As every month, part of the editorial team shares with you their favorites from the last few weeks. The November program has a theme that practically all of the selected titles have in common: travel. Whether in space, in Mexico or in terrible dungeons! You will understand we have it all for this seventh edition, Latest Releases, Backlog, Game Pass. All means are good for warming up in front of your console!
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Jess Bond)
Before the game came out, I’ll admit I didn’t ask about it at all. I then started them Guardian of the Galaxy a few days after its release and what a treat!
If only because I love the Marvel universe and Eidos-Montreal pays a great tribute to it here. With a nice lifespan (around twenty hours to finish the game), I particularly liked what was being done around the OST of the game, picking up mythical titles from the 80s and loving playing with Europa or Rick Astley in the Ears to fight. The universe works perfectly and I admit that I laughed a lot as I watched the various members of the team constantly defeat. The developers also managed to transcribe the atmosphere emanating from the MCU films for my viewing pleasure.
In short, an excellent surprise that I recommend you try, especially after the fiasco that was Marvel’s Avengers.
Exo One (Niko1664)
I was a huge science fiction fan since I was a kid. So imagine what crosses my mind when presented with a title about exploring unknown planets under the control of an alien-designed ship? Without playing it, I already love it! And I was not disappointed.
From giant telluric planetoids to an asteroid near a star, the trip is said to be exotic and most importantly, zen. The beauty of the biomes on offer and the captivating music (almost hypnotic at times) have a lot to do with it. The game mechanics are quickly mastered and we enjoy quickly exceeding the speed of sound on dizzying dives or simply gliding gently to the limits of the atmosphere.
Pretty short (allow three hours to see the end) but you’ll still have to come back to complete the few missing achievements at the end of your first run. But I am happy to accept the challenge! Thank you again Xbox Game Pass for making this discovery.
oasis (JiTeuBey)
In late November, I was amazed at the list of games that will leave Game Pass. So I had to do a marathon not to regret it. After a Call of the sea with a very good atmosphere, a VA-11 Hall-A who strongly reminded me of it Coffee talk, and a Morkredd very short but intense, I’ve finished with oasis.
And what a surprise! From the great introduction, accompanied by transcendent music, I fell in love. I was able to follow the story of this couple on the run who found refuge on a planet steeped in history. I could also go from area to area cleaning up the surrounding land. oasis made me realize something: I love exploration games. Unfortunately, not everything is perfect in this game: not very interesting fights and a replay that knocks on the door a little too quickly. But despite these shortcomings, I still spent twenty unforgettable hours with this title.
I also had the opportunity to relax unpackingwhich surprised me very positively. When a retro-look chill game manages to cover up the storytelling in the most beautiful way possible, I can’t help but succumb. Plus, it’s a perfect title for memory freaks like me!
Nier replicant ver. 1.22474487139 … (JSam)
In 2017, Yoko Taro and his teams came out NieR: machines, an indescribable masterpiece and definitely an exception in the world of video games, which has been one of the greatest titles I’ve played in my life.
In 2021 after I broke my piggy bank and bought the remaster of NieR replicator, I was therefore very excited about the idea of discovering the first opus of this very special license. And despite Toylogic’s remarkable work on this improved version (revised graphics and combat, new ending to be discovered), the title still retains its yesterday’s flaws. And if you want to go all the way, you have to be really persistent.
But believe me, the rewards are well worth the effort. Because once again Yoko Taro gives us a controlled narrative that is extraordinary and uses the codes of video games to give us a story of insane emotional intensity (added to the musical work of Keiichi Okabe that sublimates the whole thing).
Despite its 11 year old sick roots stuck with all the flaws of the era, the problems of NieR replicator are nothing compared to what the title offers you. I can only advise you to embark on this adventure that uses remastering to give yourself a new freshness.
Forza Horizon 5 (Fabulous!)
After spending hundreds of hours in Her Majesty’s lands, I wondered once again how Playground Games would ever surprise me. No new game systems, no strange events or new motorcycles: a priori, this FH5 offers everything from a simple skin change. But after the first hour of driving I quickly realized that the work, what can I say, the genius of the British studio is on the level design side.
Because the Mexico presented by PG is not only beautiful, but also brilliant. Brilliant because of its lines, with which you can see every corner of the map without getting tired. Brilliant in the development he is following, generous, but at the same time smart enough not to be disgusting. Awesome in this way that we travel from one region to another thanks to the fantastic graphics, but also thanks to the piloting, which differs from biome to biome. And finally brilliant because of the accessibility that it shows and offers more or less arcade, depending on the taste of everyone, but always with the joy of driving at the center of its philosophy.
I’m still really fascinated by the goldsmith’s work that the studio offers. The open world is rich, relevant, cohesive, entertaining and, above all, very functional. Of course, there are a few bugs here and there. But everything runs smoothly, always with one foot on the ground. The races are linked, the interface tips are legion, so as not to waste time. The design of the races is so intelligent that you never have to run without finding tests to achieve … Everything is thought out to the millimeter in a world whose yardstick is the kilometer. Bluff.
Curse of the dead gods (Mich_t)
Fell into the madness of Hades, I was actively looking for a roguelite that could approach the Supergiant Games title. What luck then Curse of the dead gods joined Xbox Game Pass almost at the same time. So I decided to start this adventure this month of November. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Visually, I found the game fun, with all of the cel-shaded graphics. The title of the French studio Passtech Games clearly has its own identity. It should be noted, however, that beyond an atmosphere and universe developed using a code, the developers have left aside every dimension of scriptwriting.
In terms of gameplay, the game offers a wide variety of pleasures with a wide variety of weapons and passive perks. The dungeons are full of traps and you can use them to overcome various enemies. In terms of difficulty, the game is built in such a way that we gain power quite quickly and there is very little frustration. We’re moving forward, of course, and even the bosses are easily approachable with a little practice.
In the end I found a very good alternative to Hades. That’s why I started it.
This completes the selection for this month of November. Don’t hesitate to tell us, including you, what your favorites were this month. We’ll meet again next month for the last issue of our column for the year 2021. And yes, yes!
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