Let’s cut to the chase: the sci-fi, third-person, open world, action-packed role-playing game Biomutant (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC) is epic, effortlessly engaging, and entirely worth your time. But man, I wish it had gotten to the point as quickly as I just did because this sure takes its sweet time getting good.
Though inspired by and connected to the Aliens movies, the science fiction space opera horror novel Aliens: Infiltrator (paperback, Kindle, audiobook) is better qualified as a direct prequel to the upcoming video game Aliens: Fireteam (out later this year for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC). But as its writer Weston Ochse explains in the following email interview, it’s also got connections to a certain sitcom.
Given how 2017’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was called a “return to form,” it should come as no surprise that the sequel would try to follow in its footsteps. But rather than rest on their laurels, and spend their time sipping Mai Tais as the money rolls in, the good people at Capcom have instead decided to progress once again by making Resident Evil Village (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Stadia) essentially Resident Evil 7 crossed with Resident Evil 4 for a game that — yeah, you know — goes up to 11.
It used to be that developers would make games you could play solo or co-op. But lately what we get are always online co-op-centric games that can be played solo…I guess…but we’re not going to make it easy…or let you pause. What’s worse is that when you play them, you quickly realize that there’s no reason they should be primarily co-op. But while the third-person, sci-fi shooter Outriders (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) is one such game, it still manages to be an exceptional and inventive shooter, even if you go it alone.
One of the breakout stars of the original Halo was 343 Guilty Spark. And like all good celebrities, Sparky parlayed his notoriety into a media empire that included a reality show [Keeping Up With The Reclaimers], a perfume [Eue De Digits], and even a line of decorative dish towels. And now he’s back, reuniting with his old pal Rion — and writer Kelly Gay — for the new novel, Halo: Point Of Light (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), the sequel to Gay’s Halo: Smoke And Shadow and Halo: Renegades. In the following email interview, Gay talks about how the Sparkster inspired her to write this sci-fi space opera story.
2020 was one of the worst years in recent memory. But it was also, ironically, one of the worst years for bad video games. Or maybe I just managed to avoid them.
Either way, here is my rather short list of the worst games I played in 2020.
While 2020 was the worst year in recent memory, there were some bright spots, and not all of them involved Fleetwood Mac and fruit juice. There were some good video games as well.
Here, in the order I played them (more or less), are the best games I played in 2020.
It’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s why I never expect frozen pizza to taste like a slice from Famous Ray’s in New York City. It’s also why I was initially thrown by sci-fi first-person, open world action / adventure game Cyberpunk 2077 (Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia), which I expected to be a gun-based action-packed role-playing game like Borderlands 3, The Outer Worlds, and especially Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, but enjoyed much more when I realized it was actually a futuristic Grand Theft Auto V.
Mel Brooks once said that sex was like pizza, even when it’s bad it’s good. Or maybe it was Sharon Stone. Whoever it was, though, they were wrong. I’ve had some truly terrible pizza, and I’ve watched enough Law & Order: SVU to know there’s plenty of bad sex. In fact, the only things that are good even when they’re bad are old sci-fi movies and third-person, hack & slash, action-oriented role-playing games that are blatant clones of Diablo III. Which brings me to Warhammer: Chaosbane: Slayer Edition, the Xbox Series X / S and PlayStation 5 version of a Diablo III clone that came out last year on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. While it’s not as good as Diablo III, and has a lot of problems, it still manages to be mindless fun if you enjoy button mashing your way to victory.