Ryan Costa
Poison Control is one of these games, as the anime-inspired story and musical accompaniment are well worth being held in high regard. Those can only take a game so far, however, and are brought down by the clunky gameplay and copy-and-paste visuals accompanying them.
Empire of Sin is a good game held back only by a lack of variety in ways to win, leaving most forms of diplomacy and expansion feeling useless long-term.
Players looking to simply loot, slash, shoot, and fireball their way through dungeons will not be disappointed. However, those looking for an exceptionally deep experience won’t feel fulfilled.
Mostyn House is not for the faint of heart, those braving the corridors of this nightmare will find a fun yet disturbing time, just be prepared to swap between difficulties in some situations.
Some time-consuming interfaces and a distractingly chatty Princess cause some consternation, but fun dungeon crawling keeps players on their toes while well-balanced combat and encouraged character swapping keeps things fresh.
A strong combat system that doesn’t punish players too harshly makes Asterigos: Curse of the Stars refreshing and approachable.
The Hand of Merlin is a quick tactical roguelite game with enough otherworldly energy packed into it that causes the short completion time to breeze by. With each run being only a few hours, players have the opportunity to try out new combinations that combine classes with various abilities to find new ways to create unstoppable machines of destruction.
Dying Light 2 is a delightfully fast paced game, which has a few persistent issues bogging it down.
The game is a very fun roguelite tactical RPG that introduces some very creative choices, such as the entire Mythic class and transformations. With simple combat that does not get boring even after many sessions, replayability is very high.
Jumping in to the game to sail the seas searching for the next upgrade and for clues to what happened to Tilia’s family is an interconnected and wholesome endeavor, leaving the player plenty to enjoy and experience.
Critical Games’ 8-Bit Adventures 2 successfully finds this line by blending quality-of-life aspects with an enjoyable turn-based combat system while following a beacon of heart and charm.
There’s plenty to offer that makes the gameplay loop addicting: tons of weapons to craft, a balanced difficulty curve, and an amazing soundtrack.
It’s a game that delightfully demonstrates the importance of connections, with each other or one’s surroundings, and of reaching out.
It is rare to see a game so fully embrace the type of game it wants to be, as the roguelite nature symbolizes the growth of the protagonist to fully understand their surroundings.
Square Enix’s remake of Live A Live shows that even nearly thirty-year-old games can use narrative tricks to have a game shine brilliantly. Modern sensibilities, such as easier quest tracking and voice acting help widen its appeal, but the core experience remains outstanding after all these years.
In short, Triangle Strategy weaves all of its elements into an immensely thoughtful and fun experience.
It takes a special title to reach all gaming sensibilities and Unicorn Overlord does so with such style and flair that everyone should test it for themselves.