ZTGD

Spider-Man 2 is easily the best PlayStation first party game this year.

Again, this is a sequel in a series that I haven’t played so this may be an improvement I don’t know, what I do know is that for someone who enjoys mystery, adventure games The London Case shall remain unsolved for this fledgling detective.

Lords of the Fallen is a marked improvement over the original and the mechanic of traversing between two realms makes it feel unique among its contemporaries. If not for a handful of questionable design choices and an overall lack of polish, this could have been something special.

Being able to go from a car into a plane at the press of a button is dope, while I wish the developers had tuned the controls for all the vehicles instead of just focusing on the cars; I never had a real issue controlling the planes, boats or off-road vehicles. But if you are looking to catch some beautiful Hawaiian sun, drive some of the most beautiful cars you’ve ever seen, then The Crew Motorfest might be for you.

Wild Card Football has pleasantly surprised me I must say, I was already intrigued with its blend of strategic card games and the game of football. But to finally play it and see that the card game doesn’t detract from the football game but instead enhances it and makes it something totally new and fun to play.

Boasting a strange and evocative narrative that is presented with beautifully painted and animated cutscenes that look like works of art hanging in the Louvre, Blasphemous 2 is itself a work of art.

Again, gun is DOPE and adds a lot to the gameplay, just wish it was voiced like the others. The most damning thing here though is the narrative just abruptly ends. I don’t want to spoil it but while the developer’s kind of make a joke about the ending and how it just fades to black; the overall experience just left me with a lot of questions and an unsatisfied feeling in my stomach.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is an interesting entry in the series. On the one hand I adore the streamlined approach to the story. I like being able to invest in this world in a smaller, more focused package. The return to stealth is a turn-off for me though. I have truly enjoyed the more action-focused entries as of late. Still the quality is here and tying this into Valhalla was a smart idea since that was the most recent game.

This reboot of Forza Motorsport is impressive visually. This is genuinely the best-looking game I have seen in a while. The rebuilt tracks are great, the racing feels good, the career mode has plenty to see and do, but I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the leap I was expecting. The practice races drag down the pacing. Going back to starting slow just isn’t that interesting in 2023. The production values are unmatched, but I found myself growing bored playing this game, and I really enjoy sim racers.

Smurfs Kart is a decent racer that is a nice alternative for consoles without Mario Kart. It simply doesn’t have a lot of staying power though. I was done with the game before I finished the main tournament mode and I didn’t find myself coming back to collect stickers. Some type of unlock system or some more unique and inspiring tracks would have gone a long way. Still if you love the Smurfs and enjoy Mario Kart, you can’t go wrong with this one.