Perhaps unsurprisingly, Aloft’s other major shortcoming is that it performs pretty poorly most of the time. That’s not particularly surprising given its unfinished state, but I’d say this is on the more severe side of the spectrum compared to other early access games I’ve played slot at launch. The framerate gets extremely rocky on a fairly regular basis and crashing is a common occurrence, especially if you aren’t the host of a multiplayer world. Beyond that, my playgroup saw instances of items mysteriously disappearing from chests and sometimes I found myself staring at the inside of my avatar’s face, unable to rectify the issue until a crash inevitably came a short while later.
His birthday evening consists of eating a cheeseburger served on a silver tray and watching CNN. Top off this coverage with video content and community forums, and you’ve got a solid video game website anyone can enjoy. When you stack that on top of the main game, it’s an incredible quantity of high-quality tests of your soulslike mettle. While the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 was arguably great (if a bit buggy) when it came out at the end of 2020, it wasn’t until CD Projekt Red launched the major 2.0 patch and the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023 that you didn’t really have to argue anymore. Even more gorgeous than ever and with years of polish and refinement to its combat and skill systems, exploring the gleaming yet seedy open world of Night City stands apart from anything else out there.
We rank every game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise—including this week’s new game Assassin’s Creed Shadows—from worst to best based on Metascore.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3d
It knows you’re playing a roleplaying game and uses that awareness to mess with you at every turn, remembering your saving habits, following your story decisions, and constantly adjusting itself in surprising ways to remind you that actions have unexpected consequences. For one reason or another, these games made us wish we’d never played them. Even if there’s a good idea or two in there somewhere, they’re buried under so many bad ones and poor execution we simply can’t recommend you waste your time on it.
Idun – Frontline Survival Review
By design, you’re less of a well-oiled killing machine and more like a shopping kart with one wonky wheel. Ivy Road’s new cozy game Wanderstop offers satisfying and simple gameplay while giving players ample time to rest and contemplate. Firstly, the relatively brief playtime is absolutely to Atomfall’s benefit, and ensures that things never become tedious. Secondly, I didn’t lean into the most hardcore elements of combat and exploration, which could probably double those figures if going Stalker 2 mode is something that appeals to you. Thirdly, I’ve started a fresh playthrough, and already discovered plenty of fresh threads to pull at that tease a whole other route I could use to make it through the game.
I was never completely sure if the fight I was getting into was going to be fierce or a total farce – it seems like you can’t take some inspiration from Fallout without also adopting some of its jank. Thus, I quickly settled into a slower and steadier stealth approach, particularly once I got my hands on a bow during my battles with the druids in the Casterfell Woods zone. Pretty much the only thing about it that isn’t very British is the weather. With no weather system or day/night cycle, it’s nothing but sunshine in Atomfall’s quarantine zone. This not only results in one of the least dreary post-apocalyptic game worlds I’ve ever explored, but it also makes for a startling contrast every time you transition into the dark depths of one of its many subterranean bunkers and caves. December 5, 2024 • 2024 was a surprising year — games from small teams rocketed up the charts, while big releases from major companies slowed.
Between unsatisfying careers, shallow relationships and socialization mechanics, and my own Zoi being both boring while also harboring urges for entirely random things, I had very little fun actually living out my Zois’ lives. Once I had her settled into her new home–a shockingly luxurious two-bedroom apartment that left little for to work her way up to–I got to work on making the place her own. Though I couldn’t alter the structure of the apartment much, I quickly converted the flat from an expensive greige abode to something more colorful and expressive. I took time searching Pinterest for some cute art to display on her gallery wall, over the moon at not only being able to freely place frames all over my wall but being able to import my own images without having to turn to mods and custom content. And yet, I began to wonder what this functionality–and InZoi’s AI implementation to generate art for players on more high-end PCs–could have on developers.
We Review 5 Of The Biggest Pieces Of Gaming Tech On Sale This Black Friday
Building out a strategy as you work your way through increasingly difficult “blinds” with higher points requirements is satisfying for how it lets you feel like you’re breaking the game in half, only to have the game come back at you that much harder the next time. When that inevitably happens, you need to think on your toes and modify your deck throughout the run to deal with new challenges. Jokers that may have seemed useless before can result in a sudden ah-ha moment of recognition as you take advantage of their unique strategies. And every time you make it to the end–or more likely, fail–it’s hard not to start up another hand and do it all again. Another chapter in the mind-bending Remedy universe, Alan Wake 2 picks up right where the cult classic left off more than a decade ago.
That’s why we’ve found some top gaming sites that are reliable and have proven themselves over time. They give detailed reviews and insights into gameplay, visuals, and fun. Some Call of Duty games are clearly better than others, and this year’s iteration, Black Ops 6, is the best the series has been in some time.
If not, you’ll have to go to the map and ask them to meet up with you somewhere. More than anything, the process was a bit annoying and added some unnecessary friction. More often than not, I find them unnecessary–large for the sake of being large, and filled with things for the sake of being filled with things. The games that win me over tend to be those select RPGs that show restraint and focus more on curating a certain kind of atmosphere rather than thrusting tasks at me.
My initial skepticism of placing players behind the eyes of Indy in first-person evaporated the moment I socked a nazi in the face. Melee combat packs a nice wallop, and incorporating blocks, counters, and grabs adds a satisfying flow to brawling. Using memorable sound effects from the films is an effective cherry on top. Machine Games also creates a multitude of opportunities to take out foes in hilarious fashion, such as grabbing nearly any object to smash over their skulls. Taking on foes in cluttered rooms made me feel as much Jackie Chan as Indiana Jones, and I love taking out opponents with the wackiest things I can find. Sneaking up behind oblivious fascists to push them off cliffs or down tomb shafts never failed to make me chuckle.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a spectacular return to form for the franchise, delivering one of the series’ more tightly focused historical adventures. InZOI is a worthy competitor to The Sims that is wildly entertaining even in its early access state. Kaiserpunk may deliver a nice blend of city-builder and strategy, but many of its features hold it back from being as great as it could be. Although Atomfall’s marketing uses the word ‘survival’, this is slightly misleading.
This 2025 review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at publishing. As such, post-launch updates were factored into the final score. Looking back, it’s quite astounding to me how the core of the gameplay has been so consistent, yet the upgrades make exploration more and more consistent. You definitely never feel like the requirements are helpless, but it can be frustrating to put a few hours into the late game and not feel like you’ve made meaningful progression. You explore the house and its grounds in the first person, immersing you in the world and also making it easy to miss out on interesting clues here and there if you’re not looking closely enough.