The Last Case of Benedict Fox isn't a complete failure, but it's hard to experience when there are other better Metroidvania-style titles out there these past few months [...]
[Y]ou don’t even need to be a huge fan of the Vtuber culture to appreciate and have fun with this free 2D fighting game that’s putting a lot of triple-A US$69.90 games to shame in this day and age.
You have to give props to developer Aurogon Shanghai for putting a lot of secrets and areas to explore and conquer, as well as a New Game+ and a couple of extra endings to unlock that try to make sense of the plot involving an amnesiac and her tiny familiar. Afterimage is solid search action bliss that will keep you immersed and engrossed for 20+ hours on end, even if it sounds like a third-party Photoshop plug-in.
Chalk another win for HoYoverse in making an easy-to-get-in JRPG with simple-yet-deep turn-based combat mechanics that enthrals and challenges you simultaneously, at least for the current version we've played. Honkai Star Rail has both style and substance, dishing out triple-A production values while also being backed up with fun turn-based gameplay and a modicum of events and activities to keep you busy on your PC and/or phones for months (or years) to come.
[Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed is] worth your 10-12 hours just for its prequel tale, its eventual conclusion, and its numerous references alone, not to mention some sweet and small additions to the already-fun combat. If you're still halfway through Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or if part 3 is your first game in the series, this DLC is not for you because the majority of your enjoyment for it relies on the callbacks and past nods of previous Xeno titles.
As someone who loves to see smaller studios try their own interpretation at character action using their confined limitations, it's good to see Strayed Lights succeed at what it does while coaxing you with lovely aesthetics and a masterfully-composed Austin Wintory soundtrack.
Even with [some questionable boss fight designs] I still had a blast playing more Horizon Forbidden West thanks to this Burning Shores DLC. And I would go back again to uncover the rest of the map and handle the rest of the sidequests in this, well, sidequest DLC. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores showcases more Aloy as she bonds with someone almost similar to her as well as her maturity given the past events in Forbidden West, features an awesome new territory to explore with more giant machines to take down and loot, and also teases what might come in the eventual Horizon 3.
[D]on't expect Coffee Talk: Episode 2 to be vastly different from the first game; it's more an expansion than a full-fledged sequel in case the title isn't a dead giveaway. You're still getting more stories, resolutions, and continuations from the first game.
The Mageseeker is an enjoyable action RPG experience if you're into 2D pixel art, fun-if-simple action mechanics where you take magic & sling it back, and everything in-between. The League of Legends lore expanding of Demacia and its cast are also a treat, but I'm honestly in it for the simple gameplay loop and the challenges it poses along the way. Keep at it with these spin-off bangers, Riot Forge!
If you like a Flashback or Another World throwback title that kindles your nostalgia, go ahead and jump into Lunark. It'll keep you sated for a few hours with its lush pixel artwork and quirky puzzle-and-platforming gameplay. However, I cannot recommend this title to anyone else looking for a standard and modern 2D gaming experience, because Lunark is purposely designed for that specific 90s mindset.
Terra Nil's aesthetics and calming ambience mean that you might be playing it wrong if you're stressing out over its message and its environmental education method via an easy-to-control simulation. I'm honestly glad that titles like Terra Nil exist to help combine the fun and challenges of a simulation together with an encyclopedia on how to grow your own tundra.
Octopath Traveler 2 is 40+ hours JRPGing well-spent that will keep you engrossed in the genre for the whole year, amplified by its HD-2D art style and its amazing music from composer Yasunori Nishiki.
Chances are you're playing Dead Cells because you are a fan of the search action genre, so it's only fitting you would appreciate the slice of love Motion Twin has made from this humble-sized DLC.
With a unique post-Cold War alternate sci-fi setting and some interesting-if-familiar gameplay mechanics, Mundfish has sure as heck made a memorable debut with Atomic Heart. It does need a bit more spit and shine to go full platinum though.
While Wanted: Dead has some charm and some interesting gameplay and minigames to break up the pace, the terrible shooting mechanics, and lack of checkpoints in crucial parts of the game mean you have to really take up the game with its own broken-as-heck terms. At the very least, it's a 10-hour-or-less thrill ride so it's not a complete slog and it has its heart in the right place design-wise. It will toughen you up, if you give it a chance.
[T]he enchanting world and context of being a student learning a ton of spells, exploring the vicinity with its many dangers and poachers armed to the teeth, coupled with the intuitive controls and gameplay mechanics from spellcasting to flying just make the Hogwarts Legacy experience better than most of its contemporaries.
Luminous Productions has quite a way to go to captivate people from the start. A shame, because there’s a lot of potential buried within Forspoken’s flaws.
Hi-Fi Rush is clearly one of 2023's most pleasant gaming surprises, as well as a respectful nod to the glorious 2000-era of action titles where you just want to have pure unadulterated fun with simple mechanics to comprehend.
Simply put: this Indonesian indie title is one for the ages (for 2023 anyway), despite that one problem which is honestly a genre issue. Hats off to the humble team at Mojiken Studios for finally releasing a huge passion project that puts a lot of big-budget narrative-driven video games to shame.
The only crime Moonrider has committed is that it left me wanting more of the action and genre. 90s action titles starring ninjas/samurais/hybrid-of-the-two have distinct controls and feel, and Moonrider captures that to a tee, especially with its speed and plethora of attacks and skills on tap.