Kona II: Brume notably improves on its predecessor with a more nuanced take on its narrative, interactivity, visuals, and survival elements. If you are into titles like Green Hell, Sons of the Forest, or The Forest, or even the earlier Frictional products, the game is definitely worth checking out. As for newcomers, it can prove to be quite a daunting task to get into Kona II.
Dark Envoy is a tactical RPG that tries to implement interesting ideas and features that make it somewhat redeemable, but its lack of an intriguing story, uninspired characters along with repetitive conquests get the best of it. Even though a lot of port issues have been addressed in its full release, some of the issues still remain prevalent as they were in its review build. Nevertheless, if you are new to the genre of tactical RPGs, Dark Envoy would be a decent place to start.
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a decent yet deeply flawed survival horror that suffers greatly suffers to its clunky controls, inconsistent AI, and uninspired puzzles. The game has some improvements over its predecessor, but it still suffers from some technical issues and design flaws that prevent it from reaching its full potential. The game is worth playing for its story, atmosphere, and nostalgia factor, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways DLC surpasses its original counterpart in almost every regard by introducing a more cohesive and fleshed-out take on Ada’s side story. It leverages its linearity with its no-nonsense take on a bombastic campaign that not only compliments the events of Leon’s story but also hints at the series’ possible future paths. By introducing Ada’s grappling hook, it re-invents its combat and traversal in a non-tedious way but leaves little room for backtracking. It is easily the best downloadable content we’ve had in 2023.
While Red Dead Redemption is a spectacular masterpiece on its own, its PlayStation 4 port hardly brings anything new to the table with a steep price tag of its own. While it’s a huge missed opportunity after a decade-long wait, it’s nice that more modern systems besides Xbox consoles can finally play this piece of art. As for the recommendation, you should pick this up while it is on sale or wait for the possible PC and PS5 ports that may hit the stores next year.
As it stands in its current state, Arcadian Atlas is rather difficult to recommend. Despite its rather serviceable plot and great visuals, the game struggles a lot due to its rather mismatched battle classes, where ranged combat reigns superior to melee. With some quality-of-life improvements in its combat and navigation, this title might get the second chance it deserves.
Tchia is definitely a game worth checking out if you are looking for an open-world adventure that offers freedom, fun, and diversity. It celebrates New Caledonian culture and showcases its rich history, folklore, and traditions. However, it is also a bit too ambitious for its own good. It's overwhelmingly cluttered map size and navigation system may be frustrating at times. Despite its simplistic visuals, it is capped at a low frame rate of 30 fps on PS5 and is riddled with quite a few technical glitches. Still, the fact that the game comes free with the Playstation Plus Extra makes it a must-try for folks who love a calm pacific adventure.
Despite Scars Above’s stellar visual presentation and challenging combat, it suffers from lackluster story-telling and repetitive gameplay. Thankfully it does manage to redeem itself to some extent by effectively blending its exploration with combat and puzzle-solving even though it may get frustrating at times. If you like titles like Dead Space, Returnal, or Control, it may be worth checking out. But considering its inconsistent animations and glitches, it’s best to wait for a sale on this one.
Like A Dragon: Ishin is everything I expected it to be and more. While it is not exactly a Kiwami version of the original, it is a significant upgrade. Its city of Kyo is brimming with life and is filled with countless highly engaging side activities that will easily get you side-tracked from its great main story. The beat-em-up action of its wild dance of swords and pistols puts up an engaging display of grotesquely gory action that never loses its steam, that shares the same DNA with Yakuza Zero and Kiwami.
Returnal on PC is one of the rare blessings of this late generation. It’s challenging, rhythmic bullet-hell shooting, with a satisfying combat loop and an unconventional way of storytelling that make it one of the riskiest yet rewarding experiences in PlayStation’s long line of stellar exclusives. If you like titles like Doom: Eternal, FURI, or Cuphead, then look no further than this. However, for casual beginners, this one can be one hell of a nightmare. Still, if you’ve got the balls to go through its steep learning curve, there’s probably nothing that you can’t handle!
Wild Hearts is an amazing game that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Monster Hunter titles as a formidable contender. Its fast-paced combat mechanics feel satisfying, and the integral Karakuri tech allows you to conjure things out of thin air – an opening window to countless possibilities. Through and through, it is a challenging experience that feels oddly satisfying once you manage to overcome the hardships of Kemonos. And the Kemonos themselves are undoubtedly the biggest star of the overall show. The only things that can be a bit of an issue are the long matchmaking times and the complex skill trees that may feel overwhelming from a newcomer’s perspective. Definitely worth a buy!
If you have played the likes of Subnautica and The Forest, Green Hell: Spirits of Amazonia is undeniably worth checking out. As for existing Green Hell players, it would be a complete no-brainer to miss out on this freebie. While the story can be a bit of a mixed bag when compared to the original campaign, the great sense of exploration and survivability still remains intact at its core. As for newcomers, if you are a fan of survival games and looking for an intense and challenging experience, look no further than this
Overall, Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song Remastered still remains a solid JRPG classic with a unique battle system, an intriguing story, and a great art style. However, it also suffers from quite-a-few pacing issues and lack-luster localization. The game’s open-world aspect can be overwhelming, and the battle system’s depth is not always effectively utilized by the game’s difficulty. While it is a true classic in its own right, the new generation of players may find it lacking due to its aged visuals and choppy animations. As for the series veterans, it is a love letter to the bygone era.
Need for Speed: Unbound feels fresh when compared to its recent predecessors by featuring a progression system that’s more challenging and does not take things for granted when it comes to street racing. Instead of putting longer cutscenes, it tells the bulk of its story through dialogue exchanges between racers on the street. Thanks to the new art style it is filled with wet Neon-lit streets with influences from the East. Its array of lacklustre soundtracks, never-ending police chases, forgettable plots, and messy traffic may dampen the experience during long hours. Thankfully most of these issues can be dealt with if you put on your own music and chill with it. Overall, It is an easy recommendation for series veterans and new-comers alike.
Being a Simulator of sorts, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is not for everyone. It shines in highlighting the general norms of rules and regulations. From infractions to investigations, it draws a clear line between the good and the bad when it comes to the right way of policing the public. But a lot of its good aspects are overshadowed by its slow-paced campaign activities and an inanimate world. Thankfully, all hope is not lost as the devs do have a promising Q2 2023 roadmap to address most of these issues. But as it stands in its current state, you should only get it if you have a knack for Simulators or wait for a sale.
The Wayward Strand is a heartfelt tale, told in a meticulous way. It features over a dozen characters, each with its own timeline and story. All these stories playout in real-time alongside each other, throughout the ship which greatly bolsters the game’s replayability. It may not stick the landing in the early hours but if you hold on to it for longer, it will not disappoint you.
If you are looking for 3D sims with a cute anime cast, Idol manager is not your piece of cake. However, if you want to take things up a notch and want to play management sims, it is a solid entry point for beginners and veterans alike. Its in-game forecasts and audience give the game a sense of realism rarely seen in such genres.
Despite its uninspired level design, maze-like maps, and a lacklustre story, Thymesia manages to deliver on its gameplay which is fast, frantic, and fun. It does not stand shoulder to shoulder with its big league counterparts whose ideas it largely borrows, but it does implement them in a fine way. Considering its lack of regional pricing you should pick this up while it is on sale.
Evil Dead: The Game is a surprisingly good nostalgic romp thanks to its fluid matchmaking system and game modes. It is a blast to play as a Survivor and it’s downright gratifying on the Demon side of things. However, the offline missions feel lacklustre and are forced to unlock the in-game characters on the single-player side of things. Considering its lack of polish and not-so-enticing visuals on last-gen consoles, your best bet would be to get the deluxe edition on sale when most of these issues have been fixed. Still, it is an easy recommendation if you have a fun squad to hang out with.
While the narrative aspect and the frustratingly unresponsive bot are not the strongest suits of Time Loader, its intricate platforming and interactive puzzles present some engaging challenges. Though the story seems smart at first and has multiple ways in which it can come to a close, its heavy focus on characters without making them engaging feels like a total emotional disconnect at the time of its closure.