Perhaps the most disappointing thing about The Quiet Man is that it presents a world I want to know more about. I like the idea of a deaf vigilante-esque antihero doing his best to find the good in a world of darkness and violence, even if it means having to become a force of darkness and violence himself. However, in the case of The Quiet Man, that strong premise is squandered by lazy development decisions and incredibly odd artistic choices.
If you're the sort of gamer who usually looks down their nose at the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 4 might just be the game that changes your opinion ever so slightly. Old-school purists can find their competitive multiplayer fix, and with the revamped Zombies and new Blackout mode, there's no denying that Treyarch's latest stands well out from the pack.
The Messenger is a game that makes no effort to hide who its intended audience is, and its clever combining of two distinct gameplay genres ensures that it casts a rather wide net. Whether you're a die-hard retro gaming fan or a genre newbie eager to dive into the deep end, Sabotage's debut title is one adventure worth embarking on.
Death's Gambit wholly embraces the Dark Souls way of giving players just enough leeway to barely survive against unrelenting adversity, for good and ill. A compelling story, smooth and frantic melee combat, and a robustly grim 2D world come together to form a game that's wholly unafraid to embrace the Souls-like moniker.
I enjoyed my time with We Happy Few mainly because it both respected my time as a gamer, and also immersed me in an fascinating world that was driven by an equally fascinating backstory. The game's potential may get a little tripped up on the technical front, but if you can look past the occasional unloaded texture or random loading screen, you'll find that Compulsion Games' latest was well worth the three-year wait.
Chasm may not be the most original or engaging metroidvania game out there, but it's still a delightfully charming adventure/RPG game that's sure to appeal to fans of The Legend of Zelda series, old-school Castlevania and Metroid games, or anyone else whose idea of a good time involves delving into monster-infested dungeons.
With a simple, easy-to-understand gameplay premise and a progression system that was pretty much designed to support microtransactions, I can see why ZKILLER would be an appealing mobile game. As a fully fledged PC title though, even its current $6.99 listing is too big a price to pay for a game that offers little in the way of substance and nothing in the way of compelling gameplay.
As I said above, I'm totally ok with admitting that Mothergunship might not have been made with my specific gaming tastes in mind. But when a game tries so hard to tell me how to play and, worse, punishes me so harshly when I fail, I just can't for the life of me imagine that any sort of gamer could find long-term enjoyment out of what it offers.
As long as you understand the sort of game it is (and the limitations of what it offers), Spartan Fist can provide a few solid hours of fun at the very least. Over time, it could grow into a more robust and complex experience that has more lasting appeal, and even in its current form there's a decent amount of content for roguelike/first-person melee fans to sink their teeth into. There are also some noticeable shortcomings to be sure, but indie fans who just want to punch some dudes with no muss and no fuss will find plenty to love about Spartan Fist.
If you already enjoyed previous Fallen London escapades like Sunless Seas, there's a good chance you'll enjoy Cultist Simulator as well. It's certainly not the easiest game to break into, but then again it was never really meant to be either. Cultist Simulator isn't afraid to keep its greatest rewards locked away for only the most patient and clever players to find, and there's a lot of potential enjoyment to be had for players who relish the journey as much as the destination.
There are few genres as universally appealing as the spy genre, and yet somehow Safe House manages to take that genre and suck virtually all the fun out of it. There are glimmers of a good game that occasionally flash by, but no matter how desperate you are for a new strategy/spy game to play, you should steer clear of Safe House unless the idea of hand cramps induced by endless mouse-clicking somehow sounds appealing to you.
Given its dark and mature fantasy theme, Conan Exiles is a surprisingly accessible online survival experience. Even under the most generous conditions the game will still challenge you as you make your mark on the world, and players who fancy themselves as survival game experts will find plenty to pit their abilities against. No matter your level of experience, Conan Exiles is a survival experience that is very much worth investing in.
Pillars of Eternity II isn't a perfect RPG, but it comes pretty darn close. The game's highly refined dialogue, combat, exploration, and character development systems come together in a way that just feels right for fans of old-school isometric RPG's. Making a sequel to one of the best roleplaying games in recent memory was a tall order to be sure, but Obsidian definitely cleared the bar and then some.
As someone who was a big fan of the Assassin's Creed multiplayer template, I'm saddened to see that Murderous Pursuits basically functions as a stripped-down barebones version of that same concept. The game's Victorian contest of cat and mouse where players are always both the cat *and* the mouse is certainly a unique find amid the usual competitive fare, there's just not enough meat on its bones to keep more casual players invested over the long term.
It still remains to be seen how much long-term potential Absolver has, but I'm confident that Sloclap will slowly build the game up into a unique hybrid of a story-driven martial arts adventure and a sustainable (not to mention unique) online fighting game. Again, I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but I could see Absolver becoming one of the big standout hits of 2017 and beyond, and I hope Sloclap sees that as well.
Aztez may not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a game that brings two distinct genres together in a very compelling and unique manner, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Immortal Planet isn't the best that the Souls genre has to offer, but it certainly makes a strong effort to stand out, and as I mentioned before, it can serve as an excellent starter game if you're thinking of getting more heavily involved in the genre. If anything, the latest from teedoubleuGAMES proves that the Souls spirit will continue to live on even without the guiding hands of From Software.
As far as narrative-driven exploration-based horror games go, Perception isn't the worst out there, but it also can't really stand alongside games like those in the Amnesia series or Gone Home. It still warrants a playthrough if you're looking for a game with a unique hook or if you're just desperate for any new horror game to play, though considering its length and lack of varied gameplay, you might be better off waiting until it's on sale.
Games can serve as an excellent vehicle for exploring heavy concepts like death, the loss of family, and forgiveness in a more digestible manner, and few games I have ever played prove that adage as much as Pinstripe. It may not be perfect, but the latest from Thomas Brush should absolutely be on the must-play list of any platformer/adventure game fan.
What Remains of Edith Finch may not be a very challenging game, but the story it tells is one which will undoubtedly resonate with players in ways they may not expect. If anything, it proves yet again that video games can be used to tell some truly immersive and thought-provoking stories, ones which stick with us long after we put down the controller.