Played on its own, without worrying about whether it effectively changes up the hallowed tropes of early JRPGs, or conversely, sticks a little too closely to them, Echoes of Aetheria is fun.
Darkest Dungeon is difficult, but not because its systems are unclear or unfair.
Maybe it's the somewhat featureless terrain of Kharak, the simplified, streamlined interface and missions or the slightly shallow multiplayer modes, but there is a real sense that Deserts of Kharak is a throwback to a much earlier RTS style of game.
There is real appeal to the idea of living in a little rural community where everyone is pleasant and quirky, where the rhythm of life and the gentle change of seasons are tied to working the land and the world's secrets are not dark and menacing.
The look and tone of Between Me and the Night will undoubtedly appeal to many gamers, but they may ultimately be disappointed by its approach to puzzle design, overly fussy controls, limited inventory system and a mood that has little variety save unease and tension.
Bombshell is a broken, boring action game with a tin ear for humour and action that rarely rises above tedium.
Death by Game Show is not an incompetently made game, but as a collection of design decisions the sum and its individual parts are annoying, disappointing or frustrating.
After a while, though, the romance fades and the grind sets in, and you realize that the good stuff is the PvP after level 45 and even then, there's not that much to do. There are seven classes but every character slogs through the same story and the same quests and easy-kill monsters. It's then that you realize the cash shop and XP-boots are there for a reason. It's easy to recommend giving Blade & Soul a try, but hard to imagine sticking with it for long.
In DarkMaus, Daniel Wright has created a focused, challenging experience that successfully translates the core tenants of Dark Souls — careful approach to combat, high level of initial difficulty, wise use of resources and character development — into a game that looks deceptively innocent and benign.
There is depth and relevance to The Political Machine 2016's gameplay and content. It's easy to pick up and play and whether you take it seriously and really play to win or approach it with less reverence, the game will accommodate you. Because it is so tied to the issues and candidates of the moment, it is both amusing and instructive, but probably not something you'll want to revisit after next November.
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend takes the Warriors formula and franchise in a new direction, but the core gameplay is largely familiar.
Cities: Skylines just keeps getting better. Thanks to lots of dedicated fans and modders, and the official After Dark and Snowfall expansions, the game offers endless fun and creativity. For the price, Snowfall's content is right on the border of being a just little thin and non-essential, especially if you don't really care about adding trams or transportation hubs, but the snow effects are nice and I will be happy to have added them come August when I'm sweltering in late summer heat.
Wanderjahr is hard to recommend. There isn't much to it other than its combat, and unfortunately its combat is repetitive and uninteresting. In general, taking control away from the player — even in boss battles — is not a way to make the experience engaging. The sloppy translations and awkward English are not what brings the game down, but rather the structure of the missions, the lack of character development, and most critically, the uninteresting, spectator sport combat.
Devil Daggers is laser-focused on providing a very specific type of shooter experience, suggesting old school classics stripped down to their fundamental core.
Death is pretty much inevitable in The Flame in the Flood, but it can be held at bay through luck, crafting, planning and skillful awareness of the environment and what it offers and hides.
Zombasite has some genuinely unique and interesting ideas but its presentation and user-friendliness will be a barrier to some players.
The Dwarves features a few great ideas and appealing systems that are unfortunately offset by too much downtime.
By most metrics — polish, graphics, writing, acting and engaging game play mechanics — Gears 5 is an impressive product for both solo players and competitive or cooperative shooter fans. But moving forward, the series desperately needs to venture into new ways of telling its stories and pacing its encounters.
Hunt: Showdown doesn’t try to do a lot of things beyond its core mission, and the challenging gameplay and limited selection of maps — though they are expansive and interesting — might be a barrier to long-term enjoyment.
In the seven years since Torchlight II was released, dungeon crawlers have both evolved into a more complex genre and toyed with mechanics pulled from outside them, such as roguelikes.