Ultimately, the superb aesthetic achievements of Mouse P.I. For Hire are undermined by its overly familiar, uninspired gameplay choices. Relative newcomers to retro-style shooters are likely to get more from it than the jaded veterans among us, who have seen every gameplay element done to a higher standard many times before. At its best though, Mouse P.I. For Hire is a stunning-looking playable cartoon – and while it could have been so much more, that is enough.
The extent to which Aether & Iron will be enjoyed is largely also the extent to which players are enamoured with visual novels. Much of the development effort here, and the overwhelming majority of player time, is spent on dialogue trees. For those who enjoy visual novels, and find that this “decopunk” setting chimes with them, there will be a lot to enjoy in Aether & Iron. Those looking for what it first appears to be – which is to say, a tactical RPG – are best advised to search elsewhere.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a disappointing follow-up from the developers of the superb Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.
ermila Studio’s first game is a distinctively Spanish fusion of elements.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a smartly modernised remake of a revered classic, undercut by poor optimisation.
With this remaster, Firefly Studios have added a competent new sheen to their most popular game, Stronghold: Crusader. This is likely to be enough for those nostalgic for the 2002 original, but the game’s aged, frustrating mechanics may be uninviting for newcomers.
Deliver At All Costs has an overwritten, uninvolving tale undermines a solid driving game.
Roadcraft is at its best when careful use of several different vehicles has big effects on these beautiful, dynamic environments. On the early map “Sunken”, this comes when – after a sequence of tasks are completed – two flooded quarries are drained using new pumps the player has installed. As the water drains away, a new landscape is revealed, along with valuable items that can be sold for profit and the tantalising promise of new challenges ahead. If Saber can deliver these moments consistently, Roadcraft could be a valued fixture of the sim landscape for years to come.
Bionic Bay has a unique pixel art aesthetic which coats a need for deep reserves of precision and patience.
Drop Duchy, with its inspired, refined combination of genres, has the makings of a breakout hit.
The wait is over! Fans of stealth tactics games will get a kick out of Commandos Origins, but their patience might run thin due to the firing squad of problems that trouble its initial release.
Atomfall is a fairly bold project for Rebellion, one which exposes their technical weaknesses as well as their inexperience with first-person games. Its stealth and combat may be underwhelming, but the game is saved by its intriguing investigations, unique setting, and absorbing atmosphere. Hopefully in future, the team can weld these admirable elements to more solid fundamentals.
The Stone of Madness is an intriguing new direction for The Game Kitchen. While it has its frustrations, it surpasses its superficial similarity to other games to strike out in a unique direction of its own. If the studio can iron out some of the remaining issues, it may become essential.
Robobeat meets the basic expectations for a game of its type. Its weapons, enemies, soundtrack, and level design are all adequate but it falls short due to its lack of a unique hook, or compelling reason to exist.
With frustrating combat and linear yet opaque progression, this samurai fails his mission.
Once again, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 does just enough to carve out a distinctive niche within an increasingly vast and confusing series. It still doesn’t truly push the envelope in any department, and it could be more cohesive, but it is supremely entertaining – as far as it goes.
While it does little that is genuinely new, and exists firmly in the shadow of its forebears, Sumerian Six is a thoroughly competent addition to the small canon of real-time stealth tactics games. It is a must-play for any fan of the genre. While Artificer were sadly subjected to job losses this year by their owner-publishers Devolver, hopefully they will have the chance to make an even stronger contribution to stealth tactics in the future.
For those survival horror fans who can lean into the lo-fi, top-down aesthetic, Conscript will be an engaging fusion of familiar elements with an under-used setting. Its sometimes frustrating traditionalism and abyssal bleakness is unlikely to win over new recruits.
Anger Foot isn’t for everyone – its humour will be off putting to some, and its breakneck pace won’t suit others. However, those who buy into its bizarre world, comical ultraviolence, and tricky challenges will enjoy the ten hours or so it will take to see the story through to the end. Much more time can be spent tackling the various challenges and unlocking all of the shoe types. Anger Foot is a simple but thoroughly well made action game, a perfect fit for Devolver’s stable and delirious, brutal fun.
Forges for Corruption, the DLC for one of 2023’s best games, Warhammer 40k Boltgun, is modest in its aims but still an absolute thrill to play.