What could have been an excellent entry in the creature-collection genre is spoiled by a bizarre focus on story padding and content that feels like filler. While the fun of collecting, battling, and evolving the Digimon cast is there, it’s executed in a way that demands players really dig to get to it, with odd design choices that undercut the progression system and the overall fun that could have been.
Hades II is everything I wanted and more, expanding upon nearly everything in the original and making it bigger, better, and stronger. Supergiant delivers a title that will satisfy existing fans and capture new ones, creating a game that is far more than just a sequel.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is the best arcade racer on the market, especially for PC players. However, the steep price feels too high, even with everything the game offers, and the choice to include characters from outside the franchise while beloved Sonic characters are still missing leaves this reviewer disappointed and a bit perplexed.
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is gorgeous and creative, but ultimately held back by its core mechanics. Fun characters, great art, and a unique minigame fail to elevate this title beyond its stiff and below-average-for-the-genre gameplay.
No, I’m Not a Human is a game with a core premise of paranoia and survival compelling enough to make the first playthrough memorable. Unfortunately, its shallow mechanics, weak writing, and limited replay value keep the game from living up to its own hype.
Borderlands 4 elevates the franchise, showcasing the best the gameplay has ever been and greatly improving on the storytelling and writing of Borderlands 3. However, performance issues keep this game away from a perfect score, and I urge would-be buyers to keep an eye on fixes before paying the steep cost of entry for this otherwise incredible title.
Gloomy Eyes feels like a playable Burton short film with enough challenge and heart to stand tall as a great little puzzle-adventure game. It’s not perfect; some puzzles drag, and navigation can sometimes get muddled, but the art style, storytelling, and atmosphere make it a standout experience that’s hard not to fall in love with, especially for anyone with a love of the weird, the charmingly creepy, and the delightfully dark.
Katanaut is a stylish, bloody, and fast-paced roguelike with a strong identity and straightforward mechanics. While its visual and audio flair excites, the game can feel held back by readability issues and an adherence to the Metroidvania format, which emphasizes backtracking in a game that otherwise wants to feel fast.
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is a surprisingly enjoyable golf game with solid mechanics and a chill vibe, even if it doesn’t do much to win over people who aren’t already fans of the sport. It’s built for fans of the game looking for a nice digital way to enjoy the sport, but Steam Deck players may struggle with performance.
While its mechanical satisfaction and feeling of power could use some work, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel still serves as a solid entry into the survivors-like genre, being especially visually excellent and showing remarkable growth from its Early Access run.
Though its markerless questing mechanics are not as revolutionary for the genre as the game says they are, Hell is Us still plays as a very good Soulslike. Its narrative may be weird in places, but its solid mechanics and incredible setting more than make up for it.
Though it fails as a horror game, Bad Cheese is still a narrative-driven title worth checking out for the strength of its premise, its interesting themes, and the merit of its art. This parody of classic cartoons and Americana might not scare you, but you’ll still find yourself intrigued by what it has to offer.
Though incredibly faithful to the original, severe performance issues plague this remake of Snake Eater. While the game could and likely will be made playable down the line, it is hard to recommend the title at the time of writing, where severe framerate issues and engine-level crashes plague the PC version of the game.
Though some players may find the game’s mechanics lacking in depth, this cozy adventure game proves to be an excellent choice for younger audiences that can still be enjoyed by anyone, with well-executed combat and platforming and writing that takes the player seriously.
For a game all about the number four, Quartet packs in way more than four reasons to play it. The story builds into something surprisingly big, the combat has just enough twists to stay fun, and the characters feel alive in ways that matter. The first hours may test your patience, but stick it out and you’ll find yourself hooked. As classic as Quartet may feel, it is just as memorable as its inspirations.
Echoes of the End is a game with undeniable potential buried under frustrating technical problems and uneven combat. Its rich world and strong narrative deserve praise, but until its mechanics and performance are polished, it’s hard to fully recommend.
Over a decade later, OFF maintains its status as a delightfully bizarre, compelling little narrative that will haunt you far beyond its 5–6 hour runtime. This timeless RPG benefits from the polish and updates in the remaster, but otherwise remains faithfully true to its incredible original incarnation.
Discounty was a surprise, a refreshing mix-up on a familiar genre that adds a lot of depth and complexity to a genre that was starting to feel a bit stale. Somewhere between Stardew Valley and Supermarket Simulator, I highly recommend giving this gem a try.
Killing Floor 3 improves on the previous game in ways fans will appreciate, with new weapons, characters, classes, and better monetization. However, said monetization remains fairly aggressive, and the game suffers from a purposeful lack of content, relying on future updates to feel whole. Like Killing Floor 2, it may be best experienced a few years down the line.
Static Dread: The Lighthouse is an excellent resource-management horror game that excels with its fantastic storytelling, incredible art, and hypnotically immersive setting. I have no doubt that this excellent piece of horror storytelling will soon explode in popularity, rightfully winning over fans with the sea-dredged gold it has to offer.