The Talos Principle 2 is a masterpiece that ventures into puzzles and the philosophical universe of deep questions. Although it is aimed at an audience that seeks exciting, challenging and honest intellectual stimuli, this is a less intimidating experience than it may seem, thanks to the flexibility to advance in the campaign and the certainty that each puzzle already brings with it everything necessary to solve it. Few games have given me so much satisfaction with the beauty of seeing it all connect and finally unravel the riddle before me, making me rush right to the next one. This is one of the best games of 2023 and I'm glad it exists.
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Togges surprised me by bringing a whole new way of approaching an old genre, without sticking to nostalgia emulation. The novelty is allied to the wide design of levels, the exploration full of secrets to discover and the charisma of the package as a whole. I still intend to complete this inventive and fun 3D “stackformer” that has become one of my favorites.
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Promenade was an enjoyable ride from start to finish, keeping me hooked until I finally managed to find all of the many cogs. The caveats are minimal, overshadowed by the excellent execution that provides so much content for the fun and engagement of different ages and abilities.
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With well-done writing, dynamic battles, and luxurious pixel art adorned by vivid lighting, Sea of Stars passes the test of being a retro and modern turn-based RPG at once retro. We can still notice some outdated little legacies of the genre, but that doesn't affect the enjoyment of embarking as young heroes to save the world in an epic and witty campaign worthy of the new old days.
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Grime: Colors of Rot is a great game and ranks above average for metroidvanias in combat and world richness. Even so, it should be noted that the high difficulty may not please everyone. The atmosphere, morbid and without great excesses, sets the mythological tone of accompanying a force that moves through a strange world to fulfill its existence. Only its curiosity is as great as its sense of destruction and both will be satiated by exploring and absorbing everything the title has to offer.
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Yuppie Psycho is an excellent work that does a great job as a survival horror that manages in one fell swoop to be a terrifying and amusing fable of the neuroses of the corporate world. There are many mysteries to seek and secrets to reveal both in the microcosm of the Sintracorp building and in the plot woven with abuse, blood, friendship and absurd humor.
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Papetura is one of the most beautiful video games I've ever had the privilege of seeing. It's unique and passionate, but it's somewhat melancholic when I think of it as a reminder of something that was good while it lasted, which wasn't much. Made for one-shot play, the point-and-click gameplay isn't meant to be challenging, though it still does require a little thought at each step, enough to feel like you're achieving a goal. Enter this world knowing two things: it is endlessly fascinating and purposely brief.
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Tchia is a full-fledged game that achieves (almost) all of its objectives with flying colors. In the archipelago, there is a lot to do and find, but it is also a place to just enjoy, walk around and explore. And what a stunning place! Make sure you immerse yourself in the world and in the shoes of the many animals you can incorporate, then rest up playing the ukulele and observe the details of cultures that seem far from ours, but that can still reach the world.
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It is necessary to recognize the merit of such a well-constructed investigation adventure. The Forgotten City has no excesses: all the pieces fit together to form a kind of narrative diorama that we can see from multiple angles until reaching the satisfaction of, like an oracle, understanding the whole of that multifaceted community that was masterfully woven into a network of intertwined wires. Time loops set in motion the hero's continual progress, transforming the vulnerability of ignorance into the power of knowledge to defy fate.
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I hope we see more games along the lines of careful remakes, attentive to detail and refreshing as happened with Star Ocean: The Second Story R. Even without matching the visual standards of the most recent AAA games, the recreation choices hit the nail on the head in ways to value everything that the original already had that was good and adjusts the problems, even if it doesn't perform miracles with the chaotic combat.
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With Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Ubisoft Montpellier used the solid terrain of the metroidvania legacy to bring new air to the classic series. Even without innovating, the game is built with the good parts of the genre, a confident and excellently executed combination that takes us to a robust, fun and challenging campaign, making it a highlight as one of the best of its kind.
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Half literature, half RPG, Citizen Sleeper successfully unites its many facets to create inventive and thoughtful science fiction. Deep human issues are addressed in several sweet and melancholy subplots that weave together to form a life that is up to you to manage however you can. The paths do not lead to opposite roads, but it is up to whoever holds the controller to decide which trails to follow and which stories will have their attention and their dice rolls to build their uncertain daily life. Keep in mind that reading English well is essential for everything Citizen Sleeper has to offer.
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Fun and unpretentious like a good adventure cartoon, Bat Boy doesn't intend to reinvent the platform genre, but it takes its inspirations from the right places and adds its own contribution by bringing together sports elements to the combat. It's a charismatic retro game and competent in everything it does, although there was room to explore more intentionally the batting mechanics and techniques of the other sports already presented in the game.
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Toodee and Topdee is an interesting twist that blends two classic platforming perspectives to create clever and enjoyable puzzles. The same adjectives hold true for the story, which gives narrative context with its amusing, metalinguistic dialogue. Most of the time the active participation of the duo is well balanced, although this isn't always the case. I recommend the cooperative mode, but this game can also be fully appreciated by those who will play it solo.
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Gravity Circuit takes inspiration from Mega Man X to create a retro robotic adventure that goes beyond the nostalgic to deliver an exhilarating 2D action platformer with the fluidity suited to a modern audience. The game builds each point competently, from the well-told story to the energetic music and customizable moves to the player's taste.
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Even if it's still limited by trends in the genre, Roots of Pacha builds a farming simulator with its own personality by centering the theme of community in its upbeat and relaxing campaign. Unfortunately, this didn't extend to multiplayer, which is online-only and doesn't allow you to share the screen locally with the loved ones who are next to you.
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My personal experience with Ghost Song was something greater than the sum of the parts and the numerical balance. It's a great metroidvania in the exploration, in the atmosphere and in the surprise of the human warmth behind each encounter, making it a poetic and memorable title within one of my favorite genres. I will certainly play it again in the future.
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Planet Edge: Cube is precise and inventive, a masterclass in level design done right in 2D platform. It's also challenging, perhaps too much for an audience that isn't interested in the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles after a successive kill count. The retro pixel art look with minimalist colors is very charming, has good animations and avoids distractions during the action. My hands hurt during the most demanding stretches and I found several bugs, all of them subject to correction, but none of that prevented me from finishing the journey with great pleasure.
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The Aurogon Shanghai studio definitely created Afterimage as a work made of a lot of effort and beauty. The intention to produce such a vast and dense metroidvania doesn't always contribute to the game as a whole but it delivers a ton of content to explore, admire and face. Curious players will be rewarded with many discoveries in impressive sceneries, but those who are bothered by backtracking and a lack of direction may be frustrated by the big distances between the spots of Engardin.
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Simple and creative, Moving Out 2 is a fun evolution on everything its predecessor had to offer. Physics isn't always your friend, but that too is part of the hilarious mess of transporting objects and performing changes in inventive scenarios. The variety of mechanics refreshes the course of the campaign without settling for mere repetition. The mood, however, can be fickle depending on who plays. You can move alone without any problems, but it's best to bring friends to carry sofas and break furniture as a team.
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