Mato Anomalies can be described as a game with a lack of focus. While the ideas for an excellent game are there, and the art style is superb, it is unfortunately submerged beneath the cavalcade of unfinished ideas and a confusing plot. Mato Anomalies does not know where its focus lies, and because of this, every aspect of the game suffers.
The Pale Beyond is a fantastic game. From the intense and methodical gameplay, stunning art style, and fantastic characters. Everything about this game is meticulous and shows in every aspect of the title. The gameplay can become repetitive, especially during longer playing sessions, but the depth of the characters and the marvelous atmosphere that this title manages to conjure seems to grip you as you attempt to survive the horrifying cold of the arctic.
SpellForce: Conquest of Eo is a superbly average game. The combat is standard turn-based at best and, in some cases, can borderline be painful and tedious. The narrative has some interesting moments, and the unique RPG aspects make the game far more engaging, especially in those non-combat moments. It's a game that does not reinvent anything, and in fact, the biggest sin of this title is the sin of 'safety'.
Tortuga - A Pirate's Tale is a good game. While the combat can be frustrating and difficult to deal with at times, it can still be rewarding and the methodical process does reward ingenuitive and tactical thinking. The controls are a bit clunky which can spoil the experience, but the strong audio and the general atmosphere of the game are so well crafted that you will feel hours drift by as you sail the seas.
Children of Silentown is a fantastic game that conjures imagery of a Tim Burton-esque world. The gorgeous visuals combined with the slow and methodical gameplay create a tight gameplay loop. These facets, interweaved with the fascinating narrative lead to a full experience. Though the slow pace and difficult puzzles may hold some players back, the title rewards players for persistence with an entertaining and intriguing title.
Knights of Honour II: Sovereign is a difficult but rewarding game. A sequel nearly 20 years in the making that creates an intricate gameplay loop, improved with well-made interconnected systems all well tied together with fantastic UI and great sound design to create a full and unique RTS experience.
Swordship is a fun and interesting arcade title that flips the genre on its head. Its high intensity dodge ‘em and puzzle-style action creates a fun gameplay loop. The addition of upgrades and difficulty changes adds to the title’s replayability and while the game is somewhat difficult and lacking in accessibility features, the game still manages to be an exceptional example of arcade-like brilliance.
Pentiment is a slow and methodical title that encourages patience and a lot of thinking. The dialogue throughout the game is stellar and serves a long and intriguing plot that chronicles the period of 25 years. The game has an astounding attention to detail with its gorgeous art style, combined with exceptional UI and a cast of interesting and wonderful characters and Pentiment is a game that will be played repeatedly in the years to come.
God of War Ragnarök is magnificent. A true sequel that surpasses almost everything that the previous game had and more. It's grand story does not sacrifice any form of character development or subtlety and in fact somehow manages to enhance it. The fast and frenetic combat leaves you wanting more and every boss fight main story or otherwise leaves you on the edge of your seat.
The Valiant is a competent strategy game with great visuals, sound and decent UI. The game's story holds it back due to the bland characters that inhabit it, in addition to this, while the gameplay can be intense, the excessive micro-management and consistent 'back and forth' make it far more tedious than needed. It is a game only massive RTS fans should really get.
Lost Eidolons is a serviceable RPG with moments of brilliance. It is a game with consistently fun and occasionally tedious gameplay. Paired with a poor story and characters that have no interesting qualities, the game is the definition of a mixed bag and an ambitious game that seemed to reach too far.
Planet Zoo: Twilight Pack is not the best nor worst pack released for this game. It manages to have the best construction pieces of the last three packs, whilst having some pretty good animals. The Fruit Bat in particular is one animal that could have earth shattering ramifications for the next DLC Pack.
Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers is a brilliant game. With tight fun combat, combined with that incredible 50's style makes it a title that is incredibly unique and fun in the medium. While the black and white image can sometimes detract from gameplay, it still manages to be an amazing experience.
Slime Rancher 2 is a stunning game. The visuals are incredible, the gameplay is fun and addictive and the world is fun to explore. It is the epitome of what a sequel should be, an improvement upon the predecessor with few drawbacks. Though the game suffers some frame rate drops and the 'combat' could be tweaked to be more creative. Slime Rancher 2 remains a fantastic game.
Circus Electrique is a decent RPG. While the combat won't blow you away, and the management simulation is rather poor. The stellar music and superb visuals will make you want to stay and live in that world for just a little longer. This, combined with the game's serviceable story and fantastic worldbuilding and you have a game that will soak up hours of time if you wish it to.
Commandos 3: HD Remaster is ultimately a game that has failed to deliver. While it may be authentic to the original Commandos 3 experience, that is really a failure rather than a success. It fails to really improve the game in any way other than its visuals. The gameplay is still as clunky as it always was, and the game still features legacy bugs that have been present in the title since 2003. It is a shame, but Commandos 3: HD Remastered is more of a re-release as opposed to a remaster.
The Guild 3 is a unique game that is saturated with choice. So much so that the game can be overly complicated and difficult to master. Once the long grind of learning the game is over, The Guild 3 opens up to become a fun yet tedious experience. It has a fantastic atmosphere and massive potential going forward should the developers continue to support it.
Frozenheim is a fun and unpolished title. The game features fun settlement building and engaging combat, but it is bogged down with a poor story, a lack of content (Units and Buildings) and due to that has a severe lack of replayability. Despite these negatives. Frozenheim still manages to be a fun and engaging experience.
The Dominion Biosyn expansion for Jurassic World Evolution 2 adds a wealth of new content to the game. While the story may be poor, with poor dialogue. The wealth of content surrounding it adds too much to the game, from amazing visuals, great new dinosaurs as well as some new mechanics to keep the game fresh and beyond this, the chaos theory mode serves as a nice escape from the slow-paced base game and throws you into a more chaotic mix.
Samurai Riot: Definitive Edition is a fun arcade-like title with a lot of replay value. The combat is fun and fast-paced, this in conjunction with the major differences between the characters lends itself well to a fun and energetic title. The story may be poor and the branching choices while a bold choice falls flat, the game still remains to be a wholly fun experience.