in so many categories. It was a slog to get through, and there is almost no reason for me to ever pick it up again.

If you liked Final Fantasy VII Remake, you're going to love Intergrade. I know that sentence has a lot of "well DUH" energy, but it's the truth; at its core this is an enhanced version of one of 2020's best games. From visuals to framerate, Intergrade improves upon the original, with some scenes really popping off of the screen thanks to the PlayStation 5's prowess. Intermission is at its core more of the same, but the tandem attacks are an excellent addition and the story implications are intriguing.

In the end, Blackwood improves where Greymoor stumbled. The setting is tighter and more focused than last time, and the performance at launch harkens back to prior launches during the Before Times. The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is a good addition to the MMO’s expansion roster, and one that’ll be a definite draw for those who remember walking the streets of Cyrodiil fondly once upon a time.

The Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah DLC is fun. I would have liked to see the area somehow attached to the main map, but I understand that there are, likely, technical limitations involved. To my knowledge, there is still no word on when server transfers will become available. The more I played this DLC, the more I have enjoyed it. But the remaining technical issues and visual bugs hold it back from being a fully immersive experience in the Conan universe.

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

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

Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an excellent game for anyone who loves turn-based RPGs or D&D in general. Since there are so many options for difficulty and game rules, pretty much anyone can play it regardless if you want something easy to experience the story, something extremely challenging, or something in between.

It devastates me, then, to know these games are from a bygone era. The BioWare which crafted these games simply doesn’t exist anymore. Replaying these three titles continues to hammer that point home. I know I’m cherishing every second I’m spending within Legendary Edition. These games are a treasure and deserve to be recognized as such.

If you come in expecting a Game of the Year candidate you may leave disappointed, but if you're looking for a new adventure brimming with personality, Biomutant is absolutely worth your time. Just be prepared for that fast travel mechanic; it still shocks me every time.

Overall, Days Gone is an enjoyable experience if you keep your expectations in check. It’s a solid port of a mostly ignored PlayStation 4 title due to a cluttered release window, and while it certainly won’t set the world on fire, it’s exactly what you’re looking for if you enjoyed single player experiences like the most recent Tomb Raider trilogy or The Last of Us.

It may seem, after reading all of this, that I don’t like Hood: Outlaws & Legends. I actually really do. When I can get some friends together and play on a team that coordinates and plays with a balanced loadout, Hood is incredibly fun, win or lose. However, that fun, coupled with the bad port and the uneven feeling progression make Hood feel like a big if for me as to whether it will stay installed on my PC in a few weeks.

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

By itself, Resident Evil Village is a fantastic addition to the survival-horror genre and focuses more on empowering the player rather than cheap horror elements. As part of the series, Village lacks in the story department and seems like it tries to cast too wide of a net to appeal to a greater audience rather than catering to the hardcore fans.

Despite these minor issues, I had a blast hanging with the Phantom Thieves again and working to make the world a better place. I would never have thought to ask for this melding, but it's a beautiful experience.

Despite the lack of graphical options to choose from, Nioh 2 still ran fantastic and much smoother than on my PS4 Pro. If you are at all interested in a new and challenging Souls-like game, or just love grinding for loot, then Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is a must-buy on PC.

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

Hitman 3 defies every expectation I had for it, from the size of its maps to the scope of its missions. I am truly free to approach these jobs however I wish, so long as the objectives are met, and that freedom is downright exhilarating.

The developers – the ones actually designing, writing, scripting, testing, and creating the game – deserve insurmountable praise for what they accomplished under the environment they were working. I have never experienced anything even remotely close to this before. I truly believe Cyberpunk 2077 is nothing short of amazing.

While the music, opening narration, and world-building were absolutely fantastic, I did feel a little disappointed in the direction of the story. It could have been so much more-so much larger! From the first venture, I found myself wound up in the fantasy of the world, and couldn’t help but hum Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky theme as we drifted along.

Obviously, Shadowlands isn't perfect. There are some balancing and tweaking which need to be done and will continue throughout the expansion. However, this is an expansion where I can honestly say the core systems feel solid. It doesn't feel like anything key is missing, and like Blizzard needs to slap a giant band-aid on it to carry it through.

In all, Raji: An Ancient Epic was a great game. Yes, I had some problems with it’s length and the ending but if I step back and look at the game in its entirety, I can recognize that Raji was a gorgeous game. It was educational and made me want to learn more.

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

If The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the calm, reserved child, then Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is its loud, rowdy older sibling. The action starts at 10 and never lets up, giving me battle after battle of tight and fun Musou action. The story beats are for the most part great, but a few of them definitely left me wanting for more and not in a good way.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is surprisingly one of the best JRPGs that I’ve played since I beat Dragon Quest XI over three years ago. It’s especially impressive coming from Ryu ga Gotoku studios which has never made a turn-based RPG before. However, there are some glaring issues that take away from the overall experience; most notably the lack of a weakness indicator and wonky AoE moves during battles.