Whether you’re looking for a fascinating trip through history or one hell of an action RPG there are few games out there better than this one.
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES nirvanA Initiative is one of my favorite games to release this year. With a mixture of wit, humor, and above all else heart it is something no one should miss. Whether a fan of the Visual Novel genre or not this game is a damn near perfect follow-up to the original.
A fun gear system, rather nice graphics, and great music are massively let down by a paint by number, creepy as hell story. Technically I might have been interested in what this dev can do in the future, but God damn man. This game is gross.
The now par foThe good news is that you can enjoy the hell out of this game without spending a penny, but if you’re either prone to MTX-it is or really care about PVP it wildly throws off the endgame balance. For me, though this is a title I will be playing for a very long time while I wait for the next mainline entry in the series to hit. It is a great game, and with some love, care, and lack of greed it could become the best mobile title ever made.
It can get a bit samey towards the end, once you’ve seen all the tricks it has up its sleeve. Those tricks though are fantastic, and the control scheme behind it feels great. Few games have ever had as satisfying a gameplay loop for me, and if you have any type of decent gaming PC then this one is well worth a download
Silt is a rather short, basic to control game. The story was intriguing from the start, and if you can look past how bland and unfun it is to play at times it might be worth checking out. For me though a nice art style and possibly interesting story simply isn’t enough to overcome how poor feeling and frustrating I found everything else.
AI: The Somnium Files is a fantastic game. Visual novels normally aren’t my thing, but I quickly found myself engrossed in the mystery. It has one of the best scripts I can remember in a game, and truly stellar voice acting. While this one is on Game Pass if it sounds at all interesting to you then I implore that you check it out. “Shadows!” “Threat, silhouette, A-set!”
Floppy Knights is a fun game that is really close to being a great one. Its major flaw for me is how long everything takes. From mission length to waiting on enemy turns, and the slow loading of the menu system it can be a drag. If you’re able to get passed all that though there is a clever deck builder here, with real challenge, great writing, solid music, and it’s available at launch on Xbox Game Pass.
Dolmen wants to put its mark in the Action RPG genre with a potentially intriguing Space/Horror tale that never really goes to space, and isn’t at all scary. It never feels good to play, broke on me constantly, and was an ugly maze of bland/blocky corridors. Retailing for $39.99 at launch I can’t in good conscious recommend this over almost any other game in the genre.
Evil Dead: The Game is pretty damned fun. For how long I’m not sure, but at $39.99 retail at launch, I think it's well worth the price if you have anyone to play with. Even solo I love playing as the demon and terrorizing at least 2 and sometimes 4 versions of Bruce Campbell. Post-launch support will help this title sink or swim in the long run, but at launch, this Deadite by Daylight is a damned good time.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a really good 6 hour game stretched to be nearly three times as long. If you find yourself loving it early-on then it might just hold up for you. Sadly I was done by then and had to force myself to go any further despite loving the story, writing, and characters. The gameplay eventually becomes something close to good, and it’s really damned pretty. For either $14.99 or a download on Xbox Game Pass it’s not the worst way to spend your time and money, but I can’t help but feel like the developers and Rabbit & Bear Studios bit off a little more than this game could chew.
I was shocked by how incredible this game feels to play. Paired with a solid story, great music, and surprising depth it’s an easy recommendation on Game Pass or for its $20 price tag at launch. Whether you’re looking for a balls to the wall thrill ride or something that feels great and is chill to play you can customize the difficulty how you see fit. If anything you’ve read about here sounds interesting then you should check this fantastic game out.
After a slow start Loot River really grew on me. It took longer than I would have liked to start progressing but once I did things felt good enough combat-wise, incredible enough movement-wise, and intriguing enough roguelike-wise that I put in a lot of time (mostly on PC) before launch. It is available day one on Game Pass and is exclusive to Xbox and PC at launch. If you have the patience, you will be rewarded with one of the more unique takes on the genre, and I think that it is well worth checking out.
Rogue Legacy 2 is excellent in every conceivable metric. The gameplay is fast, tight, and feels fair. It’s simplistic but beautiful graphically. The music is excellent, and the story is intriguing but not in the way. At $25 US this is something every fan of the genre either new or old should give a try. It takes every positive from the solid first game and improves upon it while sanding away many of its rough edges.
I’m shocked at just how much I have enjoyed Godfall. The melee combat is some of the most satisfying out there and the time since release has been well spent as they’ve rebuilt and tweaked what was a weak new-generation launch title into something far more substantial. It’s a fun title solo, but if you have one or two friends interested in not only the campaign but grinding out the endgame with you then this one is well worth your time.
The base title is available still on Game Pass for PC and Console, and if either you or a friend purchased this DLC or already have access from a more expensive edition then checking this one out is a no-brainer. Solo it’s pretty damned fun, but with a group, this is still one of the more enjoyable co-op shooters out there. Tunnels of Terror is a great first expansion with a lot of high-quality content and it’s well worth your time and money if the base game ever held your interest.
If you enjoy deckbuilding roguelikes, and the thought of one with a competent and voiced story excites you then this is the game for you. Available on both console and PC with Game Pass there is no excuse to not at least try it. While it may not reach the highs of others in the genre tactically during its combat it makes up for it with its competency in everything else. So, pick up your Wyrdcandle, traverse the mists on the broken Isle, and start cleaning up that kook Merlin’s mess in the Mists of Avalon.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is an incredible achievement. Spanning 9 feature-length films yet never feeling like it overstays its welcome while featuring tons of actually funny stupid jokes, solid gameplay, gorgeous graphics, great voice acting, and all the nostalgia you could ever wish for this game is a triumph. It has done the impossible and made me enjoy spending time with episodes 1 and 2, hell not only enjoy but absolutely love it. Holy Snokes is this game awesome and everyone who enjoys Star Wars at all should play it.
MLB The Show ’22 is an excellent baseball game and a marked improvement from last year’s debut title on the Xbox platform. Featuring some of the best on-the-field action I’ve ever experienced in a baseball title, a massive amount of game modes, excellent commentary from the new team, and incredible customization options, it is worth your time. Being available day one on Game Pass makes it an easy recommendation and if you passed up on last year’s and like to “own” your games then there is more than enough here to warrant a purchase.
This is an excellent game, and it’s on Game Pass day one. Engaging combat is matched with stellar writing, great music, and most importantly it’s just damned fun. Weird West is one hell of a debut from the team at WolfEye Studios, and it is well worth your time.