Alone in the Dark had the potential to be a truly great game; I was really rooting for it. All the ingredients are present for a great cosmic horror story with interesting characters and a horror environment that could have been one of the best in years. If that’s all you want, then I would recommend picking this up on sale. However, the lacklustre gameplay, bugs, and weak horror segments bring this experience down. Maybe this franchise should be left Alone in the Dark.
Despite some issues, Ereban Shadow Legacy is an entertaining stealth experience that takes a novel concept and pushes it throughout the entire game. Sneaking around in the shadows is always a good time for stealth fans, and this one will certainly satisfy that itch.
Children of the Sun is a truly unique game worth experiencing that had me hooked for its entire runtime. An engaging puzzle-centric design mixed with an addictive gameplay loop and extremely high replay value. If you are looking for something a little bit weird, then this is the game for you.
Buckshot Roulette is a very short experience, but one that is worth trying out. A uniquely interesting premise that will keep you busy for a couple of hours. Hopefully the developer can expand on this some more, as there is potential for expansion here.
If it wasn’t clear already, Shines Over: The Damned is a really bad game, which isn’t worth your money or your time, even if it lasts just half an hour. It’s a short, but definitely not sweet experience, completely lacking in scares, story, atmosphere, or neat ideas. To make matters worse, it costs way too much for something so short. The easy platinum trophy you can get from it is not worth the pricetag. At its worst, it was a frustrating gameplay experience. At its best, it was an experimental snorefest.
To put it plainly, Helldivers 2 is one of the best cooperative games in recent years. An uncomprisingly fun shooter, which may even stand up with the titans like Left 4 Dead 2, Monster Hunter World and Halo Master Chief Collection. Games like these, as well as Helldivers 2, are the ones I have spent hundreds of hours in, and will most likely continue to play for years to come. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to spread some managed democracy. Freedom don’t come free!
The Thaumaturge is a weird and unique game. It’s engaging from beginning to end, thanks to its great story and timeline based combat system that makes every fight exciting. It’s not perfect, and some pacing issues do slow the game down, especially in the side content, however, it is still well worth your time.
Skull and Bones isn’t the absolute shipwreck that many expected it to be. However, after such a long period of time waiting for this come out, never truly knowing whether or not Ubisoft had actually cancelled it, it’s hard not to be disappointed with this corporate and generic end result. This is a shallow, empty, lifeless experience, where its admittedly solid core gameplay cannot carry the rest of its disappointing elements on its own. There is still some fun to be had, sure, but this isn’t worth the current pricetag, especially with other, much better pirate-themed games available in basically every modern system you can imagine.
Phantom Abyss is an interesting temple runner game that provides fast paced platformer gameplay and an ever escalating level of traps as you move from biome to biome. Despite having interesting ideas that should have spoken to me and my tastes, I didn’t find myself hooked into the game as much as I thought I would. Nothing about it, from its online systems to some of its later levels, did enough to make it worthwhile.
Let me clarify that, whilst Silent Hill: The Short Message wasn’t exactly the kind of game we were all waiting for, it’s not entirely that bad. It’s a mixed bag of a horror experience, with a story which tried to deal with some heavy personal themes (not exactly new ground for the series, mind you), only to fall short in its execution. Regardless, it’s still worth giving a shot. There is stuff to like in here, and let me reiterate the fact that it’s free, and brief. It’s not particularly a risky investment.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell kicks off the year with a great metroidvania title. The fantastic level design and art style make it easy to recommend to fans of the genre, despite some shortcomings. It provides a fantastic entry point for franchise newcomers, and what I’m confident in saying is a great sendoff for long time fans. Anyone looking for a solid metroidvania will have a good time here.
The Finals is one of the most interesting PvP shooters in a long time. A truly unique and refreshingly simple concept that worked out for the better. It is fast paced without being annoying and puts solid teamwork at the forefront of its main game mode. Although there is a lack of content and balance isn’t perfect, The Finals is well worth trying.
Anthology of Fear is one of the most mind-numbing and unremarkable horror games that I’ve played this year. It’s nothing more than a walking simulator, with very few actual moments of tension or effective scares. Not to mention a story that only serves to frustrate and confuse. There are so many better choices out there, so I recommend steering clear of this one.
Thief Simulator 2 is not a bad game, per se. Far from it in fact, with its engaging central premise and core ideas giving a satisfying stealth experience that we don’t see often. However, everything feels surface level and just a little too janky. It reuses way too much of the original and doesn’t making any significant improvements where it was really needed. But there is still some fun to be had with it, if you’re looking for a basic stealth experience.
You Will Die Here Tonight is a fascinating twist on the survival horror genre, taking inspiration from one of the most niche games in the Resident Evil franchise: Gaiden. It has fantastic level designs and almost no hand-holding whatsoever. However, not all these ideas work, leaving You Will Die Here Tonight with a fun, but not entirely solid, spin on the retro horror genre.
Phantom Liberty is a bittersweet ending for Cyberpunk 2077. It’s culmination of all the efforts made to make the game something special. A stellar expansion that dramatically improves on the base experience, whilst delivering an epic spy-thriller storyline.
The Invincible lacks imagination in its gameplay, which is pretty much walking in a straight line, and fails to capture any potentially interesting mechanics. However, The Invincible‘s compelling narrative, strong themes, and great characters make this an experience well worth playing. If you are a fan of science fiction, this is a must-play, assuming you can get past the lacklustre gameplay.
The thirteen-year wait for Alan Wake 2 has been one surrounded by a lot of worry that it wouldn’t live up to the hype or lofty expectations. It is an occasionally uneven experience, but thankfully that doesn’t detract from the overall experience too much. Alan Wake 2 has been well worth the wait and is an absolute must-play.
The Talos Principle 2 is something of a rarity in the gaming space. An extremely high-quality puzzle game that has a deeper meaning within its story, and interactions that make you think in more ways than one. This is on top of its breathtaking visuals, courtesy of the brand new iteration of the Unreal Engine. I cannot recommend it enough to any fans of puzzle games. The Talos Principle 2 is an absolute must-play.
Ghostrunner 2 is an utterly exhilarating and constantly exciting experience. It is bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it is always better than it. It has a few issues here and there, not to mention the fact that some of its additions and overall changes to the formula won’t exactly click with everyone. With that being said, it is still an excellent game.