The arcade aesthetic, fast-paced platforming action, and gradual drip-feed of unlocks in Firegirl make for an entertaining gameplay loop, especially when considering its subject matter. The game is still rough around the edges and its technical faults can act as annoying setbacks during play, but Firegirl still offers a fresh take on the roguelike genre, with its endless procession of towering infernos putting the skills of even the sharpest platformer fan to the test.
Before Your Eyes is a difficult game to discuss, as so much of its appeal comes from reveals that would spoil the story. The game offers a truly unique experience that utilizes the medium of the video game perfectly to enhance its story. The technical flaws are frustrating, but they're likely impossible to avoid in a game like this, and people who can overlook the control issues will find a phenomenal story about life and death as seen through the eyes of another.
Shadow Warrior 3 is a first-person shooter that is packed with action and it will be enjoyable to those who love carving up hordes of monsters.
True to its name, Stranger of Paradise is a bizarre game. The combat is so much fun that it carries the rest of the disjointed process to the finish line. Those looking for an easier Soulslike experience with a lot of Final Fantasy fanservice will find a lot to love in Stranger of Paradise, as will those who found Elden Ring unnecessarily punishing. Stranger of Paradise is a lot of fun, so long as the player takes on Jack's mindset, and only focuses on killing Chaos and doesn't think too hard about anything else.
P4A Ultimax is the fighter for Persona fans.
Forgive Me Father's single-player campaign lasts around eight hours and there's never a dull moment to be had. The game is challenging and the player will need to use every resource at their disposal to survive each stage, but it offers that Soulslike feeling of satisfaction when overcoming overwhelming odds. There has been a revival for retro shooters on modern platforms in recent years, with games like Doom 64 and Quake coming to modern platforms, and Forgive Me Father proves that there's room for new games in the genre that retain everything that makes them fun while adding some new elements to spice things up.
There was some reticence from the Vampire: The Masquerade fanbase when Bloodhunt was announced, due to how incompatible the setting of the tabletop RPG is with a battle royale. Is Bloodhunt accurate to the world of Vampire: The Masquerade? Absolutely not, but that doesn't stop it from being a blast to play. Bloodhunt is a super-powered gothic vampire battle royale that offers a more adult tone and faster-paced action than its contemporaries.
It's possible to restart each chapter of Swansong if the player wants a do-over, but that's not the best way to experience the game. Swansong should be treated like an ironman experience, as it is tough on player consequences. Swansong tells an excellent story about betrayal and bloodshed, which can play out in a number of different ways, and the player has a staggering number of options for how they want to proceed. Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong has some design and technical hiccups, but it offers a dark and compelling story that is told in a unique manner, where situations must be resolved through deduction and intelligence, and each choice puts the player further down the path to victory or defeat.
Daemonhunters is a challenging game and can often tip the scales a little too hard against the player, but overcoming the odds is part of what makes it fun. Fans of the strategy genre who are seeking to be tested should check it out, as should fans of Warhammer 40k, as Daemonhunters is one of the best games to ever hold the Warhammer 40k license, even with its brutal difficulty.
The Legend of Wright is a unique title that really captures a moment in time. It perfectly encapsulates the nostalgia for the days of old-school RPGs and creating games during lunchtime with school friends. Kenta's game doesn't last for long and it has some frustrating moments, but The Legend of Wright is worth experiencing, as there is nothing else like it out there, and its shortcomings can easily be forgiven due to its overwhelming charm.
Steelrising is a fast-paced Soulslike set during the French Revolution, with fluid combat and expansive levels to explore.
Moonscars is an amalgamation of different ideas merged into one 2D Soulslike package, and while a few feel undercooked, the rest manage to tie everything together into an excellent action-RPG experience. The gorgeous visuals are also worth experiencing, as it's rare to see a gameplay pull off an art style as well as Moonscars. The dark world of the clayborne is a fascinating and deadly one, and like its clay protagonist, the player only gets stronger as each death reshapes them.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn has some great updates over its predecessor, but some changes work to the game's detriment, and concepts like the level cap would have been better served as the basis for a higher difficulty mode. Tactics Ogre: Reborn can be a punishing and sometimes unfair experience, but those who rise to the challenge will find a lot of content to explore, an engaging story to experience, and a fantastic battle system to master.
Ultimately, Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is a cleaned-up repackaging of one of the most visually basic PC games of all time, with the Dragon Quest overworld-style sprites of the original brought to life in a whole new way. The gameplay is still as gratifying as ever, with countless hours of content on offer to those who want to master the art of dungeon crawling. While it might be light on brand-new content for the veterans, it's still a filling experience for those who want to gorge themselves on numbers wrapped up in images of monsters and spells, especially one that keeps you wanting to play a little more.
The Layers of Fear experience can be favorably compared to the Ocean House Hotel sequence from Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, with its slow build-up of dread followed by some excellent pay-offs. The gradual reveal of its story and the decaying of the minds of its protagonists is fascinating to experience in real-time, and there are even multiple endings to seek out, should you wish to squeeze more from the runtime, so long as you’re willing to endure all of the chases again.
At its heart, Master Detective Archives is a story-based game, especially as it acts as a visual novel for portions of its runtime. If you can be patient and enjoy the slower sections alongside the fast-paced ones, then you’ll find a lot to love in this game. It’s a shame Master Detectives Archives doesn’t quite nail the gameplay/story balance. Still, the process of actually solving the crimes and conquering the Mystery Labryinths manages to carry the parts that drag and make for a satisfying experience, as the layers of secrets of Kanai Ward are slowly peeled away.
Final Fantasy 16 works on many levels, with a fantastic story and addictive combat system that keeps you coming back for me, along with incredible visuals that bring the world of Valisthea to life like no entry in the series before it, and I’m including Midgar from FF7 Remake in that comparison. On the other hand, you also have some of the MMO traits that hold it back from being a true classic, with a lot of pointless side quests and a few underwhelming game systems that feel as if they’re designed to waste time, in a game that doesn’t need its runtime extended.
Fate/Samurai Remnant works as an excellent introduction to its franchise. A few issues aside, the combat system is fantastic and pulls off the difficult task of remaining fun over a lengthy runtime, which is something that similar titles can struggle with. The story is also superb and acts as the main motivator for you to pull out your sword as you push forward into the next mob of enemies.
Ancestors Legacy is a fast-paced strategy game with a lot of micro-managing.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is about freedom in more ways than one.