Ethan Dean
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a stellar achievement that ends a decade-long dry spell. It tells one of the best stories in the series fuelled by some of its most memorable characters. It’s not a flawless journey but the minor imperfections don’t detract from one of 2024’s best RPGs.
Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion offers a compelling new narrative for fans looking to continue the base game’s story. The new Spiritborn class is a joy to behold, and new features like Mercenaries and Runewords are a welcome addition, adding elements from older games that fans have missed.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is Surgent Studios’ first attempt at creating a video game experience and they’ve knocked it out of the park. It offers a compelling journey that expertly weaves its narrative and gameplay together to tell a heartwarming story about grief and acceptance.
Still, that Wild Hearts gets so much right on its first tentative step into the arena is bloody impressive. Omega Force has created the first title I’ve played that is a genuine contender in the space and they’ve done more than enough to justify Wild Hearts’ place in it. The result is something meaningfully different in a genre no one else has been able to touch. It’s kind of like if someone made a Souls-like on par with an actual Souls.
If you are vehemently opposed to narrative experiences with very light gameplay elements, Wayward Strand may not be something you will gravitate towards. For fans of the genre, it would be hard not to recommend. I – who usually prefer the third-person, open world flavours of the month – found myself thoroughly entertained by its charming cast of characters and its uniquely compelling storytelling style.