Bolstered by new features and quality-of-life upgrades, Disco Elysium remains a clever, uncompromising examination of how hard it is to do something as complicated as exist in the real world.
Still, Genesis Noir deserves commendation for being its own thing, possessing such a clear ambition that drips off of every gorgeous screen. These screen caps here, lush as they are, lack the game’s beautiful sense of motion. Even if you don’t play Genesis Noir yourself, check out a few Let’s Plays to really appreciate the craft. This is a game that will stick in my mind for a long time, its grandeur overshadowing all the moments of annoyance it gave me on the way.
A crystalized version of everything good about its genre, Littlewood succeeds by giving the player all the tools they need early and still finds ways to surprise and delight over years of play, both in-game, and likely in real life too.
Little Nightmares 2 is an ambitious, thrilling sequel that occasionally reaches just beyond its grasp, but stays engrossing and terrifying the whole way through.
A lack of focus, vague combat, and some truly befuddling performance issues hamper the still competent, and often enjoyable, detective sim that the best parts of Cyberpunk 2077 want to be.
The Pathless is a fantastic game full of rewarding exploration and moment-to-moment gameplay that gets right at the heart of what makes open world games fun.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain's striking visuals and outstanding sound design can't disguise the repetitive, mundane survival horror game lurking underneath.
Crown Trick is slow to start and can't always get out of its own way, but patience is rewarded by a brain-twisting action RPG with a killer look.
While certainly rough around the edges, Raji: An Ancient Epic is an earnest swing that shows a ton of heart and some great ideas.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an odd hybrid, but it knows exactly what it wants to be and pursues that goal with confidence and style.