Nearly perfect back then, genuinely perfect now: Black Flag Resynced is proof that Assassin's Creed franchise still has its soul.
The biggest expansion yet for globally popular Dave the Diver trades the Blue Hole for a jungle lake and somehow ends up feeling like a sequel rather than a DLC.
With patches and patience, Gothic 1 Remake could become essential. Right now, it is a promising and frustrating experience in roughly equal measure.
IO Interactive’s long-awaited James Bond origin story isn’t just the best 007 game ever made. It's one of the finest action games of the generation.
Directive 8020 is a compelling, frequently terrifying, and occasionally flawed piece of interactive horror that confirms Supermassive Games as the undisputed masters of their particular craft. The story is excellent, the atmosphere is exceptional, and the sound design is frankly some of the best work the genre has ever produced. The repetitive stealth mechanics and the stiff character animations can be characterised as weaknesses, and they hold the game back from going even higher on my scale, but they do not come close to undoing what the game gets so right.
Mixtape is a remarkable piece of work. It is the kind of game that reminds you why storytelling in this medium can be so extraordinary when the right people are given the freedom to follow their instincts all the way to the end. Beethoven and Dinosaur have created something deeply felt, visually inventive, and musically brilliant, and Annapurna Interactive have once again demonstrated why they are the publisher I trust above all others to deliver games that mean something.
Adorable Adventures is exactly what it says on the cover, a warm, charming, and surprisingly varied game that asks nothing more of you than to follow your nose and enjoy the ride.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss has a story worth being part of and a mystery worth following, but everything surrounding it struggles to keep pace with its own ambitions.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a well-assembled package of games that time has treated unevenly. The combat system still holds on, even for today's standards; the first game's story holds a quiet emotional weight, and the quality-of-life additions make the trilogy more approachable than it has ever been. For fans who remember these games fondly, the collection is an easy recommendation at its price point.
Grind Survivors is a roguelike capable of hooking you with its addictive loop and clever systems to the point where you'll simply want more. Why? Well, because it is genuinely fun.
Pearl Abyss's long-awaited RPG, Crimson Desert, had sort of a rough landing but eventually delivers one of the most absorbing open worlds in recent memory.
1348 Ex Voto is a short medieval adventure whose powerful story is perfectly capable of overshadowing every gameplay flaw it obviously possesses.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a game of extremes. On one hand, it delivers an outstanding horror atmosphere supported by a genuinely intriguing story, haunting visuals, and exceptional sound design. Unfortunately, the experience is heavily dragged down by a deeply frustrating combat system that kills much of the game’s potential.
Docked turned out to be the exact opposite of what I expected. What I initially dismissed as “just another simulator” ended up being a surprisingly interesting experience, backed by strong writing, solid voice acting, and a gameplay loop that is dangerously addictive.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a love letter to the golden age of arcade brawlers, but it’s more than just a nostalgia trip. Beneath its pixelated charm lies a surprisingly deep combat system, clever level design, and a rewarding progression loop that keeps you coming back for more.
Cyanide Studio's stealth playground delivers an endlessly satisfying goblin-in-the-shadows experience, if you can forgive its confusing story, broken AI, and technical rough edges.
High on Life 2 delivers more talking guns, outrageous satire, and wildly inventive boss fights, but plays things a bit too safe to truly surpass its predecessor.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties delivers phenomenal storytelling, endlessly engaging activities, and heartfelt character moments that shattered every preconception I had about the franchise.
MIO: Memories in Orbit is an entertaining game that will give you so much fun, provided you're more than averagely good at platforming and know how to fly around with your character using all the environmental advantages.
Code Violet is an ambitious sci-fi horror shooter with a surprisingly strong story at its core. Unfortunately, weak execution in key areas like voice acting, combat, and visual presentation constantly undermines that ambition.