I’ll be honest: I haven’t played much this year.
I blame our wedding. It takes up most of my free time trying to keep photographers, DJs, florists, videographers and cake bakeries sorted. People were RSVPing about their sweet time too, so I had to meet with everyone individually to get the headcount for the venue caterer. Advice: If you decide to get married, elope. Spend the money you could have spent on your wedding on weddings and vacations. Because when it’s all said and done, you can go somewhere that’s perfect for what you’re spending on your wedding and still have money and plenty of room on your credit card at the end.
Now that I’ve given you some wisdom, let’s get to the game.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
in my opinion, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Deserves some Game of the Year love. It’s a pretty fun game, and it lacks character customization tools. It backs it up by offering more than enough character options (380!) – especially in free mode with all characters unlocked. It’s humorous at times, and honestly, it doesn’t feel too different from the previous LEGO games in the series – all of which I enjoy equally. However, there are a few changes that make it feel fresher–some of which are welcome, others not so much.
But when you enjoy a game, you weigh the good and the bad. In that sense, I really like how non-linear it is, because it gives you a choice of where to start. You can start with any of the three Skywalker trilogies and complete them in any order. Each episode has more levels in the story missions than previous entries, and shorter levels that help move the story forward, so the gameplay is rich.
Combat has been updated for this outing, and now you can peek around corners, take aim, pull off various combos, or throw your lightsaber at enemies. One of the biggest changes to the Skywalker Saga is the new over-the-shoulder view, rather than the fixed camera angle of the old game. It also offers the option to switch between mumbling mode and full-voice performance.
There are also many planets and moons to visit, some ships to explore, random encounters to take place, pod racing (which I’m good at), dogfights with TIE fighters, space stations to capture, tons of puzzles to enjoy, and Accept many different side quests from NPCs.
All in all I had a great time, so hats off to Traveller’s Tales for being well done. I do have a few complaints, though: I wish the character upgrade tree was a little deeper, and the game could have been less repetitive, especially with regards to the steps required to acquire unlocked items.
That said, the game is well done and quite flashy, the gags are fun, the story-focused levels are fun, and hardly any characters are left out. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game, but haven’t quite finished it yet, which means I have more to look forward to.
Dying Light 2 – Stay Human
Let me start by saying this game is pretty brutal. The way you kill enemies is brutal, getting killed by enemies, and it’s difficult.At least I Sometimes it feels hard, which is fine.You don’t want an easy game like this dying light 2. Considering the setting is unrealistic and wouldn’t be very interesting. But if you’re going to play it, you’ll find yourself getting killed repeatedly, especially while running around on rooftops. Let’s say I fall a lot, so be it.
Another thing that makes the game fun but makes you quite anxious at times is the fact that your weapons degrade over time. So always keep an eye out for other stuff, trust me, there are a lot of things in the game that you can use against zombies and bandits. And be careful when fighting. Be sure to invest a decent amount of upgrade points into stamina skills so you don’t tire out so easily while parkouring or fighting.
Another thing I found interesting, but also anxiety-provoking, is that the louder you are, the easier it is for you to be a target. I also like that it’s a very different game depending on the time of day. The zombies outside are safe for you when the sun is out, so it’s best to do as much as possible while they’re in dreamland. But as night fell, just like the previous game, things turned to 11. They are everywhere and more dangerous than ever.But this is not a deterrent, because instead, you think Explore at night when the building is half empty to find some sweet loot and needed crafting materials. In other words, don’t be afraid. Get off the roof and explore.It can be a little scary at night, but once you venture out a few times, you’ll quickly become a veteran
Outside of the main storyline, the game has plenty of side content to keep you busy. I’m a completionist, so I haven’t finished the game, or even the main story. I’ve put in about 40 hours, and if you want to see it all, you can spend 100 or more in the game. The open world is pretty big, so get out there.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the game, so I won’t say anything about the story, or how your actions change things. Take my word for it when I say this is a good game and you should play it. Destroying bad guys and zombies is fun, the environments are immersive, the storyline is engaging, and it’s never boring. At least I’m not bored with the time spent so far. But I recommend you give it a shot, especially if you liked the first Dying Light I did.
Honorable mentions: Elden Ring and Stray (although I didn’t play this game because I don’t own a PlayStation; but I like cats, so yes).
