Filling the shoes of a grunt in Starship Troopers was a childhood dream of mine. However, I can’t help but feel that although Starship Troopers Extermination does a decent job after a brief Early Access period, it still has its work cut out for it. Despite having a ton of things to unlock for each class, more content is desperately needed on the gameplay side. Especially if STE wants to compete in the already crowded online co-op shooter market. It’s reassuring that Offworld Industries acknowledges this through its roadmap, and I fully expect the game to change for the better with time. Despite an early stalemate, the United Citizen Federation’s future is bright with you enlisted soldier.
Make no mistake, Blizzard continues its strong pedigree in Diablo expansions with Vessel of Hatred. The new campaign, location, class, and content will keep veterans busy for a long time. Once again, the expansion serves as a soft reset for Diablo 4 and will undoubtedly set the foundation for future improvements.
Space Marine 2 is a time capsule to a simpler time but with a whole new coat of paint. It’s a no-frill third-person shooter/melee hack ‘n’ slasher set in one of the most decorated sci-fi universes. It doesn’t stray far off its predecessor and builds upon it in every conceivable way. Clearly, Saber put a lot of love and attention into the game and respected its source material to the tee, creating a meaty package that will keep you busy for some time. Praise the Emporer of Mankind, for he is giving.
In the pantheon of the gods, Age of Mythology Retold is a titular remake of epic proportions. The game continues the impressive form of the recent Age remakes and sequels. From a dearth of content to quality-of-life improvements, extensive accessibility features, and even mod support, expect the game to have a long tail for the foreseeable future. The gods favor the bold, and Age of Mythology Retold is undoubtedly Herculean.
Sky Breaker is an iterative experience that expands, rather than builds upon, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The story pack is quite dense with lots to do and includes a lot of neat and useful under-the-hood improvements. Just don’t expect it to stray too far off the path.
Despite some technical hiccups, We Never Yield is a simple, yet enjoyable, auto-runner. Its sleek presentation, art style, and phenomenal soundtrack are the true stars of the show. We Never Yield doubles the first game in every aspect and then some.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a competent soulslike game. For its modest price point, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had. However, some technical hiccups and game design choices put a few dents on its armor. Despite that, A44 Games achieved its objective of creating an approachable soulslike that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The Way of the Blade is a difficult journey and tenacious. Despite Die by the Blade sporting an addictive and pulsating one-strike-kill combat, it is not enough to gloss over the other glaring shortcomings. From unpolished graphics, stingy reward payouts to the lack of game modes, the game has a lot going against it. However, the blade isn’t dull yet, and Die by the Blade can sharpen into a formidable contender with time.
The Lullaby of Life exemplifies everything that a cozy and relaxed game should be. The art style and sound design are impeccable, and the difficulty curve is gradual and well-designed. Best of all, the game doesn’t hold your hand and lets you figure it out on your own. Dare I say, The Lullaby of Life is one of 2024’s coziest games.
Despite a long hiatus, the Alone in the Dark remake is a solid offering in a long-dormant franchise. It does borrow heavily from modern survival horror titles but still manages to create its own distinctive experience. It’s clear that a lot of attention went into rendering both David Harbour and Jodie Comer into their characters. Fortunately, that gambit paid off well in a concise package with decent gameplay and story beats to match.
Banishers Ghosts of New Eden adheres to a scope that DON’T NOD is comfortable with and sticks to it well. The game has decent combat with cryptic haunting cases to solve. Despite a lot of attention placed on the post-mortem love story, don’t expect it to be the next Romeo and Juliet any time soon.
It’s clear a lot of love and attention to detail that went into creating Suicide Squad. Despite some narrative shortcomings, the game has that tried-and-true world-building and characters that Rocksteady is known for. The moment-to-moment gameplay is phenomenal and feels great with a performance to match. The end game seems promising and has a solid foundation. Though some technical issues persist, mission/enemy variety and interesting loot and designs will only propel the game further. With a clear year-one roadmap already established, Suicide Squad is undoubtedly Rocksteady’s most ambitious and deepest game to date.
Make no mistake, Tekken 8 is one of the finest offerings in the long-running series. It offers plenty of modes to keep you busy while making it welcoming to both newcomers and vets alike. Dare I say, Tekken 8 is the best iteration since the ground-breaking Tekken 3.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an exercise to not judge a book by its cover. Many, including me, assumed it would be Far Cry, except with Na’vi. But in reality, the game is a meticulously crafted game that stands on its own from its source material. It doesn’t bring many new features to the table, but it does provide a solid experience that brings Pandora to life in ways well beyond what movies are capable of.
The original Turok 3 was released during an awkward time. Sandwiched between the tail end of the Nintendo 64 life cycle and right before the release of the PlayStation 2, it likely passed many players’ radar. However, like their previous offerings, Nightdive Studio did a tremendous job bringing back a forgotten gem to modern audiences. If you slept on Turok 3 in 2000, make sure to not pass up it again in 2023.
It’s been a while since we had an entry in the Forza Motorsport series. However, that time was well spent revamping the game’s pristine driving mechanics and physics for the current generation. All the while incorporating a modern leveling system and live-service features that keep the dopamine rush intact. Truly, the king is back.
Despite having an entirely different gameplay setup and sci-fi setting, Armored Core 6 is a Fromsoftware title through and through. The intricate mecha combat mechanics and challenging boss fights make for an incredible experience. Though there are some missed opportunities in terms of the graphics and story beats, it’s easy to proclaim that Armored Core VI is the best game in the long-running franchise.
No doubt Immortals of Aveum is an experience that you will not forget any time soon. Its graphical prowess and its combat and gear system are serviceable, albeit uninspiring. The star-studded cast will likely leave a lasting impression. But its overly linear loop and complete lack of meaningful side content hamper replayability while relying too heavily on typical AAA design choices. Immortal of Aveum checks off many lists, but it plays it safe for the most part.
There is some promise in Scars Above. The game presents solid foundations to build upon, and the fact that this is the maiden title from Mad Head Games is an achievement on its own. On the visual side, the game is a looker and performed admirably on PC. However it is hard to overlook its game design and technical shortcomings. While its use of repeated sci-fi tropes doesn’t do it any favors. Perhaps Scars Above will be the necessary learning experience that will likely enhance the studio’s future projects.
Despite its technical and QoL shortcomings, Atlas Fallen has me excited. The game is a testament to how far AA development has come in recent years. The game does take tired open-world tropes but adds that extra creative and unique layer that AA developers are known for. Atlas Fallen delivers a fascinating, albeit undercooked, world with solid combat and build mechanics. Undoubtedly, Atlas Fallen is another feather in Deck13’s cap.