Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 (PlayStation, Xbox, PC, £69.99)
Verdict: Call of nature, more like
At last, fellas, we have a proper fight to enjoy. Every year, it seems, a new Call Of Duty game is released. And every year, it seems, that game becomes the most popular cinematic military shooting game by default.
But this year’s Call Of Duty — subtitled Blacks Ops 7 because even the spinoffs are now many sequels old — comes just weeks after Battlefield 6, one of the most impressive releases in that particular series for a long time. So there’s an actual competitor for the title.
Besides, this is the weakest Call Of Duty since, well… I can’t really remember. Black Ops 4, perhaps? And that was released in 2014.
You’ll never walk alone: The single player version of Black Ops 7 has been designed so that you play ‘cooperatively’ with three other fighters…whether you like it or not
Partially this is because of how Black Ops 7 fails to distinguish itself. The multiplayer side of these games increasingly seems like a blur. If you played online in last year’s Black Ops 6, or the one before that, or the one before that, then you’ll struggle to spot many differences this time round.
But it’s also because of how Black Ops 7 does distinguish itself. Its near-future story takes some wild swings involving mind-control drugs and strange monsters — and invariably misses. There’s none of the charm of the narrative campaign in Black Ops 6, with its quiet interludes in a lovely safehouse.
There be monsters: Black Ops 7 has too much weirdness, and too little of the charm of its predecessor, Black Ops 6
Worst of all, though, is the fact that the single-player experience doesn’t really feel like a single-player experience. Yes, you can technically play Black Ops 7’s campaign on your own, but it’s actually been designed to be played ‘cooperatively’ with other armchair soldiers from across the internet. Your hero is merely one of four.
Which makes him — and Black Ops 7 — a loser. Better luck next year.
Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo Switch, £58.99)
Verdict: Pink and propulsive
There’s already a very popular racing game featuring Mario. Earlier this year, we even got a good one with Sonic. Do we really need another starring Kirby and his — its? — buddies?
The answer, I was surprised to learn on playing Kirby Air Riders, a sequel to a game from over 20 year ago, is yes. Not least because this puffy pink speed demon offers something different to the other kart racers.
This much was clear from Air Riders’ two-dozen little tutorials that you’re encouraged to go through at the start.
Why so many? Because, although this looks like other karting games with its colourful tracks and zany power-ups, you’re going to have to reprogram your brain and fingers to play it.
Strange but kind of wonderful: Racing game Kirby Air Riders is not going to topple Mario from his perch, but it is enjoyably different
Even something as fundamental as accelerating is unusual. Here, the game keeps you moving forwards at a steady pace by default. In order to build up some power, and gain a boost of speed, you actually have to press a button that first slows you down. Weird.
Factor in Air Riders’ greater emphasis on gliding (and landing); its strategically useful character abilities; the wild differences between some of its vehicles and… it all takes some getting used to.
But it’s worth it, especially for the mode known as City Trial — in which you and numerous others compete to build the best machines and then use them to complete various micro-tasks. It’s moreish. It’s strange. It’s…
…well, Kirby.
As always, that bubblegum blob is doing things his — its? — own way.
Air Riders isn’t ever going to supplant Mario Kart. But it is an alternative in the fullest sense of the word. Something different.
