Century: Age of Ashes from Playwing is a good free-to-play game. It is gorgeous, easy to pick up and go, and has some competitive charm to it. The microtransactions and the thin amount of variety in the game might detour some from extending their time with dragon battling, but I think it’s certainly worth a look.
Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope from Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris is a fantastic and better follow-up to its original 2017 experiment. The characters are better, the addition of Sparks changes how the gameplay works, and the overall tactical strategy options the game provides the player in a huge world make for a consistently fun adventure. Beware of the difficulty, though, as it can get infuriating at times.
Deathloop’s debut on the Xbox Series X is equally as good as it was on the PlayStation 5. You get the same great story and the same perfect gameplay experience. Choose one and enjoy.
Outriders Worldslayer is a considerable upgrade from the original release. The introduction of a new tier, tree, and a more balanced gameplay design helps to make the case for more content down the road. It certainly feels like it’s on the right path to perfection, but still struggling in some minor areas.
Frozenheim meets the status quo for what you would expect from an RTS game. Where it excels is in its gameplay balance and how much control it gives you to create your gameplay path. It falls short in story cohesiveness and the occasional buggy controls.
Moo Lander is a fun game that can be played in short stints. It has a whacky and creative story that supports a side-scrolling shooter/puzzle/RPG backbone. It does more right than not and makes for an engaging and entertaining journey to hunt down alien cows.
The Jackbox Party Starter is a great way to dive into the Jackbox series if you have never explored it.
The Capcom Fighting Collection brings some unique titles that most U.S. gamers haven’t laid eyes on before. While not all the games in the collection are worthy to be in it, the Darkstalkers-centric theme makes it worth a look.
Harlow is a spectacular experience that brings everything you would want and maybe didn’t expect in a puzzle-driven game. It has great gameplay design, clever levels, and a presentation that will keep a smile on your face.
Pinball FX3 has scored another pinball hit with Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure. While it isn't perfect, it still brings a good pinball experience to the Pinball FX3 family.
Cygnus Enterprises is a fun experience that will hook you and keep you wanting to play the game. Team Miaozi did one helluva job of balancing each purposeful gameplay element into its design and it has worked very well. Keep an eye on this one and take a chance if you want something fun and that has the longevity to it for the holiday season. I’m sure it will get bigger and better.
Digital Eclipse and publisher Nighthawk Interactive did a fantastic job with bringing three Disney 16-bit classics back to the current generation of gaming and offered up additional content to justify the reasonable price tag. One can only hope that they can get ahold of more Disney-owned gaming content *cough cough* LUCASARTS *ahem* and bring it back to life. Until such a time, they did a heckuva job with the Disney Classic Games Collection. While not perfect, it’s still a worthwhile trip down memory lane.
HOWL from developer Mi’pu’mi Games GmbH is a narrative-driven puzzle-strategy game that brings a simple concept but a complicated gameplay design. The inclusion of a deep goal system that plays into how a player can progress in the game makes for a fun experience, while the offensive and defensive nature of its card system pleasantly complicates and compliments the gameplay. While not everything is perfect, it’s still better than expected.
God of War is still one of the most entertaining, engaging, and impactful games to come out of Santa Monica Studio. The story is meaningful and emotional, the mechanics are thoughtful and entertaining, and the presentation on the PC is simply unrivaled. This is still a treat after nearly four years.
Praey for the Gods from No Matter Studios is a game with potential. It has some good survival gameplay design and is an interesting open-world adventure that encourages exploration of its desolate landscape. There’s a lot to like here, though not completely perfect in some gameplay aspects.
Thunder Tier One is a good game. It has a decent amount of customization options, features a good tactical system that will entertain those looking for a tactical fix, and doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking or genre-changing for tactical shooters. It’s simply a good game with hopes for more content in the future.
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows from Monochrome is a cleverly designed game that puzzle-loving gamers will enjoy. The range of difficulty helps to sell this, as does the level design and characters you confront in the game. If you don't like puzzle games, then this probably won't bring you into the genre.
Moonlight Kids have a hit on their hands with The Wild at Heart. It brings a strong narrative, some clever puzzles, and enough of an endearing journey to make it one of the better releases this holiday season on the PlayStation.
G-Darius HD is a fun trip down memory lane and reminds us that arcade games knew how to eat up your quarters. It will certainly frustrate common gamers out there, but for nostalgia-seeking suckers like myself, it was fun frustration.
Dovetail Games provides an accurate train simulator. It's unforgiving, brutal at times, but oddly relaxing and fun when things start running smoothly. It is truly a train simulator.