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jeudi 30 septembre 2021

Mbappe FIFA 22

FIFA 22 offers a better game of football than before and a whole load of new features for PS5, Xbox Series consoles and Stadia. Shame it’s let down by countless bugs and a lack of true improvements in many modes.

Pros

  • Improved gameplay
  • HyperMotion improves animations on newer consoles
  • Some players and stadiums really do look great
  • Volta is more fun

Cons

  • Ultimate Team remains pay-to-win
  • Lots of bug and general jank
  • Career Mode should be better

Key Features

  • PlatformsPS5 (reviewed), PS4, Stadia, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch (Legacy Edition)

Introduction

FIFA 22 is the latest entry in the long-running football sim and it’s the first to really feel like it’s designed with the new-gen of consoles in mind.

This year, more than most, is a sizeable step forward in terms of gameplay for the series. FIFA 22 offers the best game of football from EA Sports in a long time, with new PS5 and Xbox Series S|X exclusive motion capture improving the overall experience no end.

Yet, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Areas like Career Mode still feel limited, Ultimate Team continues with its loot box-heavy approach and there’s a lack of polish I don’t usually expect from a FIFA game.

Gameplay

  • Much improved gameplay on PS5, Xbox Series consoles
  • More fluid animations
  • Harder, but more rewarding

Gameplay is, of course, king when it comes to a football game. This is how PES thrived for so many years even though it lacked the modes, licenses and general finesse of FIFA.

In recent years it has felt like gameplay was less of a focus, with superficial improvements to game modes and the constant eagerness to keep on pushing FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) taking precedent.

That’s not the case here though, with FIFA 22 finally pushing forward the actual virtual game of football into a far more interesting place. Well, at least on the newer consoles. This review is purely based on the PS5 (and Xbox Series consoles) so it could be a very different experience on older consoles and PC.

FIFA 22

HyperMotion is the shiny, poster-friendly name for these improvements and while I would normally pass something named like that as just media fluff, the changes here actually make a welcome difference.

Animations have now been motion-captured by some actual players and that helps movement feel so much more natural. Keepers react differently, players trip and fall after a particularly hard shot and the ball doesn’t always feel it’s doing the same thing. In so many of the previous years, I have eventually gotten bored after a few months of playing FIFA due to the same animations and player movements occurring constantly. It seems like that won’t be an issue here.

The game just also feels a lot more fun to play. It’s a little slower, with less of a focus on bombastic end-to-end contests that end 6-5 with five goals from Mo Salah and a number of hilarious goalkeeping mistakes. This puts more of a focus on actually picking the right players, building up play through the middle of the park and utilising fast wide players.

A new feature called Explosive Sprint allows those fast wingers, especially the likes of Sancho and Sterling, to burst away from dawdling centre backs and really put those pace and acceleration stats to good use. This is welcome, but the AI utilises these skills well too, so it does make things a little tricky.

FIFA 22

Actually, I would say this is a much harder game than before. Probably not for the ‘FIFA Pros’ but for lowly League 1 players like me. I could barely score in the first few games I played, and when then the goals finally started to flow (thanks Erling) I was conceding more. If you’re used to focussing your play down the wing and crossing in for a tap-in then you might have to update your game.

There’s much more of a focus on passing too. HyperMotion adds in a bunch of sleek animations that make controlling the ball and spraying out a Beckham-esque crossfield more realistic. But really, you just need to pass the ball to actually break down even a basic defence. This added difficulty is satisfying though and very much welcome.

If you’re reading this and feel me complimenting the game for being ‘harder’, ‘slower’ and less ‘bombastic’ is completely the opposite of what you want out of FIFA then yes, you might be disappointed. Those crying out for arcadey fun might be disappointed.

Graphics and Presentation

  • Visuals can look great, but there’s an obvious gulf between players
  • Poor commentary
  • Plenty of bugs

While the gameplay additions make this a better game of football, there’s still a lot of places where FIFA 22 feels very janky.

There’s a general sheen to the game running on the PS5 (reviewed) and Xbox Series consoles. Sweat is more noticeable on knackered players’ foreheads, while shirts move in more realistic ways. 

The strand hair system, first introduced in the updated version of FIFA 21, gives certain players almost ridiculously luscious locks. My eyes were stuck on Cavani’s glorious barnet as he rose for a header and I could barely focus on defending the set play.

But really, these improvements only heighten the contrast between the parts of the game that look good and the areas that don’t. Properly scanned player faces look great, but these are mostly just the big names. Start a career mode with Leeds, Brentford or even Leicester City and you’ll notice many faces simply plucked from a generic design. The difference between, say, Jadon Sancho’s face to Wesley Fofana’s is frankly odd.

FIFA 22

The game is also very buggy. On numerous occasions players have disappeared during celebrations, referees have awarded the match ball to a blank space and celebrating teammates run through the crowd to congratulate a last-minute winner. I know these quirks have been present in previous years, but it feels so much more common here.

It’s also worth mentioning that the commentary is frankly awful. BT Sports Italian co-commentator and ESPN regular Stuart Robson replaces Lee Dixon, and his insights are rarely welcome and always irritating. At least the excellent Alex Scott pops up occasionally with score updates from other games.

Game Modes

  • FUT remains very much pay-to-win
  • Volta feels closer to FIFA Street than before
  • Minor changes to other modes

There isn’t a big new game mode introduced in FIFA 22, nor is there the now traditional story arc tied in. Instead, there are smaller tweaks to series stalwarts like FUT, Career Mode and Volta.

I enjoyed Volta when it arrived a few years ago, but it never quite scratched the FIFA Street itch. It was fun, but it felt too much like the same FIFA game transported from pitch to park.

Thankfully, Volta is a little more fun this time. While the outrageousness might have been ditched from the main game, the street portion gets it added it swathes. There’s more skills, more ludicrous power-ups and just generally a more fun game. It’s still not FIFA Street, but it’s not too far off.

I’m less enthused about Career Mode, though that’s probably because it’s the area of the game I play the most. I disliked a lot of new additions in FIFA 21, as things like training were (and still are) ridiculously boring and make practically no difference to how well your team actually play.

This year, there’s more of an RPG focus in the ‘Player Career’. There are numerous objectives to meet every game and ticking these off help you unlock new skills and work your way up to a starting place in the first team.

Then there’s Create A Club which I admit I was eager to try out. Sadly, this mode feels half-baked. To begin with, you can choose a team to replace in any league that’s licensed and then create and design a crest, kit and stadium. You then choose how much pressure you want from the board and whether you want your squad to be good or not. A five-star team, for example, gives you a bunch of players rated around the 80-90 mark. You can even give yourself a healthy £1billion transfer kitty.

The biggest letdown with Create A Club is that your team is just filled with non-descript generated players with blank expressions. I want a team full of real players, not one with all the charisma of a new-gen on Football Manager.

Mbappe dribbling with the ball

Many will buy FIFA simply for Ultimate Team, the loot-box focussed portion of the game that makes the big bucks for EA every year. I will happily admit I rarely play this mode outside of reviewing FIFA as I get no pleasure from getting comfortably beaten by players far better than me and spending money to even have a chance of winning.

Loot boxes and the whole pay-to-win aspect aside, there are some changes to FUT. You can at least see what you’re spending some money on with the new Preview Packs feature which lets you look inside one FUT pack a day. There are also changes to the leagues and the addition of some checkpoints to make losing a little easier to take. Still, the focus on spending real-life money to get the chance of picking up a top-quality player will likely never feel quite right.

You can easily play FIFA 22 without touching Ultimate Team, and that’s exactly what I will be doing going forward.

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Should you buy it?

You prefer a slower game: FIFA 22 is slower and more focused on build-up play than before, making it a little harder and more interesting to play.

You want an arcade experience: That slower nature does make it less like FIFA of old, with lower-scoring games and more defending.

Final Thoughts

There are a number of welcome changes in FIFA 22. The gameplay is more rewarding and the animations are finally interesting. There’s more intricacy to build-up play and often a much more satisfying finish.

But there’s also no getting around the large number of bugs, the fairly modest improvements in various game modes and the continued focus on paying to win in FUT. FIFA 22 is certainly more Europa Conference League than Champions League. 

Trusted Score
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How we test

We play every game we review through to the end, outside of certain exceptions where getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is close to impossible to do. When we don’t fully finish a game before reviewing it we will always alert the reader.

Played and tested every available game mode

Played on PS5

FAQs

Is there a Nintendo Switch version?

Yes, there is a Legacy version available for Switch

Is HyperMotion on PS4 and Xbox One?

No, this is a new-gen only featured for PS5, Xbox Series and Stadia

The post FIFA 22 appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

vendredi 10 septembre 2021

Life is Strange True Colors

Deck Nine and Square Enix took a gamble on making Life is Strange: True Colors a full game from the get-go as opposed to an episodic adventure. But the decision has paid off, delivering one of the series’ more refined entries to date. Haven Springs is a joy to explore, and Alex’s emotional journey is one that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Pros

  • One of the series’ most effective stories yet
  • Haven Springs is brilliantly realised
  • Character design and animation has greatly improved
  • Fantastic soundtrack

Cons

  • Plenty of glitches popped up during the playthrough

Availability

  • UKRRP: £49.99

Key Features

  • PlatformsPS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
  • GenreNarrative adventure

Introduction

After the surprisingly effective Life is Strange: Before the Storm, developer Deck Nine has returned to helm the series for its latest mainline outline, Life is Strange: True Colors.

At a time when the supposedly new and improved Telltale Games is still hard at work on upcoming titles, and Quantic Dream sticks to the time-consuming process of delivering near Hollywood-esque visuals, it’s the Life is Strange series that has been left to carry the baton of choice-driven narrative adventures.

And thank goodness I say – so far the series has done a tremendous job of blending the supernatural with young adult drama, delving into the themes of responsibility, consequences for one’s actions and now, with the latest instalment, the emotional effects of grief.

Alex and Gabe Chen sharing a drink

Gameplay

At its core, True Colors remains faithful to the main mechanics of the Life is Strange series. The game is driven by conversations between the player and NPCs, and also items in the environment, which can open up new dialogue options, or even offer solutions to various puzzles. Spontaneous conversation (introduced in Life is Strange 2) makes a return here, giving you the chance to respond to dialogue that occurs while you’re exploring the environment.

Of course, it just wouldn’t be a Life is Strange title without the existence of a super power to spice things up. While Max had time travel and Daniel had telekinesis, the heroine of True Colors, Alex Chen, is able to detect someone’s emotions, indicated by a colourful aura that envelops their being. This supernatural power feels far more intertwined with the series’ emphasis on establishing relationships with other characters.

This extra layer of empathy allows Alex to understand the reasoning behind a person’s state of emotions – a secret piece of information that might not be shared otherwise. It isn’t just people that Alex can scan, as certain objects around the game’s setting of Haven Springs can also be analysed for the strong memories associated with them, helping to establish a sense of worldbuilding that simply wasn’t possible in previous games.

The town of Haven Springs

The more considered superpower isn’t the only thing that’s different, however, as a lot of work as gone into making the game more accessible. For instance, timed choices can be lengthened, and any moments that require quick reactions can be skipped entirely.

What’s surely to appeal to Twitch streamers is the addition of ‘Crowd Choice’ which allows your viewership to vote on what happens next, with extra tweaks including how the votes are tallied and the period of time given to vote. It’s impressive stuff, and it makes a great deal of sense for a game that a large portion of people will simply watch opposed to playing an active role. Now, they can do both.

Story

In a series like Life is Strange, True Colors’ success is pinned almost entirely on its central narrative. To make things even more daunting, this is the first game in the franchise that hasn’t been released episodically, instead opting for a full story that’s ready to play from day one.

This move has paid off, with True Colors offering up a far more grounded story by comparison to any other Life is Strange title, but one that is succinct in knowing exactly what it wants to say, all the while reaching its conclusion without any unnecessary fluff to pad out the journey.

Ryan and Steph hanging out with Alex Chen

True Colors sees Alex Chen, a young woman who’s been in and out of orphanages for several years, finally escape the system to live with her estranged older brother in the idyllic Colorado town of Haven Springs. While the mountain town appears to offer some much needed refuge for someone with such a troubled past, Alex’s moment of bliss is cut short when a tragic accident seemingly claims the life of her brother Gabe.

With many mysteries left to solve surrounding the accident, True Colors feels a world away from the multi-state trek of Life is Strange 2, instead deciding to contain the story to the centre of Haven Springs and its various shops and hangouts. The decision to stick to one location also lends itself well in allowing the player to more deeply connect with Haven Springs, just as Alex does, the longer she stays there.

Alex Chen LARPing with Ethan in Life is Strange

The town itself is also filled with plenty to do. There are several mini-stories happening about the place that can be missed entirely if you don’t pay attention, so exploration is always encouraged. There’s also two arcade cabinets with proper games loaded on to them for some sweet high-score chasing.

I won’t spoil any of the major plot points here, but I will say that I was thoroughly pleased with the story’s conclusion, and I’m quite eager to go back and see how the five other endings fare.

Graphics

At multiple points during my playthrough, I found myself dumbstruck at just how far the series’ art style has come along. Character detail and animation for instance, while not on the same level as something like Detroit: Become Human, are leaps and bounds ahead of anything the series has put out before.

The visual improvements are emphasised with Steph Gingrich’s character. When you compare her character model in Before the Storm to True Colors, it feels as though a greater attention to detail has been applied, allowing her personality to shine through in a more natural way as a result.

Alex Chen investigating Tyhpon in Life is Strange

Unfortunately, the technical achievements of Life is Strange: True Colors are marred somewhat by an abundance of glitches. During my playthrough, scene transitions were all over the place and in one instance, the credibility behind a heart-to-heart conversation was decimated when Alex broke out into a T-pose. I can only hope that these glitches are fixed soon so that they don’t impede on anyone’s enjoyment of the story.

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Should you buy it?

If you enjoy a good story:
Life is Strange: True Colors is a must-have title to add to your library if you’re looking for a fantastic, emotional story.

If narrative-driven games just aren’t your thing:
Life is Strange: True Colors sticks largely to the same blueprint as its predecessors, so you won’t find much fun here if you’re not into narrative-driven games.

Final Thoughts

Deck Nine and Square Enix took a gamble when ditching the episodic blueprint for Life is Strange: True Colors. But the decision has paid off, delivering one of the series’ more refined entries to date, and one that isn’t hampered by needless padding. Even though it’s held back slightly by one too many glitches, Haven Springs is a joy to explore, and Alex’s journey of grief and the importance of expressing your emotions is one that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Trusted Score
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How we test

We play every game we review through to the end, outside of certain exceptions where getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is close to impossible to do. When we don’t fully finish a game before reviewing it we will always alert the reader.

Played through the entirety of the single-player campaign

Reviewed on PS5

FAQs

Does Life is Strange: True Colors have multiplayer?

No, this is a single-player game

How long does it take to complete Life is Strange: True Colors?

Between 7-10 hours.

Is Life is Strange: True Colors available for Nintendo Switch?

Yes, but the Switch version is coming out at a later date.

Full specs

UK RRP
Manufacturer
Release Date
First Reviewed Date
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Developer

The post Life is Strange: True Colors appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

mercredi 1 septembre 2021

Sonic Colors Ultimate

Sonic Colors Ultimate is a faithful remake of the 2010 game that you’ll probably enjoy if you’re either a dedicated Sonic fan or a child that doesn’t mind the easy difficulty and childish dialogue. Otherwise, there’s not much to love here, with floaty gameplay and an unengaging story.

Pros

  • Added extra content for the remake
  • Ideal for young children
  • Can customise Sonic

Cons

  • Too easy for older gamers
  • Forgettable levels
  • Too much floaty platforming
  • Disappointing visuals for modern standards

Availability

  • UKRRP: £34.99
  • USARRP: $34.99
  • EuropeRRP: €34.99

Key Features

  • Platforms:PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via Epic Games Store. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backwards compatibility
  • Developer:Sega
  • 4K resolution and 60fps performance:Updated with a 4K resolution for PC, PS4 and Xbox

Introduction

Sonic Colors Ultimate is a remake of the 2010 Wii game that drops you back in Eggman’s theme park of horrors with the task of saving the aliens he’s been capturing.

This remake doesn’t really shake things up in terms of story or gameplay, but is pretty faithful to the original with a few added bits of content to keep things interesting.

While Sonic fans and young children may be able to find joy here, I’m sad to say I don’t think this is a worthwhile game for anyone else – it’s not devoid of fun, but it’s hardly a decent Sonic game.

Story

  • The story is child friendly
  • It is the same as the remake
  • It doesn’t follow on from any other game

Starting up Sonic Colors Ultimate, you don’t actually get much in terms of the story until you’ve completed a level or two.

You play as Sonic, who’s visiting Dr Eggman’s Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park. It becomes clear that Eggman is up to no good, as usual, this time concerning some little aliens, or Wisps, who he’s capturing and using in a nefarious plot to control the world.

Sonic Colors Ultimate

Tails is also here, which is a nostalgic throwback, but there isn’t much else happening in terms of characters or story, so the game was very dependent on gameplay to keep your attention.

The script is tailored for a younger audience than myself, with tedious jokes about butts and farts running rampant. However, Sonic Colors Ultimate did make me laugh out loud on occasion, with Eggman’s absurd park announcements a particular highlight.

Gameplay

  • A lot of platforming for Sonic
  • Not very complicated, better for younger kids
  • No lives or game overs

Since the story is rarely why you pick up a Sonic game, you want the gameplay to really shine. As someone who remembers playing the original version of Sonic Colors over a decade ago, I can say that it feels about the same.

For a character renowned for his speed, it really feels like Sonic spend a lot of time platforming and waiting around in this game. There are a few sections that are undoubtedly fun, when you can rush forward and appreciate the interesting backgrounds, but a lot of the time you’re constantly stopping and navigating awkward platforms.

The feeling of speed is missing, even when you boost it feels like you don’t ever get to go that fast, and there are some levels that even have Sonic automatically running forward in the intro for a ridiculous amount of time. I was either watching Sonic run without participating, or trying to get him to jump over spikes.

And I could forgive the platforming if it was easier to control. I remember the original actually feeling better to play on the Wii compared to the PS4, as the motion controls gave the gameplay a little more innovation.

Sonic Colors Ultimate

With my PS4 controller, however, Sonic was floaty and awkward to control. It never felt gratifying getting to the end of the level, which is something I’ve felt with previous games, like Sonic Mania.

One of the biggest issues I personally had with this game was the complete removal of lives and game overs. This makes rings pretty useless unless you’re interested in getting an S rank, and it means you will keep respawning at your last checkpoint until you win.

I understand not wanting to make players frustrated with a difficult level, but not even giving me the option to make the game harder made it far more boring. Knowing there are no stakes, and the fact Tails can also return you to the exact spot you died – not even the checkpoint – meant I cared a lot less about learning the layout of the level or understanding the best way to get past an enemy.

Sonic Colors

The game also feels very samey throughout. I couldn’t tell you what happened in each world or what I actually accomplished after each level. With 45 story acts, there are very few I can remember as being unique in level design or gameplay, other than the few that heavily rely on the Wisps for help.

There are a total of eight Wisps in Colors, each giving you a unique ability to help traverse a level. Some are better than others, with my personal favourite being the Cyan Wisps, but I did appreciate the variety and the fact you need late-game Wisps to complete earlier parts of the game.

You can also customise Sonic, borrowing the main attraction of Sonic Forces, changing his in-game gloves, shoes, boosts and aura. This was a fun little add-on that I really appreciated.

Sonic Colors Ultimate

Another new feature was Rival Rush, where you can race against Metal Sonic in order to win rewards. I liked this mode and appreciated the option, however, I don’t think it’s something you could really sink your teeth into unless you were a pretty avid completionist.

In general, I think if you were a big Sonic fan or someone that doesn’t want a particularly hard game, this wouldn’t be too bad of a choice. But without the love of Sonic to fuel me through it, the game felt very dull and repetitive, while being unreasonably slow.

Graphics

  • Will run in 4K at 60fps on PS4, Xbox and PC
  • Visuals look outdated

Sonic Colors Ultimate has seen the resolution pushed up to 4K resolution for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with revamped lighting and a stable 60fps performance.

However, I don’t really think it looks all that different from the original Wii version, with little seemingly down to boost the assets to modern standards. Sonic and the other characters aren’t particularly well defined, and I never found myself enamoured with the graphics in general.

Sonic Colors

The game is still pretty enough, with the design of Sweet Mountain getting a special shoutout for differentiating itself from the other worlds with a unique, fun aesthetic. But the graphics are a far cry from what we’ve come to expect from new games.

It also seems to lack a level of polish found with competing 2021 platformers such as Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, with characters phasing through the floor and the new lighting effects being very basic.

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Should you buy it?

You want some 2010’s nostalgia and like Sonic:
If you like Sonic and want to revisit Eggman’s crazy theme park, this faithful remake has some things to enjoy and some new features to dig into.

You want to go fast:
Sonic Colors Ultimate is not the best gameplay the franchise has to offer. If you want more action and speed, I recommend picking up Sonic Mania or Sonic Generations.

Final Thoughts

Sonic Colors Ultimate unfortunately is a bit too slow for me, with repetitive gameplay and outdated visuals for 2021. It’s definitely better than some of Sonics’ latest outings, but there are still better games out there if you want to play as the speedy blue hedgehog.

Trusted Score
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How we test

We play every game we review through to the end, outside of certain exceptions where getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is close to impossible to do. When we don’t fully finish a game before reviewing it we will always alert the reader.

Played through the entire campaign

Tested on PS4

FAQs

Is Sonic Colors safe for kids?

Sonic Colors is a kid friendly game that’s safe for most 5+ children to play.

What consoles is Sonic Colors on?

The game is available on the PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.

What is different to the original?

Sega has added 4K resolutions, improved lighting and various other graphical upgrades to make the new version look more modern. There are also a couple of new game modes.

The post Sonic Colors Ultimate appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

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