Crisol: Theatre of Idols was something I was not expecting to go into and enjoy. I came away with, outside of some pacing and bad performance issues, thoroughly enjoying my time with the good exploration/combat/puzzle loop.
High on Life 2's biggest issue outside of technical issues, is that the new additions to the game feel so counter intuitive and work against what made the first game such a cult hit.
Reanimal understands horror on a visual and emotional level, but isn't able to support it with the amount of friction in the game. When it works, it's great; when it doesn't, the cracks are impossible to ignore.
With an outstanding gameplay loop and so much freedom to climb where and how you like, Cairn is incredible.
Code Vein II builds meaningfully on the original, with stronger companions, more flexible builds, and a story that feels more involved, even when it leans hard into melodrama.
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow feels like a return to form for the immersive sim series.
The Outer Worlds 2 feels like it improves upon everything from the first game.