The Bad Seed is a natural extension of everything that made Dead Cells so tireless and long-lasting. The new levels don't feel arbitrarily tacked-on (even though they essentially are), and you don't need to be a masterful player to conquer them. I could go for a few more DLC packs with this exact structure, easily.
I ended Wide Ocean Big Jacket feeling good, and it resonates, but at the same time, it's not necessarily an experience that will stick with me.
Journey to the Savage Planet was such a fun way to kick off the decade, and I'm going to bring it up at the end of the year when people inevitably begin asking about the overlooked gems of 2020. If you want something light and breezy with an intoxicating collectible-based feedback loop, here you go.
I'm not sure if Takahashi will ever be able to top Katamari Damacy – for my money, it's one of the greatest video games ever made – but Wattam captures that sense of whimsy and magic in its own way. The care-free music and gosh-darn-huggable character designs make this a must-play for fans.
Tools Up doesn't make the most of its clever co-op gaming concept, but I still had a decent enough time. I'll be there day one if a sequel ever takes this home-renovation hook and runs wild with it.
Ancestors is a large, fussy, and at times uneven survival experience, but it's also deeply gratifying once you sink your teeth in. Make it through the wringer, and you'll come out wanting to share stories about your run-of-the-mill open-world exploits to anyone who will listen – no small feat in 2019. The console versions are smoother than their original PC counterpart, so if you've been curious, now's the time.
When everything comes together, Golem has some of the best PlayStation VR combat I've played, and a story worth hearing. When it's off, even a little, frustration follows. If you can tolerate backtracking and don't mind dealing with occasional VR tech idiosyncrasies, you're gonna have a grand time.
Even with occasional design quirks and bugs holding it back, I adore this game as is. Similar to Planet Coaster, I think it'll get better over time, and Frontier will surely flesh out the species list with DLC packs. But even if that doesn't happen, I'll be satisfied. Some of us have been waiting decades for a game like Planet Zoo to come along and scratch our Zoo Tycoon itch. Now that it's here, I can't get enough.
Manifold Garden has a lot going for it, but above all else, it's simply pleasant – to look at, to listen to, and to play. It's the kind of game you can revisit every couple of years and be confident it'll hold up.
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville doesn't go out of its way to surpass expectations, but it's a silly, strange, joyful game – one I'm glad was greenlit. If PopCap can continue what it started, this stands a fighting chance of becoming my favorite PvZ spin-off. I hope it gets that opportunity.
Carnival of Chaos isn't a bad set of stages, don't get me wrong, but it ends up feeling insubstantial and by-the-numbers compared to everything that has come before it.
I can't get Blasphemous off my mind. I may never fully grasp the opaque story even with the inevitable community-led theories and explainers lending a hand, but that's okay. Even taken as a fanatical fever-dream, this game delivers. Some aspects aren't as fine-tuned or ambitious as they could've been, leading to unevenness, but there's so much for metroidvania fans to latch onto here.
That's what it comes down to, really. These days, there aren't many games I'm willing to surrender hundreds of hours of free time to, but somehow, some way, Monster Hunter found an opening. World laid the groundwork, and now Iceborne is here to carry me through the rest of 2019 and beyond. Mentally, I'm not even ready to start thinking about Capcom's post-launch plans for the expansion.
Despite some unevenness, Forager is absolutely worth a look. If anyone ever asks me for a relaxing game that they can throw themselves into and become obsessed with for a week, this is my pick.
Automachef is home to some mind-melting challenges, but if you're up to the task, you're eventually in for blissful breakthroughs. Just don't come in expecting to unwind after a long day at work.
I appreciate Ace Team's attempt here, I really do. It's kind of amazing that this game exists in 2019 under Sega. It's not as original as the team's past projects, but SolSeraph has a lot to like if you're looking for a modern take on an absolute gem of the 16-bit era. Part of me wonders how outlandish these creators could've gotten with a bigger budget and scope, but as a tribute, this still hits the spot.
If you're ever in the mood for more Overcooked 2, try not to sleep on Night of the Hangry Horde for too long. Ghost Town Games has really come into its own with these DLC releases. There's still one final expansion pack left to go in the season pass, and at this rate, my expectations are only rising.
In short, Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is the real deal. It's a genuine celebration of everything that has come before and a fresh lens for long-time fans. Even if you've never touched a Five Nights game before in your life, you'll have a lot to latch onto. I'm as surprised as anyone!
I'd still recommend Layers of Fear 2 to fans who enjoyed the original game's atmosphere enough to want to see it realized on a grander scale, but don't feel like you need to rush to play it at launch.
If No Code hadn't already gotten its name out there as a strong storyteller with Stories Untold, this game would've put the studio on the map. Observation is everything I hoped it would be.