Desperados 3 (PS5) - Completed Review

Desperados 3 is a tactics game released on PC, Xbox One & PlayStation 4. I have been playing on the PlayStation 5 and apart from a couple of game crashes I have not experienced any other issues. I played the demo on the PlayStation store which lets you enjoy the first campaign mission using two of the five characters in the game. Cooper is your double revolver shooting cowboy & McCoy is your long range sniper. My main concern with any strategy title on console is how does it play with a controller. You switch characters with R1 and use their abilities with L1/L2 and square. The camera has two options with a follow the character mode or manual control which I preferred instead allowing me to scan the area and plan my strategy. There is also a great quick save ability, by just tapping the touchpad and believe me you will be using it a lot!

After enjoying the demo I had to purchase the full game and enjoy its remaining 15 missions. With the full game you also get to enjoy the other three characters in Hector your trap wielding heavy, Kate who via a disguise can distract enemies and my favourite character Isabelle who can mind-connect two enemies and kill both at the same time. You can also use various items on the map from dynamite, boulders and mine carts.

There is an execution freeze time mode in which you can chose multiple characters to perform certain actions to take out a group of enemies. This is very satisfying when you manage to pull it off. 

If you are up for a tougher game you can play in hard mode which will help you unlock one of the completion badges per mission and there are various badges targets like speed run, using no disguise or no kills. You will also unlock Baron Challenges which gives you a smaller map to complete with certain characters and conditions like no alarms raised.

In summary then it is a great strategy title that plays very well with a controller and I will definitely be picking up developer Mimimi Games earlier title Shadow Tactics which is a similar strategy title set in Japan Edo period. With Desperados 3 completed, next for me is Lost Sphear a JRPG by Tokyo RPG Factory.

Astro's Playroom (PS5) & The Last Campfire (PS5) - Completed

 I went back to Astro's Playroom to finish off and collect all the jigsaw pieces & artifacts. It's a lovely introduction to the PS5 controller and a great love-letter to Playstation gaming history.I've also completed The Last Campfire where you are an Ember helping lost souls move on by solving puzzles. Nothing too difficult although a couple did have me pause for thought to figure them out.Next, I tried A Plague's Tale but found it difficult to get into not sure why but the poor character animation (looked very janky) did not help. So I've gone back to messing around with Dreams & will start Desperados 3.

Ghost of Tsushima (PS5) - Completed

There is no need to buy new games for a new console when you can still enjoy all the games you own thanks to Backwards Compatibility!

So I started the life of the PS5 enjoying Ghost of Tsushima, an open world samurai adventure game released on the PS4 by Sucker Punch (Infamous/Sly Cooper). You play as Jin Sakai who fights againsts his samurai code to defend the island of Tsushima against a Mongol invasion.

I've been hoping Ubisoft at some point would visit Japan for their Assassin Creed series but thankfully they never delivered and Sucker Punch instead produced a great world to explore and enjoy. I love that there is very minimal UI in the game and no on-screen world map.

 

The main quest focusus on Jin's relationship with his Uncle Lord Shimura but there are also lots of other characters that are given substantial time to shine, I especially enjoyed the adventures with con-artist Kenji & Monk Norio.

There are other activities in the game from collectables like artifacts, vanity items to paying your respects to Fox Den shrines. Scaling the damaged shrines brought back Tomb Raider memories.

Overall a great single player campaign, brilliantly voice-acted with an epic culmination.

Certainly up there with the great open world games this generation like The Witcher 3 & Horizon Zero Dawn. I have just completed my Game of the Year.

Next The Last Campfire by Hello Games.