Our final verdict on ‘Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2’, ‘Sonic Frontiers’, ‘Bayonetta 3’, ‘Signalis’ and the Astro’s A30 Wireless headset.
With so many games coming out this holiday season, it’s daunting working out exactly what you should pick up. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best video games out at the moment worth looking into, starting with none other than Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.
1. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
The Call of Duty juggernaut continues to chug along and this Modern Warfare 2 reboot delivers more than its fair share of bombastic thrills that’s bound to please long-time fans.
Infinity Ward continues to show why the developer is one of the best in the business, effortlessly pivoting from intense corridor sweeps to large setpiece spectacles. The adventures of Ghost, Soap and Price mightn’t be as memorable as its predecessor, but it’s also over before you know it, so never outstays its welcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeVapCrI1pY
Multiplayer fans meanwhile should feel sufficiently fed with an extensive multiplayer suite. There’s an incredibly healthy dose of modes, maps and unlockables to work towards here that’ll provide countless hours of shenanigans. We’ve been especially impressed with Ground War – its 20v20 matches pure total chaos that’s always a blast to be a part of.
If you’re a long-time COD fan, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.
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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is out now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, XBO, Switch, PC via Amazon.
2. Bayonetta 3 (Switch)
Everybody’s favourite demon-slaying witch is back and this third outing is as fast, frantic and enjoyable as it ever was. Surprisingly the story is more comprehensible this time as well, with a new villain and plenty of multiverse hopping but it still merely serves to lead you to stunning setpieces aplenty.
Interestingly, Bayonetta 3’s most controversial element is with its introduction of new playable lead, Viola. The punky protagonist plays a fair bit differently from Bayonetta, so some long-time fans are bound to be a little annoyed at the change-up. That said, we grew to quite enjoy Viola’s chapters and her more parry-focused gameplay. It breathes some fresh air into the series and certainly has us interested in where the series will go next.
Well worth adding to your Switch library.
3. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)
Persona 5 has become quite the hit with JRPG fans since its 2016 release and this Royal version only sweetened the deal with an extra 20+ hours of content on top. Now the game has finally made its way to Switch and its frankly shocking how well it has made the transition.
For a game of this size, Persona 5 Royal shines on Nintendo system and may perhaps be the best way to play thanks to the systems portability providing more chances to sink your teeth into the 90+ hour story.
At its core the base game remains enjoyable as ever, as you juggle social connections with time-sensitive heists and addictive combat. This might be for a more hardcore audience but give Royal a chance and you surely won’t be disappointed.
4. LEGO Bricktales (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, XBO, Switch, PC)
It’s a wonderful time to be a brick-building game-player, and fans should be chuffed that LEGO Bricktales is yet another solid entry in the LEGO line-up.
As a young minifig tasked with helping their grandfather breathe new life into an old theme park, this charming puzzler does well to constantly toss you new and interesting brain teasers. Sure, it all involves building some kind of creation (like a bridge), but the game keeps things fresh by giving you a set number of tools but the total flexibility to craft whatever your heart desires.
LEGO Bricktales also allows you to test out how durable your structures are before you finish them, which is especially nifty if you’re not confident in your building abilities.
Perfect fun if you have a child or want to embrace your inner child.
5. NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition (Switch)
It might have taken five years, but NieR:Automata has finally found its way onto the Switch and the good news is that this End of YoRHa Edition is a bloody remarkable effort. The creative sci-fi adventure sucks you in with its tale of androids fighting against dominating machines to save humanity and then keeps you on the hook with constantly evolving gameplay.
It may not necessarily be the most visually appealing way to play, but the action does well to hold up all the same, and returning fans will adore the flexibility to now play on the go. NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition mightn’t be for every gamer, but if you’re prepared to give it a chance we can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed.
6. Signalis (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, XBO, Switch, PC)
While plenty of survival horror games have fallen into the trap of trigger-happy, action-filled blockbusters, Signalis smartly takes the genre back to its humbler roots. You play as a technician Replika who finds themselves in a less than ideal situation where almost everything seems intent on killing you.
To make things worse, resources are limited and ammunition is a precious luxury. Balancing your limited space excellently ratchets up the tension at every corner – as you constantly toss up between fight and flight. The visual art style and presentation is top-tier and does well to craft a foreboding atmosphere. If we had to nit-pick some of the puzzles can be a tad obtuse, but it’s a minor complaint in an otherwise remarkably unsettling experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuTcBAkyNL4
7. Sonic Frontiers (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, XBO, Switch, PC)
Everybody’s favourite blue blur doesn’t always have the best track record when it comes to his modern video game outings, which is why we were honestly a little surprised with how enjoyable we found elements of Sonic Frontiers.
The move to a more open world is refreshing and getting around Starfall Islands can actually be pretty fun, and the boss battles against massive Titans are consistently varied. The caveat to all this positivity is Sonic Frontier’s performance. It won’t be a deal-breaker for all, but you should be prepared for slightly rough visuals and pretty intense pop-in.
Still, Sonic Frontiers is a welcome step forward for the series and hopefully a good sign of what’s to come going forward.
8. Uncharted the Legacy Collection (PC)
Uncharted’s Legacy Collection was already a stellar offering when it hit PS5 at the start of the year. This PC port is no different and does well to showcase Naughty Dog’s excellent adventures, provided you have the rig to run it of course.
The upscale here continues to showcase Sony’s first-party titles on PC with some serious beauty behind both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy. We even managed to get it running on the go with our AYA Neo Air, although doing so will require you to significantly reduce the settings to make it playable.
If you’re a hardcore PC player dabbling with this treasure-hunting franchise for the first time or a retuning fan looking for a bit of extra visual grunt, this is a solid offering.
9. PGA Tour 2K23
2K’s golf sim is back for another swing and it’s making some serious strides. The replication of the sport continues to be some of the best in class, even if the upgrades from the last iteration aren’t real showstoppers.
There are some positives though, like the ability to finally play as Tiger Woods and continued refinement on the series’ golf swing mechanics. If you’re a big-time golfer there’s also plenty of content to sink your teeth with more additions to the career mode.
Needless to say, PGA Tour 2K23 does exactly what it needs to in order to keep you coming back to the green time and time again.
10. Cursed to Golf (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, XBO, Switch, PC)
Speaking of golf games, why not give this neat little roguelike a whirl, which takes the fundamentals of the sport only to turn it all on its head.
You see you play as an unlucky golfer who, after getting struck by lightning, finds themselves stuck in purgatory. The only escape: golfer mortally struck by lightning who tries to golf their way out of 18 devilish holes. Fail and you’re sent back to the start. But what sounds frustrating is actually a total joy and Cursed to Golf is backed up by solid side-golfing mechanics.
Obtaining and using a variety of power-ups (like turning your ball into a rocket) keeps holes incredibly creative and fresh and will happily keep you on the green for hours.
Hands-on with the Astro A30 headset
When it comes to headsets, gamers have long considered Astro to produce some of the best in the business, especially with the continued popularity of its A40 and A50 models. Now we’ve been treated to Astro’s newest kid on the block, the Astro A30 Wireless, and they’re a real crowd-pleaser.
Available in either a navy or white finish, the new A30s are arguably one of the sleekest gaming headsets we’ve come across this year. The unit is clean compact, and subtle enough that you using them outside of the household wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. They’re also pretty darn comfy too – the memory foam padding doing very well to avoid any extra pressure and stop your ears from hitting the internal drivers. We’re less convinced about the silicon-like material at the bottom of the headband, and worry about its long-term use, but it is very easy to clean should you get hot and sweaty.
Setup is also a dream thanks to the included USB transmitter, allowing to connect to either PS5/PC or Xbox/PC (in addition to mobile phone connectivity as well). We never experienced any dropouts during our testing and were pretty happy with the audio output as we continued our adventure into God of War Ragnarok. The bass is debatably a touch low, however thanks to the new Logitch G mobile app, you can tweak those settings to your heart’s content. One custom profile later and the A30s performed admirably.
If there’s one minor downside it’s that the controls can be a little finicky to utilise – a strange small control stick being the best way to manage volume, while some of the other buttons are a bit on the small side.
Outside of those woes, at $399 the new Astro A30 Wireless Headset is a solid investment that’ll do well to boost your gaming prowess. You’ll even get a neat little hard-shell case that nearly stores the headset and its included cables/accessories, which shows the extra effort Astro is prepared to put in to win you over.
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