We often talk about the limitations of the worn-down AAA model of game development and publishing, but because of financial woes and external pressure, independent games can be even more restrained by the unwritten rules of established genres and the whims of the market. Like its title suggests, Against the Storm is all about rebelling against the tide and making the impossible possible out there.
Like it or not, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora feels like the perfect companion piece to James Cameron’s movies: it’s big but often intimate. Savage but calm. Familiar but charming. Even without playing a single minute of it, you should know whether it’s something you want to play. If you decide to make the jump, I suggest letting go of cheap analogies and using Na’vi instincts first and gamer brain second.
Dungeons 4 doesn't raise the bar for the dungeon-building subgenre, but it's a delightful fantasy romp that harkens back to less complicated times, and that's quite valuable on its own.
Cities: Skylines 2 doesn't rebuild the genre nor its identity, instead choosing to go bigger and deeper without losing sight of what made its predecessor work. With no better alternatives on sight, this will do.
Total War: Pharaoh will surely benefit from the shortage of AAA strategy games with real-time battles, but it may play things too safe for the most demanding fans of the series, and given it's a full-price release, the overall scope lands dangerously close to that of the Total War Saga entries.