The Thaumaturge is a thought-provoking and haunting RPG that expertly combines gameplay and narrative, leading to one of the most unique RPG experiences you’re likely to play this year. Its stunning setting and choice-driven narrative will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time as I reflect on the tough decisions I made with Wiktor as he comes to terms with this dark, fantasy-filled version of Warsaw. The combat arguably takes too long to reveal its riches, but once that initial barrier is overcome, it offers the same level of depth and choice present in other aspects of The Thaumaturge. As mentioned at the top, there’s a lot of competition vying for your time this year if you’re a fan of RPGs, but The Thaumaturge may just be the most unique, thought-provoking entry into the genre you’ll play this year.
Despite the clear effort that went into build diversity and satisfying naval combat, Skull and Bones’s core gameplay loops simply aren’t enough to stop this ship from sinking. Mindless grinds, tedious busywork, and a complete lack of any meaningful gameplay hooks outside of the core combat result in an experience that feels incomplete despite the plethora of Ubisoft checklists that there is to work through in your time at sea. If you’re someone who enjoys tinkering with builds and doesn’t mind grinding for materials in a constant pursuit of that next upgrade for hours on end, then you may find something to like here. Otherwise, this is a voyage into tedium-induced insanity that you can definitely afford to miss.
Under Night In-Birth II is a fantastic fighting game experience when you focus solely on the core mechanics and how enjoyable it is to immerse yourself in the depths of its more intricate systems. Examining the package as a whole presents it as one that is perhaps a bit lacking on the content side, with there being a real absence of meaningful offline single-player modes to dive into, which in turn leads to a world that’s difficult to comprehend if you’re coming to this with no prior knowledge of the series. That being said, if you’re a fighting game purist who just wants a new fighting game to master that will offer hours upon hours of fun as you master its many interlocking systems, or you want something simple enough that you can enjoy a few casual rounds with friends here and there, then Under Night In-Birth II fits the bill almost perfectly.
Had more care been given to crafting a more handcrafted campaign that relied less on repetitive busywork and more on the cinematic set-pieces that we know the looter shooter genre is capable of when done right, then this may have been a different story, and the admittedly enjoyable combat would have had the chance to shine more had the activities surrounding it been remotely enjoyable or creative. As it stands, though, this is one of the worst campaigns ever to grace a videogame, never mind a live service, with an endgame that does the unforgivable and asks you to continue grinding out the same content that you’ve just slogged through. Rocksteady’s return should have been something to cherish, given the studio’s pedigree, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is instead a product that raises serious doubts about the studio’s future.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a triumph and one of the most mechanically deep and rewarding action-RPGs in recent memory. It’s easy to pick up, yet difficult to master combat feels great in motion, and it’s all in service of a world and cast of characters that are more than worthy of your time and attention. Between the substantial single-player portion and the incredibly generous multiplayer offering, there’s a wealth of content on offer for those wanting to really invest and dig into the game’s many progression systems. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what the result would be if Tails of Arise and Monster Hunter had a baby, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the answer, and it’s glorious.
While a fairly simplistic affair, Slaps & Beans 2 is an enjoyable slice of beat-’em-up action. Between the love for the source material that pours out of every pixel and the massively entertaining set pieces, Slaps & Beans 2 may not be the deepest offering the genre has to offer, but it’s clear it was never meant to be. Instead, what you get is a history lesson in Bud and Terence’s brand of slapstick comedy and a combat system that’s simple enough to provide hours of fun for the whole family. On that basis, Slaps & Beans 2 is an easy recommendation.
Engaging combat, brilliant boss fights, and top-notch level design that is amplified further by the creative dual-world mechanics introduced by Umbral, all coalesce into a version of Lords of the Fallen that not only leaves its predecessor in the dust but moves the genre forward in meaningful ways. That being said, it’s difficult to ignore the lackluster performance that significantly impacts upon the experience of the opening few hours, resulting in Lords of the Fallen not being the absolute recommendation that it should be, so here’s hoping Hexworks are hard at work on further optimization updates that brings performance to a level worthy of the rest of the package.
While not without issues—the worst offender still being the inadequate tutorials—The Fabulous Fear Machine is an incredibly refreshing spin on the real-time strategy genre. With unexpectedly detailed, if at times slightly questionable, narratives underpinning each of its three campaigns and an art style that looks and feels like nothing else in the genre, The Fabulous Fear Machine does the impossible and makes being evil a whole lot of fun through its fresh gameplay loops and devilishly delightful assortment of legends. If you’ve got a mean streak and have always wanted a safe environment in which to find out what it feels like to have people unquestionably devote themselves to you and your cause, well, firstly, you should be on a watch list somewhere, and secondly, you should absolutely check out The Fabulous Fear Machine.
If Ubisoft’s mission with Assassins Creed Mirage was clearly to create something that paid tribute to the series’ roots while acting as an entry point for new fans, and perhaps a re-entry point for lapsed ones, then that mission has been well and truly accomplished. The razor-sharp focus on throwback stealth gameplay, stripping back of RPG systems, and de-emphasizing of melee combat all come together to create the most focused entry in years. Melee combat may feel awful, and the wilderness regions woefully underutilized, but when the streets of Baghdad itself are as joyous to explore as they are, and the stealth combat represents not just a return to form, but a series high, it’s hard to see those flaws as anything other than minor blemishes. I have no doubt that the future of Assassins Creed largely lies in more sprawling RPGs, but Assassins Creed Mirage shows that the classic formula still holds value, so here’s hoping Ubisoft sees a world in which the new can exist with the old.
One Military Camp is a solid, if somewhat safe, base builder that makes crafting your own base and developing your own army a genuinely entertaining affair. There’s a real satisfaction to be had in finally landing on the perfect base and developing squads of soldiers that stand the best chance of surviving certain missions. It’s a shame, then, that an overreliance on manually managing your troops and base, and the lack of any interactive missions or battles, leaves it currently feeling like a bit of a missed opportunity, and somewhat half-baked. That being said, with such a solid foundation, there is definitely fun to be had for fans of the genre, and with a few more content updates that would hopefully address some of the quality-of-life issues while fleshing out some of the more passive elements, One Military Camp has the potential to be something special.
Phantom Liberty on its own would be a stellar expansion, but combined with the radical 2.0 update, it’s a game changer for Cyberpunk 2077. The road to redemption has been long, and yes, you could argue that it’s unacceptable that such a long road to redemption was even required, but it’s hard to argue that CD Projekt Red hasn’t paid its dues at this stage. Phantom Liberty almost feels like a celebration – CD Projekt Red bowing out on an amazing high, with fans finally able to play a version of Cyberpunk 2077 that feels closer to those original promises than it ever has. Whatever way you look at it, update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty combined are a fantastic capstone on the Cyberpunk 2077 journey, and one that everyone should experience.
Party Animals could easily have been a derivative Gang Beasts or Fall Guys clone, but its incredibly creative maps and modes, along with the wealth of content that will be available at launch, have resulted in a title that feels like it has a real shout at joining the regular rotation of party game fanatics with immediate effect. Minor gripes with match length and camera issues aside, this is an incredibly well-polished experience that I foresee giving me and my friends hours upon hours of fun for years to come. Typically with party games, I only bother with them when I have company around or my better half and I want something fun to play while we open a bottle of wine. Perhaps, then, the biggest compliment I can give Party Animals is that while it absolutely is going to be a great game that I enjoy with familiar company, it’s also an experience that I see myself dipping into while flying solo, making use of the game’s seemingly robust matchmaking. In fact, that’s enough from me – don’t tell PETA, but I’m about to dive back into Party Animals and whack a few animals around the head with an oversized frying pan.
It’s unfortunate that every positive I've mentioned comes undone at the hands of that dreaded localization. There were stretches of gameplay where I was just grinding, or exploring, and for a moment I’d forget what a mess the translation was, immersed in Xuan-Yuan Sword’s perfectly serviceable gameplay loops. But, this is an RPG, and to this player, world-building, deep characterization, and dense lore that I can immerse myself in is just as important to my enjoyment of an RPG as gameplay is. There will likely be a portion of players who will be able to look past this issue, simply content at being able to play a game that had been out of the reach of Western audiences for so long, and that’s perfectly fine. As I’ve indicated, there’s a solid RPG here somewhere and I have no doubt that this would be a fantastic experience had the port been shown the love and care it deserves. As it stands, though, Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is such a compromised experience that it’s impossible to recommend in its current state.
All that being said, Trine 5 is still a fine old time for puzzle platformer fans, even if it does feel like a series that needs to evolve going forward. Its reliably refined puzzle platforming combination can still be a joy to get lost in, and that eureka moment when you finally stumble across a neat way in which to combine the abilities of its roster never fails to delight. Fans who just want more Trine will feel right at home with Trine 5, and if the goal of Frozenbyte was to continue to appease the core fanbase with another solid entry, then I think they’ve successfully achieved that.
Sure, it could be argued that in its opening hours, Sea of Stars doesn’t put its best foot forward, but when what follows an admittedly slow start is such a joyous experience, that’s nothing only a small blemish on an otherwise impeccable product that is easily forgiven. I’ve played a lot of retro-inspired RPGs over the past few years, and while I’ve enjoyed many, rarely have I come away with the opinion that they can hold a candle to their inspirations. Sea of Stars, on the other hand, not only manages to confidently stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats, but in many ways, improves on them to create an unmissable JRPG experience.
And, I think that word perhaps best sums up Nimbus Infinity as an overall experience. Unremarkable. There’s fun to be had for sure in the frantically paced and enemy-packed combat encounters, but when you take into consideration the fact that you never feel as though you’re piloting an almighty mech and the entirely forgettable nature of the art design and the narrative, it’s hard to make a case as to why Nimbus Infinity is worth spending time with. If you’re okay with playing through a short, breezy five-hour campaign that provides an evening’s worth of decent aerial combat, you might want to dive in, especially considering the budget price point. However, those who are seeking out a meaningful mech experience that succeeds in letting you live out one of the ultimate power fantasies may want to look elsewhere for their thrills.
While Friday the 13th will always hold a special place inside my heart, I think it’s time to stop mourning and move on, because Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a complete success. It’s a varied and surprisingly deep character roster, each character with their own niche to fill and progression paths to follow, coupled with excellent map design and variety, position Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a title that will absolutely become my new asymmetrical go-to. While I do have some concerns around balance, and the huge grinds that the progression systems represent may not be for me, those are relatively minor blemishes on what is an otherwise fantastic package at launch. It’s authentic, bloody, and terrifying – quite frankly, it’s everything that I wanted the Texas Chainsaw Massacre to be. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m just about ready to get back to spilling some guts.
At the end of the day, though, that’s not the vision the developers had for Adore and that’s fine, as what they have produced is a damn fine spin on the monster taming genre all the same. Look past the repetition, and you’ll find that early simplicity was a complete red herring, as the complexities of team synergy, hidden passives, and the real-time combat suck you in. The core of what’s here is excellent, and while the narrow scope of the moment-to-moment gameplay loops may feel a little limiting, they allow the excellent core combat and surprising depth to shine through. If, like me, you were a little tired of the genre rehashing the same formula for what feels like forever, then Adore, while not without its flaws, will likely feel like a total breath of fresh air.
I have similar sentiments when looking at Sword and Fairy Inn 2 as a whole – inoffensive yet uninspired and, unfortunately, boring. From the sloppy localization to the almost complete lack of direct player input that players have come to expect in things such as farming and cooking, it feels a little soulless. There is some satisfaction to be found in watching your tiny business grow into something more substantial, but the fact that you never really do anything to facilitate that growth beyond clicking through menus makes it all feel a touch impersonal. What’s more, is that the Switch is a console already drowning in quality cozy games that already let you live out the virtual life of your dreams, and on that basis alone, Sword and Fairy Inn 2 is a difficult product to recommend.
And that’s perhaps the keyword I’d use to describe the package as a whole – fun. Evil Wizard, while not doing anything to reinvent the genre, is just a fun, damn time. Once the writing finds its feet after a shaky opening hour, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to be had, and the combat, while not especially deep, is polished and engaging. In a year where we are absolutely drowning in big-budget affairs that allow us to live out our heroic fantasies in spectacular fashion, it was a joy to take a slight detour and spend a few hours in the company of vitriolic little Wizard who hates the world and everyone around him.