Gunbrella is a visually stunning & charming game with great gunplay & solid platforming, but it struggles to focus & falls short of its potential.
While the RPG mechanics may feel like a crawl compared to similar RPGs, the world it presents players is rich and beautiful in every way. The characters Yin meets on this journey are all distinct from one another and a joy to interact with, regardless of if they're a ride or die companion or a random blacksmith that's incapable of understanding why his crush finds him a bit weird. While Wandering Sword is a wonderful game that may not resonate with everyone, it's a very easy recommendation to hardcore turn-based RPG fans that are looking for the next big adventure to dive in to.
Exoprimal is a strong game that lacks the it-factor necessary to keep players coming back for the long-term. It has incredible combat and aesthetics that are a joy to engage with but that enjoyment only lasts so long when it takes a couple of hours to experience new game modes. The story is interesting but is told in a limiting way that risks players feeling confused and, at worst, uninterested. It's hard to tell if this will be a title that really hooks players in, but with its release on Game Pass and new content coming very soon, Exoprimal is well worth jumping into and keeping up with.
Overall, Islets is a charming adventure with a large cast of memorable characters, interesting monsters, and wholesome story that far outweigh its minor pitfalls and is perfect for players itching for a new Metroidvania.
Overall, Aeterna Noctis is a solid experience with some notable flaws that aren't deal-breakers, but could definitely benefit from a bit more refinement. What it does do quite well is find where its two genres intersect and craft a world and gameplay loop that highlight them quite well. For fans of these kinds of games, Aeterna Noctis is definitely worth picking up.
Aeon Drive is an otherwise solid experience with nuanced mechanics. The biggest areas where the game struggles are, luckily, in the smaller details such as the lack of hangtime and forgetting to include a mechanic in the tutorial that, thankfully, didn't hinder the gameplay until the end. With its comfortable three-hour playtime, native speedrunning leaderboards, competitive mode, and charming personality, Aeon Drive is definitely worth checking out.
Over its roughly eight hour play time, Stonefly brings up a bunch of conflicting feelings. Its combat mechanics and gameplay loop can be frustrating and unengaging at times, but its story, art direction, and music create a lush and wholly unique world that's hard to walk away from. Stonefly may not be for everybody, but it is definitely worth checking out for players who enjoy the grind or just want to experience a heart-warming and visually engaging story.
Taking all of this into account, it's still safe to recommend Lords of the Fallen to anyone remotely interested in this genre, be it veterans or those looking for an entry point. When it comes to Soulslikes, this release is very accessible to new players to the genre and offers more than a good challenge to those with more experience. While it still has plenty of fine-tuning ahead, Lords of the Fallen is a worthy reboot of its predecessor that offers something new and lays a strong foundation for future adventures in Mournstead and beyond.
Overall, Payday 3 is another fantastic entry in a series of well received games. It may fall short in its storytelling and player onboarding, but it excels in providing an interesting plot, satisfying gameplay, well-designed levels, smart enemy A.I., and refined gameplay systems. While it's easy to recommend this for players that have access to a team to play with, the same cannot be said about those that don't; an issue that can hopefully be addressed with the changes and updates outlined in Payday 3's roadmap. Payday 3 is smart, fun, and chaotic in every way and is sure to rope in even more members into the Payday Gang.
For those looking for a fun and charming puzzle platformer to play, especially with friends, Trine 5 is the perfect choice. Each hero is distinct and lovable in their own ways, the story is fun and engaging, and the puzzles are intuitive and simple, if not lacking in creativity towards the end. In a series full of positively received games and support from players that have stuck with it for years, this is yet another great entry that's sure to leave players with a smile on their face.
While it's roguelite elements aren't balanced well and navigation is often an annoyance, the actual gameplay, story, and mechanics of Sea Horizon are polished and a joy to engage with. Each archetype's journey is short and scales well regarding power and abilities, which feels even better when a party can be assembled. Overall, Sea Horizon is a wonderful game that would benefit from a few tweaks, but those are by no means necessary to have a great time.
Thankfully, all the issues mentioned are isolated and only standout because the rest of the experience is fun, smooth, and engaging. Even with a foggy narrative, the feeling of mystery and wonder is ever-present and the player is encouraged to be creative and take chances. With a $20 and runtime between one-and-a-half to two hours, Teslagrad 2 is an easy recommendation to those looking for a unique and challenging platformer.
While these were the minority of outposts, they highlighted just how limited the Custodians are compared to the builders. While players will unlock more resources to get better weapons, utility items, suits, and upgrades for their Custodian, only so much can be done to combat and overcome outposts built in bad faith. There's a fair bit of balancing needed for this game, which will likely happen during the three-month post-launch roadmap, but the potential of Meet Your Maker is clear as day. The versatility of building, the built-in social systems, and the fluid movement mechanics already present is enough to recommend this title, and it's likely that the experience will only improve from here.
So, in order effectively play this challenging city-building, survival hybrid, players will need an upper mid-tier PC. It's unfortunate because IXION is a game that quickly catches the player's attention and, despite it's high demands of the player, it finds a way to feel balanced and fair. For those that enjoy this type of game and have the hardware to comfortably play it, then there's no hesitation in recommending this title. Otherwise, it might be better to start with a less intense game in this genre and wait for some performance patches to avoid the punishment of the ever spinning wheels of fire and buffering.
Overall, The Knight Witch is a charming and well-balanced experience that occasionally dips into unfair territory, but ultimately leaves players invested in the home they are fighting for.
Much like the "What Lies Below" puzzle from the base game, each level is made of several puzzle rooms that flow and connect to each other seamlessly while still managing to feel wholly unique from one another. Even the aforementioned puzzles standout in more positive ways than negative. The Anti-Escapist facility is brilliantly laid out and interconnected, while the final two levels, particularly the very last level, reach a level of creativity and spectacle that was wholly unexpected. Despite some minor pitfalls, the Escape Academy: Escape From Anti-Escape Island DLC is a wonderful continuation of the base game that makes every epiphany feel more satisfying and rewarding than the last.
One final thing worth noting is that the music sometimes cuts out, leaving only the sound effects to fill the awkwardly empty void. This definitely feels like a bug and only occurred a handful of times, but it is still worth mentioning because the phenomenal soundtrack is relaxing, driving, and perfect for the game's aesthetic. When those songs were cut short, it felt like an integral part of the experience was missing. Thankfully, those moments were sparse and when the did happen, it could be quickly resolved. Overall, Tanuki Sunset is a wonderful game, especially for those looking for a simple, stylish game to play at the end of a long day.
Paradise Marsh clearly communicates what it wants to say and the questions it wants the players to consider. Much like life, will players take their time and explore or rush through to see the ending? Will they swing their net methodically or wildly in hopes of catching something? With beautiful art, subtle sound design and music by Disasterpiece, and well-written poetry that shows a deep understanding of philosophy, Paradise Marsh leaves players reflecting on what they've experienced long after it ends and that is more than enough reason to recommend this game.
With the presence of multiple pro skaters including Daewon Song and Samarria Brevard, as well as a semi-open world with legendary skate spots like Black Hubbus and FDR Park, Sessions: Skate Sim is a well-written love letter to the sport. While some may feel underwhelmed by the lack of customization and find the controls too difficult to adjust to, players that have a love of skating and are itching to dive into a new skateboarding title will eventually feel right at home.
Another potential hurdle for Akane is that it takes place in a single square level and requires players to defeat the same enemies ad infinitum, which runs the risk of getting stale. Thankfully it's an intriguing gameplay experience, so players may not play it for long sittings but the desire to jump back in later is strong. One impression that came up time and again while playing is that this game would be perfect for mobile, with its limited setting, simple controls, and "jump in and play" mentality. While Akane is unfortunately not available on mobile platforms, it's made a solid transition to consoles and is well worth picking up.