1. Mass Effect 3’s Endings

The biggest innovation the Mass Effect trilogy gave to the industry was its consequential choices affecting the events of its sequels. You could kill off beloved characters, and even have access to exclusive quests tied to specific choices. But all of that brilliant branching narrative comes crashing down when Shepard activates the Crucible to destroy the Reapers at the finale of Mass Effect 3.

Players are presented with three endings, all color-coded and nearly identical to each other. Sure, the outcomes of the endings are different, but the scenes that accompany them show the same dramatic sequence with some very slight alterations. Mass Effect 3’s illusion of choice is presented to you by the Star Child character, a shoehorned projection that pops up out of nowhere. The endings of Mass Effect 3 feel so cheap and inconsequential that many fans refuse to play through the trilogy again because of them, despite how excellent the games themselves are.

Hong Kong Island vs. Ibiza and O’ahu

The biggest difference between Solar Crown and Test Drive Unlimited 2 is their settings. While the latter saw the return of Oahu and added Ibiza into the mix, the former features Hong Kong Island as a setting for the first time. As one of Hong Kong’s three regions, it features multiple districts and monuments to explore with numerous beaches and mountains.

Left-Hand vs. Right-Hand Traffic

Throughout the series’ history, players have usually abided by right-hand traffic, i.e. driving on the right side of the road. The one exception was 2002’s TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed, which spanned the world and thus featured left-hand traffic in places like Tokyo and London. After over two decades and some change, left-hand traffic finally returns in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, and technically, for the first time, it’s the only option for driving throughout the title.

Drivable Roads

Perhaps more notable than the settings is how much road is available to drive on. Test Drive Unlimited 2 sported 3,000 kilometers or roughly 1864 miles between its two islands. By comparison, Solar Crown only offers 550 kilometers or 340 miles of drivable roads. There’s something about attention to detail vs. scope and how much more intricate Hong Kong Island will be in-game (especially since it’s a 1:1 scale), but we’ll only know once we go hands-on with the title.

Premise

Solar Crown also features a customizable player avatar with various clothes and accessories. The main difference is in the set-up. Test Drive Unlimited 2 saw the player working their way up from lowly, down-on-their-luck valet driver to entering the Solar Crown championship and making a name for themselves. By comparison, the latest title is more about the conflict between two factions – the Sharps and the Streets – with the player choosing one and advancing through their ranks to unlock exclusive rewards. Anything beyond that remains to be seen, but you also have the option of not allying with either.

Clan HQs vs. Properties

The hotel returns in Solar Crown, but there are also HQs exclusive to clans, allowing players to check out leaderboards, and participate in live events and whatnot. Interestingly, this seemingly means no properties to purchase, like in Test Drive Unlimited 2, where you could acquire several houses and apartments across various locations.

Lack of Racing School Tests

It also seems that Racing School events have been phased out in the latest title. Test Drive Unlimited 2 featured various single-player challenges and events, including Racing School, where you had to pass tests to earn a license. You could then use this to participate at the corresponding license level. Meanwhile, in Solar Crown, players seemingly jump in and start racing. It made sense in Unlimited 2 since you were working your way up, but perhaps there are other requirements players must fulfil in Solar Crown to advance.

Traffic Density

Maybe it’s a consequence of fewer drivable roads or that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown’s districts are denser, but there is a stark difference in traffic density. Unlimited 2 featured a decent amount of cars on the road. Comparatively, Solar Crown has more traffic, with developer KT Racing showcasing improvements in the lead-up to launch.

Cockpit Details

First-person view is a key factor in any racing title, which means nailing the look and feel of a cockpit. Compared to its closed betas, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown significantly improves its cockpit detail, from the camera movement and seat belts to how your character is perceived. There’s still more to be showcased, but it’s a step up from Test Drive Unlimited 2.

Sense of Speed

There’s also the sense of speed – another important factor when considering high-speed races and general runs through the city. For its time, Test Drive Unlimited 2 was good, but Solar Crown is attempting to go even further beyond. As showcased in its pre-launch development progress video, the sense of speed looks good and should make overtaking and near collisions much more harrowing.

Chase Mode

However, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown seemingly avoids Chase mode mechanics or events. Unlimited 2 would send the police after you upon violating traffic laws or straight-up ramming into a cop’s vehicle. It offered four ranks with different rewards, like Outlaw clothes and the Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series “Outlaw.” As synonymous as the feature is, it won’t be in Solar Crown.

Driving Modes vs. Driving Aids

At launch, Unlimited 2 offered Driving Aids, which could customize the driving experience from Full Assistance and Sport to the more realistic Hardcore mode. In Solar Crown, you have Driving Modes – presets suited for different racing conditions. For example, Sport is meant for high-speed races and focuses on handling, Relaxed is best for simple exploration and Rain is suited for racing on wet roads. Don’t worry, though – there’s still a Stock preset, which you can tune and customize to your liking.

Live Service vs. Traditional Multiplayer

Test Drive Unlimited 2 offered several multiplayer features, like free-roam driving with up to eight players. You could also examine each other’s cars, walk around homes and lobbies, sit in other players’ vehicles, join in with chases or participate as the police. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown feels like more of a shared world racer, with Instant Challenges to race against other players with no restrictions, Live Events available weekly, and whatnot. The social aspect extends to driving together, workshopping cars as a group, and even buying vehicles at the dealership. There’s also an extensive Ranked experience, with multiple tiers offering rewards and the Solar Court representing the best of the best.

Online vs. Offline

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is online only – it can’t be played offline, like Test Drive Unlimited 2. It’s unfortunate, especially considering how titles like The Crew end up delisted and completely unplayable for long-time players. When speaking to Traxion and explaining the game’s online features, game director Guillaume Guinet revealed that the entire experience is “designed to be online” and going offline would change that.

However, the team is considering what to do when support ends and finding a solution when servers go offline. “We don’t want people to buy the game, and [then we] quit, and it’s over for them. We don’t expect to shut down the service for now. But we are already working on it. We have our solution for now, but maybe people will have an idea about it, and we will look at these. I think it’s something [we can] create with the community.”

Seasons vs. DLC

Test Drive Unlimited 2 launched at a time when live service wasn’t really a thing and, as such, offered one paid DLC (which became unavailable after servers went offline, ironically enough). By comparison, Solar Crown will take a seasonal approach. Rankings are seemingly reset each season, with players grinding to reach the Solar Court again.

While it could be a mistake, the next paragraph would note that it includes the Game of the Year Edition’s bonus content and updates released in 2023. PC-specific features include “support for increased resolutions and frame rates, multiple displays, and other accessories, plus spatial surround sound.” Of course, just like the console versions, there is no multiplayer.

It’s thus possible that the announcement was premature, though the PlayStation Store featuring this information is bizarre. Rockstar could be planning an announcement sometime soon, if not saving it for Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 20th. Stay tuned for further updates.

Red Dead Redemption launched in May 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360, receiving extensive acclaim from critics and selling 23 million units as of September 2021. It would be re-released for PS4 and Nintendo Switch in August 2023, receiving noticeably less acclaim for its barebones enhancements (check out our review). A new patch would subsequently add 60 FPS support for PS4 players on PS5.

Red Dead Redemption PC version teased on…PSN

“Experience the epic western adventures that defined a generation — now on PC for the first time ever.”

“Featuring the complete single-player experiences of both games, including bonus content from the Game of the Year Edition,… pic.twitter.com/YiTNJNCUy6

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 13, 2024

Rockstar’s 2018 open-world title has sold over 65 million units, up from nearly 64 million lifetime sales at the end of the previous quarter. Though support has ended for Red Dead Online, the title’s multiplayer component, Take-Two said it “continued to engage its audience” with free outfits based on content creators and monthly bonuses.

Net bookings for the quarter reached $1.22, which is in line with Take-Two’s previous guidance, with NBA 2K24 and the Grand Theft Auto series noted to be the largest contributors. However, recurrent consumer spending (constituting 83 percent of the net bookings) is down, including in Grand Theft Auto Online and NBA 2K. Grand Theft Auto 6 didn’t get any updates, save for reiterating the Fall 2025 release window.

The Witcher 3

Even longtime fans of The Witcher couldn’t have anticipated just how masterful The Witcher 3’s open-world design and storytelling would turn out. To this day, The Witcher 3 stands as a benchmark for how to make side quests just as engaging, and in most cases even more engaging, than the main quest of the game. I spent many sessions just exploring the immersive capital city of Novigrad alone. It wasn’t just the scope and quantity of things to see and do that made The Witcher 3 so great, it’s the consistent quality throughout it all that made us not want to miss any of it.

Phalanx Colossus Battle – Shadow of the Colossus

When we think of giant boss battles, Shadow of the Colossus usually comes to mind first. The only surprising thing about this entry is the specific colossus chosen. Sure, the final Malus colossus stands out as the culmination of Wander’s journey, but we’ve got to give it to the flying Phalanx. Just look at the size of this majestic colossus in comparison to all the other colossi in the game. Its length grasps the edges of any photo it’s in, taking up more mileage than all the other colossi by a considerable margin. And let’s not forget that you’re taking down this colossus, like the rest, all alone using a magical sword and some remarkable climbing ability. The fight itself remains one of the most memorable in gaming as you fly atop the giant flying serpent in battle. Malus may be the tallest and final boss of the game, but Phalanx remains the most memorable and awe-inspiring.

When it launched originally, Deadpool wasn’t particularly well received, and for many, it was another game in an endless line of hastily cobbled together licensed products (something that was, of course, much more prevalent back then than it is now). Neither its original release nor its remaster have what you would call a good Metacritic score (falling in the low 60s or high 50s), and admittedly, the game wasn’t without its issues by any stretch of the imagination. With time, however, opinion on the Deadpool game has seemed much less sour, to the point where the game seems to have its fair share of legitimate fans. And in spite of its aforementioned issues, the game does deserve its fair share of praise as well.

Let’s start, however, with those issues, because we’re not going to be foolish and deny that Deadpool had any flaws whatsoever. No, it was a decidedly flawed game, and in more ways than one. From simplistic and repetitive design to straightforward combat, the game was criticized for plenty of things, and though you may disagree on how significantly it was impacted by those problems, that it was a largely simple and straightforward game is also undeniable. Sure, there’s an argument to be made that that was by design, but it’s not hard to understand why those looking for a more nuanced and mechanically complex action game may have felt let down by how straightforward Deadpool was in those areas.

But just as the game had its undeniable flaws, it also had plenty of strengths that deserve credit and recognition. Chief among them is the plain and simple fact that the game is hilarious. Self referential humour, irreverent jokes, meta gags, and the like are all Deadpool the character and IP’s bread and butter, to say the very least, and the 2013 game did an incredible job honing in on that and making it central to its identity.

It’s fair to say that something as subjective as humour is never going to universally appeal to everyone, especially not when it is as inherently brash, in your face, and purposefully obnoxious as Deadpool humour tends to be more often than not, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the game’s jokes and writing may not have landed for some who played it. Chances are, however, that if the Deadpool brand of humour is something you generally enjoy, you’re very likely to have gotten a kick out of the game as well. Some of the best superhero games we’ve seen over the years have seen the success they’ve seen because they exhibited a keen understanding for the biggest strengths and characteristics of the characters that they were telling stories about, and while it would be an exaggeration to out 2013’s Deadpool game on that same level (or anywhere close), it does deserve credit for doing a damn fine job of identifying what makes Deadpool, Deadpool.

From a narrative perspective, Deadpool wasn’t a special game by any means. It told a solid, original story, one with plenty to like and enjoy for fans of the property and the X-Men universe in general, but that story was ultimately little more than a a stage on which the titular superhero protagonist could shine. A ton of credit also goes, of course, to the excellent portrayal of the Merc by veteran actor Nolan North- who, incidentally, also appeared as himself in the early portions of the game, as part of a typically self referential gag that saw Deadpool hiring him to play him in a video game about himself.

Beyond that, on the gameplay front, though Deadpool was – as I touched on earlier – a fairly straightforward hack and slash game, it was also fairly fun more often than not. No, criticisms of repetitive design were not completely unfounded, and thanks to the simplicity of the game, that repetition could admittedly set in with the combat encounters- but the core mechanics themselves were fun. Deadpool was the textbook definition of a competent hack and slash game- it delivered the kind of action that dead next to nothing that could be described as imaginative or new, and while that made criticism of the game easy to understand, that action was also undeniably fun quite often, especially since the thing that the game hinged on most was not its gameplay or combat, but its writing and humour.

So no, Deadpool is not exactly a masterpiece- to call it anymore than a fun game with its fair share of edges would be a bit silly. But it was a damn fun game, and for fans of the IP it was based on, there was plenty to love about it. It is not the sort of gem that will make you wonder why it has the critics that it has – even the game’s biggest defenders will admit that it is a flawed experience – but thanks to how perfectly it captures the essence of the character that it is dedicated to, it’s also a game that has some genuine, undeniable merits.

The shame here is that going back to this game is a real pain, because thanks to expired licenses, it’s delisted on pretty much every platform. Its original console versions, the PS4 and Xbox One remasters, the Steam release- none of them is available, thanks to the fact that Activision’s Marvel license expired quite long ago now.

The question now is- is there hope for a new Deadpool game at any point in the not too distant future? To say that superhero games and games based on licensed properties in general are popular right now would be an understatement. We have seen a deluge of major, AAA licensed games in the last few years, and looking ahead, it doesn’t look like that is going to stop anytime soon. Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Marvel’s Blade, EA’s Black Panther and Iron Man games, Insomniac’s Wolverine and Spider-Man titles- the list of major Marvel games currently in development across the industry is a long one, and it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest to see it growing longer still.

Combine that with the fact that Deadpool is a massively popular character – now more than ever, in fact – and you could easily imagine a scenario where a talented studio develops a AAA game based on the property and is actually able to enjoy critical and commercial success. Whether that does actually happen is anyone’s guess, but we desperately hope it does- not least because the one, genuinely solid Deadpool game that we did have to fall back on is impossible to get access to on modern platforms.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The Stanley Parable

The broad appeal of The Stanley Parable is easy to understand; it lacks a complex control scheme and doesn’t ask for long gaming sessions, and the experimental narrative sandbox is instantly gripping. You can casually sit down for 10 minutes at a time going through different routes as you come up with different ways to annoy the narrator. This narrative choose-your-own-adventure experience breaks the fourth wall many times, constantly poking fun at the illusion of choice in narrative-driven video games. Like others on this list, The Stanley Parable can be categorized as a visual novel just as much as it can a video game, though it smartly pokes at what it means to be a video game through its unique first-person interactivity.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

The first Hellblade was pretty groundbreaking when it came out in 2017. Sure, the combat wasn’t amazing, and the level design left something to be desired, but the immersive quality of the main character’s audio-visual hallucinations was new and interesting. Hellblade helped push the interactive medium by putting players into the mind of someone suffering from Psychosis. The team wanted a game that let players experience the mental illness itself, and not just the reactions of characters experiencing it. This was expressed by voices in Senua’s head rather than just text on a screen. Hellblade was played by many outside the gaming space who wanted to experience something new and different, and that included nurses and doctors wanting to understand Psychosis as well as casual players looking for a different kind of narrative experience.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Any Animal Crossing game could earn a spot on this list, but New Horizons gets an edge up due to being on the Switch and selling a whopping 45 million. Animal Crossing is pretty much the ultimate cozy lifestyle sim, one that doesn’t demand too much time to thoroughly enjoy. The gameplay philosophy of taking on little bite-sized tasks every day can apply to real life, and it’s one of the reasons people from all walks of life love it. The portable on-the-go functionality of the Nintendo Switch adds to the mass appeal of Animal Crossing: New Horizons further, giving otherwise-dull vacations and business trips added fun as players meet new villagers and find ways to pay off Tom Nook’s loan.

The Witness

Braid was one of the first indie games to really go viral back in the late 2000s, and we had to wait quite a long while for Jonathan Blow’s next game. 8 years later, The Witness arrived and challenged what a puzzle video game could be. The Witness is about as pure a puzzle game as you can get. There’s no music, no plot, and no gameplay to speak of other than walking and solving the creative grid-based line-connecting puzzles. Puzzle aficionados can feel right at home with The Witness’s escalating complexity without worrying about control scheme worries or typical multimedia layers like sound and cinematics getting in the way. The only knock against it is that it’s still not available on Android, and that someone hasn’t converted its puzzles into book form yet.

Detroit: Become Human

With 85 possible endings and a myriad of different paths, Detroit: Become Human is the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure game. The plot revolves around a dystopian sci-fi Detroit being overrun by android sentience, but the developer’s style is what really makes the game unique. Also, it’s got the best branching choice flow chart in a game to date. Detroit: Become Human is a real delight to watch and play, making it an ideal streamer game for gamers and non-gamers alike.

Undertale

It’s difficult to pin down how or what exactly got this RPG indie sensation so popular. Undertale employs a 2D aesthetic and despite its niche and retro inspirations, Undertale attracted many new gamers into the fold, resulting in a surge of people going back to play the older classics out of curiosity and passion for the style. The story isn’t your typical grandiose journey, and the gameplay merges genres like bullet hells into its battle system, making for a unique and fresh experience that has sparked an interest in such genres to newcomers.

Super Mario Odyssey

Being one of the most popular and highly rated Mario games to date with 27 million in sales is no small feat. It’s true that pretty much every mainline Mario game has wide appeal and moves consoles, but Super Mario Odyssey had a trick up its sleeve, or should I say, a hat? The transforming Cappy hat, swimsuit Mario, and Jump Up Superstar big band song instantly entered meme status, capturing a wide audience as a result. And we’re thankful the marketing caught on because Super Mario Odyssey is one of the most fun and well-designed 3D platformers of all time.

Celeste

Despite being a punishing platformer, Celeste has some of the most user-friendly difficulty options in the genre. The options allow you to play how you want with the amount of air dashes, stamina, and invincibility available as a toggle. Also, the game is just so quick to jump in and out of thanks to the snappy respawn and checkpoints for every room. Beyond the flexible gameplay, the story is broadly appealing with the main character’s down-to-earth battles with anxiety, all told through a supernatural mountain climb.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley ticks all the casual boxes and does it with a surprising amount of depth. You can farm crops and stake your place in the valley at a leisurely pace, or you can work toward seeing the post-game content with a successful farm and wife. Stardew Valley has a lot of management sim meat on its bones despite its casual appearance, leading players to try out more involved games lacking the kind of convenience features this game has.

Firewatch

Firewatch is another one on this list that’s perhaps just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play. The dialogue between the two fire dispatchers, Henry and Delilah, really carries this game with the charm and witty banter. It’s also got a mystery element woven through the narrative as you’re left questioning if Delilah is well-intentioned, working as a spy, going nuts, or all of the above. The down-to-earth nature of its premise and laid-back gameplay help give Firewatch a broad appeal.

Journey

Everyone reading this already knows about Journey, so I’ll spare the summary. Journey is one of those games that gets instantly recommended to non-players, and for good reason. It’s impossible to fail at, has an attractive audio-visual core, and provides an interactive experience you can’t get elsewhere. The lack of UI cluttering the screen eases new players to dive in without hesitation. And who doesn’t like sand surfing? It’s just so easy to pop into a session without needing to use your brain and tense up your gaming reflexes. Journey would go on to be a true journey into the wide world of video games for many newcomers to the hobby.

Portal

Originally developed as a school project titled Narbacular Drop, Portal went on to inspire independent games as a concept. The inventive portal tool gets our brains to think outside the box as we solve Glados’ test chambers. The narrative brims with inventiveness as the test subject, Chell, seeks to break free of the testing and find a new path forward. Portal remains one of the most creative and unique games ever created. It’s one of those games that breaks the boundary of the entertainment box it’s in, compelling gamers and non-gamers alike to experience its quirky and unpredictable narrative. Even with first-person 3D controls, non-gamers couldn’t help but experience such a novel, mind-bending game.

Inside

It’s astonishing how simple and understated the gameplay and aesthetic of Inside is, yet it’s still hailed as one of the most unique gaming experiences. Like Limbo before it, the intro of Inside has you simply walking forward without any exposition or explanation. You’re left to wander and figure things out through exploration and carefully constructed environments. If the dark atmosphere wasn’t enough, there’s also some horror sprinkled in with little jump scares and tense moments that help push Inside further into the annals of casual game stardom.

The Last of Us: Part 1

The Last of Us manages to hit that sweet spot appealing to those outside the gaming sphere while still being challenging and ‘video-gamey’ in its own right. Now that The Last of Us TV show is out, non-gamers are flocking to the remake of the first game more than ever. The game’s setting ticks all the boxes of a modern series-seller: zombies, post-apocalypse, survival, father-daughter bonding, drama. The Last of Us: Part 1 also happens to punch us right in the gut with one of the most impactful openers in any form of media, let alone video game. It’s easy to see why The Last of Us got its own TV series and a remakes after the original’s release in 2013.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

We all knew The Legend of Zelda could sell systems and rise to the top of Metacritic ratings, but who could’ve predicted Breath of the Wild’s tremendous success? When Breath of the Wild first came out, it was often called the best game of all time. Taking Zelda fully open world revitalized the genre and helped draw in new players who wanted to explore at their own pace. The open exploration is accompanied by flexible abilities like Magnet and Stasis, which allow for a wide range of creative solutions to puzzles and ways to play with items, enemies, and the environment around you. Sure, the weapons break way too fast in Breath of the Wild, but many players could overlook that due to the vast world and limitless ways to play the game. Many fans of Breath of the Wild would go on to try out other games afterward, revitalizing the genre with a new set of admirers.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Despite proclaiming Journey’s End as the last major update for Terraria, Re-Logic is working on the sizable update 1.4.5. It features a crossover with Motion Twin’s Dead Cells, including the option to hang flasks from the ceiling, a Beheaded vanity outfit, weapons like the Killing Deck and the Flint, and a health fountain.

Several themed weapons are also inbound, including one that drops from the Moon Lord. It’s also implementing the Heroicis Set as part of a fan’s Make-A-Wish request. The outfit accompanies a new Film Noir shader, which turns everything monochrome. Update 1.4.5 is out later this year, so stay tuned for more details.

Developed by PlatinumGames (with Kojima Productions assisting), Revengeance focuses on Raiden four years after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Cyborg soldiers are more common, and he’s at odds with rival PMC, Desperado. Unlike the mainline series, Metal Gear Rising focuses heavily on fast-paced hack-and-slash action.

Those who pick up the PC version can avail of various armor options for Raiden, from his MGS 4 armor to the Cyborg Ninja from Metal Gear Solid 1. It also includes downloadable content like VR missions and story content featuring Blade Wolf and Jetstream Sam as playable characters. Of course, there are also options to face off against the bosses only via the Chapter menu, rewatch cutscenes and codec conversations and more.