Although it uses the Borderlands 3 engine and reprises several characters from earlier games in the franchise, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands does a great job of separating itself from its brethren. With a focus on high fantasy and cheeky humor that constantly pokes fun at RPG traditions, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands also doesn’t stray far from them, at least mechanically. Great writing, pitch perfect acting and frenetic action dominate the game, but exploring the nooks and crannies of the colorful overworld and detailed dungeons is equally satisfying. I had a blast in the Wonderlands and can’t wait to see what else the irrepressible Tiny Tina has in store for us.
Occasional minor frustrations with the controls aside, it’s hard to find fault with Salt and Sacrifice’s challenging combat and level design. The original was one of the best 2D Soulslikes, and this follow-up has a more appealing style and plays even better, with more varied mechanics and deeper choices. While recent FromSoftware games have encouraged more assertive approaches to enemy encounters, Salt and Sacrifice has an old-school vibe that demands patience, determination, a willingness to grind and the ability to find satisfaction in doing so. Fans of the original won’t be disappointed, and more recent Souls converts will find a new addiction as well.
Rogue Legacy essentially spawned the roguelite genre and nine years later, its sequel improves the recipe in every way. Rogue Legacy 2 looks fantastic and plays even better, with engaging mechanics and an addictive gameplay loop. While you might not always make progress, you also never feel bored or that the game disrespects your time. Every run is a new experience and often surprising. There are a lot of systems at play, but they generally help Rogue Legacy 2 transcend the limits of the genre and make it endlessly replayable and entertaining.
As Dusk Falls delivers a tense, dramatic and thoughtful story. Its narrative is always engaging and player choices feel impactful. While some moments can feel rushed or resolve too conveniently, many others are surprising, moving, and hard to forget. Thanks to a compelling story and characters, As Dusk Falls is one of the best interactive dramas in recent memory.
In general Double Eleven and Ludeon have gifted console players with one of the best and most rewarding strategy games of all time. RimWorld is still difficult to master, complex and demanding, and the port to console hasn’t changed that. But, surprisingly, it’s entirely possible to sit on the couch, controller in hand, and have the same intriguing and addictive experience PC players have enjoyed since 2018.
I’ve been away from Returnal for some time, and coming back for the PC version was a happy reminder that, for a good long while, Returnal was my go-to action game. Two years later, its combination of fluid movement, engaging story, and challenging combat is still excellent. Some will still bounce off its difficulty but there are small ways to mitigate the pain. PC action game fans who missed Returnal when it was a PS5 exclusive are in for a great time.
Given the excellence of the two earlier games, I wasn’t surprised that Company of Heroes 3 won me over once again. The addition of Total War-style campaign layer adds a little variety without being overwhelming. Even without it, though, the battles are still endlessly fun, chaotic, and challenging. Skirmishes and the Essence Editor will keep players busy until the next entry in the series. Company of Heroes 3 reminds us that there’s still a lot of joy to be found in the best real-time strategy games.
Everspace 2 has a substantial story, solid flight and combat mechanics, and incredibly addictive, satisfying action. If looter/shooter and space combat don’t seem compatible, Everspace 2 proves they can work together quite well. The narrative, breathless arcade space battles, and deep customization keep Everspace 2 engaging for its full running time and beyond.
Gunfire Games’ Remnant 2 is one of those rare sequels that takes a collection of good ideas and makes them even better. Everything about Remnant 2 is an improvement or elaboration from the first game. It looks great and the action is challenging without being overly punishing. Best of all, Remnant 2 makes creative and meaningful changes to the Soulslike formula, helping it to stand out from a deluge of copycat action RPGs. I can’t imagine any fan of Remnant: From the Ashes being anything but thrilled by Remnant 2.
Calling Lies of P derivative is both obvious and misses the point. It’s is a love letter to FromSoftware, but one that quite often matches or even exceeds its inspiration. Lies of P doesn’t quite attain the elegance of Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or Bloodborne’s best level designs, but its art, graphics, and combat are possibly the best of any Soulslike not developed by Miyazaki and company. Lies of P is addictive, challenging, and rewarding, and a must-play for fans of action RPGs.
Alan Wake 2 rewards fans of the first game for their patience, and invites new players along for a wild, sometimes terrifying and mind-bending ride.
Legacy of the Void is an excellent conclusion to Blizzard's trilogy. While one can get impatient with the familiar mission structure, it's impossible to argue with the excellent faction balance and action. As a genre, real time strategy games have lost a bit of appeal and the StarCraft 2 trilogy doesn't move them into new territory. Let's leave that for the next generation. Right now, there's Legacy of the Void. It's all good.
Although it doesn’t include all the PC game’s extra content, Civ VI comes to the PS4 and Xbox with both the Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm expansions and the latter in particular is a literal game changer. I can certainly imagine using Civ VI as an engaging educational tool to consider the many competing forces around climate change.
There’s no denying that The Outer Worlds bears the imprint of earlier Obsidian games and a number of other timeless RPGs as well, but those influences do little to diminish the accomplishment of some amazing worldbuilding, entertaining storytelling and brilliantly realized characters.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a masterpiece of design that balances tradition and subtle innovation and is very bit as entertaining on the Switch as it was on PC or PS4.
While it isn’t technically a new game, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening looks and feels as fresh and inviting as any new game released on the Switch. It preserves all the strange, playful fun of the original while utterly transforming it visually and mechanically, and preserves everything that made Link’s Awakening a classic.
Almost more than any other expansion or add-on pack, Realm of Magic changes the core gameplay and daily life routine of the Sims characters.
Wrath of the Druids is a substantial, mechanically strong and visually impressive expansion for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and anyone who appreciated the main game will absolutely enjoy Eivor’s journey to the Emerald Isle. Wrath of the Druids does not make any fundamental changes to Valhalla’s game play but it’s easy to become invested in the new story, interesting characters and beautiful environments, and can be enjoyed by a player at any level.
The only question to really debate is who should buy Civilization VI Anthology. For anyone new to the game on any platform, the answer is easy. Anthology is the most complete and full-featured portal to Civilization available, probably for the rest of the game’s life. It’s an exceptional value, entertaining and richly rewarding to play. For players who already own Gathering Storm and several other add-on packs, the answer is less clear and probably depends on how much more Civilization VI they want. Nothing is perfect, but Civilization VI and its wealth of additional content still represents the pinnacle of accessible yet immensely deep strategy gameplay.
Although over the decades comics have become ever more reflective of the complexities and concerns of contemporary life, in the end, they are still often the literary or cinematic equivalent of fast food: momentarily delicious, exactly what you need to fill the void, but not necessarily memorable or nutritious. Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t afraid of touching on some weighty themes, but they’re always secondary to an absorbing story, entertaining characters, and engaging action. Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t perfect, but overall, it’s a very effective translation of Marvel’s iconic band of misfits from page or screen into interactive entertainment.