I didn’t know what to expect from UNSIGHTED, but all I know is that I was pleasantly surprised by the results. It’s a game that features a really fun and fast-paced combat system, with some excellent world design, all tied together by a really unique time mechanic. This might be a game that will fly under everyone’s radar, but I would highly recommend UNSIGHTED to anyone looking for a good challenge or a fun world to explore.
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is a massive improvement over a game that while pretty good for its time, had its fair share of flaws. Not only does it improve upon the original title’s shortcomings, but it also doubles its overall size with new areas to explore and new mechanics to abuse.
In Sound Mind is an inventive and unique psychological game that pulls together a compelling mystery and unique gameplay mechanics that make every chapter standout. However the messy presentation, pointless stealth and overly long sections bring it down a touch. Don’t fret, though: if you’re a fan of the genre, this has more than enough redeeming qualities to entertain you until the very end.
Tormented Souls is a magnificent return to the classic days of 90’s survival horror, bringing in tense atmospheric environments that successfully replicate the good old days of the genre, especially with its excellent usage dynamic camera. The puzzles are great as well. This is one little gem tailor made for us old-school fans of the genre, who were craving for something more akin to the horror we grew up with back in the day.
It might be a bit too short, and its UI could have been reworked, but I didn’t mind. I had a blast with Severed Steel‘s ultra fast-paced movement-based shooting, complete chaotic vibe and endlessly replayable arcade mode. If you are looking for a game that just drops into a map and tells you to have fun with it and its mechanics, then Severed Steel is an easy recommendation.
I don’t know what I was expecting from GRIME, but its unique absorbing mechanic, fast paced combat, and engaging platforming all come together. Whilst the genre of Souls-like Metroidvania’s might be becoming oversaturated, GRIME does more than enough to be deserving of your attention.
The Ascent is a bloody good time that combines addictive twin-stick shooting, a spectacular cyberpunk world, and a rocking synth soundtrack that elevates every moment to the next level. I never wanted to put the game down, despite some shortcomings.
Chernobylite is a wonderfully unique game with multiple gameplay elements that make it stand out rather than being dumped as just another post-apocalyptic survival game.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a much better game than I could have ever anticipated. It’s a very clever spin on the Monster Hunter formula, with a cutesy art style, turn-based combat that is easy to pick up regardless of your experience with RPG games, a serviceable story, and more than enough depth and sidequests to keep you busy for hours.
Song of Horror was a lot better than I could have ever expected. This is an inventive horror game that brings in scares through permadeath mechanics and unique story-driven moments. It’s a love letter to horror across multiple mediums that is incredibly inventive. Even though it doesn’t quite hit its full potential due to its visual and audio issues, this is a game that every horror fan should try out.
Outbreak: Endless Nightmares is just a bad game. Everything from the awful controls, terrible pseudo-randomised level design, a paper-thin story that I can tell you nothing about, all make for a horrible experience. Then mix in needless roguelike elements that just don’t belong in a Resident Evil style title. It’s a recipe made in hell.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends has potential when it comes to its team-based, stealh-oriented heist gameplay concept. That cannot be discussed. However, issues related to its gameplay and how easily it can be exploited, as well as that overall sense that it’s not bound to retain its community for long, make it quite hard to recommend, even if I’m hopeful the developers will continute to support it over time.
Resident Evil Village doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of my personal favourite game in the franchise, Resident Evil 2 Remake. It does, however, provide one of the best Action Horror gameplay experiences out there. Whilst it may seem like a successor to RE4, there’s a lot of the other games in here as well, making it one of the most complete Resident Evil experiences to date.
For better of for worse, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is pretty much what it was so many years ago. If you didn’t like the original release, then this won’t do much to convince you otherwise, and if you are coming from Automata, this is a weaker game in a lot of ways.
Godstrike is a passable attempt at a boss rush game. It is certainly a brutal challenge that will take dozens of attempts to get through, but it’s just not a very fun experience. There’s some potential here with the time mechanic not only being your health but also a resource that you need to manage. The problem lies on the lacklustre boss battles, which comprise the entirety of the game’s runtime, however.
Monster Hunter Rise is an excellent continuation of the Monster Hunter franchise, feeling more like a refinement to its predecessor's already excellent Iceborne expansion. This is a game I will be coming back to over and over again. I’m very much looking forward to the PC release next year.
Evil Inside is yet another failed attempt to recapture the brilliance of PT in a “full game” format, but it ends up missing the mark in every single way you could possibly imagine. This isn’t scary at all, it’s just boring, uninteresting, and most importantly, annoying, mostly due to the overabundance of loud noises and jump scares. There are much better PT-inspired horror games out there, so don’t fret with this one.
DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2 is a brilliantly designed expansion providing some of the most fun and fast-paced shooting action I’ve ever seen. Each of the DLC’s main missions provide plenty of variety and challenging encounters to really dig into.
Even with its blatant pacing issues, as well as the fact that this is, at the end of the day, an upscaled port of a game originally released three console generations ago, Stubbs the Zombie is still well worth checking out today. The charming story, carefree attitude and unique gameplay is something we really don’t see a lot of these days.
It’s been a surprisingly long time coming for CrossCode: A New Home, and it was definitely worth the wait. It’s an excellent excuse to dive back into the world of CrossCode with its interesting characters and phenomenal combat system. If you are fan of the base game then this DLC will give you a lot more to dig into.