Andrew Farrell
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.
An amazing game only dragged down a bit by luck or prior knowledge being required to make it through side areas earlier, plus the most unnecessary bit of artificial difficulty I've seen in recent years. It's called the Ruins of Trash and I just wanted to say that one more time. I'd write that on a brick and throw it through a window if I could.
Deftly written, smart, and consistently clever, The Forgotten City makes for a rousing, spirited adventure that is well worth taking part in. I wish it were longer, but that doesn't do much to knock what has been accomplished here.
And there you have it. Tales of Arise is a good port on PC, save for my R2 button. It doesn’t have the vastest array of settings, but it gets the job done.
Striking, peaceful, and wholly focused on exploring at your own pace, Sable is a joy to play. The optimization could use some serious work, but this is an extremely compelling game that offers a better open-world experience than many AAA developers have crafted.
A psychological horror game with a focus on narrative consistency and gameplay variety, In Sound Mind is a great time due to excellent pacing, level design, and pure ingenuity, even if it's not particularly scary.
Beautiful, funny, and full of heart, Echo Generation is uncompromising in its aims and successful at accomplishing what it sets out to do, even if people without a certain fondness for adventure games and turn-based RPGs might be a bit turned off by its focus.
With fast movement, an interconnected, memorable world, and plenty of tools at the player's disposal, Treasures of the Aegean offers up a lot of enjoyable gameplay and level design.
A port surprisingly free of graphics options still benefits from being the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous way to play an amazing game.
Not quite as good as its predecessor in some ways and notably better in others, AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is a must-play for fans anime-styled narrative games.
Despite the occasional bug, Dead Space is a faithful, fantastic remake of a beloved game.
Alan Wake 2 is a marvel, serving up intense gameplay, a twisty, dark story, and more secrets and surprises than you could possibly imagine. Remedy has outdone itself here, delivering a truly remarkable experience.
Not being able to turn the ever-present bright flashes off is a shame, but Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a ridiculously unique, captivating game that is very much worth puzzling through.
When looked at as a whole, RoboCop: Rogue City is a shockingly complete package with terrific gameplay and level design that offers room for player agency. Its presentation belies its budget in spots (although the actual levels and pieces of geometry are solid), but this is some of the most fun I’ve had gaming this year. Fans of first-person shooters or lite-RPGs along the likes of Fallout will likely have a blast cleaning up the streets of Detroit.
Necrobarista won't be everybody's cuppa coffee, but it's an excellent visual novel with strong writing and visuals.
New Super Lucky's Tale may not break new ground but it's an excellent example of a modern platformer, familiarity and all.
Sheepo has a charming aesthetic, tight gameplay, and an excellently balanced level of difficulty. It's short but the length feels just right all the same.
Serious Sam 4 has everything fans of the series could want and more. The fights are chaotic and extremely violent and the gunplay is the best its ever been. It can get a bit redundant and it overpromised on certain features, but anyone looking to demolish thousands of aliens will find tons to love here.
Noita isn't for everybody, but anyone who loves to learn a game's intricacies while getting mercilessly slaughtered at the drop of a hat will find a lot to enjoy.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a great beat-em-up with excellent combat and a strong presentation. It won't take you very long but it's a blast while it lasts.