Each month, CGM writers get the chance to review the latest and greatest tech, toys, games and media. At the end of each month, we round up the ten highest scoring reviews to show our readers what gear and games we can stand behind with confidence! This month brought Peacemaker, Elden Ring, and even Jackass Forever.From our CGM family to yours, we want to ensure you never miss the top reviews to help you make informed choices on all your media and gear!
Here are our CGM Monthly Top 10 Reviews: February 2022
Score: 9.5/10
“Elden Ring is a saga penned by George R. R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki. One that slowly expands to reveal new mysteries, conquests, and people over the course of its many, many hours. At times, the pacing is glacial, as progress feels marginal, and your abilities evolve in fits and starts as opposed to the steady rhythm found in previous FromSoftware games. Yet the world itself never loses its sense of wonder, and so too did I never lose my sense of wanderlust. I want to continue to explore its plateaus, forests, and rotting wastelands. Because with each new face, enemy, and monument I encounter, Elden Ring reminds me that the journey is far more important than the destination.” Here is CGM’s review of Elden Ring.
Final Thoughts: Elden Ring is an epic. With a beautifully designed open world, FromSoftware takes the Souls formula to new heights and crafts a journey that needs to be played.
ASUS ROG Strix B550i Gaming Motherboard
Score: 9.5/10
“The ROG Strix B550i is a winner. ASUS has delivered in the areas enthusiast gamers care about, offering up a board that has amazing audio, great layout and support for some of the best chips on the market. While you may want to invest in an AIO cooler if you want to push a PC built with the B550i, the overall performance felt amazing considering the size. If you are looking to make a new Mini ITX AMD Ryzen based PC, look no further than the ROG Strix B550i.” Here is CGM’s review of the ASUS ROG Strix B550i Gaming Motherboard.
Final Thoughts: Delivering performance and style in a small form factor, the ASUS ROG Strix B550i is the AMD Ryzen Mini ITX builder’s dream come true.
OnePlus Buds Z2
Score: 9.5/10
“When I took these earbuds on, I was very happy using the Buds Pro, but I can’t go back now. The Buds Z2 have won me over with a more aesthetically pleasing design, amazing sound quality, and marathon-like battery life. All of this, for the exact same price that the Buds Pro sold for ($150), as well. I can’t ask for more than that and I can’t recommend the OnePlus Buds Z2 enough. You should give them a serious look if you are in need of a new set of earbuds.” Here is CGM’s review of the OnePlus Buds Z2.
Final Thoughts: Combining marathon-like battery life and fantastic sound quality, the OnePlus Buds Z2 are well worth a look.
The Batman
Score: 9/10
“The Batman overstays its welcome in a seemingly drawn-out crime thriller. But Matt Reeves is given all the time and space he needs to build a fitting world for Robert Pattinson. Its greatest character includes Gotham City itself, which puts our hero back in his brooding element. Viewers might come to appreciate The Batman freeing itself from its own identity at times. Then unapologetically crafting an image for itself. Out are the CGI-driven spectacles of Snyder’s era. Sidelined are Burton and Schumacher’s reliance on colourful comic panels. Preserved is Nolan’s edge for a grounded human vigilante. The Batman goes a step further by tossing much of that magic utility belt out. In its place comes a Dark Knight who brings more mud, blood and gravel under his boot.” Here is CGM’s review of The Batman.
Final Thoughts: The Batman overstays its welcome at nearly three hours long, but gives director Matt Reeves a fresh start in an absorbing serial killer manhunt fuelled by Dano’s unsettling Riddler and Robert Pattinson’s worthy performance in the iconic cowl.
Pixel Liber RGB Pocket Video Light
Score: 9/10
“With other companies currently releasing more portable lights for content creators, I got a chance to look at the Pixel Liber RGB Pocket Video Light. With a profile that is about the same size as a credit card, the Pixel Liber contains an astonishing amount of power and functionality. Out of the box, the Pixel Liber is incredibly well-built. It contains 48 LED’s and comes with a silicon diffuser that slides on over the light. On the side, you’ll find a power switch, USB-C port for charging/powering the light and a rocker switch to switch between a myriad of settings to meet virtually any lighting need.” Here is CGM’s review of the Pixel Liber RGB Pocket Video Light.
Final Thoughts: The Pixel Liber RGB Pocket Video light offers you features that most companies don’t even try to give you at an unbeatable price. Carrying one or two of these little guys on you can take your video quality to a new level.
Peacemaker
Score: 9/10
“The Suicide Squad was a film that worked for me, and demonstrated how the DC Universe could work in the modern film landscape. James Gunn crafted an experience that was fun and touching with many moments that allowed it to rise above other entries in the DC canon. But when I heard there was going to be a spin-off show focusing on John Cena’s Peacemaker, I was not excited. The character felt one note, lacking in any depth worthy of exploration. I could not have been more wrong. Peacemaker is one of the richest, deepest superhero shows out there, and it is something any fan of complex characters needs to watch.” Here is CGM’s review of Peacemaker.
Final Thoughts: Peacemaker feels like James Gunn at his best, a mix of violence, sex, comedy and emotion, and it is one of the best superhero shows you can watch.
Total War: Warhammer III
Score: 9/10
“There are numerous changes that make Total War: Warhammer III more interesting to play. The UI is cleaned up, making it easier to read and navigate than it was before. The map is significantly larger, resulting in more space between settlements that makes a military campaign feel like an actual campaign as opposed to a brief jaunt outside your heartland. Minor settlement battles aren’t fought on a nondescript map anymore, with each settlement having streets to traverse, capture points to defend, and defences to construct.” Here is CGM’s review of Total War: Warhammer III.
Final Thoughts: Total War: Warhammer III is a great conclusion to a great trilogy.
Horizon Forbidden West
Score: 9/10
“Since I got my hands on my copy of Horizon Forbidden West, I have not been able to put it down, let alone play anything else. I am obsessed with this game, and I sincerely hope there will be DLC content to go along with it at some point soon. Guerilla Games has made one of, if not, the best sequels that I have ever played. There is so much to see and do that I can’t see myself ever getting bored. It is a masterpiece that should not be overlooked, least of all by RPG fans.” Here is CGM’s review of Horizon Forbidden West.
Final Thoughts: A sequel should always be better, and Horizon Forbidden West is much better than its predecessor, by a distance as great as the journey itself.
Jackass Forever
Score: 9/10
“Jackass Forever really is a testament to the enduring power of both friendship and innovative stupidity. Watching this film felt like reconnecting with friends you haven’t seen in a long time in the best way. I spent nearly every minute either laughing until I fell off my chair or audibly going “Oh NO” every 5 minutes. It’s a hilarious gem of a movie-going experience that I truly missed in this day and age. If there is an age where seeing these guys getting hit in the nuts stops being funny, I hope I never reach it.” Here is CGM’s review of Jackass Forever.
Final Thoughts: Jackass Forever is a reminder that it’s still hilarious to see grown men hurting themselves.
Zorya: The Celestial Sisters
Score: 9/10
“Overall, I found Zorya: The Celestial Sisters to be a one-of-a-kind gem for a puzzle game. I think it really works with the turbulent times we are facing, with people interacting virtually more frequently. Zorya: The Celestial Sisters forces players to interact with one another in a very audible way that goes beyond in-game chat boxes.” Here is CGM’s review of Zorya: The Celestial Sisters.
Final Thoughts: Zorya: The Celestial Sisters is a great game to play for all ages with its easy mechanics, compelling visuals, story and soundtrack—I hope there will be DLC for more maps as I can keep playing this over and over.
Sifu
Score: 9/10
“Sifu breathes new life into the roguelike genre and makes dying a reward in itself. Sloclap crafts a real love letter for martial arts with a proper video game for it. Combat is fully taken advantage of through faithful choreography that makes every encounter a treat. Lethal and swift combos only add to a player’s experience. While Sifu rewards those willing enough to keep improving themselves. In the process, Sloclap has created a game character who matures as much as players do.” Here is CGM’s review of Sifu.
Final Thoughts: Sifu may be the most definitive martial arts game to date, offering unapologetic roguelike combat that rewards patient players with full mastery by the end.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Score: 9/10
“If Techland’s post-release support for the original Dying Light is anything to go by, gamers who purchase Dying Light 2 and end up loving it can look forward to a whole lot more content before this year is out (in fact, Techland’s already announced a minimum 5-year roadmap). But you don’t need to be a franchise superfan or even to have played the first Dying Light to appreciate how much of a feast the base game offers on its own. If you’ve managed to read this far, consider yourself an ideal candidate and go pick this game up without hesitation.” Here is CGM’s review of Dying Light 2: Stay Human.
Final Thoughts: Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a bold, doubling-down of all the elements that made the first game great, while also making ambitious strides in its open-world gameplay and branching narrative elements.
That sums up our CGM Monthly Top 10 Reviews for February 2022. Come back on March 31, 2022 to see how the world of tech, toys, games and media compares to this month!
