Diablo 4’s first major expansion, Vessel of Hatred, aims to breathe new life into the series’ latest installment. It’s packed with content, but… that’s really all there is to it. Essentially, it’s just more of the same Diablo 4, with a few tweaks arriving a couple of seasons too late. When you consider it as a DLC and weigh it against its $40 price tag, especially given that the base game already costs $70 and includes microtransactions, Vessel of Hatred falls short of providing enough value to justify its overly saturated monetization model.
Throne and Liberty is an attempt at a unique MMO that succeeds late in the game. That is, if you can get to that point. Unfortunately, the onboarding process, which the game calls its main story, takes just enough time to make you contemplate dropping it at certain points. It’s also lacking any compelling reasons to get you immersed in its lore. Then again, the game is very, very pretty, make no mistake.
Despite the name, there's nothing nano about NanoApostle—except for its pint-sized hero. This boss rush game packs a punch, delivering fast-paced action that'll have you feeling like a weapon of destruction. But it’s not all blood and guts flying around. The game stays grounded in its emotional core, crafting a heartfelt story of friendship and survival between two friends who will never be together—as well as a third. If you’re after a solid, no-nonsense action RPG that gets straight to the point, NanoApostle should definitely be on your radar.
I can’t imagine anyone giving Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP less than a solid 7/10. It’s an absolute blast—full of over-the-top violence and vulgar humor—and it doesn’t shy away from that label. The only real way to experience it is through Original Mode, where all the gore, crude language, and wild themes are fully intact. It’s a game that throws caution to the wind, ignoring the usual “appropriate” narrative structures common discourse seems to think are always required to fully embrace its campy, chaotic vibe.
EVOTINCTION is a solid stealth game with well-executed hacking mechanics and an intriguing plot. It really shines in its visual world-building, showcasing a highly-advanced setting through impressive stage design, sleek furniture, and futuristic tech that feels far beyond what we have in the 21st century. However, the story struggles with pacing issues, and while the gameplay is polished, it doesn’t do much to innovate beyond the typical stealth game formula. There’s definitely room for improvement; something this game sorely needs in order to stand out.
WHAT THE CAR? is a dynamic and entertaining racing(?) game featuring obstacles, jumping ropes, and cucumbers. It offers a wide variety of levels and themes that’s only rivaled by the number of different car designs and quirks available for each stage. However, its real claim to fame is the community levels, which are full of wacky custom stages for everyone to get their feet on. You can even design your own levels and compete on the leaderboards!
Date A Live: Ren Dystopia continues the Date A Live series with another veritable banger of a visual novel. It features artwork from Idea Factory’s legendary former illustrator and now freelance artist Tsunako, as well as amazing voice work from some of the industry’s finest talents. While the story certainly isn’t friendly to newcomers, despite the game’s claims, it does carry on the spirit of the series very well. In fact, there’s so many routes and endings to go for in this game that you could very well just learn as you go.
WitchSpring R’s evolution from its humble mobile origins is an impressive achievement worthy of high praise. Every aspect has been significantly upgraded from the original game. Not only does it feature improved audiovisuals, but the narrative and gameplay have also greatly benefited from the game's development for PC and console platforms. Additionally, due to the game's accessibility, it is highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in RPGs.
GUNDAM BREAKER 4 is a shockingly acceptable and genuine sequel to the acclaimed Gundam Breaker 3. However, that does not mean it is exceptional by any measure. In fact, the entire product feels too risk-averse to warrant any special attention. The only aspects in its favor are the Gundam Breaker series’ Gunpla assembly feature and its commendable audio. Otherwise, it is an unremarkable mecha game that feels more suited to the past than as a modern sequel to one of the best Gundam games released in the past decade.
Tales of Toyotoki is a story about life, companionship, tribulations, and romance, conveyed through the experiences of a group of well-developed characters, centered around a pair with unusual circumstances. It is a hilarious, romantic, and genuine tale whose simplicity in design allows the characters to shine through the narrative. But although it’s slightly expensive for a barebones visual novel, the experience of reading its magical story alone makes it well worth every cent.
Mediocrity achieved through an imbalance of content and aesthetics. Castaway is at an unfortunate place where it’ll inevitably be drowned out and forgotten due to a lack of anything noteworthy to remember it aside from its exceedingly short gameplay. Yes, it’s cheap, but so are other much more satisfying and complete games. In a way, it almost feels like it’s a demo being marketed as a complete game.
CyberCorp is an above average game severely weighed down by its general lack of excitement, novelty, and polish.And unfortunately, it’s competing in a genre dominated by a lot of exciting finds. It would take far too much time to fix everything missing from the game, but considering its early access state, CyberCorp has plenty of time to spare.
FNaF: Into the Pit is an excellent survival horror game that both fans of the series and complete newcomers can enjoy. Although it is rather weighed down by its limited gameplay and short clear time, its great story and outstanding audiovisuals do more than enough to make every cent spent worth it. Plus, as a game that’s easy for those unfamiliar with FNaF to get into, it can also serve as a good entry point into the series
Don’t judge a book by its cover. While that old adage usually means that there are more profound things hidden underneath a substandard exterior, in Creatures of Ava’s case, it’s the opposite. The game looks absolutely beautiful, that’s true. However, its story will make you question your expenses, the gameplay ages very quickly, and the music can actually trigger premature dementia. The game is very cheap, though, so it balances out to some extent.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles could have been a surprisingly great game adaptation of the wildly popular Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken series. Its combat is pretty darn good, almost everything is entirely voiced, and it has decent models to deliver its thematically faithful narrative. However, not only is it plagued by a myriad of caveats that drag each criteria down to above average levels, it also comes with a price tag that’s unreasonable for its overall quality.
Skelethrone is a decent game if you want to play something with a unique difficulty level. Its boss fights are relatively easy unlike most souls-like games, but the mob fights are clearly harder due to its mechanics. It also has major platforming sections that contrast heavily with its very grounded combat. Otherwise, the game is far easier than most souls-like/metroidvania hybrid, so it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the genre.
Tomba! Special Edition is a lazily-done remaster of a classic PlayStation title. It retains the exact same gameplay and visuals, but with an added museum to view related media and a new soundtrack. So although it might appeal to aged gamers for nostalgic reasons, there’s really nothing about it that would justify its price for younger players.
Sword of Convallaria is what you get when you take an excellent concept and weigh it down with an assortment of small issues that add up to something huge. Although the gameplay is certainly fun and the artworks are visually pleasing, the fact that the entire game revolves around consumable resources and the gacha system having such a terrible pity system really hurts it more than it should considering all its other caveats.