The mystery of the disappearance of the Fremen is also a solid enough hook to keep me going through the main quest instead of getting sidetracked, and every excursion I make to collect resources doesn’t feel like a chore. Arrakis was made for a game like this, and small creative liberties aside, I think Funcom might have nailed what it needed to nail here.
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.
As I approach the end game portion of the game, where we’re supposed to spend many more hours, and tinker with the online experience, which takes away the cool option to switch from one character to another on the go, I fear that the bland and uninspired will eventually overtake the awesome part of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It’s an extremely funny, well-made, and once-traditional co-op game stuck in a live service cage that makes it sadder and more tiring as time goes on. Will the most demanding content in the game convince players to stick around and actually engage with the ‘numbers go up’ systems? I don’t think so, but I’m not writing it off just yet.
Stalker 2 is unlike anything else in the FPS market right now, but design flaws that only become more baffling the more you play and an embarrassingly long list of minor bugs, performance hiccups, and game-breaking issues undo nearly all the good done in other areas of the game. An engrossing experience lies beneath all the clutter, but it will take time to unearth it.
Millennia's take on the historical 4X formula is fascinating, but the wonder wears off soon due to misplaced priorities and omissions that are hard to overlook.
Sure, Concord’s premium model over a nightmare FPS full of passes and paid skins sounded great on paper, but the package has to be enticing enough to warrant the purchase, and simply put, the juice isn’t there. A part of me wants it to find its audience and improve, but this is looking like another Suicide Squad situation.
There's a great 'town defense' RTS at the center of Age of Darkness, but the lack of polish even after its 1.0 launch is disappointing and the campaign lacks punch.
Idun's gameplay loop, progression systems, and moment-to-moment thrills mostly compensate for its padded main quest, rough edges, and disappointing AI-generated voice acting.
Warcraft 1 & 2 remain RTS classics that any fan of the genre should try at least once, but Blizzard's remastering efforts feel as barebones and often ill-advised as Warcraft 3: Reforged's 2020 launch.
Warcraft 1 & 2 remain RTS classics that any fan of the genre should try at least once, but Blizzard's remastering efforts feel as barebones and often ill-advised as Warcraft 3: Reforged's 2020 launch.
While a bit too rigid and buggy at times, Commandos: Origins is a worthy enough return to nerve-wracking tactical WWII scenarios that are a blast to figure out.
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.
Elden Ring Nightreign won’t be the most elegant or polished multiplayer game of 2025, and FromSoftware purists may not be on board. Still, its unique brand of hard-hitting and uncomplicated adventuring is a brilliant distillation of the studio’s most significant wins.
South of Midnight's strong story and presentation make the most of its overlooked mythology and oft-forgotten setting, but don't embark on this journey looking for top-tier action-adventure game design.
Avowed nails its priorities and delivers a fun adventure full of charm, intrigue, and weighty decisions, but its RPG muscles could've used more work.
Planet Coaster 2 offers a genre-best box of creative tools and community-driven features and expands on its predecessor on almost every level, but chances are you won't be as enchanted by its management systems, which continue to be a thorn in Frontier's side.
Tomas Sala's second Falconeer game may come across as nicher at first glance, but it's far easier to approach and have a great time with despite some baffling inconsistencies.
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.
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.
Doom: The Dark Ages is a notable new entry in the long-running FPS series with a flavor and gameplay ideas of its own, but it can feel oddly unfocused at times, plus not every change is for the better.