In a world plagued by stripped-back indie experiences grasping to evoke an element of nostalgia, I can at least praise I and Me for attempting something wholly original for the puzzle/platforming genre. But what could have been a mighty stride forward disappointingly feels more like a half step.
Ultra Despair Girls' loop of exploring dungeon-like areas, mowing down waves of Monokuma bots, and switching between the ranged combat of Komaru and melee barrages of Genocide Jack… means you've got a third person shooter unlike any other.
The few interesting ideas Zombeer has with regards to art-style, setting and voice talent, are all squandered due to an overall lack of presentation and polish.
Jump into Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception expecting a traditional Japanese visual novel experience, and you'll no doubt be a little disappointed… but look past its intermittent battle sections and there's a fulfilling character-driven tale just waiting to be uncovered.
Last Stitch Goodnight carves out its own unique place in the metroidvania genre, largely thanks to its whimsical take on presentation, puzzle-solving, and narrative.
There is a great adventure game here just begging to be broken out, however for now as Syberia 3 stands, Kate Walker's story is one best left washed ashore.
What Flinthook might lack in lore, story, and cohesion, it more than makes up for with its boatload of personality and style, all of which find themselves backed up by some of the smoothest 2D platforming gameplay around.
A Rose in the Twilight is best described on the surface as being an undeniably bleak, somewhat charming, but consistently creative 2D puzzle platforming experience.
Blue Collar Astronaut is an experience that is simply devoid of any merit or creativity, and I very much doubt any player will find it at all fair or enjoyable.
What it may lack in narrative development, Styx: Shards of Darkness more than makes up for in its near-faultless gameplay that stands out as a prime example of stealth design done right.