Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 easily captures what it feels like to be a Space Marine. The brutality and intensity of the combat are unmatched and are supplemented by the game’s audiovisual experience. To top it off, the game has an amazing multiplayer experience that can function both in the campaign and in its other PvE mode. While the gameplay is the game’s biggest draw, it also has a few flaws. Some of which are its demanding performance and its intended difficulty. Nevertheless, the game is a near-perfect representation of what it means to be a zealous Space Marine under the Empire of Man and is an amazing sequel to the 2011 third-person shooter.
Squirrel With A Gun is a solid comedic experience that comes with a pretty decent 3D action shooter platformer experience. It has a good variety of different tools at your disposal to get through the game’s multiple levels, while having a good number of collectibles to keep you interested during your playthrough. It does have a bit of a problem of being a bit too repetitive after a few hours though, which makes the game a lot less interesting. It’s not the most compelling or most demanding game out there as a platformer, but it does get an award for being one of the funnier ones.
Crypt Custodian is an amazing isometric metroidvania that does everything quite well. It has a great art style, atmospheric music, simple-to-follow gameplay, and a compelling story to boot. It’s a gem of an indie game that deserves every bit of attention, and I can attest that you won’t be disappointed. It’s perfect for those looking to play a metroidvania like Hollow Knight to take their minds off of Silksong, and even better for those looking for a great metroidvania to play.
In a year full of different action RPGs, Black Myth: Wukong lives up to the hype, as it plays to its strengths quite well. It’s able to differentiate itself from the countless games in the same genre with its unique setting, engaging gameplay, and breathtaking visuals. It’s not a perfect game, however, as it has a few flaws that become apparent with its narrative and not-so-interesting level design. Nevertheless, Black Myth: Wukong is an amazing entry to kick off a series, and if they’re going to make sequels, you can expect us to play them as well.
Madden 25 is, without a doubt, an improvement from its predecessor. With better physics and gameplay features, it’s a way better game than it was before. Not only that, the game also ups the realistic graphics that it already had, with more animations, better scans, and more attention to detail. However, the game still keeps up with its online-only game modes, which may put some people off, especially if they just want to play certain game modes, like Superstar Mode. Ultimately, however, when compared to EA’s other recently released football simulation, College Football 25, it feels a lot less authentic than it could’ve been.
Knock on the Coffin Lid is an amazing roguelike deckbuilder that offers familiar turn-based card-battling gameplay, great visuals, fully voice-acted dialogue and cutscenes, and a compelling story. However, the game is also plagued by multiple bugs and a few problems that prevent it from catapulting to being one of the better deckbuilding roguelikes of the current era. Thankfully, the devs are actively looking to improve and fix the bugs quickly, so with enough time, it’ll only get better.
Volgarr the Viking 2 is an ode to the classic 2D platformers that were notoriously difficult. It has striking visuals, gameplay that demands precision, and a soundtrack that has you head banging and hyped even when you’ve repeated the same stage five times. However, this game is VERY difficult, that even with the QoL improvements and changes that it has, its reputation for being a hard-to-beat game still stands. If you enjoy Ghouls & Ghosts, Strider, Demon’s Crest, and other games of the same genre, this might be the game for you.
Deathbound is very unique, and if there was a score for uniqueness as a soulslike game, it would score an 11/10. It’s a fairly decent game with a great aesthetic and theme, but it is held back by a myriad of issues that affect the game’s core gameplay. It has enough variety to separate itself from the pack of soulslike games and even the giants in the genre. However, it may not be a game that a casual fan would enjoy because of the clunkiness and jankiness that exist in the game.
Warhammer 40K Speed Freeks is a fun reminder of the classic combat racing gameplay of old. With the game focused more on its gameplay and a bit of its cosmetics, adopting a live-service model works in its favor. It’s quite literally a game that you install and play immediately, and it’s actually simple to grasp and immensely fun. There are some missed chances with regards to introducing the Kult of Speed or other Warhammer lore with single player modes, music during actual gameplay, and other Early Access woes that it’s currently facing, but the game being free absolutely makes it worth it.