I mean... wow. What is this, pro-lockdown propaganda?
I'm not a veteran of many Ace Combat games, but Project Wingman is, I believe, the best AC-styled game" I've seen in years. The controls are tight and are meant for a HOTAS or at the very least, a proper gamepad. Yes, gameplay wise it better than the actual (recent) Ace Combat games released by Bamco and I still can't believe Project Wingman has been made by just three people. You get excellent value for your money even at full price, so if you like the notion of an arcadey combat flight simulator, think no further and buy this.
I'll keep it short and sweet. PROS: * it looks and sounds good; * the main story is really nice for what I've seen; * character customization is honestly pretty great. CONS: * Bugs, bugs, bugs everywhere... not "Mass Effect: Andromeda bad", but too close to that for comfort; * it is clear that lots of content has been cut from the game, starting from the railway/metro system we've seen in the gameplay trailers; * driving cars feels absolutely horrible, there is no feeling of control; * the loot system is like from a looter-shooter like Borderlands, not a proper RPG. There is also no item owning system so you're rewarded by stealing everything from everyone, in every place you visit... exactly like a looter-shooter. * Police pop-in/pop-out on the streets, out of and into nowhere, as soon as you start being "mischievous" and regardless of how much stealthy you've tried to be. * The game was advertised with many complex romance chances... but as it stands we have four possible long-term relationships in the entire game. FOUR. Two for each gender, one straight and one gay. They basically don't give you a choice as to which NPC you should romance -- but hey, you can choose your pp on the character creation screen! Eight years after the first announcement, this feels like a punch in my stomach. I would have expected this from other developers but not CD Projekt Red.
Dead Cells is, simply put, one of the best games I've played this year. Its controls are tight, the graphics are superb if you're in any way into the pixelated style, and the game offers tons of replayability, including hundreds of different items and also different paths that lead you to the endgame. Just one warning: its difficulty is tough (Dark Souls levels of tough) but also fair. Every run you will attempt will make you a better player while entertaining you with spectacular 2D combat, hand-crafted graphics goodness and humour. 10/10
As soon as I've heard about Pathway I knew I had to get it: masterfully crafted pixel art, Indiana Jones-like atmosphere and matching music, XCOM-esque combat sequences... what's not to like? The one thing I might complain about is a lack of a proper hours-long "story mode"; instead, the game is comprised of several "adventures", from very short ones to long and overarching ones with more than one map; each of these are dotted with points of interest that trigger events as you visit them. The map generation is procedural so there will never be another game similar to one you have previously played, allowing for great replayability. Event outcomes depend not just on luck but on the composition of your team -- so choose your mates wisely! Speaking of playable characters, after every run (be it successful or not) they will keep their levelling status and equipment, so that your overall roster will keep on growing and get better over time. I wholeheartedly recommend Pathway to any Roguelike fan.
This might be more an interactive novel than an actual point-and-click adventure, but don't let that misguide you: Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth is for me one of the best games in recent years. Everything about it - the atmospheric music, the painted backgrounds and artstyle, even the voice acting - collaborate to accent the gripping story that is the centerpiece of this experience, all revolving around a small village in England in the 12th century and the lives, past and present, of the characters that are for one reason or another attracted to it. You will control three of them in different times - Philip the monk, Jack the outlaw and Aliena the lady, and through their actions you will write much more than their fate. I was in tears when I reached the end of this journey, and not many games (or books) have managed to accomplish this feat on myself. I knew Daedalic from their Deponia series, but I honestly believe that they really have outdone themselves with this title. I would recommend this to any adventure game fan, especially those who have an interest in realistic representations of the Middle Ages. 10/10
