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Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a stunning and immersive storytelling experience that really puts the player into the mind of its titular character. It's even more narratively-focused than the first game (not to its detriment), with a bigger emphasis on how Senua sees and interacts with the world around her. The whole experience from start to finish has been beyond memorable.
The core draft environment of Thunder Junction is fantastic. I love westerns and this set represents a weird west I am happy to explore. The new mechanics and themes are well designed and offer a ton of fun draft archetypes to play. Thunder Junction does have three separate extra card pools that are added into the draft set. The extra cards are very powerful and can lead the gameplay to the meaner side of MtG. If you're not prepared for this it could quickly sour your experience. While these extra cards did put a bit of a damper on my experience, the overall set is enough fun that I was ok with the occasional negative game. If you're looking for some weird west in your MtG, mosey on over to Thunder Junction and give it a try.
1000xResist is one of those special games from a team of individuals laser focused on creating their masterpiece. It's story is meaningful, gripping, and heartfelt. This is a work of art you absolutely need to play.
Endless Ocean Luminous' highs come early, with a relaxing atmosphere and excitement of seeing new sea creatures and learning about them. Those highs quickly drop off and what you're left with is an often frustrating, bland game that completely abandoned what made the series special in the first place.
Homeworld 3 is everything I hoped it could be. It improves on its predecessors in every conceivable way, and adds meaningful new features including a cooperative War Games mode. I never thought it would happen again, but I'm happy to report…the mothership has cleared the scaffold...we are away once again.
Cyber Citizen Shockman 3 is fun at times, mainly thanks to its goofy sense of humor and fun cutscenes and characters, though the basic hack and slash combat paired with inconsistent and often brutal difficulty grows stale quickly. Still, the levels are varied, ranging from city skylines and industrial buildings to demonic underground lairs, and the ever-changing enemies help keep the player's attention throughout its seven short levels. Cheats and bonuses help provide a bit more bang for the buck, but for only $6, there's enough here to justify picking this game up and killing an hour or two.
Little Kitty, Big City gets the assignment, but doesn't completely land on all four paws. The exploration is a blast, the world is delightful, and the side characters can steal the spotlight. I just felt like my time here was too short, and without much going on during it.
Sea of Thieves on PS5 is another great way to play a good multiplayer game. There's a lot more content now than at launch, with tons of things to do either solo or with a crew. With cross-play and save, a wealth of convenience options, and even more coming down the pirate pipeline, this may be the perfect time to brave the Sea of Thieves.
Even though Another Crab's Treasure doesn't break the mold of your typical Souls-like game, it's a charming one thanks to its funny and not-so-serious mood. The hilarious yet practical accessibility features along with a colorful cast of characters make this one of the best indie Souls-likes to date. Who knew that one of my favorite indie games of this year would involve a hermit crab setting off on a deep sea adventure to take back his shell?
While not every gambit succeeds, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes delivers us the spiritual successor we all dared to hope for, but never expected to get. While things like the War Mode and some balance issues and bugs will require additional attention, there's a great JRPG here worth playing.
The Rising Tide may not offer anything new or novel to Final Fantasy XVI, but it does continue its streak of incredibly polished and fun gameplay. The story is a nice cherry on top of the main adventure, and the Karios Gate mode will keep you coming back for more.
SaGa Emerald Beyond is a fun experience with new mechanics and many ways to play. With five different characters with their own stories, it's a fun time to run around fighting a flurry of monsters, demons, and more. While things might get a bit repetitive at times, many will find it a blast trying out the different formations, United Attacks, and more.
Despite not vibing too well with the demo, we were utterly in love with Stellar Blade by the time the credits rolled. Shift Up has done a tremendous job with their first triple A project and sets a high bar for modern action role playing games. There are some pacing issues, and the narrative's delivery stumbles, but the game as a whole is near perfect: the themes, the visuals, the music, the combat, the exploration, the world, and the technical performance. A modern masterpiece.
Sand Land is not just another adventure, it's a thrilling journey through the creative landscapes of Toriyama's imagination. It's an oasis of content ready to be explored form one grain of sand to the next. With Beelzebub leading the charge, this game promises a haven of juicy content and vibrant character development amidst the dry, vacant desert setting. All I want to say is that fans should eagerly anticipate the release, it's clear that Toriyama's legacy continues to captivate audiences that will draw you into worlds where even deserts are brimming with life. So, grab your favorite juice and prepare for an RPG experience that'll leave you parched for more!
Phantom Fury is an unapologetic boomer-shooter that can definitely talk the talk, but fails to walk the same walk that its inspirations did some 25 years ago. Countless technical problems, obscure level design, and a sad excuse for a story unfortunately make what could have been a good game a middling one.
TMNT: Wrath of the Mutants puts you on a roller coaster ride through the world of the 2012 cartoon. The ride proves amusing, but digging any deeper into its game design reveals the game to be a rather sloppy bout of sewer surfin'.
Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is a surprisingly heartfelt, wholesome dating sim between a girl from a small town and a goat from beyond the stars. The comedy takes a backseat here in favor of some very tense horror and incredibly cute romance, though there are still jokes and gags a plenty. It's a short and sweet experience that will shock you, terrify you, and warm your heart.
Freedom Planet 2 suffers from many of the same problems that plagued the original game, with the additional problem of having way too much combat, but remains a delightful speed platformer at its core and is worth running through for any fans of the genre.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU rests on a solid foundation, yet prioritizes its narrative at the expense of its game design. Rather than allowing its gameplay and narrative to support each other, it discards some of the medium's unique strengths for a competent if bland experience that fails to give full weight to its subject matter.
Providing a short but semi-sweet experience, Buckshot Roulette ups the stakes and the fire power of Russian roulette. While the opportunities for deeper strategies often become muddled by the core mechanic of luck, there are still some worthwhile white-knuckled moments that will test your mettle.