Happy’s Best New Games: December 2020
Updated monthly by the fine folk at Happy Mag, these are the best new games on offer from Australia and around the world!
Ubisoft – Immortals: Fenyx Rising
From the same studio that brought you Assassin’s Creed Odyssey comes Immortals: Fenyx Rising, an open-world RPG with plenty of nods towards The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The storytelling style is light-hearted, the gameplay is wonderful, and there’s plenty of secrets to be found as you explore the realms of the Greek Pantheon.
For a gorgeous open world that doesn’t weigh heavy on the heart, Immortals: Fenyx Rising is a hit.
8.0
BUY HERE
IMMORTALS FENYX RISING
UBISOFT
Bluepoint Games – Demon’s Souls
Ok, so it’s not quite a new game, but the fresh coat of paint Bluepoint Games have laid upon FromSoftware’s iconic title Demon’s Souls deserves a set of accolades on its own. A PlayStation 5 Launch title, the Demon’s Souls remaster revitalises the challenging title with updated graphics, snappy performance, and a few new surprises for the secret-hungry players.
It was the game that started it all for FromSoftware, the predecessor to Dark Souls and the establishment of their winning formula. Any fan of their games should pick Demon’s Souls up – and we apologies in advance for what Flamelurker and Maneater are about to do to you.
9.5
BUY HERE
DEMON’S SOULS
BLUEPOINT GAMES
Koei Tecmo Games – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a fun battle game designed for a diverse range of play styles. The game, developed through a partnership between Koei Tecmo Games and Nintendo, is available now to play on the Nintendo Switch.
Some players might be dissuaded by the endless hordes of enemies, the dizzying pace, or the split-screen mechanics, but if you can get past those, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is definitely a game to see through to the end.
6.9
BUY HERE
HYRULE WARRIORS: AGE OF CALAMITY
KOEI TECMO GAMES / NINTENDO
CD Projekt Red – Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077’s launch has been riddled by reports of game-breaking bugs, poor performance on last-gen consoles, and various other issues. It’s maybe a game you should probably wait for – CD Projekt Red has clarified that they’ll be pouring a ton of forthcoming effort into making the game as excellent as it can be through updates and performance patches.
While we’d hardly recommend playing it on your Xbox One or PS4, the bare bones of a fantastic game are there in Cyberpunk 2077. For high-end PC and next-gen console players, the experience still isn’t perfect, but it’s better than most of the internet will have you believe.
7.4
BUY HERE
CYBERPUNK 2077
CD PROJEKT RED
Rockstar Games – Grand Theft Auto Online: The Cayo Perico Heist
The Cayo Perico Heist is here, a Grand Theft Auto Online expansion Rockstar Games are calling their biggest ever. We’ve already flagged some of the great new music coming to the game – a radio station helmed by The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas included – but this update is much more than the music.
The update brings a score of new Freemode collectibles and activities, a whole new island to explore, a massive new Heist to execute, a new underground club, and heaps more. Players are still discovering all the goods Cayo Perico has on offer.
8.5
BUY HERE
GRAND THEFT AUTO ONLINE: THE CAYO PERICO HEIST
ROCKSTAR GAMES
Frictional Games – Amnesia: Rebirth
It’s been ten years since Frictional Games introduced Amnesia: The Dark Descent onto the unprepared world. They traumatised a lot of people, and now they’re back with the new and improved Amnesia: Rebirth.
Thomas Grip, Frictional Games’ co-founder and creative director, stated that “there’s not really any activity that’s central to horror games… it’s the emotions that you evoke”. And apparently, the utterly terrifying original Amnesia game wasn’t quite up to the creator’s standards.
The new Amnesia aims to not only lead the players through a game filled with overwhelming existential horror, but also make players an “active force” in the unfolding events. They don’t just want you to play the game… they want you to experience it. They want it to haunt you.
8.8
BUY HERE
AMNESIA: REBIRTH
Frictional Games
id Software – DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1
DOOM Eternal was one of 2020’s earliest hits, a masterpiece where action comes by the gallon and demon blood flows just as easily. As the Slayer you’re tasked with saving earth from a demonic invasion, fuelled by pure anger and an arsenal befitting any futuristic space marine.
The first campaign DLC, The Ancient Gods Part 1, is out now. It’s more of the good stuff; a high octane kill-fest where you’ll dive ever deeper into the Slayer’s story and DOOM lore as a whole. It’s no walk in the park either – The Ancient Gods Part 1 expands on the base game’s difficulty with a few surprises that’ll leave you frustrated and exhilarated all at once.
9.0
BUY HERE
DOOM ETERNAL: THE ANCIENT GODS PART 1
ID SOFTWARE
Toys for Bob – Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Crash Bandicoot was at the vanguard of a new era of platformers. The original game (developed by Naughty Dog) came to the Playstation all the way back in 1996, going head-to-head with the N64’s very own iconic 3D platformer, Super Mario 3D.
While the new game isn’t literally the fourth game in the franchise (due to the series’ chequered ownership history), it does indeed pick up where the original trilogy left off – at the end of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped.
6.9
BUY HERE
CRASH BANDICOOT 4: IT’S ABOUT TIME
TOYS FOR BOB
Nintendo – Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Nintendo, the beloved home of Mario Kart, recently announced that you can control a real-life Kart in your own home. Introducing Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
Essentially, the new game allows you to build your own track wherever you see fit. Placing four gates on the floor, you can set up your course in whatever direction you want your kart to take. As you play virtually, your physical kart will be controlled by the movements you make in the game.
If that doesn’t satisfy every Mario Kart fantasy you had as a young whippersnapper, we don’t know what will.
7.1
BUY HERE
MARIO KART LIVE: HOME CIRCUIT
NINTENDO
EA – Star Wars: Squadrons
