As a RTS fan I don’t hate Realms of Ruin at all, its multiplayer matches are much more entertaining than the campaign; and they even have a ranked playlist for those who really wanna prove their stuff. But as a Warhammer fan I must say I am disappointed, while I am appreciative of the knowledge, I gained about the Age of Sigmar and some of these factions, I just felt that this game sacrificed the humor and over the top nature of the 40k universe for a stoic and very serious tale. But maybe that is just the nature of the Age of Sigmar side of things, as I said this was my first entry but if players enjoy multiplayer RTS games I would recommend Realms of Ruin for its fun and thrilling multiplayer.
I loved my time in Sandrock, it genuinely feels innovative within the farming/cozy games that have come out lately. As I said it My Time at Sandrock offers a ton of content for players to tackle, even though it can be overwhelming at times. The PC version also allows players to play the game co-op, at the time of this writing its not planned to come to the other platforms but that may change. The colorful art style, desert setting and memorable characters make for a fantastic adventure that players of the genre shouldn’t skip.
Robocop: Rogue City is an absolute gem of a game. While not as polished as a AAA title, it still manages to look great in motion and function just as well. The bugs I found were minimum and usually happened when I killed an enemy near a guardrail, for some reason they are all programmed to fall over no matter how far away from the rail they may be. But I never ran into any real issues here, Rogue City is as solid as Robocop himself. I would be remiss if I didn’t shoutout the excellent audio in Rogue City, from the excellent Peter Weller reprising his role as Alex Murphy/Robocop to the inclusion of an EXCELLENT piano version of the classic movie theme if you are a fan of Robocop, Rogue City has been made for you. Playing Rogue City, I couldn’t help but think that Teyon has done for Robocop what Rocksteady did for Batman. They managed to highlight another side of the character in the interactive space by allowing players to really embody the ‘cop’ part of Robocop.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a fun throwback to a simpler time in video games. All we needed was dual pistols, a slow-motion dive and some gruff narration and this game checks all those boxes. While I was not blown away by the PS1-esque graphics; I am sure that there will be those that will enjoy them. But it’s the story that folks should come for, the tale between these two lovers is something worthy of a sad opera. Despite its shortcomings El Paso, Elsewhere surprised me quite a bit and could end up being quite the sleeper of 2023.
I’ve said it on the podcast a few times, I love Fae Farm. Having the 4-player coop is truly icing on the cake as these games are so much more fun with friends, being able to divide and conquer to accomplish tasks is the preferred way to play these cozy games for me. Fae Farm has managed to breach my top 10 list for 2023 which any REAL gamer knows is just an absolutely bananas year for the medium. Not every game has to have realistic graphics, all-star voice casting or even an animal mascot and I think Fae Farm proves that in a year of bangers just being a fun, smart, cozy game can be enough to stand out.
I wanted to love Hellboy: Web of Wyrd as a lover of beat-em up games but more so as a HUGE comic book fan, sadly the game just fell short in a few too many areas. As I said the art style is just beautiful to look at, I cannot understate how amazing it looks but once you start moving and the weird frame trick issues pops up everything just comes apart for me. Lance Reddick made for a fun, threatening, caring, funny, thoughtful portrayal of Hellboy, and whether that is attributed to Mignola’s writing or his own talent it was a fantastic take on the character. It’s just so upsetting that the rest of the game was not as strong as the narrative.
I had a lot of fun finding out the various ways I can mix and match spells and the different gun types, but the narrative in Wizard with a Gun is lacking. Honestly the game feels like it is really just meant to be played with a group of friends, which it does feature 4 player co-op. Having the extra guns with a different set of bullets would make some encounters WAY easier but more to that just having a person to play and talk with would do a lot. The gameplay loop isn’t bad it just wears then if you are playing solo, if you have a group of friends who enjoy games like Don’t Starve Together or even Ark then you all should take a look at Wizard with a Gun. Its unique blend of sandbox and twin stick shooter is a lot of fun for a while alone but I can see it being endlessly fun with friends.
To make matters worse the game didn’t work for like a week after its launch due to its reliance on an always online model. Server issues plagued users on all systems, some people weren’t able to redeem their items that they had paid extra for, it was just a mess. Oddly enough, I was able to play before launch which means I didn’t get to play with real people as I gave up trying to play the game after day 3 of it not working. While I never was able to compete a heist that didn’t devolve into a shootout, I am sure there will be those pros that can. As I type this the servers are still working and Starbreeze is reporting millions of players; and I wish them well but I am gonna take my cut and get off here. Hopefully next time their game is functional at launch.
I wasn’t a fan of The London Case, admittedly I am not a huge fan of Hercule Poirot outside of live action media though. But for me this game just felt unpolished and perhaps rushed, which maybe it was because as I write this a new Hercule game is set to drop this very week. Again, this is a sequel in a series that I haven’t played so this may be an improvement I don’t know, what I do know is that for someone who enjoys mystery, adventure games The London Case shall remain unsolved for this fledgling detective.
The Crew: Motorfest is just that, a celebration of (almost) all things that have a motor. There are a ton of cars from dozens of manufactures, even a DeLorean which I am currently saving for. I am not a race guy, but I had a lot of fun with Motorfest, especially once I unlocked the vehicle switching. Being able to go from a car into a plane at the press of a button is dope, while I wish the developers had tuned the controls for all the vehicles instead of just focusing on the cars; I never had a real issue controlling the planes, boats or off-road vehicles. But if you are looking to catch some beautiful Hawaiian sun, drive some of the most beautiful cars you’ve ever seen, then The Crew Motorfest might be for you.
Wild Card Football has pleasantly surprised me I must say, I was already intrigued with its blend of strategic card games and the game of football. But to finally play it and see that the card game doesn’t detract from the football game but instead enhances it and makes it something totally new and fun to play. The on-field action is quite solid as well, not as accurate as Madden and not the rules free slam fest that is NFL Blitz. But the play calling is tight, and easy to understand with a handful of runs, passes, trick and defense plays to choose from. Anyone who is burnt out with the simulation style football games should check out Wild Card as it’s a blast to play.
Blasphemous 2 scratched an itch I didn’t even realize I had, I am not a fan of soulsbourne games, but I think I AM a fan of roguelikes, especially this one that took the best parts from the metroidvania genre and expertly weaved with the ‘Souls’ type combat. Boasting a strange and evocative narrative that is presented with beautifully painted and animated cutscenes that look like works of art hanging in the Louvre, Blasphemous 2 is itself a work of art.
I didn’t really talk about the story on purpose, and that’s because its extremely short. While I enjoyed my time with High on Knife, that time is only a few hours to see the story and maybe one more to wrap up side quests and things. And as fun as the new pinball type B.A.L.L. gun is, I had hoped for something that would add a new weapon and a new personality to my arsenal. Alas, the BALL gun is worked by three chubby members of the blue man group and only ever talks in ‘meeps’ and ‘oops’. Again, gun is DOPE and adds a lot to the gameplay, just wish it was voiced like the others. The most damning thing here though is the narrative just abruptly ends. I don’t want to spoil it but while the developer’s kind of make a joke about the ending and how it just fades to black; the overall experience just left me with a lot of questions and an unsatisfied feeling in my stomach.
Gloomhaven was a tough one to review not because the game itself is bad, despite feeling clunky to navigate using a controller; no, it’s just after playing for many hours I realized that it’s just not for me. Its systems are deep and allow some great tactical plays to happen. The game allows for players to enjoy with four of their friends but much to my chagrin it doesn’t have a quickmatch function; so sadly, I was playing solo. I think with friends this would be more fun, just like playing a session of D&D is more of a blast with friends. I would recommend this version for those like me who were intrigued with the board game but just know that Gloomhaven is not for the timid.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a fantastic companion piece to The Expanse show, telling a prequel story with so many weighty decisions that include the lives of various crew members is “classic” Telltale. Even when players make a seemingly good choice you can’t help but think about what sort of negative connotations its going to yield later down the road. I enjoyed virtually every moment of The Expanse, this is Telltalle at their very best anyone who is a fan of their past work shouldn’t miss this series.
Lies of P comes across as the ‘Bloodbourne we have at home’ from its gothic architecture and dark and gritty themes it feels very much like the Bloodbourne fans have been craving at 60fps. But Lies of P does enough to cut the strings that may be attaching it to Sony’s Bloodborne. Round8 and the team have carved out just enough to make this genre their own, from the tweaks to health and combat to the way recovering lost ergo works; Lies of P has become managed to indeed become a real boy.
The only real complaint I had with Gunbrella was the map system, I always felt like I was lost as I wandered around cities, sewers and more, but due in large part to the fun of traversal with the Gunbrella I never really was too angry at being lost. A large part of Gunbrella’s charm for me is its atmosphere, as I said I love the noir genre; so much so that I am writing a neo-noir novel, so I thoroughly relished my time with Gunbrella. From its beautiful pixel graphics, its fantastically smart writing, and its amazing soundtrack, Gunbrella is yet another great game in the sea of great games that is otherwise known as 2023.
Whew… I mean if you are a martial arts fan this game is – as cliché as this sounds it’s really made for you. A special shoutout to developer Sloclap who has certainly honed own their skills to the level of ‘Sifu’ since the already amazing Absolver. With this final update you all have sent this off into the world like Caine from ‘Kung Fu’ for all to experience and as we all hone our martial arts skills; I think I speak for all the fans when I say we can’t wait for the next fight.
I freaking loved Sea of Stars, from its adorable graphic style to its heartwarming story Sea of Stars is a sure-fire hit. Even the times I ran into glitches and bugs I still enjoyed my time within its world. Sabotage studios already proved the pedigree of their studio with The Messenger but I fully expect them to level up with the release of Sea of Stars. With its enjoyable story, utterly fantastic musical score, and beautiful pixel world if you are a fan of RPG’s this one is NOT to be missed!
I enjoyed Adore for the things that it did differently with its creature collecting and real-time combat, I could have done without the roguelike systems. But even with that going against it I still had a great time playing Adore, collecting creatures, theory crafting for that perfect team and the combat system still has its hooks in me, despite the overused roguelike system.