The Eternal Cylinder is a gorgeous adventure game that features one of the most compelling stories I've seen in years. Its strict linearity may be frustrating for some, but that slight downside is vastly outweighed by this game's many strengths.
Medieval Dynasty is a survival RPG that manages to stand out in the oversaturated market that it occupies. By combining ideas from several other popular franchises, developer Render Cube has managed to create a genuinely unique product. Its story hardly stacks up against AAA RPGs like The Elder Scrolls but it's good enough given the game's many other strengths.
A decent skateboarding game with an entertaining theme and quirk. The physics and visuals imperfections hold it back for sure, but there's still enough there to have a good few hours of fun.
Assuming that you're not playing this kind of game for the relationship aspects, Pioneers of Olive Town is a good farming RPG. It continues many of the long-established trends of the Harvest Moon series, whilst adding in some welcome quality of life improvements. Although perhaps not quite on Stardew Valley's level, this is still a game that is worth playing and one that genre fans will enjoy. As a bonus, thanks to it now being on PC you don't have to deal with the Switch version's various performance issues.
Tales of Arise is a genuinely exceptional JRPG that does little wrong. The reworked combat mechanics aren't perfect, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't matter. Its storytelling, character development, visuals, accessibility, and PC version quality have all been produced to world-class standards. Bandai Namco should be proud, and fans should be thrilled.
When Kitaria Fables works it works really well. But when its issues begin to arise, the experience of playing through it can get awfully frustrating. These unnecessary design oversights detract from the game's clear strengths. Regardless, it isn't bad, and given its relatively cheap retail price, it is probably worth giving a shot.
Patron is effectively a more difficult version of Banished. But there are enough subtle differences to differentiate them and the game's overall polish is fantastic.
Button City is a good game that most people will have a fun time playing through. For just $20, it's reasonably priced and does a good job of putting a smile on your face. However, there is a missed opportunity to further explore certain topics which holds back the narrative's huge potential to be something more.
There are some good ideas present and it looks far more promising than most of the Football Manager clones that have come and gone.
Although certainly not extraordinary, MotoGP 21 is a decent enough racing game. Some more innovation would have been nice but given the complications caused by COVID, I can understand the limitations in place. Series veterans will most likely enjoy this but I can't see it attracting many newcomers with so many great racing options already on the market.
Although it would have been nice to see a little more innovation from Cold Steel III, this finale to the Erebonia arc is still one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The world-building and character development are as exquisite as ever, while the gameplay mechanics are still well above average, albeit unextraordinary. Regardless, assuming you have played at least Cold Steel III and know enough about the Trails lore, this latest addition is well worth your time.
Dandy Ace is a sensational roguelike that can contend with the very best the genre has to offer. Although gameplay can get a little repetitive, its colorful visuals and well-thought-out combat mechanics more than make up for that. This is a challenging yet fun game that is well worth your time.
Eximius: Seize the Frontline attempts to implement some interesting ideas and design concepts. However, an array of technical problems and lack of polish hold back what could have been a great title. Perhaps with some more development time, Eximius can eventually fulfill its huge potential.
Rogue Heroes isn't trying to be extraordinary, but for that very reason it ends up being a fantastic game. By not falling into the trap of doing too much, Heliocentric has delivered one of the best Zelda-inspired action RPGs on the market. And at such a modest price, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not at least try Rogue Heroes.
Even though Kinetic Edge is by no means spectacular, it does achieve what it sets out to do. This is a platformer that is easy to get into, which can be great fun with some friends. Its striking visuals also help differentiate it. Despite its shortcomings, there are more positives than negatives on display. All in all, it is a good game that comfortably justifies its price tag.
An extremely fun and cozy adventure game that will have any animal lovers smiling in no time. A handful of bugs and performance issues do impact gameplay somewhat but it's easy to overlook given Alba's creative brilliance. I would have preferred a slightly longer story but that aside this is one of the best indie games I've played in years. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not at least giving it a try.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is an interesting game. It does a lot of things right and is the prototypical mystery dungeon title. And if that's all you want, then look no further. But I suspect most people are going to find the dungeons frustrating and the permanent death mechanic infuriating. This is an acquired taste that you'll either love or hate. Unfortunately, my personal feelings fall closer to the latter.
A noticeable improvement over last year's installment. Football Manager 2021 addresses many of my personal peeves with the series whilst keeping the core design philosophy of the franchise intact. However, it is lacking a little in the way of new game-changing features and the few added haven't been implemented too well.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a good game that should be easier to stomach for franchise veterans than Modern Warfare. The campaign is fulfilling, albeit short. The faster-paced multiplayer is also easy enough to jump into and have fun with. It's just a shame that I can't shake that feeling that Treyarch's true vision has been held back by Activision forcing its ideals onto them.
Whilst certainly unique and interesting, Supermarket Shriek does have its limitations. As a single-player game, it struggled to keep my attention and the gameplay is fairly repetitive. But if you do have a spare friend and a couple of microphones to use there's potential for some good fun.