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.
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.
Bombshell is a broken, boring action game with a tin ear for humour and action that rarely rises above tedium.
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.
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.
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.
Darkest Dungeon is difficult, but not because its systems are unclear or unfair.
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.
Ultimately, what's disappointing about Herding Dog is that its aspirations, demands, tasks and ideas are simply too small scale.
Although its toolset is robust and allows for the construction of both imaginative and real-world aircraft, and the community has provided a huge library of pre-rolled classic planes and inventive designs, SimplePlanes is a bare-bones product.
Devilian's combat makes it a totally competent action-RPG/MMO.
After playing Chaos Reborn's excellent tutorials, you'll both comprehend the game and understand — probably many times over — what it means to lose to the forces of randomness and bad luck.
Although it doesn't look like much, Conquest of Elysium 4 packs a ton of depth beneath its pixelated surface.
SteamWorld Heist exudes charm and goodwill.
With so many interlocking systems, Thea: The Awakening is a bit of a Frankenstein of a game, but kudos to MuHa for bolting together everything so seamlessly and for trying something new, though it might be time for developers to put card game subsystems on ice for a few years.
It's hard to recommend FIVE: Guardians of David to anyone. Fans of action RPGs have literally dozens of better games to choose from. Even gamers who would like to play an RPG without being assaulted by bloodshed have some excellent choices, such as the Torchlight games. Aside from the novelty of the Biblical theme and story, FIVE: Guardians of David's gameplay ignores a lot of what recent action games have added to the genre: strategic groups, tactics, character development, customization — FIVE has none of these things. Its heroes are bland and its enemies even duller.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is one of the most successful entries in a franchise that has seen many highs and lows.
Literally every game genre has standout products and legions of imitators, but The Sims franchise has remained relatively free of copycats, at least games coming even remotely close in quality.
The Mean Greens has a strong core concept, but wrapped around it is a game that feels a few major patches short of its potential.
Fat Princess was subversive, politically incorrect and unexpectedly complex in its strategy and depth.