I was really left wanting more of Gunbrella's levels and gameplay, to the point where I feel that 6 hours wasn't enough. Perhaps it could benefit from more stages that mix challenge and creativity. As it stands, it is still a great indie action platformer to pick up. Gunbrella really delivers where it counts: an action-packed 2D run-and-gun search action offering with a quirky-yet-serious presentation and a badass weapon.
Goodbye Volcano High just feels like a very tryhard Life Is Strange with furries and full of hodge-podge maudlin writing. I'm very sure this game will satiate its niche audience, but I can't say this is going to change anybody else's mind about visual novels made by Western developers.
There's no other way to put this: Sea Of Stars is sublime from start to finish. It's a love letter to the best era of JRPGs -the late 90s to 2000s- made to look like the past but comes with a lot of newfangled modern-day features to duplicate the spirit and joy it emanates. And despite its obvious inspiration, it stands tall and proud on its own two feet, sword in one hand and Solar/Moon powers to blast away all doubt of JRPGs existing in proper and fun form in 2023.
Blasphemous 2 is a lovely search action game made for anyone who wants a challenge, an R-rated experience, and a good mix of combat and exploration. For veterans, this sequel fixes a few of the problems from the first game so that it seems less cheap and buggy.
Batterystaple Games took up the responsibility to create a loving tribute to the Mega Man X series and adds a new spin on things to make the game challenging and highly replayable for hardcore fans of the genre. Fans of the archetype 2D run-and-gun power-up filled charged Mega Buster action title can stop praying for a Mega Man X follow-up. 30XX is essentially that and a bag of Nuts.
For the low price of US$14.99, you could do worst [than this indie mecha title] and it'll at least sate your jollies if for a few hours.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons' roguelike structure might take a while to get used to, and the game can get absurdly tough in Mission 3 and onward. And it'll take you a while to get used to each character's recovery animations as it's purposely made like this to make you think twice before you button mash. Still, you won't find a worthy remake and beat-em-up revitalization project like this "side story" filled with so many deep cuts that will make beat-em-up fans of the Technos era smile.
Dlala Studios aims to recapture that [90s 2D platforming] magic with its new Nintendo Switch-exclusive title, and succeeds on all fronts. Disney's Illusion Island is a feel-good all-ages search action fare that four people (or less) can really enjoy. From its pleasing aesthetics and whimsical music to its fun-if-familiar platforming and lovely controls, along with some post-game replayability and challenges, it's safe to say that this title might start a possible return of 90s Disney game platforming and action.
If you love imaginative brainteasers involving photographs and optical illusions but in immersive first-person video game form, you'll have a picture-perfect time with Viewfinder.
Final Fantasy 16 is a stellar and noteworthy entry in the series that's just as impactful as Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7's debut back in their respective heydays. And that is not a statement I make lightly.
It really goes without saying that Street Fighter 6 launch edition is a million times better than Street Fighter 5's, but that's way too low a bar to surpass. [Y]ou're looking at the best version of the 2D fighting series that made the genre exist in the first place that's also going to keep you busy whether you're offline or online.
[Diablo 4] looks and feels great to play, it's full of content without being way too overburdened with systems and age-old mechanics, it's accessible but also gets really hard and challenging for action RPG standards, and it's really great with more people in your party, with a good amount of classes to play around with and tailor to your playstyle. A highly-polished loot-filled gateway drug for newbies and veterans alike; not terribly innovative but incredibly fun to get into.
[Convergence is] fast, frenetic, fun, well thought-out, and has slick controls. Apart from some screen positional & focal point issues (along with some default difficulty issues), everything else about publisher Riot Forge's first foray into segmented 2D platforming with time-bending mechanics is golden.
It's honestly a miracle that a title like Humanity is published in the current gaming landscape. It's got enough of a budget not to be classified as an indie title, yet it isn't a triple-A type title. At the end of the day though, we do need titles like Humanity to let us chill and solve its many, MANY puzzles and visual abstractness while the off-kilter croonings of composer Jemapur enthralls you. It's not for everyone, but you will not forget most of what Humanity has to offer.
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.