Eternal Strands has so many interesting ideas packed into its world. While none of the mechanics may be perfect, the ambition is clearly present, and that should be celebrated. Every person is sure to find something they love about this game, whether it be the over-the-top boss fights, layered character moments, or creative sandbox combat. I do hope we see more from Yellow Brick Games and Eternal Strands in the future because there’s a rather large spark here that I believe could build into a wildfire next time around.
The Roottrees are Dead is a powerhouse gaming entry to 2025! With a carefully crafted tale of intrigue and in-fighting, in-laws and interpersonal conflicts, Jeremy Johnston and Robin Ward’s detective puzzle game is one everyone should dive into. If you enjoy games that respect your intelligence, have thoughtful mechanics and you like to be occasionally nosey, then Roottrees needs to be your next purchase!
Sorry, We’re Closed is a marvel, not only visually with its ostentatious character design and gaudy depictions of heaven and hell, but in its daring storytelling of the warped depictions of love that we can get caught chasing. Its mix of fixed camera angles and swapping of third and first-person perspectives makes for tense scenarios throughout, and Michelle’s third eye and Heartbreaker are both satisfying additions to the combat. Sorry, We’re Closed is one hell of a survival horror!
Super Mario Party Jamboree hits every note. It’s filled to the brim with content for all ages and skill levels, and even thinks of the players without that many friends to play with (Me). The large cast of characters, vibrant visuals and joyous vibes make Jamboree possibly the best party game on the Switch. Most importantly, it is certainly the best entry in the series since Mario Party 2.
Much like the original, 420BLAZEIT 2: GAME OF THE YEAR -=Dank Dreams and Goated Memes=- [#wow/11 Like and Subscribe] Poggerz Edition is packed with self-aware humour and callbacks to what now feels like ancient relics from the internet’s past. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a competent shooter with a variety of creative weapons and decent level design with all sorts of secrets to find. It is remarkable how the team behind the game managed to capture the magic that made the original Game Jam title so fun and whacky, whilst building on it and making it a fully fledged game an entire decade later.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is undoubtedly more Horizon than LEGO. The beautiful visuals mixed with solid combat mechanics and clever writing hook you in for a time, only to be marred by uninteresting platforming, repetitive levels, battles, and little replayability. The absence of puzzles and interesting building, along with the prevalence of tie-ins from other LEGO sets, leaves me wanting for the LEGO games of old.
Fowl Damage is a strong contender for best puzzle-platformer this year. The thoughtful puzzles will challenge you throughout your entire journey, while keeping things light by limiting stages mostly to one screen and featuring instant respawns. While the narrative is inconsequential, the landscapes the story takes you through are wonderfully crafted and varied.
Europa’s dream-like atmosphere and gorgeous visuals make it stand out among anything else out right now. Despite its brief length, its emotional narrative is certain to connect with anyone that plays it. While the game’s low stakes and overly simplistic puzzles may turn some away, those who venture into the world of Europa are bound for a transcendent, meditative experience.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom strikes a fantastic balance between player agency and rigid game design. The Hyrulian heroine’s first proper foray into the spotlight avoids feeling like a cheap spin-off of the main title and instead feels like an evolution of it, although at times it does come across uncommitted to this new transformation. While minor inconveniences such as poor menu navigation and frame rate drops are prevalent throughout the game, Echoes’ positives heftily outweigh its negatives.
If you can look past the often frustrating and confusing gameplay design, Emio – The Smiling Man will blow you away with a dark, gripping tale full of major twists and tragic turns. The game’s great character writing coupled with immersive audio-visual design combines to make a moreish mystery you’ll hesitate to put down.
Melobot – A Last Song is an approachable rhythm title with a clear environmental message that I appreciated. Working its series of momentary melodies into an entertaining albeit repetitive experience, the game may disappoint players looking for more complex musical mechanics. Melobot makes itself as accessible as possible with simple UI design and a comprehensive map, coupled with limited difficulty and lenient punishment when failing.
The Plucky Squire’s creative approach to puzzles, not just from within but also outside of Jot’s storybook, makes for a unique experience that everyone can partake in. An approachable story and witty writing throughout, while not groundbreaking, is lighthearted enough for both kids and adults to enjoy. The game’s immensely strong art direction and visual identity makes it immediately appealing, and only continues to be so throughout Jot’s journey. While some elements of the game aren’t challenging as the game holds your hand a little too much, it would be remiss of anyone to sleep on this wonderful game.
At its peak, Conscript is a wonderfully harrowing ordeal that will keep you on your toes, and at worst, it’s a drag designed to feel as dread-inducing as the setting it’s built around. The rest of the game lingers somewhere in the middle, and whether you’re an avid fan of survival horrors or not will most likely determine your enjoyment with this experience.
Arranger crafts a charming puzzler that feels smaller than it deserves due to its fleeting puzzle elements. Its serviceable narrative coupled with a brief game length may turn away some gamers. However, with its accessible difficulty curve, lack of fail state, and option to skip almost all puzzles, players will rarely feel at odds with the cerebral parts of the game, making it enjoyable for all.
Destiny 2’s The Final Shape is a love letter to its fans, it’s the best of Bungie. A triumphant last hurrah from a 10-year-old franchise that has seemingly owned its past mistakes. It manages to mesh past and present together, telling a powerful story without leaning on unearned nostalgia and ends of an enormous high. Gameplay feels as engaging as ever, with loot worth playing for and fresh challenges that players both inexperienced and venerated will love. While the past and future of Destiny is murky at best, the present is a gift.
Despite The Crush House’s flaws with characterization and storytelling, I can’t deny that I was strongly compelled by its narrative. While parts of the core gameplay feel dissonant from the premise of the game, it rarely spoiled the fun I was having whilst playing. If you’re looking for something a little different this year, you could certainly do a lot worse.
SCHiM is a great concept that was drawn too thin. The beautiful art direction and an understated soundtrack make the game worth playing through at least once. However, the game can get repetitive quickly except for some standout stages, suffering further with a lackluster and simple narrative. This may be worth it for some players but definitely wait for a sale.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is the sequel that fans have been begging for. While the lackluster Multiplayer and occasional dip in performance drag the game down slightly, if this game is even a taste of what future games in the franchise may be then we will all be having a Monkey Ball!
Anger Foot turned a brilliant and engaging game demo into an ok full release. It feels like Free Lives took their winning formula and tacked on mediocre features to pad content. Its level design may stumble a bit early on but the game catches its footing by the latter half of the campaign. Anger Foot has a solid core, making sure to prioritize the key details in both visuals and audio — essential for the type of game this is. It’s just unfortunate how much the lower moments in the game tragically drag the greater parts down.
#BLUD features some of the liveliest animation of any game I’ve played this year, something that should desperately be celebrated. Unfortunately, the game’s fantastic story, art, and sound design are severely marred by the disappointing gameplay that drags the rest of the experience down the whole way.