As a prequel to the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle – Hundred Heroes, Rising does a really good job at introducing players to the universe. Its simple, tight combat mechanics and smart level design elevate it from other side-scrolling action-adventure games.
Card Shark has an interesting idea and the historical background could make for a fascinating exploration of a period rarely featured in non-strategy titles. It also has a unique presentation, that manages to comment on the era without aiming for accuracy. I wanted to learn more about the context Saint-Germain was operating in and why and how card tricks were created and deployed.
Tennis Manager 2022 is a solid entry into the sports management genre, but it needs to refine its mechanics to become a good fantasy fulfillment vehicle for tennis fans. The development team has put in the effort to gather and present information in useful ways, giving gamers plenty of ways to tweak tactics and motivate their players. Tournaments are well simulated, with stars reacting naturally when they hit a good or bad streak.
Floppy Knights has a clear mechanical core and executes it well. The tactical and card puzzles of the levels are well-designed, with plenty of scope for experimentation and moments of surprise. Making progress can be surprisingly hard, given its cute presentation, for players who don’t examine enemy capabilities and prepare potential moves at least one turn in advance.
Eternal Threads has an intriguing idea at its core and its small scope means that it can introduce a lot of detail to a situation, challenging players to find out everything they can before making choices. It will be interesting to see if gamers actually connect with the characters as written or if they don’t bother to get the best outcomes for the entire cast.
orbit.industries is a good management experience that will appeal to anyone who has ever sketched a space station in a notebook or thought about the complexities of building in orbit. Its three core systems might not seem too deep, taken individually, but they interact to create satisfying complexity. It is hard but cool to put together a space station that functions as close to optimal as possible and also looks suitably sci-fi.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is one of the best Warhammer games I played in a very long time. Although it’s not perfect, the character classes and mechanics are even deeper than what we’ve been taking as the standard, XCOM. The strategic layer is much more evolved than any similar turn-based game thanks to the addition of random events and the choices you have to make throughout the campaign.
Citizen Sleeper creates a strong universe and gives the main character an engaging story with plenty of choices. Erlin’s Eye feels like a small part of a well-designed narrative space that can support more exploration. The visual design fits in with the wider themes of the game and the characters never become preachy.
Kaiju Wars is the sort of video game that understands that huge monsters make for incredible threats, which in turn allows players to derive a lot of satisfaction from stopping them in their tracks. The game has the narrative, the mechanics, the scenario design, and the presentation to keep gamers always engaged, guessing how they can pick up an extra medal or tackle a mission on Hard.
Trek to Yomi makes a great first impression. The black and white, combined with the first uses of the combat system, suggests an experience that will allow players to step into the sandals of a samurai. The story might not be extraordinary but there’s enough sentiment in it to keep players engaged.
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is a clear departure from the King Arthur titles that Neocore Games is known for. It’s not just the new setting, but also the combat mechanics and the management aspect of your base of operations that makes the game very engaging.
Galactic Civilizations IV has a solid foundation, in terms of mechanics and presentation, but needs to add polish. I like the wide-ranging customization offered at the start of a campaign and how the early game moves. But the experience needs more excitement for the middle game and extra variety in terms of events and challenges.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is clearly not for everyone. Although it’s not particularly scary, it can definitely cause fatigue due to the haunting, unnerving atmosphere. More often than not, the game feels very depressive, but it’s impossible not to recognize Tango Gameworks’ ability to create unique, interesting worlds to explore.
Trolley Problem, Inc. could be the first entry in a series of philosophy-focused gaming experiences. It does a good job of adding a layer of solid presentation to thought experiments, some centered on classic ethics, and some linked to modern life issues. The idea of comparing choices with the developer and other players is also a solid one. I also appreciate the in-depth reading list provided and how references are offered for each dilemma.
Royal Frontier is a simple game that can serve as an introduction to the rogue space but does not have the unique or interesting elements of the best of its genre. Combat is interesting at first but becomes rote very quickly. Unlocking new blessings does not feel important or cool enough to keep players engaged.
Insurmountable gains a new gameplay layer with the 2.0 update, which gives the experience a clearer structure and players more clear goals to aim for. Climbing peaks, with limited resources and careful planning, continues to be compelling. There are plenty of strategies to try out, many events to deal with, some mysteries to untangle.
Circle Empires Tactics is an interesting take on strategy, with a focus on small engagements and careful preparation. I like the fact that the options to restart an engagement is always available, allowing players to try out ideas and push for success. The repetitive nature of the entire experience can only succeed if the price for failure is small and the developers understand this.
Despite the optimization issues, the network problems with the Shift servers that cause momentarily framerate drops, the fact that there are some unexplainable crashes and various bugs, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a truly wonderful experience for all Borderlands fans. It is different enough, so veterans won’t see it just a reskin, and familiar enough to get lost in the game world.
Forgive Me Father is a good first-person shooter that, despite embracing the retro concept, does not rely on nostalgia to draw players in. I played it relatively cautiously, conserving ammo when I could, and I didn’t feel like the madness system worked against me. But the game is at its best in the big arena fights, with big groups of enemies, a shredding soundtrack, and no option but to take the fight to them.
Nightmare Reaper is a good retro FPS experience that will be incredibly satisfying to all gamers who liked the genre since Wolfenstein and have kept up with its recent evolution. Shooting enemies, juggling weapons, and looking for secrets, all these ideas work well. There’s enough difficulty to make progress a challenge without too much frustration and death is never the end.