The core narrative and its surrounding cast of characters is intriguing but unengaging quest design means it loses steam far faster than it ought to.
Rebirth‘s romanticised version of the genre is perhaps best forgotten
There are pockets of joy and engagement in Fallen Order, but ultimately it feels like a game developed a long time ago, before Star Wars moved on to brighter galaxies far, far away from this.
Ultimately the Amnesia Collection feels caught between essential and outdated
Sinner merely serves as a tempting taste of what could be but for those willing to sacrifice an already perfected formula, there is some redemption to be found in this new realm Dark Star Game Studios have brought to life
Pressure Overdrive is a fun, lighthearted romp of a game.
Atlas Fallen layers interesting and engaging combat systems onto a lacklustre world and frustrating camera controls making for an uneven and forgettable fantasy action outing. Deck13 continues its work of innovating the genre in interesting ways but there's just a little too much going on for Atlas Fallen to ever find solid ground.
There is a good time to be had here, just don't expect to be going back to it again after you're done
The Cinema Rosa presents a fascinating mirror image of its creator and how a vision to create something that feels pure can often collide dramatically with reality.
System Shock is less of a modern means through which to experience the best of the original but a separate beast, one far clumsier but in much nicer lipstick.
The bones of a great game exist within the second entry, even today, but lop-sided gameplay and uninspired presentation obscure them far too much.
Thymesia understands the core of what makes the action genre so satisfying but fails to meaningfully execute on its ideas and world.
While its ship customisation revels in aesthetic delights, little else here allows for the kind of pirate fantasy we've been waiting for since 2013. Despite some early promise and admirable endgame ideas, Skull and Bones charts a fairly unremarkable course through its gorgeously empty ocean.
Another Code: Recollection is a solid repackage of two classic adventure titles that manages to celebrate the Cing games despite some lacklustre puzzles and clumsy camera controls.
The Library of Babel takes its short story inspirations and runs, crafting a compelling, strange sci-fi world that isn't always as fun to explore as it is to read about, or just simply vibe in.
There’s a great game just beneath the surface in Ghostwire: Tokyo obscured and pained by the pretty good one layered on top. Not too dissimilar to the men that lead it, the game is flawed and prone to mistakes that drive away affection it rightfully deserves. But it’s trying and in the end, that’s all that really matters.
In a time when marketers are tripping over themselves to distance their games from the overt politics they draw upon, The Church in the Darkness unapologetically runs in the opposite direction. Freedom Town isn’t just a facsimile of a political movement, it’s a borderline reenactment that asks players to take its world, and history, seriously.
She Remembered Caterpillars is fun to play but even more enjoyable to bang your head against and although its presentation can feel clumsy at times the feeling the game leaves you with is undeniably beautiful.
Cursed Kingdom is a fun, occasionally frustrating, romp through a world I hope we get to revisit one day.
Steelrising makes some welcome changes to the genre formula but its best qualities are blurred by its lacklustre writing and world design.