Decarnation is not about the gameplay, but about the journey. And that journey is wrought with existentialism, Lovecraftian horror, and psychological quandaries that may be trigger inducing. It will grip you, refuse to let go, and entrap you until the end of its story. Should you play Decarnation, you will be opting into experiencing horror through the eyes of a protagonist you may, or may not, empathize with. Should you play Decarnation, you should also avoid sharing its execution of horrors that should remain unspeakable. In other words, avoid spoiling whenever possible.
Guayota contains a great deal of difficulty and tested my patience quite well. I loved how it implemented puzzles in a way that isolated puzzles on a per-dungeon basis. However, I wanted a bigger payoff from completing its more difficult-levels, and I wanted the light version of the levels to have something to ease the difficulty. That said, Guayota was a great test of my logic and reasoning skills in the few hours I spent in-game. I loved the aesthetic, design, and general level construction, so it's worth playing if you're interested in an indie gem with unique puzzles for an afternoon playthrough.
If I could go back, even for a moment, to the mid-90s era of coin-operated arcades, I would seek the closest facsimile to Nosebleed Interactive's arcade that is so perfectly constructed within Arcade Paradise VR. Until a time machine becomes available, I'll settle for putting on my PSVR2 and playing some familiar arcade titles that translate pretty darn well in the VR space, Sense controllers and all.
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is a remaster of two classic games that I am very glad to see in 2021, it just kills me that Koei Tecmo waited so long to bring this series to international audiences. The UI needs some work, but the games play really well on PC. In terms of remaster quality, these remastered games check all the right boxes for adding game mechanics that we take for granted in present-day games in older games that weren't so lucky to have these features. While Monster Rancher 1 deserved additional graphical and audio updates, playing the remastered Monster Rancher 2 is nothing short of fun. The new music-lookup monster creation system is a much needed modernization for the series, the FF Mode is a great way to quickly grind out your monster's stats, but I fear that multiplayer may be a letdown. I sincerely hope that these remasters pave the way for a modern Monster Rancher installment, because if these remasters are any indication, Koei Tecmo are on the right track.
Great googly moogly, SCHiM is a beautiful feat of a 3D-platformer with puzzle elements. Its most charming and emotional moments will sneak up on you, so enjoy every single second of this cozy tale of a little shadow that could.
Headbangers: Rhythm Royale is an interesting blend of simple rhythm and silly battle royale gameplay that's both fun yet accessible. Its 23 minigames might not be unique, but they're fun in short bursts. It's great for all kinds of players, too! I'm interested to see how things evolve in the coming months, but in the meantime I'll be having my pigeon bang his head to the beat.
To say that Warp Frontier is a letdown would be mostly glossing over how it succeeds as a point-and-click, but saying that it's an indie gem would be overlook some of the more critical issues that exist in-game. The world and story of Warp Frontier are well developed, yes. The voice acting and soundtrack are icing on the imaginary cake. But, this sci-fi cop drama of a point-and-click is best saved for a PC-playthrough, as the Switch's hardware and controller limitations make some of the game's annoying puzzles into frustrations. I would highly recommend you play this on PC, as your experience will be marred by the Switch.
I am very pleased with the co-op experience offered by Casus Ludi's hand-drawn Blanc. The short story of the fawn and a wolf cub is indeed an emotional one, and it will leave you feeling complete by the time the credits roll. Yes, this title is an incredibly short one, but it's worth playing on a snowy evening or on a date night. If you're looking for a co-op title that will offer you some simple yet emotionally effective gameplay, look no further than Blanc on the PC.
There's no reason not to complete Episode Aigis with how much ATLUS has made this post-game episode easier to complete than ever before. Getting to the end of Episode Aigis and seeing Persona 3 Reload's characters' ending in a somber, yet bittersweet, fashion is a perfect way to step away from the glory that is Persona 3 Reload that has made 2024 a fantastic year for Persona fans. It bears repeating: Episode Aigis is a JRPG post-game done right; it's so right that it's worth returning to Persona 3 Reload if only to see the ending.
Triangle Strategy is a fantastic tactical RPG, and I'm so very glad to see it ported over to the PC. It offers a near perfect balance of strategy gameplay, active worldbuilding, and passive worldbuilding to get players committed to Norzelia and her inhabitants. While the gameplay may be too handholdy for tactical veterans, its accessible enough to encourage you to spend more time playing the game rather than trying to customize characters to the best they can be. This port doesn't really offer much of an incentive for those who own the Switch version, but...the game is near perfect as is. Why bother trying to improve on a stellar tactical RPG?
Serious Sam 4's PS5 port is disappointing. For a one-year-old game, it would have been nice for some PS5-specific features to be added to this port and give us a reason to try it out on the PS5, but...there seem to not be many reasons to try Serious Sam 4 on the PS5. It does not feel like many changes were made to this port, and the experience is reminiscent of a PS3 game. If you're looking for a fun and demon-filled FPS for your new PS5 this holiday season, then you might like Serious Sam 4. Otherwise, perhaps you should consider waiting until the experienced is more polished.
Cult of the Lamb is perfect example of an innovative indie that proclaims to be one genre, but assumes multiple identities and delivers. The game's charming yet disturbing theme lends you freedom to play as you want, and have your actions make sense on the lore-front. Yes, this roguelite is most likely the easiest and most accessible compared to its competitors, but that accessibility comes at a cost of some gameplay, like combat, lacking depth and complexity for genre veterans. Knowing all of this, should you sacrifice your time to the altar of The One Who Waits? To this, we say yes.
Weird Beluga attempted to merge two distinct genres of game with Clid the Snail: top-down shooter and narrative. Although they succeeded on the worldbuilding and narrative front, the gunplay feels unforgiving, repetitive, and frustrating. I can't sleight them for trying something new, as I generally enjoyed Clid's grimy world, but I really did want more. I can't wait to see where Weird Beluga go, as Clid is a good start for hopefully something better in the future.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Switch) is a faithful port of an already outstanding RPG. Barring small graphical artifacts, an oversized text box, and multiple loading screens, KOTOR is an easy recommendation for Switch owners that RPGs should strive to emulate: Your character's stats matter, your character's actions have consequences, and the worlds you visit are lively. Even more: If this port doesn't make you excited for the upcoming KOTOR remaster, I don't know what will. If you're not the biggest Star Wars fan, I can assure you that you just might be after playing this game. If you're currently a Star Wars fan and have yet to play this game...what are you doing? Drop what you're doing and pick up KOTOR.
Aeterna Noctis is a delightfully difficult Metroidvania that pushes the boundaries of difficult platforming and combat in a way that keeps the game fun and exhilarating. This hand-drawn action platformer is perfect for those who wanted just a bit more from similar games in the Metroidvania genre, albeit less charming. If you're looking for a solid indie GOTY that effectively utilizes your PS5, look no further than Aeterna Noctis. Good luck, you'll most definitely need it.
Midnight Munchies have done something incredibly novel with ONE BTN BOSSES. They've merged bullet hell gameplay loops with a striking visual aesthetic to create a highly replayable arcade game that, yes, only needs one button. While I personally want more bullet hell bosses and a deeper roguelike mode, there's enough in this delightful package to hold me over for hours to come.
Sonic Origins is the Sonic anthology that Sonic the Hedgehog fans, including myself, have been waiting for years to play. Being able to play the classic Sonic titles in their original glory AND in an updated fashion thanks to Anniversary Mode should make newer players' journeys less perilous than the journeys we had on our Sega Genesis in the 90s. Sonic is more forgiving than ever. You'll be hit with all the nostalgia from Sonic 1, 2, 3, and CD, although some of the content has been changed. I only wish that this content was taken one step further: More playable content and animations, please!