Ricky Knight
I truly wonder what will come next for Flight. Whether this simulator becomes a new defacto standard for this technology, or if Microsoft will take this marriage of game engine with satellite and real time data into something even richer as an experience. For now, I’m enjoying flying from LAX, seeing my brother’s neighborhood in Newport Beach, and heading southward to Maui to see the Road to Hana again.
Demon’s Souls established what came next and it’s all due to its first-class design decisions that are still in Souls games today. For those of you who missed it and came in later through Dark Souls, you’ll be right at home here. Don’t miss out on the PS5’s showpiece if you can. You deserve to experience Demon’s Souls with Bluepoint’s elevation of it. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Bluepoint, From Software, and the PS5.
It’s the closest you’ll get to that feeling of shooters from yesteryear, and you’d do yourself a disservice as a shooter fan by missing it.
There’s so much to talk about that most of it is truly best left unsaid, as your path to these discoveries will be very much your own. I hope bigger games take some of Outer Wilds’ design lessons to heart. There’s nothing quite like it right now and there should be.
If you like bullet hell games and are ready for your next challenge, I wholeheartedly recommend Hell is Other Demons. You will have no regrets. Now go forth, young Demon Rebel. Get gud.
I really enjoyed my time guiding my flock of Trebhum from danger to salvation. And I hope you will too. Just remember to roll like you didn’t know you could.
Reigns: Game of Thrones is great fun for fans of the show and books.
Minit's conceit is so simple and so straightforward, I thought I'd tire of it immediately. But I was dead wrong. What starts a little slow (and a bit frustrating) quickly turns into a fast-paced and rewarding experience that borrows as much from Super Meat Boy's unrelenting speed as it does from early 2D Zelda's gameplay.
Its presentation is the icing on an already rich cake. If you’re a series veteran, you’ll find much to appreciate in this new setting, and if you’ve never tried a Total War game, but always been curious, you’d be hard pressed to find a better starting point than Three Kingdoms.
Star Renegades is a love letter to tactical RPG fans who have been craving a rogue-lite experience that keeps on giving. While not quite at the mastery of Into the Breach in terms of depth, Star Renegades has enough to be excited about.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Astria Ascending. While parts of it felt long and grindy, the English cast is abysmal, and the dungeons design themselves left more to be desired, Astria Ascending is still a solid entry in the JRPG genre. It does what it sets out to do and at its price point it does it pretty well. While it may not quite rise to the heights of some of the forebears it tries to evoke from Square Enix’s past, its friendlier price point makes it a great entry that can steal away 25-30 hours of time. Just don’t expect it to sway you over if you don’t already like the genre. As its tendency to get grindy, and its overwrought characters may not change your mind.
While it was a slow start I enjoyed my time in River City with Misako and Kyoko. The hand drawn art is incredible and the song list adds to the pacing and overall vibe. The move list eventually gets into enough depth to feel like a new addition to the genre. I’m eager for River City Girls 2. We’ll see how Wayforward changes up an already strong entry on the next go-round.
All in all, CrossCode is a love letter to fans of the pixel days without skimping on the gameplay.
Hyper Jam is the perfect couch game with some friends, or a palette cleanser from other denser AAA titles. It will definitely stay in my rotation of games to play with my buddies whenever I have the opportunity. This lightweight arena brawler is a stylish delight.
All in all, Ring of Pain is a different enough take on the card game genre that it’s definitely going to be a good time. While not perfect, it has enough lurking in its depths to keep you thinking “Okay, well just one more run!”
Overall, Dice Legacy is a fun stress machine that borrows the better parts of other genres. While it doesn’t always do everything well or necessarily telegraph its harder ideas ahead of time, it can be a tense thrill when you get further than you have before. Never before have dice been featured in a game where they’re the biggest thing that matters. If you like rolling dice then I compel you to check out this mash up. Just be ready for the challenge ahead of you.
Some of the new mechanics like the rafting or manipulation of light are most welcome. So while Echoes gives up parts of what made Outer Wilds so great in the grand exploration, Echoes of the Eye is a solid companion piece to the base game. I just wish I didn’t spend nearly all of it away from my spaceship.
Patapon 2 is a fun game of its time. It still feels like a relic of the PSP days with its big chunky menus and relatively straightforward gameplay, but if anything sets itself apart as much to warrant its own remaster, it’s the charm that comes through loud and clear.
Overall, Othercide is a solid remix of the tactical turn-based genre.
All in all, Flynn: Son of Crimson is a fun and short adventure that’s pleasing to look at with a story that doesn’t get in its way. While it never quite hits the highs of Shovel Knight my time with it was pleasant, if a little too breezy at times. If you’re in need of a beautiful but short 2D adventure, spending an afternoon with your pal Dex to set the world right is an easy recommendation to make.