Call of Duty Vanguard (Xbox Series X)

I typically buy Call of Duty every year, good or bad.  I don't like myself for doing it, but there's something about that instant action that's so satisfying that every November I'm ready for another.  I was not too excited to return to World War 2.  I loved Modern Warfare of 2019, and have been waiting for something to replace it.  Never been a huge Black Ops guy and I knew old guns from the mid 1900's wasn't going to do it either.  The multiplayer is surprisingly good though!  I enjoy the maps quite a bit, I can't say there's one I don't like!

The campaign is another story.  I knocked the whole thing out in a morning.  I had Covid, so there wasn't a whole lot else going on in my life, that attributed to the 5-6 hour marathon gaming session.  The campaign is underwhelming outside a handful of operator levels where you play as Polina.  Those levels gave me some serious "Mirror's Edge" vibes.  

I'd recommend this game to Call of Duty multiplayer fans.  You know what you're getting here, and it's good.  Much better than Black Ops: Cold War. 

Unpacking (PC via Game Pass)

Unpacking is a neat little indie game, some call it a puzzle game, but the puzzles are incredibly simple.  If this game had a difficulty scale, it'd be a 2 out of 10.  There's something therapeutic about this game, unpacking the boxes and decorating rooms is oddly satisfying.  Feeling the pain after trying to unlock 200 sniper kills in Call of Duty, I'd come back to unpacking to relax.  I guess it's $30 to buy?  That does seem like a bit much for a handful of hours, but if you have game pass, you really should give this a try.  Recommend.

Aaero (Xbox Series X via Games with Gold)

Games with gold has been pretty worthless, but I always try to at least watch a trailer and see what they're about.  This ones aesthetics and music really caught my eye...and I mean, how could it not?

Fun little rhythm game with some easy achievements.  Worth a play through, the trailer tells you everything else.  Recommend.

Mighty Goose (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Looking for something mindless to play I came across this game on Game Pass.   I've read it compares to Metal Slug, a series I haven't spent a lot of time with it.  I call it a Contra-Like.  It's a shootemup with a novel little premise and a whole lot of action.  The game is incredibly short, which is right up my alley.  The storey is cute but overall meaningless.  The action keeps up well on the series X and I gotta recommend this bad boy.  Fun time.

Psychonauts 2 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Do not sleep on this game.  I repeat.  DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS GAME.  Early in the year I had the Ori games pegged as my GOTY, and until Psychonauts 2, nothing really impressed me enough to dethrone them.  Psychonauts changed that, and while I'm still not sure where I'll land as there are also a lot of games scheduled to come out this year, this game is a contender.

The basic gameplay loop is this.  You enter different characters heads, either to learn something, or to fix something.  These are your levels.  Think of the castle in Mario 64, each painting is it's own level.  Same premise here, except you enter characters heads.  Some are dealing with split personalites, others PTSD, others paranoia etc. etc.

At it's core this is a platformer, but it has a few open world segments and a nice environment to explore.  The voice acting is top notch, the score is memorable and the gameplay is overall quite relaxing.  Combat is not the games strong suit, but it's more a game of exploration than combat.  I only struggled once that I can remember, and that was at the final boss level.  

My only criticism is that the game is very chatty.  There are a lot of cut scenes, none overstay their welcome, but you do end up watching a lot.  I'd dare say 30% of my 12 hour playtime was spent watching vs. playing.  Still, I cannot recommend this game enough.  Xbox needs more of this.  

The Artful Escape (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

The Artful Escape is a strange game.  You spend very little time "playing" and a lot of time spectating, but the story and music was so encapsulating that I had to see it through to the end.  There are a few "Simon" like gameplay sequences that are really quite easy, but it's more a story of being true to ones self and not living up to expectations.  It's a tough recommend as it definitely won't be for everyone, but I recommend you at least give it a try.

A Plague Tale: Innocence (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

As of this writing, I have $71 in Microsoft Rewards Points.  I just switched my browser to MS Edge, switched my search engine to Bing and do their little challenges.  One of this past months quests on Xbox was to complete some minor objective in A Plague Tale.  I had to shoot 5 apples.  Something about this game made me want to continue, and I was really enjoying it until about 2/3's of the way through.  This is going to sound weird, but the word "alchemy" is used so much in this game, I found myself getting angry every time it was said.  Now, I can't discredit a game due to it's excessive use of one word, but I believe at this 2/3rd point, I'd seen about everything the game had to offer and it was starting to feel like a chore.  This is a 3rd person "Action"/Adventure game.  The combat is pretty weak, but that's not the main focus.  It's a really nice looking game on the Series X and the voice acting is really well done.  The story is what kept me going as I wanted to see it through.  I'd say it wrapped in around 10 hours or so with only a couple "combat" segments that had me wanting to throw my controller.  Despite all the alchemy talk, I'd still recommend it, but it went from "must play" to "it's okay" the longer it went on.  

Mario Tennis: Aces (Switch)

This is my first Switch review in some time.  My son bought this game with a little help from his brothers and I even threw in $5.  I'm not a huge fan of the series, and while I enjoyed Tennis games in the past (Virtua Tennis probably being my fave) I can't find enough here to keep coming back.  I "hoker doker" my kids (a term we use for pummeling someone in game) so there's not much replayability there.  Online seems dead years after release.  Pass.

Omno (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I have a real soft spot for stylized indie games with a "swooping" soundtrack (for lack of a better term) and Omno marks all the checks for what I like in a game.  Can be completed in a few hours?  Check.  Unique art style?  Check.  Swooping Soundtrack? Check.  Elements of Mario and Zelda?  Check.  I loved this game and cannot recommend it enough.  Text won't do it justice, check out the trailer below.

Knockout City

Knockout City became an instant classic with me and my twin boys, but seemingly has fallen off much to my dismay.  I love this game and I loved playing with them.  Think Splatoon meets Arms.  That's pretty high praise from me who loved both games.  It's a very fun game that I've put my fair share of time into and will go back to now and again.  Highly recommend.

Immortals: Fenyx Rising (Xbox Series X)

This is the first game I've bought in a long time other than some used classics I bought on disc.  $40 well spent.  I knew what I was getting into here, this is a "Breath of the Wild" clone through and through, and while it falls short of what that game accomplished, it scratches that itch that's been bothering me for so long.  Let's get this straight, I like this game, but where it falls short primarily is that Breath let's you be creative in your puzzle solving, this game has a clear solution with little to no sway.  Breath allows you to get places, do things, skip entire shrines with a little creativity.  You have more powers at your disposal which makes Breath feel like you're more in control.  The puzzle solving in this one gets quite old.  This game outshines in the graphics department, it's a beautiful game.  The sound is good, with pleasing music, but the game is overly chatty.  I ended up skipping the majority of the cutscenes and story beats.  I did enjoy my time with the game, it tries hard, but can't quite catch the magic Nintendo cooked up with Breath of the Wild.  Still Recommend.

New Super Lucky's Tale (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

FPS Boost is something Xbox is doing to old games to make them perform better.  One of the first games to add this feature was New Super Lucky's Tale.  I'd tried the game before in it's original state and original game just simply "Super Lucky's Tale", but the enhancements really made this game shine. This is an old school N64 era platformer and a pretty good one at that.  It won't hold up against Super Mario Odyssey, but it was a fun romp for a few hours of platforming fun that I can't help but recommend.

Minecraft (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I swore off Minecraft for years claiming I just "don't get it", but Microsoft Rewards points issued me a challenge to kill 5 zombies, so I picked it up for that shiny internet nickel and found myself quite enjoying it.  What I grew to appreciate was the creative mode and playing with my kids.  All 5 of us would queue up on the same screen and build fantasy worlds.  I made a pretty good representation of our house, and look forward to more virtual lego in the cooler weather when we spend more time inside.  Absolutely recommend.

MLB The Show 21 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I got into the show more than any other year, partly because of the hype of a PlayStation game coming to Game Pass, but also because I got in at the start of a new season.  I was chugging along doing my daily challenges, getting better at seeing pitches and seeing my timing improve.  I spent a lot of time with this game but eventually put it down because it all felt so repetitive.  This is a beautiful game and I may "get back in" but the old adage of the series still rears it's ugly head ... it's just too slow.  I'd still rather play Super Mega Baseball.  There's a lot of nostalgia at play here with old players and cards to collect, but part of the beauty of baseball is the long play of 9 innings, and for that, it just takes too long.  I do okay with normies online, but when you climb the ranks, I get CRUSHED and I'm just not good enough to put the time and effort in to "get gud".  I still recommend this game, but it's still something I'll only play here and there and unfortunately this will not be my "go to" for the summer.

Dirt 5 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

This was a launch game which quickly hit Game Pass and I was quick to give it a try as I'd heard it was quite a graphical showcase on the new consoles.  It did not disappoint. There's a lot going on in this game, dirt and confetti flying everywhere, but the gameplay is what kept me back.  This is not an open world never ending game, it's a pretty basic, select a track, play a track game.  Now either I was very good at or it or it's incredibly easy, I'm not sure because I rarely lost, but I kept coming back to it.  It's a fun mindless game that ran exceptionally well on my laptop.  Xbox play anywhere let me pickup right where I left off whether I was on PC or Xbox.  Recommend.

Rain on Your Parade (Xbox One via Game Pass)

I draw some similarities between this game and another small game I quite enjoyed, Donut County.  Where Donut County had an engaging story and dialogue, this game is more about creating havoc, but the gameplay hooks are quite similar.  This game has some need nod to pop culture featuring a level based on "The Office" TV show, and a Zelda inspired level.  I enjoyed my time with the game and revisit it from time to time.  Recommend on game pass, but at $20, that's gonna be a pass.

NHL 21 (Xbox One via Game Pass)

To a casual player like myself, this game has done little to evolve.  You could put NHL 17 in front of me at this point with an updated roster and I'd think it was the newest game.  Some people love the stuff, but for me, this series is in desperate need of a refresh.  The "be a pro" mode was very lacking and couldn't hold my interest, playing only your shifts ruined all flow of a game.  Hard pass.

Guacamelee 1 + 2 (Xbox/PC via Game Pass)

I'm afraid to say it, but I'm a Metroidvania fan now.   I used to be quick to dismiss the series because for the most part I was just looking for a linear left to right platformer, but now I find those a little boring and enjoy the challenge associated with this genre.  Guacamelee focuses heavily on combat (hence the title) and it has some of the most satisfying 2D combat I've played in years.  The second game trumps the first with it's combat, length and moveset.  I played them in reverse order which is something I shouldn't have done, but it wasn't until I was done the 2nd one that I realized how much I liked the game and wanted more.  Great games and great series, and while it falls short of the Ori games, I still highly recommend.

Madden 21 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I hadn't played a Madden game in a few years, the last time I did was 2018 and I had a pretty good time with the story mode and played it through.  With Madden 21 I did the same, and again, I enjoyed my time with the game.  This years story mode differs in that it spans an entire career rather than just a couple seasons.  I made the hall of fame and while the bulk of my career was spent in Miami, I demanded a trade to the Detroit Lions and managed to take that team to the Super Bowl and actually won one!  It was much more difficult in Detroit with the players surrounding me.  As for the game, yup, that's Madden.   Feels like little has changed, but for what it's worth, I had a good time with the game.  Recommend for a Game Pass romp.

Ape Out (PC via Game Pass)

What a game.  Scrolling through endless game pass games this one caught my eye.  Ape out has a very unique minimal art style, two button gameplay, and a jazz soundtrack?  Sounds weird.  Let's see.  I loved it.  I loved every moment of it's short duration.  I'd guess I had 2-3 hours in before I saw credits, but it felt much shorter.  You're an ape escaping a facility that can grab and throw the humans trying to stop you, or just push them across the map.  Strategy comes into play when there are a lot of enemies on screen.  It reminded me of  Pac Man crossed with Robotron.  You can't kill everyone and expect to pass the level, so you need to plan your routes carefully.  All of this crazy gameplay is to what I believe to be an improv jazz soundtrack which matches the gameplay surprisingly well.  I completed the bonus level and look forward to trying the hard mode.  Absolutely worth your time.  Recommend.

Rage 2 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

When a whole bunch of Bethesda games dropped on Xbox Game Pass, the first one that caught my eye was Rage 2.  It looked like an amazing open world action game with the gunplay of Doom, a series I'm very fond of.  Playing it initially, I was impressed, but once the world opens up, it gets quite repetitive and dull.  You spend a lot of time searching for loot crates, which rewards are usually not worth it.  I decided to mainline the story when I started getting bored and finished the game with only half of my abilities in tow.  I could go back and mop up, but I don't really see much point in it.  I had a decent time, at times it looks amazing and other times it can look like and original Xbox game.  Gotta say pass on this one.  Too bad.  It has potential.

Hyper Dot (PC/Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I had intentions to, but never did finish Hyper Dot.  Now seeing it's leaving game pass, I likely won't play it again.  This is a fun, simple, frustrating, "one more try" time sink.  I had a good time with it and would recommend it for short bursts of gaming.  Recommend.

Gears Tactics (PC via Xbox Game Pass)

I'm quite new to tactics games, the only other I've played is Mario + Rabids which was actually an excellent introduction to the genre.  I had a great time with Gears Tactics although I'm certain I must have set a record for time taken between turns.  I'm not very quick at these games, I feel like I'm not very good at them, but for some reason I enjoy the methodical movement and strategy.  I started this on my Xbox Series X but switched to PC as I think it's best played with a keyboard and mouse.  It's a good game to have on the laptop as you can play for literally 5 minutes, make some progress and move on.  Usually I wound up playing for a couple hours once I started.  Great game with a good Gears story.  Highly recommend.

Bowsers Fury (Switch)

When our internet went down I went to Nintendo to help us cope with our issue.  We picked up Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury.  Having played 3D world extensively over the years I jumped into Bowsers Fury.  It's a neat idea, essentially an open world Mario Game.  I really enjoyed my time with it except the post boss-battle.  Bowsers comes around to mess you with you on occasion which really messes with your grind for shines.  I thought that if I beat Bowser for good I would be free to explore, but nope, that pesky Bowser keeps coming at  you.  I did obtain all 100 shines and unlocked the final suit, the fact that I was willing to do that will tell you that I enjoyed this game.  It's great and has me hopeful for a future, bigger, open world Mario game.  Recommend.

Doom Eternal (PC via Game Pass)

Last November I got my shiny new Xbox Series X and one of the first games I tried on it was Doom Eternal.  I criticized it's "systems" and eventually put it down.  Fast forward a few months and I got a gaming laptop.  Wanting something to play on it, I thought I'd give this another go.  I think the first time I fell off was partly because of it's complexity, but also because I didn't want to commit to one game.  Now I did.  I'm a keyboard and mouse n00b when it comes to gaming and I thought that if I can get decent at this fast paced twitch game with 1000 buttons, I could probably get decent at anything.  Turns out, once I got the hang of things., I loved this game!  Is it better than Doom 2016?  I'm not sure, I might have to go back and try it again, but as of this moment, absolutely yes!  Turns out I (mostly) loved the platforming segments.  The combat feels really good, it runs extremely well on a gaming laptop and the classic Doom soundtrack is still there.  Recommend 100%.

Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS4)

I knocked this game out in 3 days.  Is it that I loved it so much that I accomplished such an unthinkable task? Not really.  I kinda sorta gave my son my PS4, so I was "borrowing" the PS4 from him and this game and didn't want to have it too long.  I mainlined story with minimal side quests which, if completed, would have extended my playtime extensively.  I quite enjoyed my time with this game, equally as much as it's predecessor.  The game looks and plays great,  Miles has some nifty powerups and the combat felt a bit more varied.  Morales as a character is better than Peter Parker and the whole feel of the game is much "cooler" than the first.  Maybe it's the hip hop, maybe it's the powerups, but for all intents and purposes this game is better (albeit shorter) than the original.  Recommend.  

Unravel 2 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Unravel 2 is the follow up to a game I quite enjoyed, Unravel.  What I liked about the first game was the cute character and heartwarming story.  I don't remember it all too well, but I do remember it being about a series of photographs where each one is a level, recapping an old persons life.  It was nice.  Now, let me try to tell you the story of Unravel 2.

An abusive dad is beating his kids, so the kids escape the house out a window.  Your character and his friend are yarn creatures which can occasionally distract drunk dad with a little light.  The kids are continually escaping their dad, running through the countryside, an old abandoned factory, through a forest and more.  The kids cause quite a bit of trouble as they flee, property damage, setting the forest on fire and more.  They do save some horses and eventually kill their dad and are portrayed as heroes.  

Don't get me wrong, the puzzle platforming the series is known for is all there.  I just hated the whole "feel" of the game.  The controls are very tight, but the music is always so somber and makes you just feel "down".  Graphically it's a beautiful game that is just a joy to look at.  Story?  No.  Gameplay? Yes. Graphics? Yes.  Sound?  No.   Recommend?  Nah.

Donut County (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

What on earth did I just play?  Donut county is a story about a racoon who works at a donut shop, when people order a donut through an app, he delivers the donut through an app, only the donut is a hole that gets bigger with the more things that fall into it.  Not after long are you swallowing cars and buildings and eventually yourself to find yourself on a rescue mission to bring everyone back from their sunken demise.  The gameplay is simple but charming, the graphics are simple but nice, but what really stood out to me was the writing.  The game's got tons of charm.  I completed this in one sitting and enjoyed it all.  I got hung up in a couple spots, but didn't have to guide up and never felt frustrated.  Recommend.

Moving Out (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I've tried a handful of games since completing the Ori games and nothing can hold my attention.  Bloodstained (the new one), Sea of Thieves, Spiritfarer, but this one had a good enough hook to keep me coming back.  This is a party game, but I enjoyed it better solo.  It's akin to "Overcooked" but not quite as good.  The concept is simple, move everything out of the house in a set amount of time.  I was going for golds, but the novelty of that wore off and I powered through the end.  The levels become less inspired as you go along and it was as if the developer tried to pad the games length by a lot of repetitive levels in the back third.  Regardless, I had a fun game and I'd recommend this one especially if you have GamePass.  Heck it could land on my top 10 if nothing else manages to grab me this year.  Recommend.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I started this game fresh off a playthrough of Blind Forest and initially I was thinking "This one's not as good" ... a few hours in and my mind had changed.  The auto saving system takes a lot of the frustration out of the game, the new mechanics, the entire package is better than it's predecessor. The combat in Will of the Wisps also far exceeds Blind Forrest, which makes fighting much less of a chore.   This is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack, I usually don't listen to game soundtracks, but I've put this one on a few times while I plug away in my office.  If you're only going to play one Ori game, play this one, but to appreciate how far this game has come, I think you need to play both.  Either way, absolutely recommend.

Ori and the Blind Forest (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Metroidvania, a term I've grown to hate over the years, but the odd one I enjoy.  I really enjoyed this one.  This game doesn't require you to backtrack too much, but when you do it's fun because your new abilities make traversing the environment fun.  This is a beautiful game with an incredible soundtrack.  The music is so "nice" that I've listened to it while working at my desk.  The visual style of this game is straight out of a children's book with animations that make the entire game feel alive.  All of this comes together in an amazing package, but don't be fooled, the game is HARD, but ultimately that's what I enjoyed about it.  It feels so rewarding, make your way though 100 yards in game, feel like you've accomplished a mile.  Absolutely recommend.

Top 10 of 2020