While The Iron’s Hot does just about everything in its package well, it also never progresses any of its components into great territory. It offers an involved crafting process as its primary gameplay system that successfully engages you in feeling like a blacksmith, though the system does not evolve as your character hones his craft. Along with this, a fun adventure unfolds with eccentric characters and suitable change-of-pace activities.
I largely do not have a lot to say about American Arcadia other than it's excellent. Out of the Blue Games has served up a well-rounded narrative puzzle adventure that largely succeeds in all areas.
A simple and effective game that never seeks to be an overwhelming experience. It mostly achieves its goals of offering a Pirate Mech roguelike adventure, raiding derelict spaceships for their booty and combating the obstacles and enemies along the way.
When played in short bursts, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a strangely compelling game, mostly thanks to its characters and defining art style doing a lot of heavy lifting. Despite its lack of compelling gameplay systems, there is something about the simplicity presented that offers some comfort in how you play the game, and the right person might still find some enjoyment in exploring the Wyrd.
Wizard with a Gun is a very tight package, its magic being how quickly and efficiently it has you into its systems and into the groove of turning back time to save the world. It achieves this with tight-timed runs and its trim systems throughout, never leading you too far off the path to salvation.
Bilkin’s Folly is a game that I could recommend to almost anyone in the mood for a treasure-hunting adventure. Its tone and characters highlight the experience and make the longer-than-expected time sail by, whilst its puzzling is largely engaging if drawn back by more obtusely difficult puzzles and some technical hiccups that will surely be fixed in short order.
It is almost uncanny how the story of Jumplight Odyssey is analogous to its current state in Early Access, with both the game and the flagship SDF Catalina in functional yet imperfect states, as both seek to work towards optimisation, development of systems and eventually the salvation of the Forever Star/ 1.0 Launch.
The zippy speed, 80s-style death sports game show aesthetic and sound tactical decisions all coalesce into an experience suited to both tactics veterans looking for a shorter sugar hit or novices wanting an easy way into the genre.
Everything in Octopath Traveller II coalesces in a way that makes an enjoyable classical style of RPG.
Storyteller left me wanting more, which complements the strength of its gameplay formula and is helped by solid polish in the visual and audio departments.
Returnal is the latest of Sony's first-party games finding a new audience on PC, and it feels right at home on the platform through a solid port. The fluid and swift movement is a pleasure to control with a keyboard and mouse, and the port coming without some of the teething problems of the PS5 release makes Returnal an approachable proposition.
There are flashes of potential that could have elevated Wanted Dead to be greater than the sum of its parts, but these flashes are drowned out by its mission to be a throwback experience complete with jank.
Between the story sequences, the army management and tactical combat were equally as meaty and enjoyable, challenging you to defeat all comers. Overall, Tactics Ogre Reborn is a recovered gem from the past that I'm glad to have discovered.
A horror game that frequently treads into the action-adventure territory, The Chant had me engaged with its awkward but functional combat, interesting visual design and lore. However, it was never able to consistently build and maintain tension throughout the game.
Wylde Flowers' comforting ambience will surely be a hit amongst its target audience. It sticks to the Farming Sim/RPG formula in tried and true gameplay structure and focuses on the relationships amongst the citizens of Fairhaven and fully voiced characters to set it apart from similar games.
Live a Live is an eccentric game that has been brought into the modern gaming landscape not just through its stunning pixel work but also with some modern features that make it a breeze to play through. Its unique structure was intriguing throughout, and the short, self-contained chapters throughout most of the game make for an easy pick-up and play experience.
Overall, my time with Endling - Extinction is Forever is ultimately an emotional experience that can firmly be praised as an example of why games are art. Thematically deep, the game uses the control you have over the Mother Fox to deepen your connection and explore these prevalent themes.
The opportunities within Weird West do feel endless at times due to the emergent gameplay, story beats and the way you are endlessly rewarded for exploration. Capped off by some excellent presentation, atmosphere and fascinating story, Weird West's detracting factors are only minor marks on an overall great experience.
There are a lot of interesting ideas at play in Aztech Forgotten Gods, even if they have not all coalesced in a way that knocks it out of the park. Still, there are joys to be had when flying around an interestingly designed world and colossal bosses in a way that their size can be fully realised.
Overall, an enjoyable RPG with a little bloat, allowing you to progress at your own pace as you quell rebellions across the Roman Empire.