[...] Assassin's Creed Shadow is still a decently fun action adventure-slash-role-playing hybrid (stats, grinding, and all that jazz) if you really need a huge timesink with a ton of money backed onto it. It may not change your mind about the Ubisoft formula of open-world games. But through it all, formulas work because they're comfort food and deliver what is expected while looking darn good and polished doing so, without any fuss. And with a great soundtrack that mixes traditional with contemporary beats & melodies.
Beyond The Ice Palace 2 is a fun-if-very-challenging linear-style 2D action platformer that may be plodding and methodical for some, but still enthralling for many of us who need their Castlevania jollies sated. For the rest of the world, it's going to make you break your controllers, especially in the latter half where checkpoints are very sparse.
[E]xpect the wild and wacky with this nod to Earthbound and Guitar Hero, mashed up for one surreal 2D-and-3D mesh indie experience you won't forget anytime soon. Just don't expect a straight answer out of it.
I'm glad Two Points Studio isn't done with the isometric simulation genre, as they're the only ones carrying the torch to deliver quality goods under different guises and themes. They've learned a lot from making their past titles and now offer one of the more flexible and creative bits in sim history.
Obsidian's latest isn't as groundbreaking and profound as Fallout: New Vegas (a very high bar to be honest), but it isn't short on exploration and combat. I'd say take a plunge into this magical fantasy romp if possible. At the very least, Xbox Game Pass owners have yet another free and awesome RPG experience to deal with for weeks and months to come.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is a ball of a time if you want a free-form action-adventure pirate game featuring a likeable-if-eccentric main character and his colourful crewmates taking place in contemporary times. Granted, the second half of the 15+ hour (minimum at best) playthrough may require some context from past Like A Dragon/Yakuza games, but if you can shut your brain off from the deeper lore bits, this title won't leave you high and dry.
Afterlove EP is a quaint and charming adventure title solely focused on moving on, and does a great job conveying that with its scenario, characters, and music numbers. [S]core one more point for Indonesia's gaming scene for another banger of a title.
Strictly for the diehard shmup fans who just need another cheap-looking notch in their danmaku holster; nothing more.
Big Helmet Heroes happily fills in the multiplayer beat-em-up-but-in-3D niche to a tee with its look, its controls and gameplay, and overall fun atmosphere and feel. It works just fine and doesn't break down halfway like some indie brawler titles, and does try to switch things up with some fun top-down shenanigans. I'd say give this a try if you want couch co-op beat-em-up fun with giant heads and even bigger hearts.
Rift of the Necrodancer is one of this year’s early heavy-hitters if we’re talking indie music games. [...] Replayable, tough as heck when you want it to be, and full of fun minigames that remind you of a time when Nintendo gave a crap about the Rhythm Heaven series: all this and a fun aesthetic make for a quintessential music offering that does its Brace Yourself Games brand proud.
Tales Of Graces F is an underrated gem that goes back to basics in the action RPG department while delivering a heartfelt tale. The remaster preserves all these aspects while offering optional quality-of-life changes (and ways to speed up the process), not to mention a graphical upgrade that justifies its price tag.
While not the most ambitious of remasters, Freedom Wars Remastered is still a hoot to play even after all these years. Its plot isn't the most engrossing, but it's serviceable enough and doesn't get in the way of the giant-slaying and team-based multiplayer action.
While I'm no Power Rangers fan, aficionados of the series deserve better than this stock churned-out co-op beat-em-up that is less "Mighty" and more "Adequate". If you need a 90s beat-em-up with today's modern conveniences, you're better off with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.
For just US$10, you'll have a ball of a time with this lovely spin on Arkanoid/Breakout. It's been ages since we've played a retro title that changes some fundamental rules of the 80s/90s classic ball-pinging and wall-busting title for the better.
Despite technical & network issues, Path of Exile 2 is clearly set on being the de facto soon-to-be-free-to-play (getting in now requires you to fork out RM130+) action RPG of whichever year it fully releases. The Early Access is already packed with so much to do and a lot to strive forward to, with multitudes of builds for the available 6 base classes, the passive skill trees they're situated on, and the many Skill Gems, Support Gems, and other buffs & powerups that lead to crazy builds limited by your imagination and time constraints. The levels are brutal, the boss fights will test you, and you will savour every punishing moment of it while you strive to gear up and play better.
It ain't as spectacular as Pizza Tower -a fair comparison given how good that 2023 indie gem was- but Antonblast is still a damn fine 2D platforming and action title that stands on its own red little feet.
Long story short, this free-to-play adventure game is as whimsical as it gets from its plot to the nature of the game. And that's not a bad thing, as long as it's pulled off right. Infinity Nikki's got substance to back up that style.
Developer Sunny Syrup Studio had the best of intentions in combining two awesome genres: Capcom-style run-and-gun action and platforming with deckbuilding ala Slay The Spire. In this unfortunate case, ambitions exceed game design and technical know-how.
I can foresee a future LEGO Horizon-themed toyline happening if this game gets loads of traction, but at the very least, this isn't poorly-made license fare. Guerilla and Studio Gobo did good work in making a co-op family game for all, and even moreso fun if you've played the Horizon games and see how they've adapted the serious storyline into a LEGO-fied concept. A fun experiment, in other words.
Dragon Age - The Veilguard is far from being a disaster that many internet haters are claiming it to be. It's a serviceable and high-budget comfort food-level action role-playing game. Though if I'm being fair, that's probably the worst thing a standout trendsetter company like Bioware can commit: something that straddles along the lines of "fine".