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.
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.
Fights in Tight Spaces recreates that action movie feeling of stylishly dismantling a room full of goons.
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.
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.
Superbly written characters, the dark allure of its world, and an engrossing main story make up for Weird West's wonky action.
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.
Thymesia's aggressive combat can be enjoyable, but it's an adventure that's easily forgettable otherwise.
Soulstice is a competent action game with creative monsters, but they're doomed to live in a bland setting with tedious level design.
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.
River City Girls 2 beefs up its decades-old beat-'em-up formula with RPG elements, witty humor, and dense combat options.
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.
Ravenbound is a roguelike that starts out promising before being grounded by obtuse systems, frustrating loot, and lots of bugs.
Stray Blade tries and fails to free the Soulslike from gloomy settings and opaque storytelling, falling short of both its own ambitions and the genre’s standards.
Starship Troopers: Extermination could become the premier bug-stomping romp for big teams, but in its current early state, mobile infantry can do the dying without you.
AEW: Fight Forever may have the audacity to challenge the current king of wrestling games, but despite its fun-loving spirit, strong sense of style, and solid fundamentals, it fails to execute on a level that comes anywhere close to its potential.
The breath of Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons burns hot thanks to clever tag combat and a big roster of diverse characters, but it doesn’t burn very long as you hit some poorly executed platforming, uninspired roguelike elements, and a shallow end game.
WrestleQuest’s love for wrestling catapults its creative and beautiful landscapes and strong characters into the main event, but isn’t enough to elevate its bloated level design or competent-but-repetitive combat out of the mid card.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage's back-to-basics approach is a successful first step in returning to the stealthy style that launched this series.
Missed opportunity haunts every inch of Hellboy: Web of Wyrd. It's simple to dive into and play but all too soon you reach the bottom of its shallow gameplay. Its roguelike runs are short and sweet, but its enemies aren't a challenge worthy of Hellboy.