"Atmosphere, not action, is the great desideratum of weird fiction," writes Lovecraft, and in the end it is the game's loyalty to this principle which often makes The Vanishing of Ethan Carter such engrossing experience. And while a bit atmosphere never killed anyone, the subtle macabre of Ethan Carter's world will certainly mess with your head if you let it.
For the kid who saw lego as a means of expression, Space Engineers has a lot to offer and its initial unwieldiness is unlikely to hinder their enthusiasm to create. But for this scribe, who was happy just building Hogwarts over and over as a child, Space Engineers' pedantic (though admirably ambitious) level of complexity was able to sustain interest for only so long.
Pix the Cat is a convincing facsimile of a true arcade classic where it counts – it delivers accessible, yet nuanced score oriented gameplay that can dig right through to the bone within just a few minutes of play. Highly involving and borderline addictive, it's an experience that's perhaps irresponsible to recommend, especially since – like the Shepard Tone it's recursive mazes evoke – it's structure fundamentally dictates that it can never really go anywhere or offer any obvious resolution.
It's a flawed experiment, but one that nevertheless tackles a vital, neglected subject area with a whole lot of heart and thus still warrants admiration.
It may not be the deepest game we've played this month, but it's pretty darn entertaining.