Ultimately though, No Place for Bravery is so heavily indebted to its influences that it never carves out a real identity of its own. A game that should lean heavily on its combat, and on telling its story, instead becomes bogged down with frustrating traps and repeatedly going over the same ground. The reliance on opaque systems and too many written lore extracts also detracts from the accomplished visuals and sound. In a market increasingly crowded with games drawing from the same well, it isn’t clear that there is a place for No Place for Bravery.
Sunday Gold represents a bold effort to teach the old dog of point-and-click adventure games some new tricks. While there are some flaws and frustrations, BKOM Studios’ experiment has been broadly successful and players who would never normally touch an adventure game may well enjoy this one. In any case, Frank, Sally, and Gavin are likeable new characters who hopefully will get to humble the rich and powerful once again.
Dome Keeper is a labour of love for developer Bippinbits, a two-person team based in Dresden who are also a couple. According to publisher Raw Fury, it was in profit from day one and it is easy to see why – this is a simple game, but one made to a high standard. Its pixel art, wealth of upgrades, and clever sound design are all praiseworthy. Those looking for a deeper roguelike experience should look elsewhere, but ironically Dome Keeper is ideal for players in the hunt for something a bit more surface-level.
Despite an underwhelming story, this is a solid, accessible, and compelling take on the Soulslike formula.
Despite some frustrating design decisions in Gotham Knights, WB Games Montréal deliver a very playable twist on the Arkham formula.
Today’s glut of “boomer shooters” is largely inspired by just a handful of classics from the original golden age of roughly 1993 to 1997. Any new game runs the risk of seeming too similar to one of these icons, of lacking its own identity. At first glance, Cultic seems sure to fall into this trap, given its evident similarities to Blood. In fact, Jason Smith’s fantastic first project uses Monolith’s 1997 game as a jumping-off point – and ultimately delivers one of the best retro shooters in years.
Despite its sense of familiarity and a few missteps, this is a sure hit for a series that needs one.
Evil West is a great antidote to today’s sprawling, open world “forever games”. Its refreshingly tight focus recalls classics from earlier generations. Vampire hunting in the Old West is simply a perfect framework for the gory but cleverly crafted combat which Flying Wild Hog does so well. Those with an Old West action game on their “most wanted” list need look no further.
It seems clear that Need for Speed is in safe hands now that it has been passed back to Criterion Games. The British studio has taken what Ghost Games achieved with Heat, and improved on it in numerous ways. The refined handling model and tighter economy make for some of the most tense and exciting racing around, and it helps that the game is rock-solid on the technical side. Need for Speed Unbound is a surprisingly excellent racer, and one which will hopefully continue to improve in the months to come.
With the right execution, Wanted Dead could have found a ready-made audience for its old-fashioned approach. But what the developers of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood and particularly Evil West did so well, Soleil has done very badly. A game built so totally on combat simply cannot afford to have combat which is implemented in such a tiresome, frustrating way. Wanted Dead is a confusing, disappointing miss which will likely fall far below the quality of forthcoming action games in 2023.
It’s clear that The Settlers: New Allies has promise. It is lovely to look at, has a good soundtrack, and provides an often satisfying city-building experience. But its inclusion of real-time strategy elements reignites a thorny old tension which Ubisoft Düsseldorf have been unable to resolve. Despite its warm and friendly appearance, New Allies also struggles with its lack of any kind of narrative hook. Patches may well resolve the lingering technical issues, but will not fix these fundamental problems. The first major strategy release of what may be a landmark year for the genre, New Allies largely fails to live up to its name. It is hard not to wonder what might have been.
Company of Heroes 3 is a game that wrestles with how to improve on the brilliance of its predecessors. Relic should be applauded for trying new things with the Italian campaign, even if there are a number of issues still to be ironed out. In skirmish and multiplayer, its modest but welcome improvements to a fantastic formula should give the game a long life. This sequel may not single-handedly return RTS games to prominence, but it is a gripping experience and a very welcome contribution to that effort.
This lacklustre take on the sub-genre disappoints with its boring shooting and poor handling of custom tracks.
Aliens: Dark Descent captures the unique atmosphere of the 1986 film, and delivers a thrilling tactical experience.
“Vandalism sim” Sludge Life 2 doesn’t reinvent the spray can, but the vibes are impeccable.
Despite rough edges and a steep learning curve, the tactical series returns in force with Jagged Alliance 3.
While it pays homage to tactical RPG classics of the ‘90s, Arcadian Atlas does little that is new.
It lacks a compelling story, and its efforts to vary things up are not always successful, but Turbo Overkill is a consistently exciting and often great-looking shooter. Like Cultic, it is a startling example of how much can be achieved by a one-person developer. Fans of retro shooters, so well catered to in recent years, should be sure to find time to spend time with Johnny Turbo.
It is possible to imagine a hybrid of ‘90s JRPG and ‘80s wrestling that could be genuinely engaging, if only for a modest audience. WrestleQuest, however, is not that game. Behind the kayfabe, its obsessive adherence to dated tropes and deeply tiresome combat prove very real and sadly fatal.
The automap at least keeps backtracking to a minimum in the maze-like levels of Gastro Force.