As great as it is frustrating, Nioh 2 will resonate more with people who like the thrill of constantly dying suddenly. The game is brutal, the camera kind of sucks, and a lot of the enemies get old fast. But it's also got extraordinary depth and a bevy of complicated systems that offers players plenty to dig into.
Olija is a unique, intriguing adventure that brings players to a strange land. It isn't long but its length is enough. The visuals and atmosphere are first-rate, as are the combat and level design. All of that makes it an easy game to recommend.
Atelier Ryza 2 has great crafting and combat. But that's because it mostly copies and pastes them from the last game. There's still some new stuff to see and the game is enjoyable regardless, but don't expect them to reinvent the wheel. Mostly, expect the same wheel.
Cyber Shadow is a truly wonderful game. It's brutal, uncompromising, and insanely enjoyable to a degree that I don't often see. Between its lovingly crafted visuals, pitch-perfect gameplay, and maddeningly difficult, yet expertly designed levels, it's a must-play for anyone who enjoys side-scrolling action games.
Skul: The Hero Slayer is lovely, action-packed, and full of excellent choices. Repetition can set in rather quickly due to tedious bosses, and a single crash can ruin an entire run, but it's one of the better action rogue-lites I've had the pleasure to dump some time into.
Skellboy is an entertaining, brisk adventure. The general mechanics are solid, and it's hard not to like switching out body parts, even if the combat could use more immediacy. Fans of action-adventure games and 2D pixel art will likely have a good time.
Override 2 has a lot to offer prospective players. From its satisfying, enjoyable combat to its varied, colorful stages and mode options, the game has everything it needs. Except for people playing it.
Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.
Call of the Sea might have an overly familiar premise and some less-than-stellar puzzles, but it's a gorgeous, enjoyable game boosted by strong production values and involved world design.
Twin Mirror won't win any awards for creativity or interesting narrative choices, but it's strong themes that tie the entire experience together make it well worth the price of admission.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is an excellent game filled with satisfying activities, wonderful movement, and action-packed combat. There's a significant amount of content here and it completely dodges the copy-pasted nature of Odyssey, making for an open world worth exploring.
I wanted to like this one but it gets in its own way all too often. It probably would have been a better choice to continue to polish the mechanics, game flow, and animations, since what the game offers just isn't good enough.
The Pathless is a lovely game that just begs to be explored. The serenity it can provide and the satisfying feeling of locating rewards make it an experience that can be easily recommended.
It's derivative, only has three zones, and doesn't have much to offer besides its combat, but Godfall will be enjoyable to anyone who just wants a well-tuned, good-looking action RPG to slash their way through.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a deep, intriguing game that makes some poor design decisions and fails to clarify itself. The mechanics are interesting and unique but its got a hell of a learning curve.
It uses some pre-made assets, has unbalanced difficulty, and it's completely ridiculous, but Time to Stop Time is a lot of fun.
YesterMorrow is a thoroughly enjoyable, challenging 2D platformer with excellent pixel artwork and lots of familiar tropes. No one will be impressed by the story or the uniqueness of anything it has to offer, but the consistently strong game design and tight controls make it well worth playing all the same.
With beautiful visuals, excellent controls, and a ton of content, Dirt 5 has a lot to offer players, especially with how lenient and easy-going the game's structure is.
Solid in some ways, less-than-desired in others, Pacer is a fairly good futuristic racing game with some caveats.
The game's excellent presentation goes wonderfully with its surprising amount of variety. The game might not be scary, but it is thought-provoking and unique, which makes it more than worth a look from narrative adventure fans.