Despite being mired in controversy for dabbling in what may or may not be considered generative AI, Embark Studios has pushed through the muck to come out with one of the more inviting extraction shooters the genre has ever seen.
A post-game story DLC that still stands alone from the main narrative, Throes of the Watchmaker is an entertaining side-romp that presents new abilities, mechanics, and character development for the characters that Sea of Stars fans have grown to love.
Despite a lack of extra game modes apart from the barebones arcade standards, the quality of life improvements and massive amount of extra goodies outside of the games come together with that standout selection to make the best version of this series so far.
A free-form combo system mixed with a surprising depth of combat mechanics results in a technical fighter that truly brings the old-school feel of fighting games into the modern age.