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Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade?

24/12/2019

 
Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade? - Pass the Controller

2020 is only a couple of weeks away and this decade will soon be behind us. We've already discussed our favourite games of 2019 but now we turn our attention to the greatest games of the last 10 years.

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by Chris Brand
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@SuperCrisco

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by Team PTC
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@pass_controller

Chris | Red Dead Redemption 2

It was quite a struggle to nail down my Game of the Decade. In terms of hours played, Warframe is far and away the clear winner but, according to my stats, I've spent approximately half of that time (a considerable 900 hours, of 1900 in total) just sitting around chatting with my clan-mates. They're good people. It's also a game which has been evolving for almost 7 years, with frequent updates, new features and countless balance passes.

By contrast, Red Dead Redemption 2 (Sam's pick for Game of the Year 2018) has occupied very little of my time, yet each minute seems to be filled with 90 seconds of content. Secrets can be unearthed in every corner of the map, strangers will open up new avenues for making money and there's the ever-present threat of lawmen and bounty hunters whose relentless pursuit of Dutch and Co. forces you to stay on the move.

Knowing the eventual fate of the gang, thanks to the original Red Dead Redemption, does nothing to turn me off Dutch van der Linde. He's a beguiling mixture of outlaw rogue and charming gentleman; a man who commands respect and demands loyalty. It's easy to see how a young, impressionable John Marston could fall in with such a crew. Dutch romanticises the bandit lifestyle and inspires such confidence in his soldiers that even I - a real person far removed from the trials and tribulations of Arthur Morgan - am wholly invested in the lives of these folks.
Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade? - Pass the Controller
One could almost regret killing Dutch, all those years ago in the future.

Sam | SUPERHOT and SUPERHOT VR

I suggested this topic a few weeks ago and despite leaving ample time to mull it over, the magnitude of the task only just hit home. Choosing my 2019 Game of the Year was arduous enough, so to open consideration up to nine more years’ worth of games is more than a little bit daunting.

God of War (2018), Batman: Arkham City, Dark Souls, INSIDE… the possibilities are near endless, but only one title crops up on my shortlist twice. Faced with chronic indecision, that was the deciding factor.

SUPERHOT and SUPERHOT VR are basically the same game despite their obvious control and display differences; declaring them joint winners isn’t cheating, but similar to appointing the likes of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Both centre around the simple concept that time only moves when you do, allowing for some impossibly spectacular fight scenes to be choreographed.

Gameplay is both demanding and empowering, yet at the same time slow and considered in a puzzle-like fashion. Whether you’re playing with a conventional controller on a 2D screen or motion controllers in the 3D realm of VR, its beautifully streamlined mechanics translate oh-so fluently.

There’s definitely an engaging story in there, but the ingenious gameplay is really what does it for me. SUPERHOT and SUPERHOT VR are games I already own and have played countless times, yet willingly rebuy and revisit as and when they’re made available on new platforms.
Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade? - Pass the Controller
There's a lot more to SUPERHOT than just shooting Red Dudes.

Liam | Halo: Reach

Bungie’s swansong before moving onto Destiny, Halo: Reach felt like the end of an era, and though 343 Industries have since taken up the mantle of responsibility, the series has never quite hit the same heights as the 2010 masterpiece.

The campaign features a decent mix of large, sandbox style battlefields and claustrophobic close quarters action, and, even though its set before the original trilogy, manages to introduce some new weaponry to the already iconic roster, such as the needler rifle and DMR. It even revamps the look of Jackals and Grunts, and once again brings tough-as-nails Elites to the fore as your main adversary.

“New” abilities such as a limited sprint, something that had never been seen in a Halo game before, gave movement a much needed revamp without impacting on the series’ classic feel, and ditching the Master Chief in favour of a new recruit gave players a blank canvas with which they could make their own through armour customisation.

Add to that one of the best stories told in gaming (no spoilers here, just go and enjoy it if you haven’t yet!) and you’ve got not only the best game of the decade, but arguably one of the greatest games full stop.
Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade? - Pass the Controller
The Master Chief Collection is finally complete.

James | GTA Online

It's funny when a game you enjoy is only half of the whole product, but that's been my experience with Grand Theft Auto V. Despite buying it twice, on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One, I have still not played beyond the mandatory tutorial section of the main game, instead I've spent my time in the whacky online sandbox of GTA Online.

Despite a rocky start, and I mean very rocky – with constant connection and stability issues for the first few weeks, let alone days – the game paved the way for Fortnite and others after it in serving up a seemingly endless stream of free updates, as an incentive for players to fork out more real world cash.

Heists alone were an update which the community waited years for, but when it did it reinvigorated the game, giving players a more structured, high-stakes mission that hadn't been experienced before outside the campaign, demanding coordination and teamwork to get the biggest score, in the form of GTA fun bucks to spend on fast cars, planes or even tanks.

The world Rockstar managed to create is the real star, and the reason the game works at all. I still might not have the city map memorised, though plenty of more dedicated players do, but many of the locations are iconic in their own right – even beyond the real locations some of them ape.
Team Talk | What is your Game of the Decade? - Pass the Controller
It's a fantastically crafted world that no sane person would want to live in.

Let us know your favourite game of the last 10 years.
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Merry Switchmas!

22/12/2019

 
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Ho, ho, ho, chums! Whether you picked up a Switch Lite back in September or you’re expecting one under the tree on JC’s birthday, here are a tinsel-encrusted collection of accessories worth finding in your stocking - and a couple to re-gift, too!

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by Rob Holt
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​@acousticmagic


Snakebyte Carry:Case

Tough, durable and with plenty of space for game cards (we do wish Nintendo would just call them cartridges), the Snakebyte Switch Lite Carry Case is quality, case-a-fied.

The Lite has accompanied us on our semi-regular voyages across the south of England, and we have to be honest and say that the Snakebyte case trumps the official Nintendo one by a mile - at almost half the price, to boot! Featuring a rugged exterior, eight game card pouches, striking turquoise and yellow zip, mesh pocket for accessories and straps to keep the console in place, this is a case you can trust to protect your Lite.

​5/5 Unexpectedly lovely Carollers
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Nintendo Officially Licensed Switch Lite Accessory Set

Now this case really looks the business; the off-white material and high quality zip feel and look great in our dirty mitts. Unfortunately, though, that’s where things take a nasty turn. There’s such a lack of space inside - especially when considering there’s no real allowance for the sticks or bumpers - that you’ll be left wondering how this got the official license from Nintendo. Add to that the shocking, thin plastic screen protector (yep, just the one, so don’t make any mistakes) we recommend you steer clear. 

1/5 Drunk Sleeping Relatives
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Orzly tempered glass screen protectors

While we weren’t particularly fond of the protector included in the official Nintendo bundle, luckily, the good fellows at Orzly (products designed in London, apparently) had us covered.

​Included in the box are four (FOUR) high-quality glass screen protectors. Applying one was relatively easy while utilising the helpfully attached tab, especially with the confidence that having three back-ups brings. Did we mention the package includes alcohol swabs, dust stickers and a microfiber cleaning cloth as well? Oh, and the whole lot is under ten quid.


5/5 Reindeer Carrots
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FASTSNAIL hand grip

This ‘ere grip comes adorned in a black that took great pleasure in leaving its mark on the corners of our fair Lite. It feels cheap and flimsy in the hands, and to be frank, doesn’t really help with the offset nature of the Lite’s sticks, especially when playing FPS or twin-stick sports games. Another disappointment, unfortunately.

1/5 Katona’s in an Iceland Ad
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WarpThrough | Taken for a Quickie

16/12/2019

 
WarpThrough

We’re back with another quickie, this time for WarpTrough, a portal-grabbing platformer from indie developer Roofkat.

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by Liam
​Andrews

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@liam_andrews5

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Developer: Roofkat
Publisher: Roofkat
Platforms: Steam
Players: ​1 - 4

Portals? Ooh, are we going on a trans-dimensional adventure?

​Sort of. While you’re tasked with passing through (read: collecting) a certain number of portals per level, the 2D layout of arenas stays the same no matter what dimension you’re in; only a slight change to the backdrop serves to represent each new world.

Standing in your way are an ever-increasing army of monsters that charge around levels randomly, making things significantly more difficult the longer stages go on. With only one hit needed to take you out, players must decide whether to try and reach the target number of warps by simply dodging monsters or by whittling their numbers down with special attacks.

What makes attacks so special?

The twist here is that you have to stand still in order to charge your attack, then move again to unleash it. Each of the four playable characters - whom you unlock as you progress through the campaign - has their own unique style, such as a fiery punch or electrical trap.

Our personal favourite was Ebbie’s dog, Ball, which bounced around levels taking out monsters while we chased down portals. On top of attacks, players can spend collected warp energy on extra life and time-slowing power-ups, the latter of which proved particularly useful.
Campaign, you say?

Aye, but a very short one, maxing out at around an hour or two. It’s a decent enough offering (if a tad nonsensical) with monsters, demons and otherworldly beings all making an appearance. Throw in a couple of bad puns for good measure, alongside some alternate outcomes, depending on your choices, and the mode is worthwhile.

However, it’s WarpThrough’s gameplay, rather than its story, that’s the real draw. The weekly challenge mode prompts players to rack up high scores with a select character and level, and is arguably the meat of the experience.

Would you recommend it?

Yes. The £9.29 price tag might seem a little steep at first glance, but collecting shiny orb-like portals is surprisingly addictive (as anyone who’s played Crackdown can likely attest to) and there’s a good amount of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy climbing leaderboards.
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Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year?

12/12/2019

 
Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year? - Pass the Controller

Last week we booed and jeered the games that disappointed us the most during the year, souring an otherwise pleasant 12 months. Now, feeling more positive after our cathartic outbursts, we praise and cheer the very best that 2019 has to offer.

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by Chris Brand
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@SuperCrisco

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by Team PTC
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@pass_controller

Chris | The Outer Worlds

There's not much to say about The Outer Worlds that I haven't already covered but I can't think of any other game this year that seemed as complete, and it's one of few that I was legitimately excited to play. There's no filler; no tacked on multiplayer, no intrusive microtransactions, no season pass and nothing was cut from the base game in order to be sold as DLC. It's the full package.

A significant suspension of disbelief is required for one to really feel a part of the world, yet the writing is self-aware and believable, within the confines of the narrative. The overarching story itself, enjoyable as it is, doesn't stand out as the star of the show and instead serves as the medium in which your interactions take place.

Though it may lack the longevity and seamless open world of an epic like The Witcher 3, The Outer Worlds doesn't need those things. Obsidian condensed the same amount of charisma into a space that's half as small, whilst still finding enough room to squeeze in a little humour and a dash of whimsy. A positive by-product of this approach is far less bloat, which makes every encounter that much more memorable.
Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year? - Pass the Controller
There are no good options for this unfortunate Raider.

Sam | Resident Evil 2

If you’ve kept up with our output over the course of 2019, my choice most likely won’t surprise you. The Resident Evil 2 remake was my most anticipated game and one I highly praised alongside Sekiro and Devil May Cry 5 (my respective second and third-place finishers) early in the year.

The game’s impeccable visuals and locations set a photorealistic scene that enhances both the gross out and creeping terrors which are implemented so thoughtfully. It’s a rare example of graphics actually serving gameplay, but looks obviously still aren’t everything.

I’m a sucker for survival horror, but particularly survival horror with strict inventory limits that demand forethought and planning. Add to that standard enemies that can take a full pistol clip directly between the eyes and still get back up, and you have a recipe for edge-of-your-seat gaming right there. Especially when starting out on the highest difficulty setting.

A true masochist at heart, I immediately cranked the difficulty right up and, with that, limited the number of saves. Imparting a genuine fear for loss of time and effort, if nothing else, this razor blade gaming cocktail often had my heart racing faster than an equivalent session of Switch workout title Ring Fit Adventure.
Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year? - Pass the Controller
For some, this image alone is enough to impart genuine fear.

Liam | Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Another year, another round of top titles I’ve yet to play. I still haven’t got to some of last year’s best, let alone 2019’s greatest hits, but I did manage to recently get my hands on the excellent Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

Released way back at the start of the year, AC 7 feels like a bit of a throwback to my Rogue Squadron days, except with a lot more missiles and fewer blasters. The narrative is absolute nonsense, so much so that I stopped paying attention to pre-mission briefings and cutscenes very early on, but the rest of it more than makes up for the story’s shortfalls.

Controls are tight, the planes Top Gun levels of cool, and the combat moreish, especially when coupled with the game’s orchestral/electric guitar soundtrack. It’s also quite the looker, with some lovely vistas serving as a backdrop to the meaty action.

The only downside (apart from the naff story) is the heavy reliance on missiles over guns (which also sound a bit limp) but because I’m too much of a coward to try the Resi 2 remake, and have yet to finish Pokémon Moon let alone start Sword or Shield, it still gets my pick of the year.
Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year? - Pass the Controller
Ace combat 7 takes the Michael Bay approach to storytelling.

James | Control

Messing about with time, perception and the supernatural was an intriguing prospect even as we were first introduced to Control back at last year's E3.

We'd known Remedy, creators of not only Max Payne but the ambitious, though flawed, Xbox exclusive Quantum Break, were working on something new for a while, and despite going multiplatform, the developer hasn't had to compromise its weirdness to get a quality product on shelves.

Something of a throwback, the game is a singleplayer, largely narrative, fairly open world experience. The live-action elements, something Remedy is known for, are smartly kept to on-screen diary entries and recordings this time around, and the overall effect of not only the brutalist architecture but approach to its story create a world you are excited to explore, as I noted in my review.

While undoubtedly feeling like "a game", the journey is not only memorable, but thought-provoking – particularly if you commit to reading into the world. Most importantly, I powered through the game like a man possessed, which is a rarity, and enjoyed it all the way through. I may even revisit it next year when the PS4 timed-exclusive DLC expansions finally make their way to Xbox.
Team Talk | What's your 2019 Game of the Year? - Pass the Controller
Time-bending narratives and telekinetic abilities will always grab our attention.

Share your personal Game of the Year picks with us.
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Team Talk | What has been the most disappointing release of 2019?

6/12/2019

 
Team Talk | What has been the most disappointing release of 2019? - Pass the Controller

A stellar year for gaming is coming to a close. We've seen the creation of instant classics and some high profile releases have really hit the mark, doing everything we expected and more. It wasn't all roses though, as these potential stocking killers could have been so much better...

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by Chris Brand
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@SuperCrisco

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by Team PTC
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@pass_controller

Chris | Trials Rising

I'm a huge fan of the franchise and the latest iteration does more right than it does wrong, but there are a few design choices made by Red Lynx/Ubisoft that have quelled my excitement.

My first hint that something was amiss came when I found that the Mantis (the analogue to Trials Evolution's Phoenix, A.K.A. the good bike) was locked until level 42 and the Hard tracks aren't accessible for some time after. Extreme tracks, the really fun ones, require such a grind that I'm yet to reach them.

This is further exacerbated by Contracts, XP-awarding activities which may require you to land a certain amount of flips, wheelie for a cumulative distance or perform other flashy manoeuvres which add unwanted seconds to your flawless run. These highly annoying tasks are necessary if you want to level up quickly, pushing you towards playing in the most inefficient way.

It's as if a deliberate decision was made to appeal to a wider audience, which I'm all for as more players means more player-created levels, but the overabundance of Beginner, Easy and Medium tracks makes it feel like "fun" and "challenging" are mutually exclusive concepts, when in Trials they are often one and the same.
Team Talk | What has been the most disappointing release of 2019? - Pass the Controller
It may look impressive but air time hurts your run.

Liam | Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Band of Bastards

I first want to point out that I thoroughly enjoyed Band of Bastards and I’m only including it in this list because, as I mentioned in my review, it could have been so much better.

Combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance might feel a bit awkward at first, but once you get used to it it’s actually a fairly elegant system, although if you do find the swordplay a bit of a struggle (like I do) bashing people over the head with a mace also works well.

Whatever your preferred strategy, fights in KCD are quite fun, but you’d often have to go looking for them in the main game, which is why I couldn’t wait for the arrival of the Band of Bastards expansion and it’s combat centric nature.

The small skirmishes you take part in early doors are excellent, accompanied as you are by the memorable crew of mercenaries, but it’s all done and dusted too quickly, and the final big battle is a somewhat limp affair that’s let down by wonky AI.

What’s there is enough to satisfy any wannabe warriors battle cravings, but it could have been great, rather than simply good, which is the biggest disappointment.
Team Talk | What has been the most disappointing release of 2019? - Pass the Controller
Much like real life, maces solve the problems that words can't.

Sam | Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes

This week’s topic stumped me for a while. Most deemed MediEvil to be disappointing, but I quite enjoyed it; Pokemon Sword and Shield are far from outstanding, but I didn’t expect them to be; Terminator: Resistance is pretty mediocre, but that’s par for the course. What had I played that fell below rather than meeting or surpassing my expectations?

After scouring my list of played 2019 games, it was all the way back in January that I unearthed a release I’d mostly stricken from memory. No More Heroes and it’s sequel are cult classic Wii games in which you play as a trashy American assassin called Travis Touchdown. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is the hotly anticipated follow-up that failed to meet its mark.

The new top-down perspective already had eyebrows raised, but marrying that with a collection of unengaging central mini-games made for some questionable gameplay. It wasn’t really what people wanted and the developer knew it, attempting to placate disgruntled fans by stating that supporting Travis Strikes Again might help to fund a full-fledged sequel.

Apparently it did, No More Heroes III now having been announced for Nintendo Switch, but Travis Strikes Again felt disingenuous in addition to underwhelming as a result.
Team Talk | What has been the most disappointing release of 2019? - Pass the Controller
Here's hoping Travis can get the sequel he deserves.

James | Crackdown 3

I made no secret that I was looking forward to the return of the Crackdown series. Despite not being hit by the initial shockwave from the game way back when, the bits and pieces I had played were great fun, so the prospect of bringing that experience up-to-date with a few new bells and whistles was exciting.

Of course, what we eventually got in Crackdown 3, the second most high-profile release for Microsoft this year after Gears 5, was a disappointment in every sense of the word. I got a pre-order in early... in August 2015, but, especially for fans who had been around since the beginning, there was little of the series' magic, reducing the game's open-world mania to little more than ever-increasing tedious distractions wrapped around floaty controls.

The multiplayer was worse still, offering the lowest possible amount of variety and restricting the destruction to an abstract, computer wireframe simulation rather than the spectacle of New Providence (though there wasn't much of that to be found either).

Reducing down a game to its most basic elements is one thing, and often can be helpful when rebooting something for a fresh audience to get rid of any franchise bloat, but here it cut the jugular, and there's no resuscitation in sight.
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We still love you, Terry.

Share your 2019 disappointments with us below.
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