The Worst
Cyberpunk 2077
Let’s be honest here, Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the biggest and most anticipated launches this year, let alone within the past few years. What many expected to be the next massive leap in gaming turned out to be a technical mess on certain platforms, and “just” a good game with a bunch of bugs on others. Let’s not sell it short here, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the biggest disappointments of the year, especially with most people giving CD Projekt Red the benefit of the doubt given their track record. In our review, we concluded with: “So is this a good game? Yes, sometimes, but only if they manage to sufficiently patch it.”
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the latest mainline title in the long-running Fire Emblem series, bringing in new players with an increasingly streamlined entry. While the game undoubtedly brought new fans to the franchise, the decision to release the original Fire Emblem game from 1990 to the Nintendo Switch is a bit of a head-scratcher. While there is value in seeing the series’ origin for a low price, Nintendo could have capitalized on the series’ popularity by updating the graphics somewhat or improving quality of life rather than the few changes that they did make (fast-forwarding and rewinding). In our review, the reviewer noted that “by the end of the campaign, [he] was ready to never again play another classic.”
Twin Mirror
DONTNOD Entertainment, of Life is Strange fame, is at it again with its latest title Twin Mirror. Twin Mirror does not follow the developer’s previous episodic formatting of its games, for better or worse. The title, as expected, is an adventure game that follows an investigative reporter looking for answers. The catch with this game is that you are able to enter the main character’s Mind Palace in order to sort out clues and learn what happened. Overall, the game’s lack of depth in mechanics and characters combined with its short length hold back what otherwise could have been a better experience. In our review’s conclusion, it is noted that “the short length means that characters and plot points are not fully developed therefore hindering the emotional connection the gamers tend to have with the company’s deep and usually complex personalities.”
Did you play anything better or worse in December 2020? Let us know in the comments below.