You're going to be doing a lot of talking in The Outer
Worlds. Or, rather, you're going to have a lot of people talk at you
before selecting from one of several pre-written dialogue options in
response. Anyone who's played a Fallout game won't be a stranger to this
kind of interaction, but The Outer Worlds is keen to put these
discursive parlays at the forefront of its role-playing experience.
In
fact, I'd wager that over two thirds of my time with The Outer Worlds
was spent in conversation with Halcyon's denizens, all fully formed with
their own thoughts and motivations, and brought to life through strong
voice performances and convincingly rendered facial animations across
the board. That amount of verbiage will sound off-putting at first, but
these are some of the most well written, multi-faceted, intelligent and human
NPCs I've ever had the joy of getting to know, and the intricacies of
conversing with them brings its own kind of rewards, making for The
Outer Worlds' best moments.
These
characters will react so acutely to your behaviour, the company you
keep, and the events that transpire around them, it hurts my brain to
even imagine how Obsidian accounted for every dialogue tree stored
within their coded personas. Whether it's a potential boss fight
suddenly becoming a lucrative trade partner after it turns out he's
friends with one of my companions, or a total stranger expressing their
disgust at my choice of clothing, I never got tired of discovering how
Halcyon's inhabitants would express themselves in conversation, even if I
did sometimes find myself skipping through chunks of dialogue when the
exchange got too exposition heavy.
Close encounters
The Outer Worlds frontloads its deep dialogue systems because
Obsidian knows that's where its strengths lie; but it's still a shame
that the game's combat still feels relatively undemanding and
rudimentary in comparison. There's nothing particularly wrong with it,
per se, but the game's array of first-person firefights and melee brawls
don't quite enthral in the same way as its contemporaries, even with a
fairly substantial arsenal of weapons at your disposal.
Take Tactical Time Dilation; a side-effect of your character's sudden
awakening from cryosleep which lets you slow down time at will. It's
The Outer World's replacement for Fallout's VATS mode, yet lacks that
system's strategic orientation and memorable sense of impact, thus
ending up as a forgettable gimmick that adds little depth or colour to
combat. Sneak enthusiasts will also likely be disappointed by the The
Outer Worlds' ropey stealth mechanics, which make it frustratingly
difficult to execute covert kills without alerting other nearby enemies,
especially in the absence of ranged tools like crossbows or silencers.
There
is, at least, a full cast of recruitable companions, two of whom can
join you on your adventures at any one time, and bring their own
flavours to the carnage via special attacks that lend a pulpy, cinematic
flair to critical hits. Watching them stomp, smash, quip, and drop kick
their way through enemies was enough to keep fights entertaining, even
if the efforts of my own attacks never connected with as much panache or
impact.
Here's the thing, though; you can avoid The Outer Worlds' combat
encounters almost entirely if it's not your cup of tea, because the
choices about the kind of spacefarer you want to be affects the player
experience from top to bottom, as emphasised from the moment you boot up
the game and start creating your character.
Invest your Skill
Points in Engineering and Stealth, for example, and you should be able
to hack and lockpick your way around any nearby aggressors, while those
with the gift of the gab (a.k.a. a high Dialogue and Temperament build)
can usually pursue verbal alternatives to violence, avoiding the need
for any conflict in the first place. The freedom to progress your
character through The Outer Worlds' dizzying brew of attributes, skill
points, perks, flaws, companions, armour and weapon management, and
reputation borders on limitless, and practically demands multiple
playthroughs of its 25-30 hour campaign.
Decisions, decisions
That
campaign is just as enrapturing and open-ended as The Outer Worlds' old
school RPG foundations, too, beginning as a simple quest to save your
abandoned colony ship from being left in orbit by Halcyon's ruling
mega-corporation The Board, and unfolding into something else entirely
over the course of your planet-hopping escapades. That's thanks to
Obsidian's masterfully constructed branching narrative, one that's
completely free from any binary morality system to weigh it down.
You can kill friends, partner up with former enemies, or terrorise
entire towns if you want to, but Obsidian's carefully layered system of
failsafes and alternate pathways means there'll always a plausible route
for you to pursue each questline, with no arbitrary gauge of right and
wrong to push you in certain directions. In a way, this makes some of
The Outer World's narrative choices even more tough to grapple with, as
they all sit in deliciously uncomfortable grey areas with no gamified
moral code to rely on for answers.
I can't count how many times I
was about to close the books on one of The Outer World's many
multi-layered quest lines with a decision, before one last minute factor
(perhaps one of my companions suddenly voicing their opinion on the
matter, or an uncovered computer log revealing a new side to the story),
made me reconsider my choices all over again. The Outer Worlds'
multiple endings are an inevitable offshoot of that fluid structure,
then, but - no matter how you see in the credits - you'll know you've
left a determinable impact upon this world, one that will have changed
the course of its future.
And what a world it is. Halcyon has
been meticulously conjured up by Obsidian from top to bottom, with some
of the finest writing and world-building I've seen from a game in recent
memory. The studio sets its sights firmly on the avaricious extremes
and laughable absurdities of crony capitalism, consumer culture, and
red-tape bureaucracy, littered with satirical parables of exploitation
that are as tragic as they are rib-tickling in their jet black
punchlines.
Everyone in Halcyon has a story to tell about corporate
mismanagement, mistreatment, or straight out malevolence, each one
darkly humorous in tone yet not too far-fetched from the stories of
greed and callousness you see in the real world today, making them all
the more powerful as indictments of the ruling class. But there's real
soul at the heart of this dystopian milieu, too, especially when it
comes to your crew of motley companions. Each recruitable team mate (who
will also readily leave your services if you do something to piss them
off) steps aboard your ship with their own personal worldviews,
emotional baggage, and connections to Halcyon, but watching this group
of strangers slowly gel into a united crew of friends is genuinely
affecting.
From
the adorably naive Parvati, to the curt yet always surprising Vicar
Max, the way in which each companion develops believable relationships
with you and each other evokes the kind of space crew camaraderie that
harkens back to the best of Mass Effect 2. By the end of my travels, I
was completely invested in the world of Halcyon as a living, breathing
place, and can only hope this is just the beginning of a brand new
franchise for Obsidian, especially now that it's a first-party studio
with the might and support of Microsoft behind it.
Each of
Halcyon's various zones are relatively small in size, but Obsidian makes
up for that more focused scale with a strong sense of environmental
diversity, from drifting megamalls soaked in neon to terraformed jungles
of engorged fungi and craggy red rock. Not only that, but one of The
Outer Worlds' greatest distinctions from its most obvious comparison,
Fallout, is its exceptional level of polish, at least on PlayStation 4.
Playing on a standard PS4 Slim, the game ran at a reliable and steady
framerate, with only the odd freeze and texture pop-in occurring here
and there to load in assets for new environments, while I can count the
total number of bugs I encountered in my first playthrough on one hand.
Loading times are a bit of a hassle in terms of their length and
frequency, but The Outer Worlds is an experience that's otherwise hard
to fault on the technical side, with a glowing, Golden Age inspired art
style that elevates its modest graphical makeup into some seriously
eye-pleasing playgrounds.
Obsidian's talent for sharp writing,
choice-based narrative, and complex role-playing systems have coalesced
together to create one of the strongest new IPs of the generation with
The Outer Worlds. There's plenty of room for improvement when it comes
to making combat as compelling and rewarding as the rest of the game
but, nevertheless, The Outer Worlds absolutely delivers on its premise
as an immersive, full-bodied RPG that successfully picks up the baton
where Bethesda has been dropping it of late.
Those expecting a
straight-up spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas might be surprised
by Obsidian's more contained and old-fashioned approach to science
fiction, but stick with this unashamedly talkative tragic comedy, and
you'll discover one of the smartest games of the year.
The developer of the MediEvil remake wanted to make a game so true to the original that modern players could still use the 1998 version's strategy guides. It succeeded. Believe me, that was the first time I've loaded up one of those old GameFAQs guides in at least
half a decade. It was a good thing I had a trove of plain text strategy
guides to peruse, too: there are winding level layouts that make the
way forward difficult to find (that anthill level is the worst), there
are key objects that are easy to miss, and there's a boss that requires
you to hit specific parts of the environment – even though those parts
of the environment don't do anything elsewhere in the same level and no other boss is like that.
Please
hold your scoffing until the end, seasoned gamers. All that is indeed
the kind of retro roughness that I expect from an old-school or
old-school-derived game. It would be easy to look past all of those
flaws, or maybe even see them as positives, if exploring stages and
doing battle felt challenging and satisfying. It feels OK.
Creaky old bones
I know it's old hat to talk about the camera in a video game review,
but since this whole game's a throwback, let's start there: MediEvil
uses a mix of fixed and free camera angles, sometimes letting you zoom
in to an over-the-shoulder view if you hold down a button. I'm
occasionally left flailing during a scene transition or as I try to find
enemies hidden in corners but it usually works fine.
Unfortunately,
even the not-at-all-hidden enemies are rarely fun to fight. Most
monsters move about the same speed as our skeletal hero Sir Daniel
Fortasque (pronounced Fort-Askew) and hurt him whenever they touch him,
so I usually try to catch enemies with wide sword swings or trap them
behind fences or walls and plink away with ranged weapons. I haven't
found a strategy that doesn't include enemies smacking me back at least a
few times, leading each level to feel like a battle of attrition rather
than a test of wits or reflexes. It's both imprecise and unforgiving,
which is a frustrating combination.
When the original MediEvil came out in 1998 it had rough combat and
camera work too. Its ambitious steps in other areas like 3D level design
and quirky, cinematic storytelling still made it a classic. Some of
those clever touches are just as fresh today; even with his means of
expression limited to jawless grunts, toothy grins, and one-eyed
squints, I enjoy Sir Dan as a character. If you share in my generation's
rampant feelings of impostor syndrome, his valiant attempt to live up
to his undeserved post-mortem glory will probably inspire immediate
sympathy as well. Unfortunately, those forward-thinking spots make the
rest of MediEvil feel even more archaic.
I
spent about 11 hours playing through MediEvil's campaign from start to
finish, and in that time I encountered a handful of annoying glitches.
The least troublesome stranded me on the map screen between levels so I
had to quit to the title and load back in (the load screens are
surprisingly long for how small most levels are). The worst occurred
when I accidentally skipped a cutscene, making two events play out at
once and depriving me of the Chalice I should have unlocked by rescuing a
bunch of Cockney fairies. Naturally that second one happened on the
damn anthill level so I felt obligated to play the whole damn thing over
again. All of my issues occurred on version 1.01 of the game, hopefully
they'll be put to rest in future updates.
Scrappy Halloween
All other criticisms aside, I can find no fault with MediEvil's release date. It is coming out at the perfect
time of year. This game is a chef's kiss worthy distillation of the
Halloween aesthetic. There are ghosts and imps and skeletons, there's a
warty witch stirring a cauldron (who sent me to the anthill but I
forgive her), and there are entire levels set in pumpkin patches and
haunted corn mazes. Even when fighting the restless dead and demons it's
more cartoonish and comedic than scary.
Most of the people or
friendly spirits Sir Dan meets poke fun at his ignoble death and missing
bits, but their sense of humor never gets too dark or morbid. There is
one unwelcome portrayal of mentally ill people as straightjacketed
cannon fodder in an asylum level. Aside from that, I enjoyed the game's
cheesy/kooky/creepy vibe, and spending time in the haunted kingdom of
Gallowmere enhanced my enjoyment of the season. Anybody who can
appreciate the powerful energy that radiates from the aisles of those
strip mall Halloween stores will likely feel the same.
That Halloween energy, that gooey green aesthetic, is what I enjoyed
most about MediEvil - what kept me going even as I groaned through too
many of the authentically loosey goosey fight scenes and platforming
challenges. If you're a big fan of the original who just wants that
with better graphics and some subtle improvements, you'll be delighted.
If you want something a little scary and very silly to play for
Halloween, you'll be pleased. If you're looking for a new game to play,
you don't have any nostalgia for the original, and there isn't at least
10 square feet of fake spider webs in your home, you should keep
looking.
Call of Duty has never been afraid of courting controversy. In many
ways, it has been an integral component of the series' design since its
very inception, as developer Infinity Ward lead the charge in showcasing
a cinematic – and often unflinching – trench-level view of the
geopolitical warfare that has shaped the world. Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare takes this narrative framing to the next level.
Modern
Warfare asks us to engage with the experience of war through the Reflex
Sight of an M4A1 assault rifle. It does this even as it gives us the
rare opportunity to peer behind the veil of smoke and shrapnel that Call
of Duty typically throws up to mask its moral ambiguity, daring us to
consider the ethical complexities of the contemporary conflicts it so
liberally draws inspiration from. This is made clear from the outset of
Modern Warfare's campaign – vocalised openly by characters stood on the
teetering edge of the uncanny valley – and these intentions are almost
immediately at odds with one another.
This
has forced Infinity Ward down a perilous path. When its good intentions
coalesce, Modern Warfare feels as if it is offering a tantalising
glimpse into the future of the industry's biggest shooter. You'll feel
this in your fingers as the game breathlessly propels you between its
checkpoints under a hail of deafening gunfire until you're left gasping
for air. When they clash, it's a stark reminder of just how easy it is
for an action game to turn tasteless – that's a direct result of
Infinity Ward attempting to tactlessly gamify a variety of war crimes in
the service of fashioning a bombastic entertainment experience.
Infinity
Ward set out to create a campaign that could "reflect the world that we
live in". The studio has stumbled in its desire to hold a mirror up to
the modern military machine or engage with the messy politics that fuel
its characters and the broader strokes of the story. And ultimately,
that's OK, just so long as we are all being honest with what's
being portrayed here. Infinity Ward has undoubtedly succeeded in
assembling a blockbuster action game quite unlike any other. On the
whole, it's a tightly scripted and excellently executed experience. It's
an all-encompassing audio and visual assault on the senses, one that
somehow finds just enough room to let you breathe between each of its
awe-inspiring set pieces – letting the enormity of it all sink in –
before it kicks back into gear and drags you to the edge of your seat.
What was old is new again
It's worth remembering that the Infinity Ward of 2007 is not the
Infinity Ward of 2019. In deciding to revive the Modern Warfare moniker,
the team currently occupying the studio space has locked itself into a
war of attrition versus nostalgia itself – a foe few have ever
comfortably beaten, let alone conquered.
So to be clear, Modern
Warfare doesn't have an All Ghillied Up moment to call its own; truth be
told, it doesn't even attempt to mimic it, which is more than can be
said for nearly every other Call of Duty game released in the years
since Call of Duty 4 changed the state of play for the FPS. Modern
Warfare never quite captures the quiet unease that Death From Above so
effortlessly cultivated, nor does it manage to replicate the chaos born
out of the One Shot, One Kill carousel shootout. It also doesn't rely so
heavily on the visual language that dominated cinema at the turn of the
century – the likes of Black Hawk Down and its kin – and instead
attempts to carve its own path. That, I think, actually works in Modern
Warfare's favour. It's less Shock and Awe, and more contemplative
overall; more precise and more consistent in its creative vision,
direction, and execution than its spiritual predecessor. Modern Warfare
doesn't feel like a collection of missions stitched together, but a
desperate race against time.
Over its eight hour runtime, Modern
Warfare's campaign puts you at the centre of a civil war in a fictitious
Middle Eastern country named Urzikstan, only occasionally reconnecting
with a bullet-ridden reality to pit you against terrorist cells in
London's bustling West End, the quiet streets of Saint Petersburg, and
the outskirts of Verdansk. It's an effective demonstration of what Call
of Duty is capable of when it truly grounds its action and invests in
the power of the solitary soldier. You spend surprisingly little time
'following the man' as you would have in previous Modern Warfare titles.
Instead, this new iteration sees much of the action triggered by your
ability to lead firing lines and change the composition of a
battlefield.
To do so, you'll find that you have to fight tooth and nail to claim
even an inch of territory as enemies swarm rooftops and ruined streets.
Modern Warfare pushes you to continually scramble for cover and a fresh
clip of ammunition, death coming for those that hesitate for even a
second, especially as you begin to cycle up through the difficulty
modes. If Call of Duty is the purest form of military fetishism that we
have in this industry, then Modern Warfare is easily the best
celebration of it to date. It offers a power fantasy that is difficult
to turn away from, even on the rare occasions that it misfires or
embraces controversial design decisions for easy shock value.
Weapons
are weighty and powerful, and you'll really feel it as bullets exit the
chamber and begin to puncture enemies and the environment with little
discrimination. Visually, it's a true achievement too; audibly, there's
nothing else out there like it; these elements combine in spectacular
fashion as Modern Warfare presents its stages Clean House, Wolf's Den,
and Going Dark. Tense standoffs in tight corridors cast in thick shadow,
each of them experienced through the lens of night vision equipment and
executed in a cold green hue. These missions are quiet and
claustrophobic, with the silence only occasionally shattered by
controlled gunshots and breathless whispers. Modern Warfare excels in
these areas, and it's difficult not to feel an overwhelming sense of
tension wash over you in these missions thanks to the
near-photorealistic presentation and the high-stakes framing of the
objective at hand.
The game also fares excellently in its wider
spaces, where Infinity Ward's propensity for daring level design,
tightly scripted action, and relentless pursuit of forward momentum is
on full display. This Modern Warfare might not have its own Pripyat-set
double-bill like its namesake, but a daring defence of an under-siege US
Embassy will no doubt be held up as a modern classic. It's an
excellently executed multi-stage mission that hits all of the highs of
Call of Duty with none of the lows, an excellent example of what this
series is capable of when it is firing on all cylinders.
Refreshed for a new generation of players
Much of Modern Warfare could be described as just that, firing on all
cylinders. It's a fun and frenetic shooter that delivers in all of the
ways that you'd hope and expect it too. The truth is, Infinity Ward
unwittingly shouldered the responsibility of proving that there's still a
place for storytelling in Call of Duty following Treyarch's decision to
pursue battle royale in Black Ops 4. And for the most part, it has
succeeded. There's an argument to be made that Modern Warfare is one of
the finest Call of Duty packages of the generation, but that doesn't
excuse some of the egregious decisions that were made in the campaign,
leading to a handful of uncomfortable – if I'm being kind – scenes that
pulled on the brakes, broke the suspension of disbelief, and threw an
otherwise captivating campaign into momentary disrepute.
Modern
Warfare wants you to believe that it's an unflinchingly authentic and
realistic portrayal of contemporary conflicts, a reflection of the world
as it is today. The truth is, it is an overly serious, utterly
ridiculous, globe-trotting adventure. When words like 'realistic' and
'authentic' are thrown around, it's Infinity Ward suggesting that Modern
Warfare is a reflection of the time we are in. The reality is that it's
more of an impressionist painting than a snapshot. Instead of
'authentic', it should be discussed as 'accurate' – in that the names of
the weapons are correct, as is much of the battle chatter. Rather than
talking about its 'realism', we should be talking about its fidelity –
which is crisp and commanding, effectively unparalleled.
Infinity Ward was always going to have to simplify the complexities
of modern warfare to make this game work. What's important is what it
chose to emphasise in service of that. For the most part, the studio has
decided to pull focus onto the chaos born out of proxy wars and the
debilitating pressure of being under fire from a seemingly unstoppable
force, and it works when it does so. When it works to emphasise some
perceived darker reflection of the world, it comes across as callous and
a little cynical. That isn't enough to detract from what this Modern
Warfare revival is ultimately able to achieve, but there's still work
for Infinity Ward to do as it works to re-establish this series for a
new generation.
Following its debut game, Night School Studio had the unenviable task
of keeping up its momentum. 2016’s Oxenfree was a surprise hit that
innovated on the choose-your-own-adventure genre in ways that have still
yet to be outdone. Afterparty, in many ways, feels like a spiritual
successor to Oxenfree, but it also feels a bit like a sophomore slump.
The game’s strong premise and Night School’s continuing practice of
rethinking the way players make choices keep it worthwhile, but bugs
consistently halt the flow of the game, leaving Afterparty feeling like a
hell of a time, but with some damning issues too.
To die by your side, such a heavenly way to die
Sarcastic Lola and timid Milo are best friends, recent college
graduates, and even more recently dead and gone to Hell. Not content to
stick around, they soon learn humans are allowed to leave if they can
out-party Satan himself. Determined to get back to their post-grad lives
on Earth, the pair set out to drink Lucifer under the table until he
agrees to give them safe passage home. Afterparty’s depiction of the
underworld is irreverent and neon-lit. As one early demon tells the pair
of friends, every religion they heard about got a little bit right and
most things wrong. God is real, but so is the Devil, though the prince
of the underworld is maybe not the punishing rage monster you’d think he
is.
Night School’s Hell is a world where humans are sent for the
smallest infractions, like using the express lane in grocery stores when
they have too many items in their carriage. It’s where demons work
regular 9-5 schedules and go out during their off-work hours, drinking
heavily and partying like there’s no tomorrow - because in eternity,
there technically isn’t.
Unlike in Oxenfree, where jokey millennial future shock
gives way to darker stakes as the story goes on, Afterparty’s similarly
youthful spirit and questions of “now what?” are given consistent
levity. Afterparty is a comedy game through and through, and that’s its
strongest feat. Demons approach their roles as torturers like humans
would a factory job, bringing the same oft-seen apathy to something as
severe as forcing hellbound humans to urinate sand. Then their shift
ends and the tortured and the torturers go out to play beer pong
together like it was all just another day at the office.
After the opening act, I began wondering if Afterparty might be the
funniest game I’ve ever played, and though it doesn’t end up in the top
spot, it’s quite near that summit. No matter how serious the situation
could’ve or even should’ve been, the game doesn’t lose sight of its
absurd premise, and it doubles-down on it all the time by gleefully
disrespecting the tendencies of humanity and our best-laid plans,
faith-based or otherwise.
Say what?
If you played Oxenfree, you’ll find Afterparty’s dialogue system
familiar. Lola and Milo will spend the game’s four to five hours moving
left to right, talking to secondary characters to advance a plot that
players get to steer quite a lot. Every time a prompt appears for you to
talk, you can choose one of two choices, say nothing, or, in a new
wrinkle befitting of the boozy hellscape, sip your drink for a fourth
drunk option.
Drinks have different characteristics so your path
through a conversation may go totally different on subsequent
playthroughs. One drink may make you flirty, while another can imbue you
with confidence, tell bad jokes, or even talk like a pirate. Every
character seamlessly reacts to whatever you’re firing back at them and
the whole system maintains a natural flow that few adventure games have
achieved. Quests have a similar elasticity too, and you’ll need to play
several times to see all versions of events, including at least three
endings.
It does sometimes feel like Hell is too quiet given its
party atmosphere. Walking around to complete branching quests, the game
is happy to let you veer off course sometimes to drink somewhere else or
chat with the locals, but it seems like more often extending your
travels to the far reaches of the screen is unrewarded. Demons and
humans are often seen chatting, but not often enough are they heard.
Still, when the optional moments do arise, they’re always funny. You can
even follow along with Hell’s official social media platform, Bicker,
to see what people are saying across the Nine Circles. It’s almost as
miserable as Twitter, I’d say.
All bugs go to Hell
All of the above would’ve cemented Afterparty as one of my favorites
of 2019, but the game’s instability in several areas hurt the experience
too much to keep it there. Most glaring are frame rate skips, which
plague the game after a smooth opening section. It’s in the small 2D
open-world hubs where this problem most often rears its stuttering head,
like the game has trouble keeping up with your travels when it can’t
predict where you might head next.
I've been informed that it’s a known issue, affects only base level
consoles (despite the fact I'm playing on Xbox One S), and will be
patched this weekend and in time for day one, but finishing the game
mid-morning on a Sunday, I never saw any patch arrive in time for me,
and even then, I don’t know how much it will help when it does arrive.
Hopefully when the game launches, this is one issue that disappears, but
it’s also not the only problem.
A few times, dialogue options repeated too, including one argument
between Lola and Milo that they had twice, once after each
chapter-ending quest. It seems given the game’s branching story that it
failed to recognize I’d already had the particular chat I found myself
having again. Another time toward the end, I got stuck on an infinite
loading screen and had to rest the game from the dashboard. One other
time, I also lost all dialogue audio at a crucial point. Thankfully I
had subtitles on and quickly reset again to resolve this issue. It
starts off stable and clean, but by the end, Afterparty gets messier than someone sent to push boulders up a hill all day.
Perhaps
on other platforms it will run more smoothly, and maybe by day one this
patch will have already fixed some if not all of these issues. I hope
so, because Afterparty is, in most other ways, a game deserving of great
praise. It’s hilarious and blasphemous, but just a little too buggy to
fully be enjoyed.
During the opening cinematic of Luigi's Mansion 3,
Luigi looks up at the glistening Last Resort hotel where the latest
ghostly adventure takes place and says "wowee zowee." From the moment I
hear that phrase, a smile spreads across my face, and it rarely leaves
me as I navigate my way through Nintendo's spooky fest – and that speaks
volumes about just how charming and enjoyable Luigi's Mansion 3 really
is.
Fast facts: Luigi's Mansion 3
Of course, the aptly named Last Resort Hotel isn't as it first
appears. If you've ever read about a hotel on TripAdvisor that sounded
too good to be true, and it turned out to be a real horror show, chances
are you're going to sympathise with poor Luigi. After receiving an
invite from the hotel owner Hellen Gravely, Luigi, Mario, Peach, and the
three Toads make their way to the vacation spot. You begin by taking a
little tour around the lobby with the adorable Polterpup at your side,
but you already get the feeling that everything's just a bit too
nice. With decadent cakes adorning the tables, piles of presents on the
floor, and balloons festooned about the place, anyone would think
you're in for the best holiday of your life.
After
checking into the room and settling in for the night, Luigi is awoken
by a familiar scream coming from a nearby room. The shiny exterior
evaporates into ominous purple smoke, and with nothing but a torch in
hand, the poor green plumber's nightmare truly begins.
Lifting up your spirits
King Boo is once again the orchestrator of Luigi's latest nightmare
thanks to Hellen Gravely, who released the spectral ruler back into the
world. Yep, that's right. Your holiday invitation turned out to be a
trap all along. As the main antagonist, the king of Boos has trapped
Mario, Peach and the three Toads inside picture frames, and Luigi is the
next target. After you make your escape, you set out as the moustached
plumber to rescue everyone and check out of the nightmarish hotel for
good.
The Last Resort is made up of 15 floors and every level has a
different theme. The trouble is the elevator's buttons are missing, and
in order to access all the floors and progress, you have to get them by
defeating a boss ghostie on each floor you unlock. It's essentially the
same kind of deal as previous games in the series. You have to set about
solving puzzles to overcome obstacles and progress through blocked
paths. While it does veer into familiar territory, switching up the
setting from a mansion to a hotel makes the third entry in the series
feels much bigger in scale, especially as it's packed with so much
variety.
No room is the same, and every differently themed floor
presents new challenges. This variety encourages you to experiment with
everything in Luigi's arsenal - it's incredibly pleasing when you work
out how to pull down a hidden lever, or spin a wheel that showers you
with coins. From a level with movie-set theme (which is my personal
favourite), to a magic floor laden with all kinds of trickery, and so
much more besides, the level designs are impressively creative and a
pure joy to explore. I did find myself enjoying certain floors more than
others, but overall, investigating every nook and cranny to find all of
the rooms' many hidden secrets is an endlessly satisfying delight.
You can teach a plumber new tricks
Of course, you can't do any kind of exploring without the right
equipment. As luck would have it, the paranormal researcher Professor E.
Gadd gets caught up in Kings Boo's trap too. The professor brings with
him a pop up laboratory that acts as an in-game menu hub where you can
access a gallery of your collectibles, buy items from the shopping
network, check out the map, and access the competitive co-op mode
ScareScraper and the multiplayer mode ScreamPark.
To communicate
with Luigi as he ventures through the floors, Gadd gives you a VB, or
Virtual Boo, that looks exactly like a Virtual Boy. Just like the
adorable GameBoy Horror (that pays homage to the Gameboy Colour) from
Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube, and the Dual Screen from Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon
(that looks just like a DS), you use the VB to access the map and get
helpful tips from the professor using the E.Gadd hotline if you get a
little stuck.
Oh, and it's thanks to E. Gadd that you get your
hands on the latest model of Luigi's vacuum - the Poltergust G-00.
Thankfully, the controls for all of the Poltergust moves are pretty
straightforward and - for the most part - control smoothly, which is
important since you'll be spending the majority of your time vacuuming
up everything in sight. Aside from sucking up the contents of a room,
you can also perform a Suction Shot that fires a plunger onto surfaces
and objects to pull items or levers, and use the Burst move to jump into
the air. But the piece de resistance is undoubtedly being able to
summon your very own green doppelganger, Gooigi.
The gooey Luigi lookalike can pass through grates and drains, help
you move objects you can't otherwise move on your own, and is handily
resistant to spikey projectibles. Get water on him, though, and Gooigi
will disintegrate into a gelatinous blob. Outside of his unique
abilities, the green doppelganger is the perfect way of incorporating
two player co-op into the mix. If you're playing by yourself, you have
to switch between roles. In some situations – particularly certain boss
fights – playing solo adds an additional challenge. I can just imagine
how much easier it would have been if a pal took control of my
doppelganger, but it's very doable on your own, so you don't have to be
scared off if it sounds like it’s made with co-op in mind. The addition
of Gooigi overall shakes the puzzle solving up in inventive ways, and
the gooey guy is certainly one of the best additions who injects a
breath of fresh gloopey air into the adventure.
Ghosts and gold galore
Naturally, you'll be fighting a lot of ghosts throughout your stay at
the hotel. The exploration side of things is a lot more satisfying than
sucking up the ghastly fiends, but once again Luigi's Mansion 3 shines
in this department thanks to its variety. There are a lot of different
ghosts who will have a variety of weapons, attire, and moves that push
you to try out different tactics. I'll happily admit that I would just
try out moves at random until I worked out the solution - because it
isn't always obvious - but once you get the hang of what works and what
doesn't, you'll feel like the most talented ghostbuster around.
Taking
out the spectral foes involves doing a sequence of moves to collect
them up into your vacuum. Using your trusty Strobulb, you stun the
ghosts, suck them up with your Poltergust by moving the left analog
stick in the opposite direction they’re going in, and perform a
finishing slam move until their health has depleted. Pulling the ghosts
can handle awkwardly at times due to how the Poltergust locks into
place, and after I vacuum up another ghost for what felt like the
thousandth time towards the end of the game, I'd more than had my fill
of ghostly combat. Still, the variety of different ghosts interspersed
throughout prevents things getting too routine.
Every boss you
face on each level also has a unique style that ties in with the floors'
themes. As such, the bosses have different features that are impervious
to certain moves. So, for example, a security guard boss you face wears
sunglasses that shields his eyes from Luigi's Strobulb, so you can't
just stun him as you would normally. Every boss pushes you to experiment
with all of your moves in a diverse range of ways, so no fight feels
too stale or similar.
Boo-tifully animated scares
Luigi's Mansion 3 looks absolutely gorgeous. In fact, it's one of the
best looking games on the Switch so far. The animation is wonderfully
expressive and charming, with so much attention to detail. From the
stitch work on Luigi's overalls, to the horrified expressions of our
dear cowardly plumber as he gets spooked, every single cutscene and
level design is beautifully executed.
Overall, Luigi's Mansion 3
manages to get the right balance between old and new to deliver a
refreshing spin on the formula we've come to know and love from the
series. Newcomers and longtime fans are sure to delight in exploring
everything the hotel has to offer. Solving all of the wonderfully clever
puzzles will leave you feeling satisfied, and with so much personality
and charm, Luigi's Mansion 3 truly proves the green plumber can be the
star of the show. After all, Mario can't have the limelight all the
time.
While our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare review
tackles the most controversial campaign to date, multiplayer is a
different beast entirely. Countless players pick up Call of Duty every
single year solely to enjoy the online multiplayer, and this time,
Infinity Ward has rebuilt the competitive modes from the ground up.
While there are some familiarities, the experience is vastly different
to anything we've seen in recent years.
Finding the sweet spot with the weapons
As the gunplay is so core to the multiplayer gameplay, it's got to be
impressive. Weapons need to feel weighty, they need to offer the right
amount of recoil, and so on, because otherwise the multiplayer loses its
core. For the most part, Infinity Ward has got the weapons bang on:
every gun packs a real punch, and the sound design this year has been
stepped up a notch, to almost Battlefield-esque levels. There's some
serious recoil you need to learn how to control, and there's nothing
I've found yet that feels too accurate and overpowered.
While
previous games have let you modify your weapons with a specific number
of attachments, Modern Warfare takes it to a whole new level with the
Gunsmith. On any weapon, you can have up to five attachments, ranging
from the muzzle to the rear grip, and even a specific weapon perk.
There's nine categories in total, depending on the weapon – no, you
can't put a laser for improved hip fire accuracy on a sniper rifle – and
each slot has multiple options. You can choose from 20 optics and 13
underbarrel attachments on the M4A1 assault rifle for example, which
means you can tweak every aspect however you see fit.
Realism is the goal
It's these sorts of improvements upon the core Call of Duty concepts
that show just why the Modern Warfare series has been revamped. Realism
is the aim this time, and it's clear to see that the "Realism" playlist
is how the game was originally meant to be played.
This playlist
does away with every single HUD element except for indicators above your
teammates' heads, and it truly does feel realistic. It's clearly the
experience Infinity Ward spent the majority of development working
towards, because it feels natural. Something clicks when playing that
mode, but there's one huge caveat: it's not very fun. Having no idea
where the enemies are, no hitmarkers, and worst of all, no radar to
refer to means the gameplay is far slower than any Call of Duty to date.
Corner campers and silencers galore, it's only marginally better than
playing Hardcore.
As a result, the experience in core playlists
leaves a lot to be desired. While the new turbo sprinting movement is a
wonderful addition that would imply close-quarters rushing is more than
viable, you'll quickly learn it's the opposite. The low time-to-kill
means you'll rarely be able to turn on your opponent and outgun them if
they've shot first, and while the number of options in Gunsmith are
plentiful, anyone trying to play towards a "quickdraw" style will
struggle because most attachments negatively impact the aim down sights
speed.
Part of striving to be more realistic means footsteps are
now louder than ever before. Dead Silence makes a return but only as a
field upgrade, which means it's temporary and lasts for about 30 seconds
before expiring. Headphone users can gain an overwhelming advantage
because footsteps are blaringly loud, which means sitting in corners and
not sprinting everywhere like Wile E. Coyote is the optimal strategy.
Lacklustre map design
The map design doesn't do anything to alleviate the corner camping
either, which is a crying shame since the original Modern Warfare
features some of the franchise's all time best maps. Gone is the
three-lane philosophy that kept matches flowing and layouts easy to
understand, as it's been replaced by seemingly haphazard designs that
feature no structure whatsoever. Piccadilly is the biggest criminal for
this. Despite being a faithful recreation of the real life location
(seriously, it looks unreal), the amount of buses and oddly shaped
playable areas make it a true nightmare to play.
Another example
is Azhir Cave, but for slightly different reasons. Looking into the
enormous cavern that takes up half the map from the outside is almost
impossible because of the lighting, but if you're inside looking out,
you have a perfect view of the surroundings. You'll find the same issue
looking into buildings on otherwise bright maps. It's small hindrances
like this and the plethora of head-glitches and camping spots that make
so many deaths in Modern Warfare feel unfair and unavoidable.
With
specific maps limited to different modes – you won't find Euphrates
Bridge in 6v6 Domination, for example – the map pool feels incredibly
limited, often playing the same three or four frequently if you stick to
the same mode. Thanks to the upcoming season of free DLC maps however,
here's hoping Infinity Ward will revert back to the formula that
provided us with so many incredible maps in the past.
More than just 6v6
In an effort to become the ultimate first-person shooter, Ground War
isn't 9v9 anymore. Instead, jumping into the biggest mode available in
Modern Warfare puts you in a 32v32 bedlam, on enormous maps with tanks,
helicopters, the ability to spawn on your squadmates, and more. Sound
familiar? It should, because Ground War is essentially Battlefield,
minus the destructible terrain. Except the low time-to-kill and classic
killstreaks make for a positively miserable experience, because Call of
Duty works best when you can predict enemy spawns and learn the
intricacies of every map. Ground War forgoes that, much to its
detriment.
On the other end of the scale is Gunfight, a 2v2 one-life-per-round
mode with tiny maps and nowhere to camp. This is Modern Warfare at its
best; you spawn with the exact same loadout as your enemies, which
switches every two rounds, and it's a race to win six rounds. Fast
paced, frantic fun in which you're fairly matched and with a
co-operative teammate, callouts become essential. You don't heal during a
round either, which means balancing aggression with cautious play is
key.
The problem is that it's unlikely Gunfight can carry Modern
Warfare's multiplayer through the next 12 months, and while I'm yet to
tire of the core modes like Domination and Headquarters, there's not
much new to explore. Infinity Ward had an opportunity here to invent
some new modes or perhaps revisit some forgotten ones like Demolition or
Sabotage, but instead the only new mode that shakes things up is Cyber
Attack. Imagine Search and Destroy, but both teams are fighting over one
bomb in the middle of the map and when you die, a two-minute countdown
starts which gives your teammates time to revive you.
A culmination of small problems
Innovations like these could see Modern Warfare's multiplayer be the
best online first-person shooter this decade, because it genuinely is a
game that feels brilliant to play. There's just so many small issues
that drag it down – and I've not even mentioned how your your character
bellows at the top of his lungs whenever he sees an enemy, making
stealthy play nigh on impossible, especially when footsteps sound like
everyone is masquerading as the big friendly giant.
There's a lot
to dislike about Modern Warfare, from overpowered guns that will
hopefully be patched – I'm looking at you, 725 shotgun – to the low
time-to-kill and how the main viable strategy is camping. With that
said, the core gameplay loop is the most satisfying Call of Duty has
felt in years, and while it doesn't shine a light to how revolutionary
the original Modern Warfare was in 2007, there's something about this
revamp that simply works.
Reviewed on both PS4 and PC.
It’s fair to say Need For Speed Underground 2 remains the peak of the
street racing side of the series. We’ve had better graphics, bigger
environments, online integration and pretty much every other modern
mechanism available, but still it’s the one game that fans have longed
to see rebooted the most. Well, Need for Speed Heat is here to have
another stab at the formula, this time adding laid-back daytime driving
to emphasise the action of the streets at night. It’s a great idea,
especially when you add the ‘Heat’ reputation multiplier to literally
raise the stakes, but this game still feels like a modestly tuned engine
starting from cold instead of a snarling beast revving at the limiter.
Fast Facts: Need for Speed Heat
Story-wise, it’s yet another ‘rookie racer looks to make a name for
themselves’ narrative that’s so well-trodden it’s down to bedrock. You
can choose any of the preset avatars be the lead role, even if what
appears to be a spunky protagonist turns out to look like a complete
idiot and hilariously out of their depth. Cut scenes like the ‘hiding
behind stuff in the same room to eavesdrop’ bit are completely
unbelievable, and only the middle of the main story has any emotional
clout. It’s at least decently voiced and there’s always radio chatter to
keep you company, but you never feel like you’re racing against an
actual awe-inspiring league of ace drivers.
Nights into screams
Ah yes, the street racing scene here is an odd one. By day, it’s very
civilised as you enter race events to earn ‘bank’ (why can’t they just
call it ‘money’?) and visit dealerships to buy new cars. It’s a decent
racket, earning $25,000 for a five minute race, but you can’t buy decent
upgrades unless the dealers respect you enough. You earn respect at
night but - aha! - by night, the cops are out in force to take you down.
Police intervention can happen at any time, whether it’s mid race,
during a drift challenge, or even while you’re sat looking at the map
screen if you’re online, as the game carries on in the background since
it can’t actually pause the action. At least you now have the choice
between online and offline play, and it closes the map automatically
when you’re spotted so you at least have a chance to get away.
The
biggest question posed by the gameplay is on how confident you are in
being able to do just that. There’s a clear gambling element to
progressing in Need For Speed Heat, but it’s only after a long time that
you realise what you’re gambling with: your time. You can speed up your
progress by increasing your eponymous Heat gauge to a maximum 5x
multiplier each night. Lose the cops and make it to a safehouse and you
bank your rep and reset the counter for the next day’s business. Get
caught, however, and you lose all your multiplier (though fortunately
not your base score, that would be too much). So essentially you’re
climbing ladders and sliding down snakes, with the currency of success
and failure being real life hours of precious time. You may as well go
slow and steady, banking everything as soon as you hit the doubler;
you’ll finish the game just as fast as always going for higher and
failing, say, every other time.
Of course, that’s a cynical approach and doesn’t consider the
increased danger of higher heat levels that undoubtedly make the game
more exciting. It takes a while before you realise you need to upgrade
certain perks in the garage to be able to withstand protracted chases.
All of this stretches out the game’s run-time, while never really
offering anything different in the process. You get drift events later
on, as well as an optional off-road branch in the story, but the basic
gameplay is very, very repetitive, and wholly unoriginal.
Slip-slidin’ away
The car handling is admirably crafted, managing to feel like your
ride has actual weight, while also visibly moving like a vintage Need
For Speed game. Drifting is now mapped to a single pump of the
accelerator while turning, and if you need a tighter turn then hitting
the handbrake works, which also kicks in the drift mechanic albeit at a
much lower speed. The result is comfortable, assured driving even at
150mph. The movement is solid and smooth, though of course the city’s
layout is simplified to accommodate traversal at these unrealistically
high speeds.
There’s also another concession to allow all this
zooming about; generally, nothing smaller than a house is an obstacle.
Fences, bushes, fully-grown palm trees, bus stops, trash cans, street
lights and solar farms are all smashable and completely disintegrate
even when nudged at 3mph. So instead of looking ahead and carefully
plotting a path between all of these things, instead it’s akin to
piloting a superfast rocket out in space. As long as you avoid the
planets, everything else is just pretty space dust, provided as eye
candy and barely slowing you down. Sure, if you plough through
successive fence sections, you’ll lose enough speed to get overtaken,
but that’s the worst you’ll see. There’s more than a hint of Forza
Horizon about the way you smash through thick stone walls without the
car damage indicator even flashing, and it makes for an inconsequential
racing experience.
The realistic filter of 2015’s Need For
Speed’s visuals has been dropped, making for a slightly sharper but less
urban look. The draw distance is definitely the most impressive feature
of the engine, though the city can look barren and dull in the hard
light of day. Palm City is supposed to be a vibrant place, yet the
streets have no pedestrians (for obvious reasons - one wrong move and
you’d be responsible for a massacre), and traffic is unrealistically
light.
Taking the scenic route
It makes much more sense at night when the good residents are tucked
up in bed, but even so the city is simply duller than it should be to
drive around. It just doesn’t have enough character or classic EA flair.
It hits all the right beats with an observatory, a mine, laser-spouting
performance arena and even a rocket launch pad, but they feel empty
somehow, like they’re movie sets. There’s never the sense of personality
or confidence that the games had in the PS2 era, leaving a ‘by numbers’
feel to the whole game, which is disappointing considering the
inarguable quality of everything that’s actually happening on the
screen.
It
all feels stretched out to justify its existence. It takes ages to get
your wheels and your gear sorted out, then suddenly the story’s all done
in a couple more hours. Of course, playing with your own friends
elevates any game’s fun factor, and even solo there’s still loads of
other stuff left to do. There are the usual speed traps, jumps,
billboards and flamingoes (yes, flamingoes, I wasn’t just checking you
were still listening), which will likely take you weeks to check off
completely. But unless you really love modding cars, there’s nothing
here that’s ever more than mildly entertaining. It’s not a disaster by
any means, and it does feel slightly more enjoyable after the first 15
hours (yikes), but the Heat level is somewhere just above lukewarm in
this one.
Pokemon Sword and Shield starts like many other Pokemon adventures
have. You're sat in your mum's house flicking through videos on your
phone when your best friend/rival/neighbour arrives to tell you that
it's time for your very first Pokemon adventure to begin. So you gather
up your stuff, have a quick chat with your well-wishing mother, and head
out into the world as a plucky young kid just wanting to be the very
best. The best there ever was, in fact. But emerging into the world of
Galar is quite the spectacle. It's chocolate box Britain, channelling
strong The Vicar of Dibley vibes, with ivy trailing across cottage
rooftops, square hedges lining the paths, and fluffy Wooloos roaming
freely. It's beautiful, and quaint, in a way that you always hope
Britain will be in between the drizzle and the Brexit.
Fast Facts: Pokemon Sword and Shield
Although you might question some of the locales and how exactly
they equate to areas of the UK, there's no doubt that this is as
British-influenced as they come. There are plenty of characters that
will call you 'mate' or 'love', and if you know anything about British
humour, there are plenty of in-jokes and talk of the weather that will
give you a few little chuckles here and there. It tinkers with British
stereotypes too – although thankfully only the good ones – and even
imbues the new Pokemon with a distinctly British touch. I won't spoil
any of the unannounced creatures for you, but the wildlife is a joy to
discover, especially as The Pokemon Company has kept the lid on the
majority of the new Pokemon and their evolutions (especially if you
ignored all those pesky leaks).
The power of Pokemon
But more importantly, it perfectly captures the spirit of Pokemon in a
way that no game in the series has done before it. Though you might
question some elements of Detective Pikachu's story, I can never get
over just how Pokemon Ryme City felt. Every inch of its urban
sprawl was distinctly themed, stuffed full of Pokemon references, Easter
eggs and trivia that it felt like a true celebration of the series and
mania that surrounds it. And now, with Pokemon Sword and Shield we get
that in game form. Each of the towns is beautifully created to imbue an
element of British culture or landscape, but it also truly reflects what
it would be like to live in a Pokemon world.
It
ranges from lovely little touches to bigger pieces of immersion. For
example, as you work your way through the Gym Challenge – the new
official name for your quest to work through the eight Gym Leaders
en-route to beating Champion Leon – people on the street will react to
your presence or comment on your latest battle. It makes you feel like a
celebrity, the ultimate Pokemon trainer, and kind of how I've been feeling in my head playing Pokemon games since the days of Red and Blue.
Going wild
Of course, that increased sense of Pokemon world building is helped
by the fact the Pokemon are always at the forefront. The gameplay takes
elements of a traditional Pokemon game, adds a twist of Let's Go, a dash
of Pokemon Sun and Moon, and shakes all that over ice to create the
most perfect Pokemon cocktail. Battling is the same turn-based affair as
it has been in previous installments, but it takes on a more polished,
animated feel than ever before, taking cues from Let's Go. Gym Battles
have evolved to take on exciting new Gym Missions, moving away from
battling a series of generic trainers before challenging each leader,
using inspiration from Sun and Moon's Trials system.
But the real
star player is the game's core: the Wild Area. It's a sprawling expanse
where Pokemon roam in the wild en-masse, with ever-changing weather
conditions and a size that's equivalent to two Zelda: Breath of the Wild
regions. Like in Pokemon Let's Go, the Pokemon all visible walking
through the long grass, meandering down paths, weaving through the lakes
and streams, or flapping through the air, just waiting to be caught.
You can spend hours here just catching and exploring, setting up camp
and bonding with your Pokemon, or meeting and battling other trainers.
The 'always-online' elements of this area haven't gone live as of launch
yet, meaning it's just been me exploring the wildnerness rather than a
plethora of other trainers. But I've had fun dabbling in the new
four-player Max Raid battles (with AI friends) that pit you and one of
your Pokemon against a rare, catchable, Gigantamaxed Pokemon, hidden
deep in wells below the Wild Area. These again add to the sense of
importance given to Pokemon in Sword and Shield, with a panning shot of
your character rising from a bended knee before swirling around to see
the Gigantamax Pokemon in all their glowing red glory.
Gigantamaxed Pokemon aren't limited to these Raid battles either,
they'll also crop up in the Gym Challenges, with some Leaders using
special Gigantamaxed forms, which change their physical appearance.
They're quite the spectacle, adding a heightened sense of drama to a
traditional Pokemon Gym battle. You can Gigantamax your own party
members to see how much more powerful they are, and whether they have
their own Gigantamax form too. That adds a new sense of mystery even to
the original 150, as they could well change in Gigantamax form too. Of
course, that sense of discovery – or rediscovery – is helped by the fact
that the Pokemon appear in the long grass even outside of the Wild Area
too. The Pokemon Company's decision to keep the majority of new
Galarian forms and Gen 8 Pokemon as a mystery means that discovering
each new furry face was a surprise and a joy.
Catch 'em all
I've
never felt so encouraged, and assisted, in my quest to catch 'em all.
There are a number of new quality of life improvements, whether the game
is telling you which move is super effective or effective on any
Pokemon you've battled at least once before, adding a shortcut to your
inventory of Pokeballs on the battling screen for Wild Pokemon, or doing
away with HM moves entirely in favour of on-demand Corviknight taxis
and transforming aquabikes. But there's also a new recommendations
section to your Pokedex, which will suggest the next Pokemon you should
look to add to your 'dex, based on current time of day and weather
conditions in the Wild Area. It's a great way to keep you diving back
in, in a way that I've not experienced with a Pokemon game for a long
time.
Some
of these quality of life improvements have come straight from Pokemon
Let's Go, which may make some long-time players take pause. The changes
are designed to make the game more palatable for new users, although
some may complain that the tweaks make Sword and Shield a much easier
game to complete than any of its immediate predecessors, and I'm
inclined to agree. However, that doesn't detract from how brilliant the
game's storyline is, how it manages to make the core gameplay loop feel
fresh and new in a way that makes this first Switch Pokemon adventure
feel like a Pokemon game for a new generation.
It's just a shame that it doesn't always look like a new generation
game. The cutscenes are slick, and the ability to control the camera
freely in the Wild Area are definitely the makings of a true Switch
game, and on the whole the game looks fantastic. It's easily the
best-looking Pokemon game to date, but isn't anywhere near on par with
the likes of Breath of the Wild, Luigi's Mansion 3, or even Super Mario
Odyssey in terms of graphical fidelity. The fact that there's no voice
acting also jars a little, especially when there's a character who's all
about singing, but ends up just mouthing silently while the text beats
underneath. There are occasional framerate stutters too, particularly in
the vaster expanses of the Wild Area, with both the OG Switch and
Switch Lite sometimes struggling to render the sheer amount of wild
critters popping up.
Thankfully though, this is a seriously
memorable Pokemon adventure. The story delivers enough twists and turns
to keep you guessing, steeped in the kinds of myths and legends that you
forget the British Isles are chock-full of. It might lack the puzzling
areas of previous series' entries like Silph Co, but there's plenty to
love about Pokemon Sword and Shield, especially the loveable cast of
characters, and the impeccable attention to detail in the Galar region
both visually and in terms of the regional dialogue. It's a great way to
start the next core generation of Pokemon games.
