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.
EVERSPACE 2 had a bit of a rocky start just like its predecessor, but can still receive a standing ovation. With an incredible story, brilliant visuals and sound design, this game is very close to being a masterpiece. The only letdown is that travel in general seems slow for a game that’s supposed to be fast-paced, only time will tell if that changes or stays the same.
World War Z: Aftermath DLC is a must-play if you’re a fan of anything zombie related, with the weapons and classes to choose from, you’ll likely end up coming back for another round of chaos in the undead infested lands before you. To top it all off, you even get to experience the chaos in several parts of the world combined with the stories of several groups of people. The only downside is that almost everything comes at a cost which can be a mood killer if you don’t know what to expect.
Teardown is an incredible heist simulator built in a very detailed voxel world that would put any other game like it to shame. With the nearly endless options to lower or raise the difficulty, Sandbox and Creative Modes, tons of tools to unlock and choose from, and the ability to mod the game, Teardown is definitely a game that can appeal to any type of gamer regardless of their skill level. Going on heists or just coming for rampant destruction, there’s always a good time to be had.
Gord is a little rough around the edges and maybe a little too unforgiving, but not impossible. With its incredibly rich story to experience and diverse mechanics, you’ll feel the struggle as much as your tribe will feel it every step of the way until you can reach the Golden Route in Lysatia. However, you’ll need to survive the horrors standing in your way while uncovering a darker plot.
Chants of Sennaar is a brilliant puzzle platformer that will take you on one hell of an adventure through the lands of several people, cultures, and languages. Deciphering the languages adds a lot of intrigue to the game and makes it difficult to rush through the game and, instead, gets you thinking outside the box to reach the answer you need. The smaller puzzles, while mundane, do add a nice change of pace when you need it, but the bigger world-sized puzzle will always be there.
Lords of the Fallen is a brilliant Souls-like and a great successor to the previous attempt, even though it has a few drawbacks. Between the story and the visuals, you’ll find yourself losing hours (or even days) just exploring the worlds of Axium and Umbral, but you might also end up putting the game aside due to how unforgiving it can be. All the game really needs is just a bit of cleanup on resolution scaling and some minor quality-of-life fixes for it to really shine.
Outcast – A New Beginning has endless potential, and it’s a pretty solid game to begin with, but it also needs some work before it really shines. There’s already a great story, a beautiful open world to explore, and an interesting combat system, and let’s not forget about the fully voiced world, but a little bit more polish would do wonders for this release.
Lightyear Frontier is a cozy delight that’ll have you exploring a lush new world and taking a ride on the more creative side of life. With the visuals and background music working so well with each other, you’ll find yourself losing hours while building your new homestead away from home. Maybe even a village with several massive farms. There’s endless potential for this Early Access release and even though it’s already great, it can only get better going forward.
Broken Roads is setting itself up to be a great RPG, between the story that’ll definitely draw you in and the Moral Compass, you’re in for quite a treat. The use of the classic DND style rolls for different actions is a nice touch and it plays well into the narrative-driven environment, all it needs now is a little combat balancing and it’ll be damned close to perfect.
Mr. Sun’s Hatbox is a great pixel art game that proves looks can be deceiving. The game has a lot of charm, potential, and great gameplay; these three aspects combined into one game are a rarity. If we take into account the multiplayer side of the game as well, it’s a good game for hardcore players who want something more relaxed or a casual group of friends needing a laugh while going out on heists.
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a beautifully designed game with so much old Eastern cultural inspiration. While the combat system can be a bit unbalanced, it’s still a joy to play.
Kingdom Eighties is a fun blast from the past and maybe even a window into what life once was. The attention to detail on the world design combined with the music already add a lot of life to a scene that’s been mostly abandoned and it’s refreshing to see that pixel art still has a home in gaming. For now, we can only hope that other studios might do the same and take a break for something simple but fun.
Jagged Alliance 3 might not exactly be for people who are new to the Turn-Based Tactical genre, but it’s great for the genre’s veterans. For those who want to try it out, there might be a bit of a learning curve and you’ll definitely need some patience for it but it’s well worth it in the end for the story, brilliant visuals, hilarious commentary and the fun change of pace in gameplay while getting a fair amount of brain exercise at the same time.
RIPOUT lures you in with a great story and concept right from the start, but the execution needs some work. The Pet Gun is a brilliant change to the typical action genre, and it adds a lot more quality; with a little more polish and extra detail, it has the potential to become a game that can go quite far. If you can look past some of the flaws, there’s definitely a mountain of fun to be had and some chaos to cause.
Super Mario RPG is one of the few remakes that can practically speak for itself; it’ll get hold of you and somehow keep you going for the sake of finding the next part of the story. It’s a well-done remake in just about every sense, from the environments to the different enemies, while maintaining that infamous Mario silliness through it all. The only downside is that there will definitely be a lot of reasons to do it, and voice acting would’ve made this release a star in its own sense.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great release for the franchise, and the story has a lot of depth that will keep you going for hours on end. All this, combined with the visuals and sound design, builds into a great game with a familiar atmosphere we all know and love, but from a critical point of view… The AAA price does not detract from the fact that it’s still an indie side-scroller. However, if you’re willing to pay the piper, it becomes a matter of perspective as to whether or not it’s worth the price.
Rise of the Ronin is turning out to be a great souls-like with endless potential and a brilliant story to match. There’s a beautifully detailed world to explore and the unforgiving combat that all hardcore gamers crave, but there’s also so much room for improvement, and a lot of pruning is needed. The cluttered map and the neverending junk loot are two of the biggest factors that dull the experience, but if you can overlook those issues, there’s a massive world to see and a lot of new challenges that await you in Japan.
While Sherlock Holmes The Awakened has an incredibly rich story to experience, it feels like you have to work much harder than normal to get to it. The overall gameplay is incredibly smooth and the mechanics balance each other out quite well, but a form of hint is desperately needed for a game like this.
MythForce is a brilliant 80’s inspired game with nearly endless potential. While it does give you a lot to explore and discover, even more so to work with to take down your enemies, it falls a little flat, with the game being semi-unbalanced and overly grindy. A few simple quality of life and bug fixes might just take it to the top as a memorable release.