Children of the Sun is a prime example of an experience born from a straightforward premise and then iterated for the right amount of time before it loses its charm. On occasion, the central mechanic can't keep up with itself – I missed more than a few finicky shots that should have landed, forcing a retry. But once you successfully execute a strategy and finish a level, the satisfaction is unmatched. You then seek to replicate the feeling during subsequent hunts, completely alienated from the messiness of your actions as you chase a higher score.
Failbetter Games have brought upon themselves a trademark capable of enduring over time, born with Fallen London back in the day and now present in both Sunless Sea and the upcoming Sunless Skies. This is by far the best way to experience the studio's vision and their unique take in narrative driven games.
It's fitting, then, that the championship's final subverts the expectation of the long, silent stroll through the hall by kicking the music in as soon as you start moving forward. This time the nerves are left in the dressing room. She's revisited her footsteps time and time again until she's ready for the grand finale. After tonight, everyone in the crowd is going to remember Kara Hassan's name.
As Metaphor: ReFantazio constantly reminds us, both micro and macro problems are intertwined. What’s the perspective of somebody looking for an abortion in a red state, a family separated by the border, a kid in Gaza? The examples are everywhere, and they’re visibly blunt, too. They’re there while we scroll down on the timeline or in three-second-long attention span cycles while we swipe reels. If only more people made the effort to see things through somebody else’s eyes, perhaps we could regain some semblance of hope that change might stop being a fantasy.
Ion Fury mixes old and new in a throwback FPS that deftly builds its own enduring identity.
Huntdown is a throwback run and gun shooter that cares about style and rewards precision.
Nex Machina feels like a living retro experience in which the player gets trapped inside an arcade machine. The only way out is to get better, and destroy machines in the most stylish way you can possibly think.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is more than a "western JRPG", it manages to reinvent and bring new elements to the genre in many unique ways.
STRAFE proves to be a worthy spiritual successor of all the classics of the genre, while also introducing modern elements that fit well into the gameplay. While the experience can be frustrating sometimes due to unfair damage and bugs, Pixel Titans delivered a solid and addictive game.
Crawl is an exceptional multiplayer that takes a huge advantage of the Switch's portability. An unique game that should be present in all parties.
Hitman 2 takes everything you love from the series and expands on it in every way.
Void Bastards is a roguelite shooter that encourages experimentation and smart thinking in outer space, and it mostly works to great effect.
RAD is a roguelike that presents a world worth fighting for.
Night Call is an intriguing ride through Paris full of intriguing tales and conversations. Too bad its detective elements aren't as compelling.
The Crimson Court invites veterans of the game to experience yet another challenge, which can be a little bit too punishing for newcomers. Come on in, the party has just started.
Absolver presents a brutal yet rewarding experience that gets going from the offset. Longevity is the titles main sticking point. However, with future updates looking to add to the game, it's worth sinking your fists into.
NeuroVoider proves to be a really complex twin stick shooter that is better enjoyed with a couple of friends in local co-op.
With a unique style and a large list of things to do, Tokyo 42 only falls short in some of its core mechanics, which can be a bit too tedious for some
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is fixated on revisiting past ideas, which limits its impact to being a good but not great sequel
Throughout the 30 hours it took to hit credits, I kept trying to latch onto the elements that work. Soul Hackers 2’s saving grace lies in its main characters, each with a distinct personality that often clashes with the rest. Witnessing the group’s growth by putting their differences aside and opening themselves up to camaraderie was a joy.