The cinematic beauty of Stela can't be understated and I wholeheartedly hope that Skybox Labs expands on Stela because this beautiful and challenging world is one I need more of.
Overall, LUNA: The Shadow Dust is a must-buy for fans of puzzle games or if you’re looking for a beautiful game to decompress to. As a point and click, the game isn’t stressful and the music is both serene and grand that it lulls you and before you know it, you’ve finished the game. While it isn’t incredibly long, the simplicity is worth the price tag because of how beautiful the art and story are.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is a visually stunning, heartfelt, and welcoming game for everyone and easily lands the honor of being my game of the year.
Boyfriend Dungeon is the perfect combo of thirsty and thoughtful. Whether it’s the deliberate decision to embrace an inclusive gameplay experience or the choice to use the characters you meet to explore insecurities and then fight those fears in the dunj, this game succeeds in hitting the feels.
Legends of Kenzera: ZAU is a triumph of storytelling. It's immersive and thoughtful in every element of Zau's journey. But the narrative, for all of its impact, doesn't stand alone. Instead, the difficulty and complexity of traversing Kenzera complement and add a tactile nature to the emotional endeavor of moving through grief.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is excellent and joyful and has just the right amount of chaos thanks to that Rabbids touch. The dev team has put time and care into the humor as much as the gameplay and I can't name a single time I felt bored or unconnected to the material. For those looking to pick up a game they can sink happy hours into, this is it. This is the perfect gateway to the tactics genre for any age and a true testament to the originality and beauty of collaborations.
Ivy Road has made a game that has impact and one that doesn’t change its protagonist, but you, the player, too. Wanderstop is monumental because it provides comfort by simply giving us all permission to slow down.
Overall Journey to the Savage Planet is a lot of fun, and the open-world serves up a place for you to spend hours in.
RKGK is an astounding debut game from Wabisabi Games. It is a platformer that wears its inspirations on its sleeves but never once feels like a derivative. Instead, RKGK shows the power of growing from the media you love and using it to create something special and unique.
Path of Exile 2‘s difficulty, combat, art, and map designs are something that keep pulling you in. No matter how many times you die, or how many times you have to adjust your build, you just keep coming right back. This is a game that is firing on absolutely all cylinders and shows no signs of slowing down.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is your new favorite cozy exploration game. While it looks similar to others in the genre, once you start playing, the truth is that there is nothing like Hello Kitty Island Adventure when it comes to exploration.
Even when you pull it all together with Horizon Arcade missions like hitting piñatas just work so well. It's clear that a lot of love went into Forza Horizon 5. You can see it in the car selection. You can see it in the environmental design. You can hear it in the playlists. This game thrives on a culture of love that is baked into every gameplay element. In every way, Forza Horizon 5 is a love letter to Mexicans, and it's one I'm thrilled that I opened.
You look through the film, and while a lot of it seems unimportant, you slowly begin to see a world larger and deeper than Marcel herself. Without spoiling anything, all I will say is that once the narrative emerges, it's one that you can't pull yourself away from. Given the complete control the player is given, it's a feat of execution Half Mermaid deserves all the credit for.
Overall, “Return to Jurassic Park” is a wonderful and expansive DLC. Instead of just dropping in nostalgic designs, this expansion goes above and beyond to craft a new gameplay experience for players. Which, at a $19.99 price, is the best thing about it.
Neversong is a challenging cinematic platformer with beauty, whimsy, and elements of horror, that has a touching story to tell. While the game will be frustrating for some, it’s a challenge worth undertaking especially on the Nintendo Switch. While the game was out on PC before, the Switch is the perfect platform for both the game-type and design of the game.
Overall, Parkasaurus is a wonderful management simulator. There are intricacies to the management system that will delight hardcore sim players. That said, simplified building mechanics, specifically the grid feature and color-coding biome environment elements help to break down some of the more daunting characteristics of the game-type for newcomers. Plus, who doesn’t want an exhibit of T-Rexes in witch’s hats?
“Seat of Power” is a relatively small DLC, where other like the “Sunken Treasures” and “The Passage” added more to the World Map, this one’s impact is more about how you can add both difficulties and ease to your playthroughs, by adding a new mechanic to city management. With that goal, “Seat of Power” succeeds and is a wonderful addition to the Anno 1800 and start to the game’s season 2.
Monster Camp is an accessible and fun dating sim that allows each player to create an experience that works for them while also providing a story and cast of characters that will pull anyone in. Monster Prom was a phenomenal dating adventure and Monster Camp hits that high benchmark as well.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a strong game, it’s a contender for game of the year and it’s ultimately one well worth playing. It’s a stunningly astute and whimsical take on death, life, and where we fit in all of it. The game is about Kena finding her place and helping others find there’s too. Beautiful, immersive, and dynamic, I can’t recommend this game enough.
Even with its faults that can easily be patched up, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is an absolute love letter to the property and one that any fan should be excited to play. Yes, the gameplay is excellent, but for this game, it's all about the characters. It's about small moments, big moments, and everything in between.