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Ring Fit Adventure redefined expectations for traditional fitness experiences in gaming, showing that the genre can be much more than strict recreations of existing exercises in a bland, poppy setting, but Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise sits somewhere between the two.
The original Fitness Boxing offered a genuinely effective workout while providing players with enough creative exercises to remain engaged for hours. Despite this, it felt somewhat artificial compared to its contemporaries. But it was still incredible amounts of fun, and its sequel maintains that mantra in a number of engaging ways.
Rhythm and Exercise maintains the same basic mechanic, modes and visual aesthetic of its predecessor, simply aiming to expand upon it with a greater variety of workouts and customisation for your selection of virtual trainers. It’s an enticing experience that offers a sufficient workout, even if it isn’t the best fitness outing you can find on Nintendo Switch right now.
Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise is controlled entirely with motion controls, with the player holding a Joy-Con in each hand to register punches, thrusts and general movements of your upper body. Jabs, uppercuts and straights are registered with surprising accuracy, more so for those who are willing to move their body to the rhythm of each song.
It feels great, and continues to be one of the platform’s best examples of modern motion controls, although I’d recommend wearing wrist straps to avoid flinging a stray punch directly into your television. Fitness Boxing is undeniably simplistic compared to Ring Fit Adventure, but it keeps you engaged with a frenetic pace that constantly switches up what routines are expected of you.
The opening moments are surprisingly relaxed as you pick a trainer, fill in your details and slowly but surely come to terms with the first round of exercises. Within moments I felt like a fledgling boxer, performing rhythmic movements with ease. Unfortunately, my confidence was knocked upon entering my first daily workout.
Daily Workouts are very much the crux of Fitness Boxing, acting as the core incentive for players to return each day to complete an extensive routine to lose calories and hone their technique. My regular sessions lasted roughly 40 minutes, combining 10-minute rhythm routines with adequate times for warming up and stretching.
I’m no exercise master, and as such I vastly underestimated the physical endurance required to swing one’s arms constantly for over 40 minutes. Turns out it’s quite a lot, and within the first week or so I was left and a battered and broken gamer as my trainer lauded praise upon me as I crossed the finish line. I felt excellent, so the effort was arguably worth the end result.
Fitness Boxing does a great job of making you feel rewarded, with the in-game achievement system monitoring even the smallest of accolades and adding them to a virtual gallery. I’m a sucker for tracking my progress like this, and small little icons reminding me that I just needed to stay strong and keep pushing forward made a newcomer like me feel welcome.
Personal customisation is a huge component of Fitness Boxing, and that doesn’t always relate to the exercise routines you’ll be jumping into. Trainers come in all different shapes, sizes and genders – offering you a solid range of motivational eye candy to ogle while throwing punches towards the screen.
Existing athletes from past games return alongside a couple of newcomers, although the voice acting on offer is definitely a mixed bag. I will admit that staying on my toes for over 40 minutes was a bit of a push when the trainer hurling commands at me was speaking with the emotional expression of a brick wall. It’s laughably monotone, and can make the whole experience feel coincidentally robotic.
Luckily, visual customisation is far more compelling. Trainers can be customised with an endless assortment of clothing to depict them as true fitness experts or someone who accidentally backflipped into a bin outside of Sports Direct. You can be as faithful to the sport as you like, or opt for something far more ridiculous.
Routines can also be altered to your liking. If you aren’t a fan of a certain exercise or routine, simply change it out for something else. The time of each workout can also be changed to fit your playstyle, slowly increased or decreased depending on personal goals or simply how you’re feeling on a certain day. There’s a great level of accessibility here, and you’re seldom penalised for missing a day or not sticking to a regular schedule.
Those who played the original Fitness Boxing might be underwhelmed by what the sequel offers. It’s a fairly barebones expansion which maintains the same mechanics, aesthetic and overall design. The game feels like complimentary content as opposed to something that builds upon the existing foundations. As a result, the soundtrack is arguably the biggest draw here, and fortunately it’s filled with bangers.
Darude’s Sandstorm, Swedish House Mafia’s Don’t You Worry Child and Katy Perry’s Hot N Cold are just a few of the excellent hits crammed into Fitness Boxing 2, each of which have been altered somewhat to take full advantage of the rhythm-based gameplay. There’s always a possibility for downloadable content in the future, unless Nintendo decides to throw out Fitness Boxing 3 in 2021 with a similar, iterative approach.
Should you buy Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise?
Fitness Boxing 2 is a great exercise experience for Nintendo Switch that makes excellent use of its motion controls, although the game doesn’t introduce quite enough changes to stand out from its predecessor.
Fortunately, an excellent soundtrack, generous amount of content and mechanics that make it appealing to both newcomers and experts alike help it shine in the end.
Editor’s Note:This review is based on a full playthrough of the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077, since we do not have access to the console release. We will update our verdict to reflect those versions before December 10.
The future doesn’t look bright. Our planet lies at the precipice of a climate crisis, while superpowers stew in political instability and oppressive legislation that continues to question the very definition of our own freedom. CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 takes such developments to their most extreme conclusion, depicting a society where we are little more than pawns in the whims of corporate capitalism.
Humans exist to consume products, fuelling the economy as the very megacorporations that keep them alive are driving the world closer and closer to ruin. Having already been torn apart by nuclear warfare and global warming, Cyberpunk 2077 thrusts us into a metropolis that is nothing more than a lavish monument to corporate greed: Night City. You play as V, a mercenary who is pulled into a dark conspiracy that threatens to either tear the corporate world apart, or allow it to grow more powerful than ever before.
CD Projekt Red aims to pick apart the cynical existence of corporate greed and consumerism in an open-world RPG that pushes the genre forward in so many fascinating ways, pulling you into a dystopian hellscape that takes hold and refuses to let go. It’s an interactive achievement of the highest order, but such technical accolades can’t detract from a somewhat misogynistic approach to female character writing and a core narrative that feels inconsistent and lacking in dramatic consequence.
V can begin his or her journey in Cyberpunk 2077 as a Corpo, Nomad or Streetkid. The path you choose will not only determine where our fledgling mercenary grew up, but also how they react to situations throughout Night City. Unique perspectives can be taken throughout the narrative, providing insight that might otherwise be lacking. I chose Street Kid, beginning my journey as a wise-cracking chick who already knew her way around Night City.
In the opening moments I was greeted by established relationships with colossal gang leaders and law enforcement, making it feel like my character existed long before I picked up the controller. I was now simply taking the reigns and choosing exactly where to go next.
While I only completed one playthrough for this review, I dipped into the other introductions and the variety is genuinely striking, changing how you approach exploration of Cyberpunk’s world in the hours that follow.
As a Street Kid the opening hours were dominated by the seedy Red Light District and bustling central streets, while a Nomad will leave their abode in the badlands seeking a new, more prosperous life in Night City. Once you’ve stormed past the titlecard, the tunnel of quests will become more linear, but having a number of hours to craft a virtual identity that feels thoroughly unique was spectacular. It’s a new level of depth for mainstream RPGs that I hope continues.
2077 has been fraught with controversy since its initial reveal, especially in regards to transphobia and its treatment of different cultures. Such scrutiny was justified as CDPR seemingly doubled on such issues in its pre-release marketing. As a trans woman, I jumped into the game with much trepidation, but was pleasantly surprised by the inclusiveness of its character creator. I was able to create a V who looked and felt like me, right down to explicit details such as breasts, voice and genitalia.
Never has a character creator made me feel so valid and represented as a person, but such a triumph doesn’t take away from the commodification of queer bodies that is spread throughout Night City like a plague. In the world of Cyberpunk 2077 people like me are defined by their physical attributes, bulbous penises and breasts are spread across in-game billboards and vending machines in a way that feel woefully gratuitous.
CDPR is right to show how this dystopian world is treating us like objects in pursuit of profit, but the storytelling rarely ventures to places that challenge such views, meaning this imagery exists to shock and nothing more. The world’s relationship with sex is equally as troubled, coded in a heteronormative way that objectifies men and women alike, but female bodies are put in the firing line far more often.
If Cyberpunk 2077 depicts a society where transpeople can exist without worry, why does it still maintain so many of the tired tropes we’ve failed to upheave in the 21st Century? The situation worsens as the narrative progresses, with excellent female characters being twisted into nothing more than tragic objects of motivation for male characters like Johnny Silverhand who exhibit all the worse qualities of this battered and broken society.
Dialogue options underpin almost every decision in Cyberpunk 2077. V’s moral compass is naturally optimistic and good natured, so you’ll simply need to steer them towards different shades of good and evil. They can diplomatically defuse a situation with adversaries or pull out a firearm and blast away any problems. Each decision is valid, but you’ll need to accept whatever consequences might surface as a result.
The writing and delivery is a step above anything the studio has done before, with all characters delivering stellar voice performances that are confidently grounded in Night City. Such praise also extends to Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rockstar who finds himself implanted into V’s subconscious in the game’s opening hours. Beginning as an aggressive douchebag intent on taking over your body, Silverhand slowly grows into an endearing friend, someone I was happy to fight alongside right up until the end.
It’s unfortunate his backstory feels rather underdeveloped, addressed in stilted flashbacks and sudden changes in attitude that seldom feel earned. It’s a consequence of an RPG experience where I tackled everything at my own pace, often putting aside the main quest during my 40+ hour playthrough. Flaws aside, Johnny Silverhand is an excellent foil to V’s moral positivity, often trying to sway your judgement in a direction that matches his own motivations.
Keanu Reeves sells his performance with enough conviction that I cared for Silverhand, even if certain parts of the delivery can steer into a monotone droll. Other standout characters include Panam, a charismatic Nomad who wishes to outgrow the traditions put in place by her family. There’s also Evelyn Parker, a sex worker who finds herself caught up in the twisted criminal underworld with no conceivable way out.
I alluded to CDPR’s clumsy handling of female character writing earlier, but it’s worth touching upon further. It’s handled with the subtlety of a jackhammer, with the agency of characters such as Evelyn Parker and Silverhand’s own love interest – Alt Cunningham – undermined in service of furthering their male counterparts.
Trauma is drastically overlooked as they are flaunted as sex objects for the player to ogle before being thrown aside like they’re nothing. Night City swallows people up and spits them out, alive or dead, but with little in the game’s narrative fighting back against this brutal mantra it often falls flat.
Otherwise, the storytelling is wondrous, eliciting a sense of pace, execution and importance of player decision more than anything I’ve ever played. It felt like every dialogue decision and combat encounter mattered, shaping my interpretation of V into something that felt truly unique. From a combat perspective, I crafted her into a gun-slinging hacker who would disable security cameras before wiping out enemies with a single silenced bullet.
Cyberpunk 2077 has a fluid class system, meaning you can adopt any of its endless combat, hacking and traversal mechanics in whatever order you like. Firearms range from traditional guns to more eccentric smart weaponry which can lock onto foes for utmost precision. The sheer amount of weapons available is staggering, allowing for a varied approach to each new situation.
I loved the personal angle, so found myself roaring into battle with a flaming shotgun instead of sitting back with a sniper rifle. Hacking can be used in conjunction with stealth to navigate the majority of encounters, so much so that physical contact can be avoided altogether.
Traps and cameras can be disabled before sneaking up on unsuspecting guards and hurling them into bins, or you could be slightly more sinister and fry their brains with a burnout hack. This degree of versatility is rather absurd, and I finished the game without even touching a vast range of upgrades and cyberware, with the skill tree begging to be explored further.
Much like The Witcher 3, the majority of enemies go down within a few seconds if you’re willing to just spam them with basic attacks, taking away most incentive to experiment with different hacking and combat abilities. I’d recommend playing on a harder difficulty setting if you want to be a true mercenary, forced to think on your feet instead of waltzing into most hideouts as a bullet sponge with bad fashion sense.
Starting my adventure with nothing more than a pistol and eventually evolving into a cybernetic killing machine with blades for hands and the ability to melt your mind with a single glance is an immense power fantasy, and one Cyberpunk 2077 is more than happy to deliver. When compared to other RPG shooters, this is in a league of its own.
There’s also Braindance, an inventive mechanic that has you diving into recordings of past events to analyse the actions of characters and gather evidence before embarking on wider quests. These moments are brilliant as you analyse audio, heat signatures and objects across sprawling environments, yet are few and far between in the main quest. I wish it was used more, since it shows CDPR at its most mechanically ambitious.
Night City is smaller than The Witcher 3’s fantastical landscape, but is far more dense and packed with things to do. Exploration of the metropolis is a joy, with optional missions and enjoyable distractions surfacing with a welcome sense of dynamism. I often found myself stumbling upon potential side quests while navigating more important missions.
You can get around by foot, car or fast travel. I never found myself using the latter, enamoured by the sights of Night City enough that I happily navigated familiar locales time and time again. The vastly populated central streets of the city juxtapose beautifully with the desert badlands, all of which have been poisoned by corporate greed in different ways.
The wilderness has become home to endless piles of trash as humanity fails to find ways to recycle it, twisting a picture of tranquil peace into one of sordid squalour. Despite this pessimism, the people who call these places home add a small glimpse of hope to proceedings. Whether they be fixers offering quests or citizens trying to carve out a living, everyone you stumble across is brimming with life despite their circumstances.
Relationships in Cyberpunk 2077 are more nuanced than the studio’s predecessors. Sex is no longer the ultimate goal when growing closer to a major character. It’s certainly possible, but the primary focus sits on the internal struggles of those you decide to make part of your life. Playful flirting could lead to sudden rejection, establishing the importance of consent even in a dystopian world such as this.
I felt myself growing closer to people, embarking on quests not because of the rewards involved, but instead that I was in a position to help, to make things better for those who needed me. I’ve rarely received a phone call in a game, been informed of a friend’s plight and immediately went to meet them, like I had some form of virtual urgency to meet. Sure, such missions often involve plenty of crime and murder, but you can’t have everything.
Claire is one character who stood out to me, a woman who handles the underground racing scene in Night City. Her narrative arc begins with a fascination to conquer a racing tournament, but ulterior motives relating to her late husband soon become clear, as does her gender transition. Claire confides in V that she is a transgender woman, having decided to become her true self with the help of her deceased partner. It’s a touching gesture, but one that makes her identity a defining character trait, which to me felt lazy.
In a world that takes advantage of women and queer bodies in such an abundant manner, a character who identified as such taking the fight to corporations in the smallest of ways would have been fantastic. There are so many opportunities to reinforce Cyberpunk 2077’s thematic elements beyond “corporations are bad” but they’re all tossed aside in favour of a central narrative that simply isn’t that compelling.
Unless you’re invested in the life of Johnny Silverhand, who is a chauvinistic pig with motivations that never feel effectively explained, much of the core plot is muddled. It has some wonderful standalone missions I adored, yet never reaches the emotional highs of The Witcher 3’s closing moments. You could argue I need to catch up on the table top lore, but the average player simply won’t do such a thing.
I took pleasure in standalone arcs that focused on certain characters, putting aside V’s quest for immortality in favour of something more meaningful. Fortunately, quests like this are plentiful, and I was never lost for engrossing stories and inventive mission design to lose myself in. CDPR is a supremely talented creator, and its finest and most abrasive qualities are on full display here.
Given its infamous development history and woeful tales of crunch, it’s worth touching on how Cyberpunk 2077 performs. I played the PC version and found the experience to be a mixed bag. Playing at 4K with high settings I was met with a level of performance which ranged from rock solid to mediocre.
The inner streets of Night City would bring my PC to a crawl, which is currently sporting an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 and an RTX 2080Ti with 16GB of memory, so it’s certainly no slouch. Those hoping to utilise ray tracing features will need far more power to play with, although it’s arguably worth the sacrifice since it’s positively gorgeous. It’s a shame that bugs beyond graphical limitations also bring the experience down.
Cyberpunk 2077 is awash with technical issues, ranging from animation problems where characters float through integral story sequences to combat encounters where enemies simply fail to register your presence, surrendering to a barrage of bullets as repetitive voice lines spew from their unmoving lips. Moments like this let 2077 down, and hopefully they will be fixed in future updates.
CD Projekt Red has created a triumphant RPG experience with Cyberpunk 2077, but it often falters under the weight of its own ambition.
Exploring Night City is an unparalleled joy, depicting a dystopian world with an unmatched level of detail in the genre. I lost myself for hours, but such immersion also unveiled a number of deeper issues with its lacklustre themes and problematic writing.
Of all the games out there, this one should have something to say, but it too often doesn’t. Putting this aside, the combination of freeform exploration, frantic combat and stellar storytelling combine to craft an RPG that is a new watermark for the genre.
Twin Mirror marks the first self-published title from DONTNOD, the critically acclaimed studio behind the beloved Life is Strange franchise.
DONTNOD has had quite a run as of late. After the near-perfect Life is Strange 2 reached its epic conclusion before the arrival 2020, the developer broke new ground with Tell Me Why, a three-part family drama that put a transgender character in the limelight.
Now, it’s back yet again with its first-ever self-published experience, which for any developer is a huge achievement. My hope with Twin Mirror was that it would showcase the studio’s full potential as one of this medium’s pioneers when it comes to narrative-driven interactive experiences, and while I enjoyed my time Twin Mirror, it saddens me to say that it also left me feeling disappointed – but let’s back things up for a moment.
In Twin Mirror, players step into the shoes of Sam Higgs, an ex-investigative journalist who has clearly been burned by the events of his past, now living in a state of emotional disconnect from the people who were once closest to him. Sam’s story picks up as he returns to his small American hometown of Basswood, where the sudden death of an old friend forces him to confront everything he tried to forget.
Things take a strange turn when the young daughter of the recently deceased seems to suspect foul play, begging Sam to take her claims seriously and investigate the death for himself. Before long, Sam’s plan to have a fleeting visit turns into a much deeper affair, as the hidden underbelly of Basswood begins to reveal itself, showing just how much has changed in the time since Sam’s been away.
With Sam and the key residents of Basswood being a fair bit older than the leading characters in Life is Strange, the narrative feels far more mature. Complex themes are explored such as unemployment, drug abuse and the unpredictable perils of adult relationships.
Many of these themes are secondary to the game’s central conceit: facts versus feelings. I’m aware of the modern political connotations associated with that phrase, but in the case of Twin Mirror, it relates specifically to Sam’s old profession and how a journalist’s quest for truth can often have unintended, real-world consequences.
For example, Sam’s magnum opus was an article denouncing the horrendous working conditions found at Basswood’s mines. While undoubtedly a noble endeavour, Sam’s investigation resulted in the closure of the mines and mass unemployment in Basswood – a fact that is constantly thrown at him by the town’s ex-miners.
Having been burned once before, Sam must now consider the options at hand. Investigate further into the death of his friend, potentially putting old acquaintances in harm’s way in a bid for the truth, or try and be there on an emotional level for those who are grieving, leading them away from danger throughout the adventure.
To offer some help in this regard, Sam’s psyche turns out to be a multifaceted arsenal, with two hidden superpowers: The Double and the Mind Palace. The Double is a well-dressed manifestation of Sam’s empathetic attributes that only Sam can see. His presence allows for some entertaining back and forth as the consequences of an impending action are weighed up in real time.
Alternatively, serving to indulge Sam’s analytical side is the Mind Palace (consider Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and you’re not far off) – a gorgeous visualization of the inner workings of Sam’s mind where time stands still.
Diving into the Mind Palace, Sam is able to view memories with pinpoint precision and even evaluate a crime scene by scanning various clues in the environment. It’s a handy tool but above all else it’s incredible to look at, with bright, clear visuals that contrast the muted and murky colour palette featured in Basswood.
The Mind Palace can flip on a dime however, as its appearance is directly linked to Sam’s emotions. If he’s in panic, the Palace becomes more of a mental prison, as Sam’s anxiety tries to keep him in a state of confusion. These moments are particularly exciting as it reminds the player that the Mind Palace can’t be relied on consistently as a refuge from everything that’s happening around them.
It’s such a shame then that with these unique mechanics, and after establishing an interesting cast of characters, Twin Mirror is over before you know it. Unlike DONTNOD’s previous titles, Twin Mirror is not an episodic adventure, with the entire game available right from the start.
With that in mind, I still assumed that Twin Mirror would more or less stack up with the same length of those earlier experiences, when in fact it’s a lot shorter than any of them. At roughly six hours, it’s only slightly longer than the average time it takes to complete just over two episodes of Life is Strange.
Opting for a shorter game isn’t in itself problematic, but it is when Twin Mirror still acts as if you’ve been playing the game for about a dozen hours and dissecting it as you would in the usual breaks between episodes. The issue is that the narrative’s major twists and plot points don’t land with the same impact that they’re clearly expecting.
Without spoiling too much, the most obvious example of this comes just before the climax, where the player has to make a definitive decision to go forth with the intent of finding the truth above all costs, or prioritising the safety of Sam and those closest to him.
The decision is preceded by some character building for The Double himself, but my relatively short time with the character prevented me from connecting with the emotional stakes (and this is coming from someone who cried like a baby when playing Life is Strange).
Compared to the multi-state road trip of Sean and Daniel in Life is Strange 2, Twin Mirror doesn’t give the audience nearly enough time to warm to its cast of characters, and I wonder if the game might have fared better if it simply introduced fewer characters into the mix to spend more time with the one’s that actually matter.
It’s worth pointing out that I also encountered a few glitches along the way and while none of them were game-breaking, they did offer mild-frustration such as when a button prompt simply refused to appear.
Verdict – Should you buy Twin Mirror?
It’s a testament to how much I enjoy DONTNOD’s storytelling and world-building that my main gripe with Twin Mirror is that there isn’t more of it.
It establishes an engaging premise that had me eager to dive into a juicy mystery, alongside several inspired mechanics that could have set it on the path to greatness, but it’s all over so quickly that it never fully delivers on the promise of an unforgettable narrative.
Twin Mirror is still a lot of fun to play, and the various endings invite the player to return more than once, but don’t expect it to have the same emotional resonance as Life is Strange or Tell Me Why.
Football Manager 2021 is a complete triumph, pushing the already excellent series forward, not necessarily with huge advancements in any particular area but with tweaking, tuning and improving so many different elements.
Yearly football franchises feel like a slog. We might get a new FIFA installment every September, but the changes are usually minimal and the uproar from fans deafening. It is always different with Football Manager though, a game that is truly one of the most ‘bang-for-your-buck’ titles around.
Of course, it’s worth starting off by saying this is still the usual Football Manager experience. This is no longer a simple game where you pick a team, choose a snazzy formation, spend millions on the world’s finest talent and sit back as the trophies roll in. If you want something more like that, I’d recommend the Touch or Mobile versions.
Instead, this is an absolute time-sink where every aspect of your team is up for customisation. It can be daunting for newer players – or even those who were big into the titles from a decade or so ago – however, it’s not impossible to get to grips with. The tutorials are excellent and they’re far better, and much less annoying, than in previous games.
Realism is the biggest upgrade for this version. Not so much realism in terms of player stats or knowledge (that’s always been FM’s strong area) but realism in terms of communication and emotion.
Press conferences in FM have always been a slog – you receive a few reply options to the questions asked but little else. Usually, I would either hand these off to my assistant or randomly click through all the questions from the press without a second thought.
Now in Football Manager 2021, along with the questions being far more diverse, you can actively change your body language to better get your point across. You can slam your fists on the tablet or raise your arms in bafflement. I still don’t think your answers make too much different overall (although I do like the club’s press secretary judging your performance afterwards) but this remains a huge improvement.
These same body language cues are scattered around other parts of the game too. You’ll quickly learn how your players react to you in team meetings and which approach is best. While I found they made little difference in press conferences, they do make a lot of difference when you’re talking to players. Annoy a big name early on with a lack of ambition or a proclivity to buy and sell and you’ll spend months trying to bring them back around.
You might find it initially tricky to actually tell a player’s condition now though, as one of the slightly stranger changes this time around is the ditching of the percentage indicator alerting you to conditioning. This has been changed to a face icon, which is far less obvious than a solid number.
If you were the kind of person (like me) who’d instantly substitute your key winger if they dropped below 80%, or not even start someone who was in low the 90s, then this will change the way you play substantially. While it’s irritating, it’s now far more realistic. Real clubs don’t have an indicator of what percentage of fitness a player is reaching and you soon learn to build it into your game.
You’ll be changing and rotating a lot more this time around too, with a big and skilled squad required for actively competing on multiple fronts. You’ll want various tactics too and the ability to adapt to the playstyles of rivals. Choosing Tiki-taka at the start and sticking to a 4-3-3 formation every game just isn’t going to cut it. A lot of this is down to the excellent AI.
No one buys a version of Football Manager for the graphics, but FM 21 feels like the most complete game in terms of overall UI. The new matchday overlay gets to the important information fast and more information is available at once, saving you diving into separate screens make a substitution and perform other vital actions.
The 3D match engine is much better than we’ve seen before, too. I have to admit I still much prefer the classic 2D view though, and it’s something of a shame this actually looks worse than it did in Football Manager 2020.
Improved and clearer user interface also helps you digest all of the new information thrown at you, like xG (expected goals). This is a vitally important stat for many football analysts in the real world, giving you an indication of how many goals a team should be scoring. In the game, it helps you work out whether a win was lucky or if your striker is throwing away golden chances. If you use the data correctly, the addition of xG here is, and pardon the tired cliche, a gamechanger.
Buying players and unearthing new talent has always been, for me, the highlight of Football Manager. I remember picking up the famed Real Madrid LB Marcelo on the cheap before he made his big move in 2007 and would often spend countless hours scouting out young South American talent that would turn my solid West Ham team into an East End version of Barcelona. Times have changed and your budgets are likely a lot lower unless you’re playing with the big boys. Players are also harder to convince to join, with pesky agents getting in the way.
A lot more of the scouting is done by your backroom team, with a handy meeting taking place when you start a new game going over the areas the club think require strengthening. This helps make far more of your staff feel like real people and it puts more pressure on you to find the right fit.Performance of Football Manager 2021 is excellent. I’ve been running it across a few different MacBooks and found loading noticeably quicker than before. I tested it out on the base model of the MacBook Air M1 edition and it gave me a full 5 stars when it came to the graphical benchmark test.
Verdict
Football Manager 2021 is a true winner and a real worthwhile upgrade not only for those who played the previous game but those who might have lapsed in recent years.
This is the most realistic version yet, with deeper player interaction and more varied communications with your team and key staff making you feel even more like a real manager.
Some UI decisions might irk and a couple of areas still feel lacking, especially the dire Social Feed, but these are easy to forget. Ipoured over 1200 hours into FM 15 and I could see myself topping that this time around – well, that was if a day job didn’t get in the way.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildonly ever dwelled on the past in the form of bittersweet flashbacks. Moments in time where the Champions of Hyrule enjoyed time together, forming friendships before Calamity Canon plunged their homeland into oblivion. After a hundred years, Link awoke and ventured on a quest to defeat him.
Koei Tecmo’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity expands upon Breath of the Wild’s past world and characters, acting as a canonical sequel taking place one hundred years before the masterful adventure. It isn’t the nuanced exploration of lore I was hoping for, but it remains an entertaining adventure with plenty of depth for hardcore fans.
Being able to spend more time with the greatest iterations of Link, Zelda and company was an absolute joy, even if their jovial tales of gallantry were part of a wider narrative that didn’t have the profound impact I wanted. If you’re after a solid action game for the Nintendo Switch, oozing with Breath of the Wild fanservice, this is the perfect game to round out a year of fantastic releases.
Age of Calamity begins with Link acting as little more than a regular knight of Hyrule, having yet to earn the companionship of Princess Zelda. He earns her attention upon dispatching several hundred Bokoblins in the opening mission, proving that this androgynous blonde hero is far above the capabilities of his peers. Once the first round of battles conclude, it becomes clear that a greater threat awaits on the horizon.
Together, Link and Princess embark on a pilgrimage to recruit the Champions of Hyrule. These four individuals are capable of piloting the Divine Beasts, four ancient structures that can fight back the darkness with an array of devastating weaponry. But bringing them onto your side isn’t easy, with each respective kingdom having their own problems to solve before they can help you. So, it’s time to get your hands dirty.
If you aren’t familiar with Koei Tecmo’s work, it’s responsible for the Dynasty Warriors franchise and the plethora of licensed spin-offs. The studio is no stranger to huge, epic battles, and this expertise is reflected in the brilliance of Hyrule Warriors. This is a fast and satisfying combat experience with many playable characters, all of which sport their own distinct skills and abilities that are perfect for wiping out armies of baddies.
Your roster starts simple with Link, Zelda and a younger version of Impa taking the reins through the first handful of missions. They all play wonderfully, with move-sets differing just enough that switching between them feels like a necessity. Link is a swift and agile warrior, capable of dishing out plentiful sword strikes in a matter of moments. You can perform some epic combos with just a few commands, making you feel badass with little effort at all.
Wielding the Sheikah Slate, Zelda is a somewhat more timid hero, but not one you should trifle with. The princess can hurl out a selection of different elements, combining them to stun enemies in a vulnerable state before unleashing a lethal sequence of special attacks. All characters are capable of achieving such maneuvers, but Zelda’s base abilities make them far easier to pull off. She’s also adorable as heck, and easily my favourite iteration of the character.
You’ll come to unlock all Champions of Hyrule alongside a handful of other characters throughout the campaign, which is ripe with exhilarating set pieces across the Kingdom of Hyrule. The treacherous Yiga Clan is a mainstay throughout the campaign, having been instructed to disrupt the flow of time and end Zelda’s life before she has a chance to save Hyrule.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Age of Calamity is also home to a fair share of timey-wimey nonsense. The plot begins with an adorable miniature guardian travelling back in time, having witnessed the events that lead to the downfall of Hyrule. Since Breath of the Wild exists, it’s safe to assume that the poor thing isn’t successful in its mission.
Despite this, the narrative is an enjoyable caper through Nintendo’s world, even if it’s never quite the expansive prequel for which I was hoping. Character interactions are all delightful, with cutscenes splicing the melancholic loneliness of Breath of the Wild with a welcome aura of playfulness. The Champions of Hyrule have always been viewed through splintered flashbacks, but now we can see them banter and befriend one another while trying to save the world.
What you don’t receive is a more dramatic glimpse at the land of Hyrule prior to Calamity Ganon’s takeover, at least not until the campaign’s later stages. When the stakes become apparent, it’s a thrilling and suspenseful turn of events that I was smitten to see unfold, even if my heart was well and truly broken to see their characters succumb to their fate. Hardcore fans of the series will want to see all Age of Calamity has to offer, and for good reason.
Missions are very similar to those in Dynasty Warriors. You’ll sprint across a large map filled with different enemy outposts, which can be infiltrated and claimed by wiping out a selection of powerful enemies. Once taken, foes will become less common across the battlefield, making it easier to tackle the main objectives, which often involve wiping out major opponents or protecting allies as they carry out their own tasks that are also key to victory.
Combat is inherently repetitive, a flaw that fans of the Musou genre have come to accept in the decades since its inception. The variety comes from willingly changing characters and adopting weapons outside of your vanilla loadout. I did this constantly, which made slicing through endless swarms of repetitive foes far easier to swallow. Side missions also offer more diverse objectives, acting as short bursts of action and a perfect way to level up your characters.
A vast map of Hyrule acts as your central hub area, with the landmass becoming littered with an endless array of icons ranging from unlockable shopkeepers to optional quests. As a rampant completionist, I wanted to accomplish all of them before embarking on each new chapter of the story. Some are simple skirmishes, while others require you to gather an assortment of ingredients to unlock NPC merchants or new combos and health upgrades.
It’s a fun way to expand the Hyrule Warriors experience, adding light RPG elements to a battle system that doesn’t really offer many surprises. They balance one another out, providing the campaign with a welcome sense of pacing that makes each new story quest a warm blanket to wrap yourself in.
Customisation of your characters is rather extensive, but the fashionasta in me would have loved more optional outfits for all of the characters, which is sadly absent. You’ll spend most your time toying with weapon upgrades and combo systems, although it’s certainly possible that such aesthetic additions will come in the form of downloadable content. The original Hyrule Warriors was awash with such options and so, so many playable characters. Age of Calamity feels somewhat tame by comparison, likely a consequence of it existing within a singular game’s world.
Verdict
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an enjoyable action romp and a worthwhile expansion of the Breath of the Wild universe. Those hoping for a deep narrative expansion of the universe will be underwhelmed, but being able to spend more time with these wonderful characters is more than enough to leave you satisfied.
The repetitious combat is remedied by a vast roster of characters and generous upgrade system, which helps each battle feel more rewarding and satisfying than the last. Breath of the Wild 2 is likely still years away, so this is a welcome distraction until then.
Editor’s Note:Our full verdict of Destiny 2: Beyond Light will be coming once we have tested the new raid upon its arrival in the coming days. For now, read on for our review-in-progress.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is the latest major expansion for Bungie’s acclaimed loot shooter. It aims to bring the story forward and take the franchise into a bold new narrative with warring factions that could give even the greatest sci-fi franchises a run for their money.
Beyond Light reworks rather than rethinks the core Destiny experience. You’ll once again experience a loot shooter with a vast selection of open planets to explore. Upon them you’ll participate in a variety of standard missions, strikes and patrols either on your lonesome or with a fireteam of other Guardians. In the process you’ll earn gear for enhancing your character’s overall power and light level.
So far so familiar? Generally I’d agree. But after a week with Beyond Light I am pleased to confirm it appears to be fixing one of the franchise’s biggest flaws: its lacklustre and oftentimes nonsensical approach to narrative. Since the first Destiny rolled out, one common criticism has always been its nonsense story. To help newbies to the franchise, the cliff notes of the story so far is that you take the role of a Guardian – ancient warriors who protect the last remnants of humanity after a cataclysmic event that nearly rendered it extinct.
Guardians can blast through enemies with an arsenal of futuristic weapons, while also using special powers granted to them by a mysterious entity known as The Traveller. This strange being sacrificed itself during the great battle to save what was left of the human race. Beyond this initial foundation and a few standalone stories with each new expansion, the core narrative crux of Destiny remains featherlight.
Narrative highlights have included dropping hints about the Guardian’s not being as good as first thought and expertly tugging at our heartstrings with one of the series most beloved characters biting the dust in spectacular fashion.
Beyond this, the story has remained enraptured by its own mythology, sacrificing cohesion as a consequence. Each new expansion follows the same tired cycle. A new big bad appears and threatens to destroy the galaxy, and it’s your job to take him down before restoring Destiny’s world to the status quo.
What’s kept it going instead has been its satisfying shooting and looting mechanics which offer a true incentive to keep playing on a regular basis, and fans have certainly stuck around. Beyond Light aims to fix these shortcomings by offering a narrative that expands on the overall lore and has a tangible impact on its world. It seems Destiny is finally going to start taking its universe more seriously.
Beyond Light begins following the Season of Arrival’s conclusion. We’ll be light on spoilers where possible, but it hinted at the arrival of a new hostile force known as The Darkness. Details are still hazy, but it seems to be an evil form of The Traveller, capable of imbuing Guardians with powers that are far more sinister than anything we’ve seen before.
The campaign missions see a number of returning faces take the stage and revolves around how the Guardians and various other factions react to the new player on the scene. Specifically, it sees you team up with Variks, an alien villain from earlier in the story as he tries to stop Eris from “destroying his people” in her attempts to harness the darkness. This means the majority of Beyond Light pans out on Europa, one of Jupiter’s frozen moons.
Upon first glance the story follows the same format as past expansions, but throughout the missions it feels like there’s more weight to the proceedings. Each story interaction you have with the characters offers significantly more backstory than past campaigns and every character is better rounded, featuring a moral compass that is refreshingly ambiguous.
Even Eris, the main villain, feels partially justified given the events of her past. This depth means that for the first time since I reviewed the original Destiny, I felt a tinge of emotional connection with the main story. Segments with The Darkness, where the first game’s mysterious Exo Stranger, Eris Morn and The Drifter help teach you how to harness its power are particularly entertaining, especially as the final abilities you unlock are so much fun to use during the campaign.
Beyond Light introduces Destiny’s first Darkness subclasses. Specifically it unlocks new “Stasis” abilities. These are new ice themed special attacks that focus on freezing and breaking enemies. On a Warlock, for example, it lets you summon a Stasis staff that shoots orbs of frozen energy at enemies and then enact attacks to crack them, causing huge damage in the process. The grenade ability is also awesome, letting you throw a snowball to freeze enemies or create wall barriers.
The impact of the story isn’t just reflected in the main campaign, it also trickles through to the endgame and multiplayer elements, with Destiny having cut access to several previous locations and quests from other seasons. This makes it the first new chapter to feel like the start of something epic and a new foundation for Destiny to build upon.
Sadly, there are some serious issues to contend with in the campaign. The biggest is the sheer amount of content Bungie has cut. Numerous raids, strikes, bits of kit, missions and exotics have all disappeared from the sandbox. Other key hubs and stores are also gone, including the Black Armory Forges.
The culling would be fine if there was enough new content to replace them, but as it stands, this feels very much like a reset that’ll be built on with the next two content drops in Beyond Light’s roadmap.
This makes the endgame grind all the more difficult. Gear and weapons on offer have been diminished to the point that the selection feels incredibly limited. Crucible has enough maps to keep you entertained, but the new Stasis abilities feel overpowered, as do some of the new exotics and general gear, making it a lot less fun to play.
A lack of any significant new modes also feels a little harsh. You’ll be stuck with Rumble, Control, Clash and Elimination options, just like the last season. Gambit, my previous favourite mode has also been left untouched, making it feel like an afterthought. Such changes makes unlocking “legacy” gear and new modifiers for the Stasis classes, two of a select few endgame objectives worth pursuing, feel like a chore as well.
Legacy exotics from previous seasons can still be forged at a terminal in the Tower hub, if you have the necessary parts which unfortunately need to be collected by grinding the few missions and strikes still on offer repeatedly. Hopefully the Deep Stone Crypt raid, which is set to launch on November 21 will go some way towards fixing this, but until then the Beyond Light campaign feels a little too empty for my liking, even though it has set some amazing new foundations for the franchise.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a pivotal release for the franchise that aims to take the narrative and universe in a bold, darker direction.
Beyond Light oozes potential and I can’t wait to see how Bungie develops the narrative it has started. But, by cutting so much legacy content and failing to replace it, the endgame feels shallow and is already starting to feel a little too repetitive for my liking. Bungie also has brought some balancing issues into the game’s PVP modes with the new Stasis subclasses which need addressing sooner rather than later.
Hopefully these two key issues will be addressed with fresh content drops and patches in the near future. If not, then Beyond Light’s long-term appeal will be severely diminished.
