With a truly accomplished pixel art style and a noir vibe that gets under your skin, Hell is Others is a compelling loot shooter that shows its flaws when multiplayer starts to take preponderance over solo play. It’s a shame that the brilliant concept is dragged down by something so inherently tied to its core gameplay that it’s impossible to dissociate, but if you persist and overcome the early and frustratingly unbalanced player versus player battles, this is a bloody gem that deserves several excursions to this cursed city.
Deceive Inc. isn’t merely the umpteenth Among Us clone, as it picks a setting that is prone to suspicious stealth action and camouflage and adds the gadgets and panache to it. Although there isn’t much to praise on the shooting aspect and the low number of maps is disappointing, this is a game that works when you find a group that plays by the rules. The more enthusiasm and immersion the better, and it is very enjoyable when that happens. But find a few ruthless players who will just try to botch your efforts and barely move, and things take a turn into frustration avenue. Still, this is a clever and engaging game that deserves a shot if you enjoy the garish style and multiplayer shenanigans. Even though some repetition sinks in, the concept is fresh and deserves a look – to paraphrase what that legendary spy once said: Yeah, baby!
Everspace 2 isn’t a breakthrough or a significant step forward in the genre, but it’s not exactly trying to be. An extremely engaging and gorgeous space shooter supported by a gripping storyline, the action is frantic and head-turning and cunningly balanced by the interior sections with a puzzle approach. Forget any complex simulation aspects and profound economic systems, indulge yourself in this vast galaxy (somewhat) open to exploration, and enjoy the heated dogfights, even if every once in a while, curse words may echo within the labyrinthine confines of a derelict metallic husk.
Meet Your Maker is the kind of game that makes you raise an eyebrow, wondering just what you got yourself into, but after a couple of hours you are addicted. It’s extremely original and clever, there’s already enough content to burn and it will only grow from here, and the build tools are great, providing everything you need but without pointless overcomplications. You can even raid outposts in co-op mode with a friend, and while that doubles up the fun factor, it’s not even essential as the game is a joy to play alone as well, so don’t make that extra multiplayer bullet point as something to significantly weigh on your decision to get this game. And get the game you should. Meet Your Maker comes with a compelling gameplay loop of raid-build-upgrade-repeat that always kept me eager for the next few round. Despite my traditional reluctance for anything involving map editors, I was extremely satisfied and even a bit proud of my creation, adding more to it at every opportunity. A great example of how to make a genre mix work, Meet Your Maker is a delicious melting pot, even if I don’t trust the Chimera as far as I can throw it.
With a consistent and crunchy limb damage system, some great sightseeing to catch, and more secret side-quests than you can shake your damaging electrocutor pike at, Dead Island 2 is absolutely worth the ride, despite its flaw – that zombie sticking out of the kitchen sink? That’s not part of the terror ride, you can be certain about that.
This is a game that requires a slow-paced and thoughtful approach and is clever at it, but the downside is that the core loop may become boring if you don’t take a breather now and then. Don’t play this on fast-forward, despite the yearn to keep pressing forward, square after square, one low-level enemy after another. There’s a lot of fun to be had from the mischievous dialogue and bite-sized dungeons, but make sure you give your heroes a well-earned rest.
Creating something innovative is a massive gamble, and God of Rock is trying to achieve something like that, but it sadly falls short. Some strange design decisions and a gameplay style that doesn’t really excel at any of the genres make this one an honorable but ultimately lacking effort – this isn’t quite the new challenger we were hoping for.
Minecraft Legends isn’t a bad game; the issue is that it doesn’t excel at any of the genres that it attempts to tackle. In terms of construction, it doesn’t hold a candle to the possibilities of the original, and to be fair that isn’t quite the aim here – still, it could do a lot more than it currently does; as a tactical warfare game, it’s a simplistic and yet occasionally convoluted take offering slim options to engage in deep and meaningful combat, instead ruling by numbers and basic unit expertise that won’t get your commander juices flowing. Conqueror’s Blade is one of countless examples that perform this art of war in superior ways, balancing complexity with fun in a rewarding way. Too shallow for players looking for a challenge and too complicated for younger players, creativity is mostly absent in this spin-off. Minecraft Legends may retain some of its original blocky charm, but the fun aspect was lost somewhere along the way, being replaced by repetitive gameplay and frustrating unit control woes.
The original System Shock was a classic but also a niche game that never achieved commercial success; this remake highlights the niche aspect but will forgo the classic label. It may entice players who want to see how this updated version looks and plays, and while there’s some considerable tension to be had while going down narrow and dim lit corridors, the fun of being lost in maze after maze wears out quickly, especially when you’re doing the umpteenth scan through the map looking for whatever card or switch you have missed. At this rate, SHODAN is likely going to conquer both Citadel Station and Earth, as frustrating her plans is precisely that – frustrating.
Do yourself a favor: ditch your reservations and step into Sanctuary as soon as you can. It’s likely going to be literal hell during the launch queues, but you’ll have a beautifully grim and visceral adventure ahead, one where every leveling up sound will feel like music to your ears. Enjoy it to the best of your possibilities because an action-RPG of this caliber may only arrive in another decade or so, and missing out on Diablo 4 would be something that may just reserve you a spot in hell.
Amnesia: The Bunker does what it sets out to do, and after finally completing your mission, you may look back and realize that every chill, every shiver down your spine was absolutely worth the price of admission, no matter the fate of our hardened French soldier.
All things considered, even after more than a decade, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective remains a gem that can’t be missed, and that’s a true testament to its long-lasting quality. With brilliant design, improved visuals that are remarkably smooth and pleasant to watch, a challenging adventure, and a story that has more nuances than you could ever expect during its 10-hour duration, this is a unique game that delivers so many thrills, so many funny moments, that you won’t regret a single minute invested in it.
Aliens: Dark Descent showcases care and respect for the works that it is based upon. This is the antithesis of a cash-grab – this is a game that tried to deliver something different, something exciting that isn’t a mere rerun of previous offerings. It’s moody, the odds are clearly stacked against your squad but that makes each success even more rewarding, and the tactical scope is extremely enjoyable. Fans of a good real-time squad-based game shouldn’t think twice and just dive into this nightmare, weapons blazing.
Remnant 2 isn’t trying to reinvent the post-apocalyptic, gloom wheel. Expanding on the concept via the traditional motto of “bigger, better, more” but somewhat ignoring the faster part, this is a solid Souls-like that fans of the original should love. It doesn’t come without a bit of clunkiness here and there, and can be demanding in terms of system requirements, hopefully something that is going to be improved before release, but the added combat and build possibilities offer you new ways to face another set of moody set pieces and impressive bosses. As far as Souls-like go, this series is shaping up to be one of the household names. Just make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into, put some time aside for this adventure, and don’t forget to bring a couple of friends along for this exciting and brutal ride, unless you want to become boss pulp.
Clash of Heroes can be challenging and addictive, but there’s an undeniable RNG element that plays an important role in some battles, and you must learn to live with it. Less understandable are some oversights that shouldn’t be in this definitive edition, such as the noticeable AI blunders – ignoring an elite unit merge in favor of a random move, for example. On the other hand, the turn switch animation troubles me, feeling like a second that lasts an eternity, as we’re bound to see it dozens of times per battle. This system would benefit from speed and urgency when control changes from one field to the other, instead of that lingering animation. Can Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition be considered as an essential revamp to a cherished game? It doesn’t bring a hefty dose of changes and additions, that’s for sure, making it difficult to recommend to owners of the original; however, new players should be able to discover a gripping puzzle game that, albeit not perfect, still provides many hours of merging and fusing entertainment.
Unholy started on the right foot with a setup that wasn’t too far from contemporary horror movies, but you’ll be better off waiting for the release of Silent Hill 2 Remake. The predictable descent into madness wasn’t entirely successful, as the netherworld is little more than your average city in ruins and an excuse to add broken stealth elements into what could have been an accomplished narrative-driven mystery. This is a game that works better when it isn’t trying to tick boxes left and right, but once you step foot into the Eternal City, it drags at snail's pace and rewards you with recurrent death and frustration. A mother’s struggle it may be, but making it a player’s struggle as well isn’t exactly what horror games should do.
Arcadegeddon is tight and very playable, the neon-drenched visuals are cool and stylish, assuming you’re open-minded about all the garish colors and epilepsy-inducing explosions, and it has enough weapon options and character customization to experiment with. But as hours pass, a certain feeling of sameness inevitably starts to creep in. The runs begin to feel dull, the enemy variety isn’t stellar, and all those edgy characters start to blend and look the same.
There’s some undeniable fun to be had if you can look past the hit collision issues, or the lack of proprietary support for online coop. The roguelite elements are interesting but don’t feel essential in any sense, almost as if a mandatory box to tick and tickle the fancy of some fans. As a throwback to one of the all-time brawler greats, Double Dragon Gaiden is competent, but doesn’t really pack the punch that the series deserves.
It’s not a flawless game, but the anguish and thrills that it conveys are almost one of a kind, delivered with confidence and brutality to match the source. This is one for horror aficionados and everyone else who likes a good old-fashioned game of murderer cat, and stealthy mouse.
Hammerwatch 2 is a delightful old-school RPG romp that suffers from some of the timeless predicaments of the genre, namely a feeling of repetitiveness and some odd design decisions. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, especially in cooperative mode, and it also helps that the pixel graphics can be magnificent at times. Play it wisely as to not become tired of its expansive maps, and that’s how you’ll enjoy the most of it.