Ravenbound is a roguelike that starts out promising before being grounded by obtuse systems, frustrating loot, and lots of bugs.
Though the Showcase mode isn’t as super as its subject, John Cena, the sharp focus on refinement instead of reinvention helps keep WWE 2K23 as the gold standard of wrestling sims.
River City Girls 2 beefs up its decades-old beat-'em-up formula with RPG elements, witty humor, and dense combat options.
The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a competent RPG with a world that helps it stand out from the pack, even if it doesn't stand too far above it.
Soulstice is a competent action game with creative monsters, but they're doomed to live in a bland setting with tedious level design.
Thymesia's aggressive combat can be enjoyable, but it's an adventure that's easily forgettable otherwise.
As it stands now, Achilles: Legends Untold is an undercooked and fairly broken romp through ancient Greece, with underwhelming combat and a world that's full of pretty things to look at but with little to do in it.
Superbly written characters, the dark allure of its world, and an engrossing main story make up for Weird West's wonky action.
A fantastical setting and solid story can't disguise the fact that Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok has us running through the same motions as the main game a year and a half later.
OlliOlli World's approachability and poppy, colourful presentation make diving into its densely packed levels and chasing high scores feel like a warm hug before the white-knuckle drop in.
Fights in Tight Spaces recreates that action movie feeling of stylishly dismantling a room full of goons.
Clid the Snail is a twin-stick shooter that's radula-deep in mediocrity. The slimy graphics and sluggish combat keep its decent story and characters from thriving outside of its shell.
1C Entertainment's attempt to reinvigorate the long-dormant series proves two things: its turn-based tactical combat is timeless, and making a compelling open-world experience is harder than it looks.
Despite its satisfyingly open Infiltrations and the brisk bite of its scythes, The Siege of Paris doesn't feel like an essential addition when Valhalla already has Mjolonir's weight in nearly identical content.
Knockout City's fantastic spin on dodgeball combat has surprising depth, making it one of the best team-based PvP games in years.
Solasta's tactical battles shine brightly, even in the shadow of a drab and by-the-numbers fantasy story.
A strong Irish story and a few interesting battles amid a sea of run-of-the-mill recycled quests make Wrath of the Druids worth a return trip to Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
For a few brief moments Fuser reinvigorates the glory days of social music gaming and in the right hands can be effectively be an instrument of music creation, but outside of the campaign there's little for the rest of us to do.
This is a fun, fresh take on classic JRPG tropes and modern roguelike design, but it's in danger of running out of steam too quickly.
To say Frostpunk is fun would be like saying watching The Road is fun. It's engaging, challenging, inventive and unique. It cleverly re-purposes old genre tropes, and embraces the rigors of micromanaging dire people in a dark time with such earnest that it's hard not to get charmed into hours of sadistic yet satisfying struggle.