Rarely subtle, Hellraiser: Revival's rawness is truly shocking, but what's stuck with me more than the sights of sculpted, twisted muscles are the stories behind them.
Plumbing the depths of a high-rise makes as little sense as it sounds but is an absolutely stunning sequence.
For an RPG that keeps telling me that it matters I've been cursed to be a vampire, it feels all too frictionless and forgiving.
Even the bulkiest foe stacked with pips can be stunned and then punted with Sophia's kick.
New story quests don't feel particularly additive.
Infectiously charming, Rhythm Heaven Groove's simple musical mini-games are buoyed by smart game design that becomes more than the sum of its parts, inviting you onto the stage to master its odd-ball antics. Loaded with side-modes, Beatspell is a surprise RPG triumph that deserves more investment, but is a great first step.
Ultimately, these just result in different ways to have you move slowly through a pretty basic area.
Titanium Court is just so uniquely weird that I'm not sure I could scratch this itch with anything else.
The retro Americana-infused sci-fi take on this secret alien invasion does make me smile.
Rewind remains a genius mechanic for a choice-based narrative game.
The sheer looseness is part of the Demon Tides charm.
Styx: Blades of Greed is filled with so many ways to sneak through areas that you really do feel like you're crafting your approach to each thieving challenge
A lack of definition goes some way to explaining why combat feels a bit lifeless.
Yakuza 3 has, despite its flaws, long been one of my favorites in the series.
Within its actual levels, Metroid Prime 4 is triumphant.
Each Morsel is impressively and radically transformative on play.
Dispatch isn't a freeform RPG – it's telling a specific story that it allows you to a degree of authorship over.
It's an electric concept that works just as well in Lumines Arise as it does in Tetris Effect.
The exacting detail with which it's all been put together keeps the illusion strong.
Newcomers like Calamo and company offer enough new to spark interest.