Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen preserved the spirit of the original generation one games, and their rerelease has done exactly the same. The legend of these games will always be one of returning to the roots of Pokémon, whether it be their release in 2004, or their rerelease in 2026.
There are parts of Hozy that make it seem like there could be more to its systems. On the other hand, what Hozy offers is simple enough to fill the niche of cozy relaxation. It ends up falling in a place where “more” is the first thing that comes to mind.
Finally, there is an extraction shooter that not only competitively inclined gamers can enjoy, but narrative-loving players as well. There is a crossover here that takes an immense amount of polish, quality, and consistency to pull off.
It wasn’t my favorite video game so far this year and it won’t nearly be my least favorite, but it may end up being the most memorable. It has been a long time since I’ve played a new game that puts art at the forefront of its creation, and Project Songbird was a refreshing venture back into that sentiment.
Lost and Found Co. is a modern take on a historied genre that shows just how far you can take a “simple” genre when a studio understands game design and develops a game with love and care.
Demon Tides’ unique, memorable style and its abundance of gameplay elements to explore and experiment with will bury itself in many hearts.