The Ratline challenges players to find Nazi criminals using nothing more than their own brainpower, limited starting information, and the ability to chat up people and search an archive. Its mysteries are inspired by history, with plenty of details that will probably lead some to learn more about World War II and the real ratline but also have plenty of solid fictional twists and turns.
The title’s voice acting is impressive, and I appreciate the effort to offer more biome variety, even if Lana’s animations aren’t always great. Anyone who loves the protagonists and the immersive use of an alien language should play the sequel. Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a good sequel that still impresses with its atmosphere, even as some of its new gameplay ideas don’t fully deliver.
It's also nice to see that the game’s performance is outstanding, and the co-op aspect is one of the highlights. Yes, it’s not a very long game, but it tells a very refreshing story that we can easily connect with challenging moments in our lives. Plus, mechanics like scuba diving or driving break the mold, while offering yet another way to experience this troublesome, yet beautiful world they created.
There’s no doubt that Nioh 3 is the best game in the series. Even though everything has been streamlined and made easier and more fun, it’s hard to make a Nioh game easy for a newcomer to the series. There are two things that will help new players from having an easier time in Nioh 3. One of them is reading each of the dedicated tutorials in the game. The second one is simply practicing everything that the game teaches you.
The mechanics are easy to pick up, while the puzzles aren’t egregiously illogical. This is an experience best enjoyed in sessions of around two hours, or shorter if the puzzles become annoying. Earth Must Die is proof that decent writing paired with classic gameplay is still a good combination for modern adventure games.
Pathologic 3 is the most approachable title in the series, offering a good mix of narrative, carefully crafted atmosphere, management elements, and tense infected district sections. Players need to diagnose patients correctly to stand a chance of keeping the population alive, which in turn earns the time needed to discover all the town’s secrets.
UNBEATABLE is a labor of love, a game that celebrates music and wants players to love its tunes and vibe with them. The story is not always entirely coherent, but all the characters are lovely to interact with. The visual style is clearly anime-inspired but has unique touches, even if the world can seem a little empty. The game’s music is so good that even the menu tracks are bangers.
At first, I had no idea what to expect from Dreams of Another, as screenshots and trailers don’t make it justice. It seems like a generic, pixelated shooter, although the game is much more than that. It’s a game that focuses on creating a great, different experience, and it mostly sticks the landing in my opinion. Yes, it’s not flawless, nor does it try to be.
Football Manager 26 is a good step forward when it comes to engine and tactics, but it can frustrate many long-term fans. I like the dual approach to tactical choices, and I feel that the title reflects real-world trends. The match day experience is good, and the integration of women’s football adds a new dimension to the sim.
It’s always a thrill to see dinos go out of the incubation center for the first time. Plus, there are tons of diverse species, from megalodons to t-rex, triceratops and so on. Plus, you have hybrid species in there as well. Jurassic World Evolution 3 streamlines the interface, adds baby dinos, and the scenario mode is quite impressive, despite not topping Chaos Theory from the previous title. But all in all, Jurassic World Evolution 3 is a lot of fun, and it’s one of the best theme park games out there.
But even so, Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a great experience if you want to enjoy a wonderful story. There are lots of gags in there, and they don’t shy away from adding some creative gameplay ideas. Sure, there are small frustrations, like stiff animations at times or bad inventory management, but that didn’t push me away from the game. If anything, it’s a solid game that certainly earns its spot as one of the best adventure games in the past few years.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is not just an enhanced version of the original, it’s the best way to experience what’s been considered the best tactical RPG of all time. The addition of a revised script and fully voiced dialog makes a very big difference.
I’ve had a lot of fun exploring Silent Hill F’s stunning town and story, and I am glad to say that this is by far my favorite Silent Hill game to date. After playing the Silent Hill 2 remake, I thought that would be the epitome of the series, but this new one is even better. It retains the aura and style of the series, while adding more combat to it, and exploring an entirely new location. It’s not a very long game, but it’s intense and visceral at times, not to mention profound and extremely immersive.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a good game that works within the confines of the stealth genre and doesn’t aim to innovate much. The city itself is well-designed and fun to explore, but the mechanics don’t evolve much and can become frustrating if players aren’t interested in the story.
Monster Train 2 is a successful follow-up to a very good game.
Elden Ring Nightreign impressed me with its clever gameplay, stunning game world, but also numerous nightlords and enemy design. Sure, there were some issues at launch, but those were mostly ironed out, and matchmaking now runs very well. Of course, you can still choose to go on solo expeditions, if playing with others is not your cup of tea.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is a nice detective game that plays everything a little too safe. The idea of taking the hero out of the city is a good one and I like all the characters. Some very high stakes emerge later in the narrative that feel unearned, but I mostly like the light tone and the way characters interact with each other.
As a whole, I found Crashlands 2 to deliver that quirky, beautiful and engaging isometric survival experience I always wanted. I enjoyed the first one quite a lot, but I can happily say this new one blows it out of the water. The plot is great, the game is easy to get into, and there’s plenty of replay value, along with some cool end-game activities you can do over and over.
Sure, Old Skies doesn’t have flashy graphics, they went with rather old school visuals, but for me, those stand out and make the game world very immersive. The voice overs are on point, and the dialog is very creative, although it can drag at times. All in all, Old Skies is interesting, exciting, and a breath of fresh air for the genre, especially with its time travel shenanigans.
Expelled! might be built on the bones of Overboard! but it manages to improve on it both mechanically and in terms of story. Verity is a great protagonist, and the many mysteries linked to the characters and the school itself are a pleasure to unravel. A run can end in 15 minutes and in utter failure but still feel like progress.