Stephanie Chan
The Lion's Song is an excellent point-and-click adventure game for those who enjoy narrative. It's not about fetching items or solving inventory puzzles in 20th-century Austria. Instead, it transports you back to a time fairly different from ours — but less so than you might think. The characters still experience anxiety and self-doubt, they search for the truth about themselves, they make certain compromises or changes to get what they want.
Most impressively, Iconoclasts evokes nostalgia without feeling derivative. It hits a lot of character tropes, but it manages never to feel stale thanks to fantastic visuals, a memorable world, and solid gameplay.
Toward the end, Genderwrecked drops its pretenses and casual memes. I almost felt like it was rewarding me for making it so far — like it trusted me enough now to show its emotional core. It exchanges its flippant jokes for an earnest dialogue about how messy it can be to unravel the threads of identity, to figure out who you are when you're not backed in a corner by external forces and oppressors. And it reassures you that it's OK to not know, it's OK to be considered monstrous by those who don't understand. There will always be people out there who do.
Moss is my favorite VR experience so far.
Though I have some minor quibbles about the game's interface, I find myself returning to its world again and again.
Gorogoa is a brief but beautiful foray into mystery. But its puzzles are elegant rather than elusive, relying on internal logic and a cohesive exploration of the main character's psyche and the world around him.
If the thought of flinging fava beans instead of fireballs leaves you cold, then this isn't the game for you. But if you're smiling at the idea of a world where meateors crash into the earth and distribute bits of meat — then, hey, it's time to go west.
Battle Chef Brigade is a delightful snack-sized game that combines its disparate elements in a whimsical, entertaining way. I loved the style and the occasional clever puns. The kitchen battles to be a lot of fun, especially because they were timed, and used match-3 mechanics in an innovative way. If you're a fan of Iron Chef, Studio Ghibli, or both, you'll like enjoy this foray into the world of Victusia.
It's a terrific sequel with its own personality that still leverages the fun, minimalistic mechanics.
Fortune-499 is a charming package. It's got witchcraft, mid-20s malaise, and puns and witty monsters galore. Though I wanted a little more from the story, what I did get, I really enjoyed. The combat system could have easily become monotonous, but it remained fresh and quirky with the addition of new cards and mechanics.
I love that Semblance is challenging, and its presentation is lovely as well. It has a unique look, full of organic shapes and eye-catching colors. Though it's light on story, it's worth dying a few dozen times to experience.
Pyre backs up its eye candy with some pretty impressive world-building and fun gameplay, particularly in Versus Mode. Though the battles in the main campaign don't offer too much of a challenge, the controls still make it feel great when you drive your team into your opponent's goal. All that supplementary reading in the Book of Rites might not be for everyone, but even without it, Supergiant has still built a memorable, visually spectacular world.
This newcomer thinks that Yakuza Kiwami is a blast. I can't speak to how different it is from the first game, but the sheer amount of content and personality makes it worth checking out. Though the fights could get repetitive at times, the combat system kept things interesting on the whole.
Hiveswap is oozing with teenaged charm, from Joey's obsession with Clarissa Explains It All to her gloriously sparkly Lisa Frank posters. It's a surreal world where monsters can pop out of nowhere and a mysterious portal in the attic can send you shooting through space to an alien planet without any warning. The combat system is baffling but entertaining — in one battle, I think I actually killed something with paprika — and I'm interested in learning more about Joey and the adventure she's found herself on.
If you're looking for really precise platforming, this probably isn't the game for you. But if you're looking for a narrative adventure with some light puzzle-solving and a lot of eye candy, then you should join Anne on her journey through the Forgotten Realm.
Though I had a few minor quibbles over Overcooked 2's garnishes, it's overall a delectable followup. At times, I wondered why Ghost Town didn't just release the new recipes and levels as DLC to its first title, but that doesn't detract from the delightful new challenges and the convenience of new features like online co-op.
I wish that we got to know Austin a little more, but this is only the first chapter. It will be interesting to see how she comes across in the other chapters as we get to know her from their perspectives. Overall, this is a strong start to the series that shows a lot of promise depending on how it weaves together all the characters' stories.
If you can get past some of its flaws, you'll be in for an experience that's full of wonder with fantastic visuals and an amazing soundtrack. Which I keep looking for online, by the way. But my search queries just keep returning discussions about Fire Emblem.
The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor is a lot of fun if you're into rhythm games. I do wish that each of the levels were a bit more different, but what it lacks in variety, it makes up in solid gameplay. I don't think any other game quite like it is out there. I only got a chance to play using a standard controller, but I do know that it's also compatible with Rock Band 4 guitars. Next, I hope they'll consider rigging this up for DDR pads as well.
High Hell is a fun, fast-paced shooter with a lot of personality. It keeps it simple — you can crouch, jump, and shoot — and it doesn't take itself seriously at all. It's challenging, but there aren't any long load times between death and charging back in again to give it another shot. If you don't mind the short playtime, you'll enjoy the charm and quirky boss battles.