Middle of the month means Steam sales to keep people sane during lockdown. Capcom are busy having a huge publisher weekend sale up to 80% off on some of their biggest titles. Here are just a few of their iconic games on offer but check out the landing page to see everything. Resident Evil 3 coming in at 67% discount. “Jill Valentine is one of the last remaining people in Raccoon City to witness the atrocities Umbrella performed. To stop her, Umbrella unleashes their ultimate secret weapon: Nemesis! Also includes Resident Evil Resistance, a new 1 vs 4 online multiplayer game set in the Resident Evil universe.” Devil May Cry 5 in at 20% discount. “The ultimate Devil Hunter is back in style, in the game action fans have been waiting for.” Monster Hunter World: Iceborne hunting at 38% discount. “Monster Hunter: World’s adventures reach new heights in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. With new monsters, new locales, new quests, new weapon combos, and so much more, Iceborne expands the possibilities of Monster Hunter: World’s vast, breathtaking universe.” Zombie Army 4: Dead War coming in at 30% discount. “Hitler’s hordes are back for more in this spine-chilling shooter from the makers of Sniper Elite 4! Abominable occult enemies, epic weapons and a harrowing new campaign for 1-4 players await in 1940s Europe, as you fight to save humankind from undead Armageddon!” EA FPS weekend with Battlefield V at 67% discount, Titanfall 2 at 75% discount and Crysis 3 at 70% discount. This extends to each game’s respective franchise too. “This is the ultimate Battlefield V experience. Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with the complete arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and gadgets plus the best customization content of Year 1 and 2.” Mortal Kombat 11 in at 70% discount and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate in at 50% discount. “Mortal Kombat is back and better than ever in the next evolution of the iconic franchise.” The Forest crashes in at 60% discount. “As the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first-person survival horror simulator.” Satisfactory in early access at a 20% discount. Technically not a weekend deal but it ends on the 18th of April. “Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!” Stellaris explores the stars at 75% discount. “Explore a galaxy full of wonders in this sci-fi grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studios. Interact with diverse alien races, discover strange new worlds with unexpected events and expand the reach of your empire. Each new adventure holds almost limitless possibilities.”

You may have noticed that Forza Horizon 4 has been making the news lately following a weirdly disastrous Steam port patch, but today, I want to focus on the Xbox Series X experience. Revisiting older titles can feel oddly rewarding, especially from the lens of how far they've come and all the improvements they've made. I must admit, I've never been on the Xbox bandwagon until recently. I've missed my fair share of exclusives, only occasionally dabbling in some on the Xbox One. I made the transition to Xbox Series X and decided my first order of business was to re-experience Forza Horizon 4 - and I'm so glad I did. READ MORE: The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Hands-On I've always appreciated the Forza Motorsport series from a distance, but something about the Horizon series' open world aesthetics and freeform sense of fun always captured my attention. Perhaps it reminded me of simpler times when Test Drive Unlimited was the go-to open world racer, but I've grown very fond of Forza Horizon 3 and most recently, the fourth game in particular. Seeing the Autumn landscape quickly morph into a Winter wonderland then the scorching light of Summer is magical, to say the least. Set in England's countryside, Forza Horizon 4 delivers an open world that's both rich in content and visuals. Booting up the opening segment of the game, your attention is immediately drawn to the shifting seasons. You race in a handful of vehicles that transition between the seasons. Seeing the Autumn landscape quickly morph into a Winter wonderland then the scorching light of Summer is magical, to say the least. The constantly changing seasons transforms the open world, from lush green environments in the Summer breeze to snowy landscapes in the Winter. It's dazzling that such a simple concept could shift the dynamic of an open world so spectacularly. Of course, we've come here for the racing, and developer Playground Games once again flexes their muscles in all the right ways. The driving and controls still feel buttery smooth, with vehicle types making a tremendous difference in how you race or explore. I immediately began my journey acquiring the currency needed to purchase my dream car, the Audi R8, in addition to getting an old but endearing mansion as my base of operations. Forza Horizon 4's open world suggests tasks and objectives to complete, but the journey is the most rewarding experience in and of itself. In between the big racing shows, I found myself simply driving for the sake of it. Sure, other objectives littered the map like a dartboard in a Ubisoft office, but it was the simplistic joys of driving that lifted my spirits. Completing objectives was simply stepping stones for me to continue exploring and cruising the English countryside. Arguably, this is the ideal kind of open world video games should strive for. Much like Ghost of Tsushima, Forza Horizon 4's open world suggests tasks and objectives to complete, but the journey is the most rewarding experience in and of itself. I may have fallen behind on the Forza Horizon 4 hype when it first released, so forgive me if I'm a bit late to the party - but I really want to gush about how brilliant of a racing game it is. Reminding me of all the reasons why I took to Test Drive Unlimited so well, Forza Horizon 4 goes beyond my expectations in many regards too. The racing is pretty much your typical Horizon sprints or circuit rumbles, but it's strengths appear when it lets the game step on the brakes and deliver moments of insanity and beauty equally. Forza Horizon 4 pushes the envelope when it comes to world design. At least for racing games. From chasing down fighter jets and planes in fields to breaking speed limits and hitting outlandishly big ramps for the sake of a struggling stunt team, it all comes together in a bizarrely fulfilling way. Most open world racers tend to side-step the strange side fluff in favour of a more authentic arcade racing experience, but Playground Games wholly embraces it - almost effortlessly. Not since Rockstar Games' Midnight Club series have I seen a racer so confidently boast its crazier elements without forgetting the captivating racing at its core. That said, what separates Forza Horizon 4 from the pack is its beauty. Perhaps it was the visual and performance uplift on the Xbox Series X that really made a world of difference to me, but this is still a fantastic game, both from a visual and design point. The cars look especially superb, and I find myself in Photo Mode a lot more frequently. Apart from the aforementioned seasonal changes morphing the open world into refreshingly diverse landscapes (despite being the same location), Forza Horizon 4 pushes the envelope when it comes to world design. At least for racing games. I figured the England countryside might be a bit of an odd and tamer choice of setting, considering we had just received the surprisingly diverse and wondrous map of Australia in the previous installment, but Playground Games manages to turn the timid greenery and rustic locations of England into wonderfully scenic beauty and great vistas. Of course, creative liberties had to be taken in order to "spruce up" the real-world inspired locations, but for a video game meant to showcase the power, capabilities and creative prowess of a studio and its home console, it works. I've never been part of the whole console war thing - it's kind of stupid. But like Ghost of Tsushima or God of War to the PlayStation, if I had to give you a reason to go out and buy an Xbox, it would be for the Forza Horizon series. Sure, you can pick it up on PC as well granted you have the right specs, but as a selling point for the Xbox One or Series X/S, Forza Horizon 4 serves its purpose as the system-seller that has constantly been working in Xbox's favour. It's worth noting that I'm covering Forza Horizon 4 after purchasing my own Game Pass subscription, and rediscovering the title. Some may not take to racing games at all, but I'd implore you to maybe make an exception for this game - especially since it's already on Game Pass right now. The future is looking very bright for Playground Games, who I now consider one of the best first-party studios under Xbox's banner. All that's now left is a Forza Horizon 5 set in Japan...

Days Gone, the open world zombie title from Bend Studio, first released as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2019. Despite middling reviews at the time from critics, the game has gone on to amass quite a following, receiving a better response from fans. Recently, Bend Studio also made headlines when it was reported that Days Gone 2 was shut down by Sony after an unsuccessful pitch by the developer. Thankfully, it's now finding its way to another big platform, as Sony announced that it will arrive on PC this May. READ MORE: Review: Balan Wonderworld PlayStation revealed in a recent blog post that Days Gone will be coming to PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on May 18th, 2021. "Days Gone is coming to PC!" said the blog post. "We cannot wait to see more players experience the epic journey of Deacon St. John, a former outlaw biker now drifter and bounty hunter trying to survive in a post- apocalyptic open world where danger lurks around every corner. Explore the sprawling Pacific Northwest high-desert on your trusty Drifter bike as you try to maneuver around collapsed bridges, abandoned vehicles, ambush traps and blocked tunnels. Scavenge supplies from abandoned buildings to craft assorted items, barter with local camps and gear up for the ride through an infested ever-changing environment." "We are very excited to share our first look of Days Gone on PC with our features trailer," the post continued. "Catch a glimpse on what PC features you can expect to see when booting up Days Gone for the first time on May 18, 2021. Days Gone is available now for Pre-Purchase from a range of digital retailers, including Steam and Epic Games Store." This marks another major PlayStation exclusive heading to PC. Previously, Sony released Horizon Zero Dawn on PC as well, with the rumour mill furiously turning about the possibilities of other exclusives (like Spider-Man, God of War and Bloodborne) also coming to PC one day. As a means to reach out to a broader audience, though, this is a smart move. Having sunk a handful of hours into Days Gone recently, it definitely presents a compelling, dangerous world with a captivating story at its core. In case you want to try it out for yourself, Days Gone is currently available for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers on PS4 and PS5 as part of the April 2021 line-up. It's also one of the 20 games featured on the PlayStation Plus Collection exclusive to PS5. Days Gone comes to PC on May 18th, 2021.

Imagine going though a wonderful adventure in a colorful world, with beautiful, cute creatures, menacing enemies, emotional connections from the denizens you encounter and rewarding challenges that push you to your limits… that world is called Ori and the Blind Forest. Balan Wonderworld is a different place, a dark place where your inner child goes to die and all things you love about gaming die alongside it. I am not even certain that is an exaggeration. Balan Wonderworld identifies as a platformer, but the challenges are somewhat childlike, and failure is mostly caused by not understanding what the game wanted from you due to its poor game design, rather than requiring you to improve as a gamer. The design of these levels is also archaic, a random mess with little to no consideration. In today’s day and age, it is totally unacceptable, particularly for a title with as steep a price as Balan Wonderworld. The fact that levels are often complex, including portals, high rises and winding steps makes it all the more unpleasant to experience. The game does include some collectables that entice players to explore and be more thorough with the environment, but due to the lacklustre environments, it feels more like a chore than a challenge. I also found the levels to make me feel physically unwell, not due to flashing lights, but rather the strange wavelike behaviour of some of the maps, the painful camera clipping or the head-scratching camera changes that occur from time to time. Although this may be something oddly specific to me or my environment, it’s an additional bit of evidence that this game simply wasn’t given the love it really needed before being released to larger audiences. ...the diversity in design, powers and impact it has on the game was actually quite refreshing. The one aspect of Balan Wonderworld I did enjoy were the outfits - some of them were underwhelming - but the diversity in design, powers and impact it has on the game was actually quite refreshing. Unfortunately, some of these outfits are very one-dimensional and it's almost hard to find uses for them where they would excel over even the base outfit. Some of them are a load of fun and I do think there is an opportunity here for some fantastic speed running material, but for the average gamer, it probably just is not enough to save the game. Most of the enemies you encounter are also very one-dimensional. If one could compare a game like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice that balances the game around knowing and limiting all the experiences one could have, Balan Wonderworld instead runs into the opposite issue. By making the encounters so randomized that the only option is to dumb them down to the point that anything will work against them, often you can simply ignore them as they offer little to no threat anyways. Now, that’s not to say that there was a total lack of effort and there are exceptions to the rule, but the gameplay loop just doesn’t hold up when the foes that block your path are burdens instead of memorable. The boss fights are not much better either. Comparing Balan Wonderworld to something like Mario seems difficult considering how far behind it is, but even though both games often have basic bosses with repetitive move sets, this game simply does not do it well. It is not fun, it is not smart and the biggest threat of the bosses, as a repeating theme in this game, is simply not understanding what exactly you are supposed to do against them. Once you do go through the trial and error issues you may encounter, these bosses become trivial. Comparing Balan Wonderworld to something like Mario seems difficult considering how far behind it is... The bugs and exploits are something else. It is rare that a game can make it out to consumers with such glaring issues that are easily found. But what if the exploit is intentional? See, it's possible to cheese bosses with mechanics that are just part of the game. It is somewhat the same issue as you experience with regular mobs, but if you can triple jump and the boss doesn’t cater for it, you have a problem with your design. The controls are messy at best, although they do not really have any sticking issues and since the outfits are mostly easy to understand, it is not hard to pick up a new outfit and master it. It does fall short for the same reason that many games of this nature do, as it is uncomfortable trying to land on a specific spot when you jump. It is not challenging, but it just does not have the same feeling you get when playing something that is a little more polished. There’s a difference between feeling the controls and figuring out where the shadow is in relationship to your character and it's evident that Balan Wonderworld doesn’t hold up in that regard. I really did find myself oddly attached to the character design and graphics, it was the one really redeeming factor for me and I particularly enjoyed the look and feel of the cinematics, but that is not nearly enough to save this game. Honestly, I think it is unacceptable that a game was released of this quality at this price point. I urge people to ignore Balan Wonderworld as it is evident that the developers and the titans that are Square Enix were simply happy producing a cash grab that could be given little concern as the it would not affect their bigger titles' reputation. *PS5 Review code provided by Square Enix *Reviewed by Devin Rigotti