Summer in Mara is not for everyone; it's charming, full of character, and clearly made with a loving passion, but its focus on the journey may leave some players feeling left behind. With a dash of patience and a hint of dedication, Summer in Mara blossoms into a wonderful experience.
Minecraft Dungeons is a dungeon-crawling adventure that promises a lot of fun for gamers young and old alike. While its replay value may wane with time, a constantly growing progression system and its various difficulty settings offer a lot for those less affected by the repetition.
Everything about Gears Tactics screams quality, and it's easily one of the best debut titles this genre has seen in years. It's nearly time for X-COM to step aside – this genre just went up a Gear.
XCOM: Chimera Squad is a brave adventure into new territory. Featuring a more interesting narrative design, some much-needed changes to combat, and a cast of interesting characters, all of these things would lead to a brilliant game if it weren't for the myriad of bugs, crashes, and usual XCOM tiring randomness. It's an absolute must-buy for fans of the genre, especially at its current price, but a bit more time in development wouldn't have hurt.
Much like its predecessor, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is far from perfect. Its linear design and difficulty spikes may be off-putting for some, but stick through the rough bits and there's another incredible story and wonderful world waiting.
Doom Eternal is completely badass. The soundtrack, the level design, the combat – it all comes together to create a package of adrenaline-fueled rage and destruction. Put simply, it's the best first-person shooter of this generation.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a game of passion, made from the heart. Featuring charming characters, a vibrant world filled with mystery and intrigue, and genre-leading platforming action, you will struggle to find a single experience that encompasses the artistic values of video games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Yakuza 5 Remastered is another great upgrade on an already beloved game.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers fun, mindless zombie slaughtering co-op excitement without pretending it's anything else. An absolute blast with friends, it's brutal, disturbing, and you get to kill Nazi zombies. What's not to love?
Hardcore JRPG fans will likely enjoy customizing the base, upgrading the facilities, and perhaps even the simplicity of the combat. However, for anyone looking for a worthwhile RPG experience, Arc of Alchemist is not it.
Ultimately, Journey to the Savage Planet is a little less savage and a little more tame. What it does, it does quite well; it's just a shame it doesn't do very much. A decent title for those that get excited at the thought of exploration, but an otherwise unremarkable experience.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a fantastic avenue for new and casual fans alike, providing a deeper level of insight and immersion into a beloved franchise. However, more seasoned veterans of the series may not be as easily impressed. Fluid, fast, and visually stunning combat combined with some intriguing ideas gives Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot plenty to root for, but it still doesn't feel as fleshed out and creative as its Xenoverse cousin.
Phoenix Point is a collection of fantastic new ideas installed on the solid foundations of the X-COM franchise. While it lacks the content to offer the replay value of the more recent X-COM games, it's still a great game that will test your strategic mettle to its very limits.
It's the continuation of a story nearly 20 years in the making, with the beloved characters, mechanics, and design that made the original games so popular within that niche. Unfortunately, for everyone else, Shenmue III is archaic in design, limited in content, and flawed throughout.
Need for Speed Heat's driving is a step in the right direction for a franchise that's stuck at the back of the pack. However, its poor story, severe balance problems, and complete lack of an online presence stop it from ever reaching top speed.
Death Stranding's core gameplay mechanics will not appeal to everyone. What I found to be dull and monotonous at times, others will find relaxing and rewarding. It's rare for a game with such a big push, such a huge marketing presence, to be so niche in its design. However, if you have the patience to trudge through this long journey, you won't be disappointed.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is another fantastic shooter from Infinity Ward, but it's still just a Call of Duty game. If you're a fan of the heights of the franchise, you're sure to have a great time. However, for those hoping for a more daring and innovative leap, there's not much new to see here.
The Outer Worlds has quickly cemented it's place as one of the best RPGs of the current generation. Excellent combat, exploration that never gets stale, characters that never grow old, stories and events that hide endless secrets…The Outer Worlds is simply fantastic.
Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands is a solid entry into the farming and exploration space, and a perfect entry level title for younger gamers or those new to the genre. Its simplicity helps it stand out in the crowd, but not always for the best reasons.
Indivisible is a great game, but it could have been amazing. The lack of weapons, armor, or other collectible items to make exploration worthwhile really makes a lot of the adventure a bit dull, and the repetitive nature of its level design definitely leaves a sour taste. Many of these issues will be off-putting enough for potential players, but if you can look past its seemingly basic design mistakes, Indivisible's level of charm, passion, and character are rarely seen in the genre.