DavideMoro

Guerrilla provides, with Horizon Zero Dawn, several interesting points to be explored. Graphically impactful. The depth of field is impressive, as are the villages and the study of settlements, clothes and weapons. The machines, which after Aloy are the real stars of the game, are fascinating and challenge the player to use tactical intelligence, not just mere skill, to take them down. However, AI ​​leaves something to be desired. Human enemies often behave unrealistically. At the same time, hand-to-hand combat, unlike magnificent ranged combat, is very inaccurate, especially given other titles released around the same time. This pushes the player, even unconsciously, to prefer the approach with a bow and arrow, which is far more appreciable. The story takes a thumbs up, but not without some minor reservations. Though the post-apocalyptic world has been seen over and over again, Horizon Zero Dawn goes further. A thousand years beyond. This gives it certain originality, which cannot be denied. The setting, as mentioned, is carefully designed, giving the surrounding world a sense of vitality and realism. The duration fully satisfies, with The Frozen Wilds DLC adding extra hours to Aloy's adventure. In this regard, I recommend completing it before the final mission of the "campaign". The drawback, perhaps the biggest one, lies in the way of telling this adventure. The constant field and reverse, with motionless characters facing each other, tire. Especially when they have to deliver crucial information to the player, to understand what happened and what needs to be done. Final note: the vote I thought for HZD is 8.5/10. I'll keep it lower for a 9 seems too much for this game, which has still a lot of potential to improve.

Another Ubisoft title, by Tom Clancy's. Seasonal updates have allowed it to last a long time and maintain a solid player base. The graphics are not the most modern, although the said updates have allowed for some rejuvenating tweaks. The controls and mechanics work, allowing ample mobility, which is also quite intuitive. The story, being a game based on online multiplayer, is absent, but that's okay. The defect of all games of this genre is and remains habit. Abandoning it for a few months, or a year, could blow the player away once he takes it back. The various non-competitive modes help to a certain extent in this. However, it remains one of the most successful and popular Tom Clancy's chapters, also for the scalability of levels and, above all, for personal skill, which remains the best way to get some satisfaction with this Ubisoft title. The grade would be 7.5 / 10. Given the absence of a history and the advancing age, I decided to round it down.

The Konami title, a historical rival of FIFA, returns every year with a new chapter. It is never easy to talk about sports video games since there is no plot to evaluate. I can confidently say that EA Sports cannot hold its own. Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 is more realistic, more simulative. Give more excitement and more satisfaction when a dribble succeeds or when a long-range shot enters the goal. The graphics aren't bad, yet in 2020 they could do better, especially when it comes to the spectators in the stands. The AI is sometimes incomplete, with certain questionable referee choices and dubious fouls. There is not much more to say, avoiding making excessive comparisons with the Canadian rival. Despite some flaws, PES 2020 is one of the best soccer games out there. Objectively this would be just sufficient. Considering it's a sports game, I'll add a vote.

Another chapter by Polyphony Digital. Four years after the sixth title in the “canonical” series of Gran Turismo, the Sport title ranks as a difficult spin-off to interpret. The graphics are a nice glance, but certainly not the best on PlayStation 4. There are still some limits on the landscapes, but nothing scandalous. The gameplay, however, has the same problems that could be identified in Gran Turismo 6: AI that is anything but current, indeed not very "scalable" and decidedly not very competitive for the most trained player. The damage is still absent, and frankly, it could be added. The plot is absent, but being a sports game there is nothing to complain about. The cups are sufficient, yet the cars are fewer than GT6 and the circuits are few. Too few for a game that would like to be so close to the motorsport enthusiast. It is never easy to talk about sports video games, much less about cars. The vote would be barely sufficient in absolute terms. You certainly could have asked for more. It lacks innovation and the courage to dare something.

Here is a masterpiece. Rockstar presents, after eight years of waiting, the sequel to Red Dead Redemption (which is however the prequel of the title dated 2010). Arthur Morgan's story is told in a cinematic way, with magnificent directorial choices, from film school. The duration is high, so don't expect to complete it in a week. The plot is one that is not easily forgotten, and this makes the relationship between the player and the protagonist one of the truest in videogame history. The graphics are simply magnificent, as is the whole surrounding environment. However, it must be said that the fluidity and responsiveness of the controls are a bit lacking. The gameplay, despite the many commands, is quite intuitive, and in any case left in the background by the magnificent paintings that could be painted in any landscape, in the city, or on horseback in the middle of nature. Faced with such a product, there is little more to say. A game like this cannot be missed by any gamer. The amount of attention given by Rockstar to detail, in all the surrounding characters and locations on the map, is extraordinary. I recommend, if you have the opportunity, to play this title before Red Dead Redemption, to make everything more unpredictable and full of surprises. The grade would be 9.5 / 10. Not being able to assign the half vote, I decided to lower it, since a full vote is almost unattainable.