Although my journey throughout the world of Acrea has been enjoyable, I think that some of the design choices drag the gameplay experience down rather than enriching it. The basic crafting system feels like it’s been added to gate the loot (armors and weapons), while the character progression for both protagonists is quite linear and uninteresting.
Wartales is the perfect game for those who love turn-based action and min-maxing their characters. The progression system is well-thought to keep you engaged while you explore each map. Combat and crafting are two other complementary systems that add extra layers of strategy.
The adventure game genre has been revived in the last couple of years, so it has become harder for such a game to stand out. Rendezvous is trying to offer its own take on the genre by adding action elements, but more often than not it’s these moments that make the game worse.
Despite some shortcomings, Octopath Traveler II is one of the best JRPGs of the year. It’s nice to know that developers have took all feedback to heart and addressed the main issues with the original game, while adding new mechanics and improvements across the board.
It’s rare these days for a survival game to put narrative and resource management mechanics on the same level, and do both very well. Overall, I think The Pale Beyond tells a captivating story while torturing players into finding the best solutions for keeping their crew alive.
Wo Long: Dynasty Fallen is pretty much a more approachable version of Nioh, but with some very interesting twists on the formula. Despite the fact that many of the mechanics and the gear might seem intimidating at first glance, you’ll do just fine strapping on the armor with the highest stats and disregard any of the suffixes and bonuses they provide.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is a well-written, very classy point & click adventure game with an interesting ending that might be hard to digest. Thomasina’s fate feels like it’s been sealed long before the young archeologist arrives in the small town stuck in time. There’s a certain inevitability to her story that makes the ending even more sad than it is.
Atomic Heart has all the premises for a great game. That is why so frustrating that Mundifsh dropped the ball by trying to do too much, and botching up some gameplay mechanics, and also by releasing a game that desperately would have needed more time for fixing the bugs that poison the experience. And while the latter can be solved through patches, some peculiar game design choices and compromises take away from the overall value.
From many points of view Deliver Us Mars feels a step forward compared to the previous game, but it also feels like it was maybe a tad too ambitious for the development team. They managed to tell an interesting story, but often the immersion and the engagement are broken by weird choices. A gripping story doesn't manage to elevate its status to "must play," but it's clearly a step up from the studio's previous game.
Hogwarts Legacy perfectly manages to capture the charm and wonder of the Wizarding World universe. Everything in the game is thoughtfully implemented to offer players that unique feeling that you’re sharing the same world as Harry Potter.
Dead Space is more than just the fantasy of any fan of the original game – it feels like the developers once again wanted to prove that their game is the gold standard in its genre. The fine folks at Motive Studio tweaked the experience in the right places to make the game feel fresh without weighing it down with unnecessary bling.
Overall SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake manages to hit the mark it set out to achieve. The game is light, entertaining, and a must for the fans of the series. As far as flaws go, the combat is flat, the platforming could have been more accurate, and SpongeBob’s banter could be less repetitive to the point of becoming annoying.
SEASON: A letter to the future is like a vertical slice of an entire experience. It feels like a part of something bigger and leaves you with plenty of questions, and also wanting more. It is just like life in the sense that it does not give you what you want, and it is up to you to figure out what is going on. The story does a great job creating an immersive atmosphere, but it does not really give a sense of fulfillment. The lack of a proper conclusion leaves things wide open.
Children of Silentown applies the same formula to the traditional point & click adventure genre but augments it with some interesting elements like a unique art style and some really interesting puzzles. Although it does manage to be intriguing and keep you engaged till the end, it fails to deliver the conclusion of an otherwise enjoyable journey.
The conclusion of the Norse Saga starring Kratos and Atreus is most certainly the best part in the series. God of War Ragnarok take the formula from the previous game and refines it to almost perfection. If God of War (2018) is seen as a masterpiece, God of War Ragnarok sits one tier above, in a league of its own.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the perfect Switch exclusive. The game marvelously captures the playful spirit of the Mario universe, while offering some serious tactical strategy options for those looking for fix for their XCOM addiction.
The Case of the Golden Idol is a tight adventure with good mechanics, excellent design for all the scenes, and great presentation. Players should try to play a sequence at a time, savor the clues and avoid relying on the hint system as much as possible.
SuperPower 3 is a massive game that will require time and patience from anyone who wants to understand all the mechanics and try out all the scenarios. But there are no grand strategy games set during modern times that allow a player to choose Brazil and try to become a nuclear-powered Southern Hemisphere hegemon and other outlandish ideas.
Serial Cleaners has a very solid core idea and adds just enough variety with its four characters to make each level feel engaging and unique. I like solving the puzzle of how to get all the bodies while attracting as little attention as possible. The strength of the gameplay makes it easier to ignore the more undercooked elements of the narrative.
Wayward Strand in many aspects is just like an elderly who takes their times and cannot be rushed. The dialogues cannot be skipped, the characters cannot be hurried and every event unfolds following its own pace. Some stories are almost boring, while others carry a heavy emotional load.