Scott Ellison II's Reviews
Redfall is a far cry from Arkane’s usual work, and it’s sad to see this is the final product from this team. The writing is the best part, but nothing about it can save this from being a mediocre game that can’t manage to do more than one thing at a time, whether it be an immersive sim, an open-world game, or even an RPG. Try as I might, I can’t find enjoyment in this, or even continue to play a game that looks and feels this incomplete for its $70 price tag. Redfall is playable, but in the most threadbare way, as it’s a shell of a game that will exhaust you long before the credits roll. And like vampires are wont to do, Redfall sucks.
Showgunners is a true spectacle that stays true to its format for a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The turn-based gameplay is really smart, and the third-person real-time movement is a nice change of pace for the genre. It’s scripted fun you can save scum to your hearts content, or die a glorious death in ironman mode. Homicidal All-Stars is not a show I would watch, but I definitely enjoyed taking part in its vision of the future of reality and game shows. Showgunners is not tactically dense, though it offers a uniquely tight turn-based experience you should definitely pick-up.
Age of Wonders 4 offers nearly infinite replayability with the built-in scenarios and ways to create your own, to include all of the included factions and ones you can manifest. This is a game that corrects past mistakes, includes expansions into its core, and has no shortcomings. This is an incredibly beautiful game that is popping with color and visuals. There’s essentially two to three games in here across its 4X, RPG, and tactical combat layers that offer variability and unpredictability. This is a massive game that is able to carry the weight of the series on its shoulders proudly, Age of Wonders 4 is purely magical.
There’s connective tissue between LCB Game Studios’ games, so your experience with Varney Lake will be enhanced by having played Mothmen 1966 prior to it. It’s a short story video game that doesn’t take up your time, and is a great palate cleanser from other games you’re currently playing. I’m really excited for what’s in store next, and am enjoying how these play out. Varney Lake feels like PC adventure games of old, and will take you back to those summer or rainy nights of gaming, for a truly visual and aural treat of the senses.
While I still prefer the original Desktop Dungeons mainly for nostalgia, Rewind this is a refreshing and modernized reintroduction of the game will have a new generation falling in love like I did over ten years ago. Even if you haven't played it before, I think the price of admission is well worth it for a game that offers so much variety and longevity, being infinitely replayable in the truest sense. QCF Design offers a game that lets you peel back the layers like an onion, only to find that it's wrapped around another onion. And once you peel back those layers, there's yet one more onion inside that's offers more depth and surprises. Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is a lighthearted and challenging procedurally generated puzzle meets dungeon crawler roguelike, and is the coolest thing you'll play all year.
While the menu navigation is clumsy, the videos are glitchy, and the ball-hitting can be spotty, this is a far better effort than the series’ last outing. The closest we have in the golf space is 2K’s PGA TOUR 2K23, but it doesn’t hold a candle to what EA SPORTS PGA TOUR offers. Having all four major golf tournaments is a huge boon to the game’s benefit, and Augusta National is well worth the purchase alone. I’m actually surprised at how well the live service element is done, the game feels more connected than most other sports games. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is satisfying in its own right, the start of something solid, but needs more polish that I think will happen in due time with patches and updates.
Wartales is unlike anything else I’ve played this year, as it boasts a massive landscape of near-emergent gameplay where you are not the hero of the story, but you do have a crucial role to play in it. It’s a grim, dark world to take part in, but it’s utterly fascinating at the events that take place, and how you can help shape or unmake it. The dynamicism in which things unfold makes replayability high, and the inclusion of multiplayer co-op is the perfect kind of game night with friends. Shiro Games have crafted something special here, and Wartales excels for letting you make your own successes or failures through the choices you make along the way.
Meet Your Maker is a devious evolution for asynchronous multiplayer via user-generated content, and there’s so much joy in dismantling someone from across the internet with your skill.
While WWE 2K23 is a visual, presentation, and gameplay step-up over WWE 2K22 , it’s a ladder’s climb up if you’ve been away for more than a year. It tends to cater to those who played last year’s game, but I think the game does enough to get anyone acquainted with all of the systems. There’s a mode for everyone to like in here, tons of matches to engage in, a stacked roster of favorites and newcomers, and of course WarGames! It’s all backed by great gameplay and controls that’s the best yet. WWE 2K23 is the freshest feeling WWE 2K game in years, and is worth getting excited about.
DROP – System Breach is unlike other games of its ilk, as it doesn’t require scripting knowledge or too many button presses. This is a rather casual hacking sim that never releases its tension or lets go of your attention. The experience is over in just after several hours, but it’s one I want to replay to see what its procedural levels have in store for me. It’s a shock to the system at how good it is, as each new mechanic is doled out. DROP – System Breach is remarkably clever, and an irresistibly addictive puzzle meets hacking simulation.
For most, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is just a $10 upgrade, which makes it an absolute no-brainer purchase for existing owners. If you’re coming to the game completely new, the full price is still very much worth it for an RPG that doesn’t overstay its welcome and offers a varied and unique gameplay experience with familiar yet distinct style. This whole game is textbook Obsidian, but is no less interesting or cool. If you liked what Obsidian did with Fallout: New Vegas , then you’ll be right at home here. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the definitive version of the game and it’s DLCs all but in name.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has a lot of familiar elements from Team NINJA’s own Nioh series and also the FromSoftware series. However, there’s nothing quite like the Chinese martial arts and Three Kingdoms backdrop that you’ll find here. The dark twist that KOEI TECMO put in the later Han Dynasty a remarkable and fascinating portrayal I can’t say I’ve seen anywhere before. The underwhelming performance on PC is a major disappointment, but this can absolutely be patched and updated in time. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is not an easy game to beat, but it does come easily recommended.
Mundfish threw everything but the kitchen sink at this one, and I wish most of it worked for it. Atomic Heart is good when you’re using the various guns which have been upgraded to your liking, and you get the time to explore these gorgeous and detailed environments with strong artistic direction. What’s not so good is that the protagonist is completely unlikable, the writing is cringey, and the combat encounters are either completely exhausting or totally worthless to engage in. A first-person shooter where it’s better to not fight seems to be missing the point. Atomic Heart is certainly an ambitious, gorgeous, but ultimately disappointing and flat first-person shooter that I cannot recommend.
The planet of Atropos is sprawling cornucopia of danger, colors, and excitement. At times, Returnal can be borderline on being space horror with its themes and setting, which makes it so good at what it does. Housemarque still retains those arcadey and shmup elements that they essentially have baked into their core. The PC version of Returnal gives those without a PlayStation 5 or a desire to own one a way to play one of the most unique roguelikes to ever exist. Returnal is this homogeneous blend of elements that fuse into something so beautiful and wonderful, that you just have to play and experience for yourself.
If you like the idea of grand armies and large battle maps, but found Total War: Warhammer III not to your liking, then the less intimidating Company of Heroes 3 might be up your alley instead. Relic has really branched out with this one, and while Company of Heroes 3 takes some creative liberties in the World War II stories it tells, they have an energy and heart in place of historical accuracy. Relic adding tactical pausing to Company of Heroes 3 isn’t blasphemous, it’s brilliant; Relic adding a dynamic campaign is not foolish, it is fantastic. There’s so much to love here, Company of Heroes 3 never stops giving for those who wanted more, and is a total victory for the real-time strategy genre.
Pharaoh: A New Era being a complete remake of the original game and its expansion from 24 years ago is incredible to see. This is a lovingly recreated game with many quality of life improvements and has accessibility in mind. Whether you’re new to the series or returning, there’s a lot to like here. This is a really involved game, but I wish Triskell Interactive did more with it. Pharaoh: A New Era is threadbare remake of a really good game.
This version and reworking of Dead Space fixes all issues with the original, adds new content of substance, and quality of life improvements all-around. I don’t often replay games, but I’m eager to start my run in New Game+ on a harder difficulty already. Knowing that this was remade from the ground-up still manages to trick the brain into thinking this is how it used to look back in 2008, but couldn’t be more wrong. This is one of the best survival horror games ever, and sits in the pantheon of great remakes like Resident Evil 2. I hope Motive continue to be the caretakers of the Dead Space estate, as they possess the blueprint for what a remake should be. Dead Space is a horror classic for a new generation, and it’s better than ever.
LONE RUIN is good fun for however long you’re able to give it. It’s a shame that it’s rather shallow offerings across two modes can’t be more than a couple of hours. Coming off Hell is Other Demons, I was hoping for more with Cuddle Monster Games, and the reality is that we got less. LONE RUIN is visually stunning, has a variety of spells and character builds to make, but doesn’t have the longevity to keep you coming back for more.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a short, replayable, and satisfying 16-bit side-scrolling platformer. JoyMasher and The Arcade Crew nail it yet again, this time with a Mega Man meets space Shinobi that really excels at feeling like a game that released 30 years ago and was lost to time. From the look, the sound, to the controls, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a slice of heaven.
If you distill this game down into two equal parts of combat and non-combat, then I love the combat. What I don’t love is the custodial relationship aspect, but I understand why it becomes so crucial over time, as it provides the backbone to combat effectiveness over time. And it’s nice to have a respite from the combat, level up, customize my room, pet a demon dog, and have superheroes open up to me. It’s still weird, but it’s something we don’t see or have the time to explore in most games, let alone a Marvel one. Firaxis is in top-form here, having slightly pivoted, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns sits in the upper echelon of Marvel games that you have to play.