Ironically, though, Weird West is a game which could have been so much better had it been made by a much larger team with the resources to make good on its ambitious design. What has been achieved here is laudable, good and occasionally great, but WolfEye may have been better advised to take on a project of a more manageable scale. There is real imagination and talent on show here, but Weird West is not the best way to harness it.
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 some frustrating design decisions in Gotham Knights, WB Games Montréal deliver a very playable twist on the Arkham formula.
Cursed to Golf has such good aesthetics, and is based on such a fundamentally sound idea, that all of this could be forgivable – and some, no doubt, will relish the challenge. The roguelike structure, though, means that these frustrations have to be endured over and over again. Unlike, say, Nuclear Throne or Into the Breach, the game lacks the smooth and addictive core gameplay to make that feel worthwhile. It’s for that reason that despite taking a strong first shot, Cursed to Golf ultimately ends up feeling under par.
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.
This lacklustre take on the sub-genre disappoints with its boring shooting and poor handling of custom tracks.
While it pays homage to tactical RPG classics of the ‘90s, Arcadian Atlas does little that is new.
Classified: France ‘44 transplants familiar turn-based tactics to World War II, to merely adequate effect.
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.
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.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III arguably sees the series in something of a holding pattern. It neither completely finishes the solo narrative, nor revolutionises the online experience. Indeed, this release may well be quite unlike what Sledgehammer Games were originally meant to deliver. Established series veterans will grumble about the relative lack of completely new material, but this is another polished continuation for a series which likely has another decade left in it.
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.
Despite these shortcomings of the original game, Kingpin Reloaded could have been a useful historical exercise. It could still get closer to that goal, as Slipgate Ironworks continue to work on the remaster. The studio’s attention is divided, however, as they are surely overburdened with seven other in-development projects. As things stand, this version is very difficult to recommend and will do 3D Realms’ reputation no favours.
Pendragon is an extremely dynamic and adaptable narrative experience, and one which makes excellent use of the rich source material of Arthurian legend. Players looking for a highly replayable experience will thrive in this depiction of Britain, with its plethora of meaningful choices, stained-glass graphics and serene music.
To be fair to Serious Sam 4, there is a real thrill to be experienced in the battles when that old, familiar gameplay loop really clicks.
Gamers who love it when a plan comes together are better catered to than ever, and while they will enjoy much of Partisans 1941, they may prefer instead to revisit one of the new giants of the genre. This particular war story may be best left to the completists.
It may be more modest in its aspirations than the sprawling open-ended RPG some may have expected, but like a wolfpack on the hunt Earthblood is very efficient at what it does. Its story, characters and scope may leave something to be desired but its use of the lore is intriguing and its stealth and combat components are equally compelling. A pleasant surprise, Earthblood hopefully bodes well for future World of Darkness games.
Looked at as a puzzle game, or as a strictly entry-level stealth adventure, El Hijo has a lot to recommend it. It has a distinctive and attractive look, and a charm all of its own. Those looking for a genuinely emergent or inventive stealth experience, however, will be better served elsewhere.