he story of Ghaul in Destiny 2 mirrors the story of Bungie as a publisher: humble, runty beginning (being a Mac game publisher), molding by an older mentor (Microsoft Studios) with an ulterior vision for their company, rise to indomitable power (the Halo years), a search for meaning beyond the power (splitting off the Halo franchise to 343 Industries), a fall from grace (leaving Microsoft), to becoming engulfed in the Light of their achievements (partnership with Activision), ushering in a Second Golden Age (Destiny 2). But, hey, that’s just a theory… for another time.
If you want to play a worthy successor to the long line of Metroidvania classics and are willing to experience rogue-like difficulty to get it, Dead Cells is an experience worth having over and over again.
You will be hard-pressed to find a puzzling game more beautifully crafted as Gorogoa. Everything from its music to the hand-drawn puzzle frames ignites the imagination to keep search and digging for more. Even with its short length, Gorogoa is a satisfying game. It is also an exercise in asking questions about our own devotion and the lengths that we might go to in order to connect with the divine.
While the story may be turning to darker dimensions, the future of Destiny 2 could not be more bright.
Far Cry 5 is an artistic lesson in juxtaposition. On one hand you have a group of devoted followers of a "message of peace" that live in violence. You have a calm and charismatic leader who insights calamity. There are communities united in anarchy. Far Cry 5 provokes its audience to think and wrestle with the uncomfortable answers to our own "what-ifs" about faith, family, and the power of community.
Gato Roboto is a delightful Metroidvania title that favors the classics enough to feel a sense of connection to them while forging is own path forward. Filled with plenty of humor, challenge, and healthy heap of cattitude, Gato Roboto is a purr-fectly satisfy title.
For me, the story and theming of Neversong embody a two-thousand-year-old statement of wisdom for us all: You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Out of the gate, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep builds on Bungie’s legendary marriage of storytelling and gameplay, improving upon the foundations of the past while looking ahead to its future(s).
If you haven't played Terraria, but are looking for an entry point that marries some mobile conveniences with the console experience, Terraria on the Nintendo Switch is a great place for you to begin your journey.
The Bug Butcher feels like Earthworm Jim and Alien Hominid met in an arcade to play Space Invaders and the residual DNA collected from their shared joystick and button usage was used to genetically engineer The Bug Butcher. Its frenetic pace and creative arsenal create a humorously fun experience full of equal parts mirth and mayhem. If you enjoy arcade-style side scrolling shooter, The Bug Butcher needs to be in your go-to rotation.
If you have been itching for a Metroidvania game with a good sense of humor and a new level of challenge, A Robot Named Fight is worth the investment of time. Your metal will be tested as you throw a lot of robots at a ton of meat, but the Megabeast must be vanquished and its secrets must be revealed - in at least one of its multiple endings!
Quarantine Circular is, much like its predecessor a short playthrough but has multiple branches that the story can go down, so one playthrough is not enough
Youropa came out of Early Access on June 27th and is just as charming as ever before. At $24.99 USD, its gorgeous landscape and mind-bending puzzle will keep you busy for hours as you make your way across a gravitationally-challenged Paris. Its gentle pacing and ambient music would make this relaxing experience if it weren't for the mental gymnastics required to think dimensionally!
If you like games like Terraria and Starbound but are looking for something new, Dig or Die is definitely worth your time. At $12 USD, it provides an incredibly challenging and new twist on the genre. But be advised: they aren't kidding about the dying part. You're going to do that… a lot. Don't be too proud to start out on easy mode. If you take my advice, you might just live long enough to blow this popsicle stand and hustle some more of CRAFT & Co's automated fabricators!
Hipster Attack is an entertaining and addicting tower defense game. It has just enough call back to its inspiration while adding the right options to differentiate itself
With the emphasis on choice, Sundered give you the opportunity to unlock multiple endings by pursuing the paths of full rejection to full embrace of the darkness. With the extensive map sizes, fast action pace, and high difficulty, Sundered is sure to keep you exploring and fighting for your survival for 10+ hours per play through. It is a satisfying Metroidvania title to close out a year of stellar offerings within the genre.
Candleman is a platformer puzzler that puts a strong emphasis on atmosphere to sell its story. That atmosphere is whimsical at times and haunting at others. Walking through the darkness with limited light in search of a greater purpose, Candleman beautifully illustrates the point that some times the bravest thing of all is to hope. And with each step forward, though the darkness may come, it cannot hide the light.
If you are looking for a quintessential Star Wars experience that does not outright saddle you with power, but makes you take the journey to earn and respect that power, Jedi: Fallen Order is worth the time spent in a galaxy far, far away.
What do you get when you add espionage and intrigue to the ubiquitous game found in nursing homes and every Windows decide known to mankind, then drop it into a carefully crafted, existing science fiction world? You get The Solitaire Conspiracy.
This story of a tiny hero is charming and disarming… figuratively and, occasionally, literally. While he is small in stature, Skul proves that sometimes even the smallest among us may achieve the greatest things. Against all odds, Skul may just be the key to fulfilling the dreams of Carleon's First Hero AND the machinations of the Demon King.