The Frosts: First Ones

Game of Thrones: War of Westeros is shaping up to be an impressive RTS, especially for folks that are looking to scratch that base-building fantasy itch. Still, from the other three launch factions, to the campaign mode, to even how larger matches will play out, all remain as much of a mystery as the release date for Winds of Winter. But for fans that have been hungry for some base-building, PlaySide looks poised to deliver quite the feast.

In an age where single-player first-person shooters are slowly going extinct because they only make money for their publisher once while multiplayer live-service shooters vie for our time and attention on a daily basis (and often contain lots of bullsh*t, like microtransactions and/or drawn-out gameplay loops), Metro 2039’s single-player-only craftsmanship and attention to detail after my first few hours with it have me already prepared to call it my favorite first-person shooter in a long time.

The true dark fantasy of The Relic: First Guardian is all of the potential it squanders; an energetic action game marred by its own shambolic state and broken in too many inexcusable ways.

The 2000s were a great decade for shooters, but there are plenty that don't quite stand the test of time.

While I can definitely see it working well solo, playing with two other players in real time is where 1001 Threads of Mizan really shines. There were no multiplayer quick time events or big flashy mid-fight cutscenes that triggered when everyone did a specific thing, but there were definitely moments where all three of us needed to attack a single weak point, or work together to defeat various obstacles at once in different areas during the boss fight. I'm very interested to see how this fusion of single-player and co-op works throughout the game.