Ash of Gods: The Way is an inspired turn-based strategy and deck-builder game that deserves all the praise it can get. From the story to the gameplay, there are almost no flaws to be found, and the gameplay just keeps you coming back for more. Each match is a new challenge with different rules to play by, and this keeps things fresh and interesting. For a small indie studio, the team did a spectacular job with Ash of Gods: The Way, anybody else looking to make a game in this genre should take a few tips from them.
V Rising and its latest major expansion, Secrets of Gloomrot might become the next major hit with its unique survival and building mechanics, but also the combat system. The Gloomrot area, in particular, is a shocking change of pace and scenery while bringing a whole new set of challenges to face off against. However, it also brought in a lot more for the vampires who like to stay at the castle and decorate.
Nocturnal is a brilliantly executed game with an amazing story, if you can find it in the notes. For those who don’t have the patience for it, this game might seem more like a drag, but it is well worth the effort if you want to know more about Ardeshir and what happened on Narhan. If you’re still not sold on it, then you might end up staying just for the music and amazing visuals, at the very least.
Trepang2 is a fun blast from the past with a lot of modern aspects and a story you’ll need to work for. You’ll be left guessing after each mission until you can piece everything together, though this is a really nice driving point that’ll keep you coming back for more. This is a first-person adrenalin pumping game that can appeal to any player because of its simple but wild, chaotic atmosphere.
Aliens: Dark Descent is definitely a game you’d want to play because of its interesting twists in the RTS genre and the gripping story to go with it. Between the visuals and sound engineering in the game, you’ll likely feel a similar stress as your marines while getting the same satisfaction from gunning down aliens when they try charging at you. From top to bottom, this game is great for newbies or old fans of the franchise.
Testament: The Order of High Human is one hell of an achievement of a game made by a team of 15 people. It has all the best parts of the RPG genre with some new features that just keep you coming back for more. This combined with a gripping story and inspired world design, you’ll have a hard time putting the game down. Things just get better with the odd puzzles you’ll find and the literal mountains of lore to be discovered. This is one of those games that you just have to take your hat off when you consider the detail and the developer team size but also, The Elder Scrolls has some serious competition now.
Noob - The Factionless is like a love letter to JRPG games of the past and definitely pays homage to the game we grew up with. The visual side of the game might not appeal to everybody, while it can still be a really nice change of pace with its simple design and relaxed gameplay. What really makes the game stand out most is the unholy mountain of funny references used in the game, for example – ‘Lord Moldevort’. Get it?
Atlas Fallen might be Deck13 Interactive’s crowning achievement with its story-rich and narrative-driven environment combined with the Soulslike aspects in combat. The combat and level mechanics are a refreshing take on how things should be done, and it definitely keeps you going. Even if fighting isn’t always your go-to pleasure, there’s a brilliantly crafted world and mountains of lore to explore too, if you really want to go all in. Atlas Fallen is definitely one of those games that would be approachable by anybody because of how forgiving it can be while also being challenging for veteran players.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew seems to be another masterpiece from Mimimi Games and embodies their core values down to the last. You’ll get to live the life of a pirate from a top-down perspective, explore the various different islands, and experience a great story that’ll keep you sucked in for hours. Not to mention, the many different characters and mechanics keep things from going stale.
Blasphemous 2 is yet another masterwork from The Game Kitchen and a brilliant sequel to Blasphemous. With the mountain of strange lore and even stranger things to fight against, you’ll find yourself coming back for more each time and trying even harder to get to the next part of your adventure.
Hauma – A Detective Noir Story is a unique and refreshing visual novel that doesn’t follow the normal formula for its genre. With a rich story and a mystery that’ll have you scratching your head, these are perfectly paired with the comic book art style to create a game that you’ll have a hard time putting down. On a more fun note, there might only be one neo-nazi in the game, but you’d be surprised how fun it can be to annoy him to the point of exploding.
Mortal Kombat 1 has seen vast improvements and brings a lot of new features to the table, even though some aren’t entirely necessary. The Story Mode alone brings a whole new beginning for Mortal Kombat as a whole and opens up endless new possibilities for the franchise to grow and expand upon. While there are a few minor drawbacks, like the complexity of Kameos and the strange turn brought in with Invasions, the biggest flop is how online play is handled. Though Story Mode and the visual side of Mortal Kombat 1 more than make up for a good majority of the flaws.
Alan Wake 2 might have its flaws, but it’s definitely the sequel we needed after what happened in the first game. Between the visuals and sound engineering, you’ll be in for quite a treat, and you might end up losing hours in pursuit of seeing what happens next in the story. Granted, the story is great too, even if a bit confusing at times, but that’s part of Alan Wake’s plot. This is definitely a game that can appeal to horror and mystery fans alike.
Jusant might start off as a fun climbing game that challenges you to climb a massive mountain, but it’ll end up turning into a journey. Even though Jusant doesn’t have any NPCs, there’s still a rich story to discover in the form of letters from the previous people who lived there. All in all, Jusant might give players with a fear of heights a nightmare or two, but it’s easy enough to look past for a game that’ll leave a lasting impact and maybe even a few fond memories.
ENDLESS Dungeonn is one of those very rare roguelites that bring so much to the table and just can’t help but bury itself into your brain with the next challenge that needs to be faced off against. With a rich story and a massive lore base to hunt down, you might find yourself sharpening your skills and strategies just to reach the end and see how it all goes down. However, if that’s not your cup of tea, the challenge itself is still more than enough to appeal to suck in just about anybody.
Persona 5 Tactica is a great spinoff from a brilliant long-standing series, the switch from RPG to Turn-Based Strategy is a nice touch and makes it a lot more approachable for others while maintaining the same story quality we all know and love. The best part is that you don’t have to play the other games to get into Persona 5 Tactica, so if you’re a fan of wild and whacky chaos, this is a must-play for you.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a little rough around the edges but it’s also the best rendition of the Warhammer universe brought to gamers. It’s perfect for those who are new to Warhammer and DND veterans who want a rich story to experience. Sadly, the ship battles are a drag, but everything else, from the brilliant voice acting to the overall gameplay, more than makes up for that little blemish on the experience of a game.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla might have been an unexpected DLC but it tied off a lot of loose ends in the entire story as a whole. A lot of unanswered questions were answered, and the challenge to get to them is well worth every bit of effort needed to get to them. And while the shift to the Roguelike challenge was odd, it’s a great change of pace that fits the game brilliantly. However, there is the small matter of certain secret end-game content that needs to be discovered for the DLC to make sense, which might confuse the people who didn’t dig deeper after taking down Odin.
Sovereign Syndicate is one of those games that you need to experience for its incredible charm, ambiance, and, most importantly, its amazing story. While three different stories might be a bit confusing, they all come together indirectly and build on each other to bring you a unique experience that just keeps giving. This might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s well worth a go if you’re a fan of anything RPG-related, even more so if you’re always on the hunt for a good story.
No Rest for the Wicked might have a few small issues, but they’re easily overlooked with just how close to a masterpiece this release is. There’s already a gripping story that’ll have you coming back for more but the stunning visuals and voice acting are what ties it all together to build Moon Studios’ next masterpiece. With the constant stream of updates still coming, we can likely expect life in No Rest for the Wicked to just keep getting even better as it goes.