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The last month has been a long one. Coming through the back end of my first year of uni whilst balancing work has been very time-consuming. I also had the absolute pleasure of joining Zatu at the UKGE over the weekend for lots of nerdy fun. I met some of my fellow bloggers for the first time there. It was amazing to be able to put some faces and personalities to those who contribute to this blog and tempt me to buy more games in the group chats.
For all of you who had the opportunity to attend UKGE too, I hope you had as good of a time as myself. I got to meet some great people, some game designers, artists, publishers, other retailers and even some ghostbusters!
No matter how time-consuming general life can be, however, there is always time for games. So, let’s see what everyone has been playing.
Call Of Duty: Vanguard - Paul Blyth
Unlike Cold War, with its spy film qualities. Vanguard gets back to Call of Duty staples - explosive sets pieces, dirty, bloody combat and absolutely no subtlety. Set towards the end of World War II, you’re part of Task Force Vanguard, who are sent into Nazi Germany to discover what Project Phoenix is. Task Force Vanguard are a diverse group, and you’ll play as all of them as the campaign unfolds through flashbacks. This is mainly an excuse to play iconic moments throughout the war including the fall of Stalingrad and Midway.
Every level and set piece is fun, explosive and loud. Vanguard doesn’t aim to reinvent the Call of Duty formula, but rather lean right into it and make a wild ride. Which it does with gusto. It does bring a little levity to the arcade action with hints at actual historical racism within the allied forces. In particular, the American 93rd Infantry Division - a segregated black unit who were routinely sent on suicide missions on the frontlines. And the Australian regiments who were treated poorly and watched over by British commanding officers. The game never goes into any great detail, but it’s a start and the subjects are worth looking up. And while you’re doing that check out Lady Death, who Task Force Vanguard’s Russian sniper is clearly based on.
Graphics and controls are excellent. Guns pack a punch and the explosions will leave headphone wearer’s ears ringing. And if that’s not enough for you, the beautifully rendered cutscenes also have excellent acting. Especially from Dominic Monaghan as Nazi Officer Jannick Richter.
GreedFall – Sophie Jones
After the announcement of GreedFall 2: The Dying World I had to revisit GreedFall. I got this game for free way back on PS Plus and gave it a shot. I must admit, the PS Plus games are never that great but GreedFall was a welcome surprise.
This low-budget RPG has more depth than the price ticket suggests. For such a low-budget game, it has brilliant mechanics and a world that is bursting at the seams with lore and richness. I fell in love with GreedFall’s world, and the main plot kept me engaged through its lengthy campaign. The game also has unique side quests and some interesting puzzles to boot.
The combat is super fun! GreedFall’s theme is basically magical, colonial pirates. This means combat is a mix of magic, flintlocks, rapiers, and elemental traps. Despite each attack consisting of basic elements, being able to mix them all up keeps it interesting. Players can also craft elemental traps, bombs, and potions to add to the madness.
On the flipside, GreedFall’s age and low expense does show. Environmental assets are reused which does break immersion as each town or city hall is the same which doesn’t match the change in scenery or culture. Furthermore, dialogue is buggy, and people will be referring to you with the wrong pronouns all the time. Characters will also go from being sad to incredibly happy as they ask you, ‘anything else?’. These hiccups did hinder my ability to become fully absorbed in everything GreedFall which was a shame, but they were not game-breaking.
If you have seen the GreedFall 2: The Dying World trailer and you're curious about the first game, I would give it a go. For the price, you pay you get a working RPG which has some fun elements to it. Just expect some wonky going ons as you travel through the world of Teer Fradee.
Ghostwire Tokyo – Dan Hilton
Have you ever wondered how the old-school Silent Hill games would play out in a modernistic, spirt-infested Japan? Well, now you can! Kind of. Ghostwire Tokyo is not a scary game, but it gives off the same kind of vibes for sure. The game will have you cleansing the streets of Shibuya of the ‘visitors’ and saving the spirits of the inhabitants.
The story itself can be smashed out relatively quickly over a couple of sittings. This can be a welcome relief from all of the games in that require played hours in the triple digits these days. It is a unique premise for a game using a theme that has not been utilised to its full potential yet. So many games rely on zombies, monsters or nazis. Games that use Yokai and Japanese folklore are far and few between. And that is such a shame. There is a wealth of opportunities to be had with this well of lore.
Ghostwire Tokyo definitely benefits from this crevice of unused themes and settings. It is a really interesting game to delve into. The only main real downside to this game is that it is not very OCD friendly. There are literally thousands of collectables to pick up around the map.
If you are in the market for an interesting experience, however, then this is one worth checking out!
Chorus - Paul Blyth
Good space combat is hard to come by these days. With the exception of Star Wars Squadrons, I can’t remember a title that gave me satisfying zero-g dogfighting since Colony Wars: Vengeance. Thankfully Chorus has come along and changed that. It’s got lasers, missiles, and that all-important space drifting. Which allows you to casually strafe capital ships at speed and pepper them with laser fire.
You take on the role of Nara, an ace pilot who keeps her past a secret from those around her. Which is probably for the best as she used to be the finest pilot in the Empire... sorry... The Circle. Who decided to do a runner when her Space-Nazi boss decided to blow up a planet? After 7 years of hiding Nara finds herself, and her murder-hungry sentient ship - Forsaken - pulled back into the intergalactic war.
It’s all fairly run-of-the-mill story-wise. But the combat makes Chorus worth a look, it’s smooth and responsive. Dogfights are fun, exciting, and always end in a satisfying explosion. There are also temples dotted around the open world(s) to explore. These let Nara unlock new abilities like a spacefaring Link. The abilities make combat even more fun and add a great tactical element to proceedings. One ability allows you to teleport directly behind a targeted enemy, turning the flow of combat in your favour instantly.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – Dan Hilton
This is another game that I have been sinking my teeth into lately. I absolutely love the Borderlands games, and I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. I have had it for a fair while now but haven’t had a lot of time to get into it. Now, I am sure the peeps at Zatu are tapping their feet waiting on my review for it. Its coming! Soon! Pinky promise!
From what I have played so far, it is easy to tell that it is basically just more Borderlands fun. Take that as you will. It introduces you to a wide range of bizarre characters and storylines which all make you smile. From a rainbow-inducing unicorn queen to a human/goblin romancing quest there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The game does have a very uniquely interesting overworld that has you running around a miniature terrain map. The DnD formula works amazingly well within the world of Borderlands. Creating your own character, choosing perks, fighting zany enemies, fourth-wall-breaking and all-round silliness lends itself incredibly well to the tabletop role-playing experience.
Credit Roll
So, there we have it. Another collection of games that we think are worth picking up. Whatever games you decide to jump into, I hope this has given you a little insight into some potential games for your collection. Happy gaming!