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Where so many games in the Warhammer universe feel generic and uninspired, Daemonhunters manages to give us a game with tight tactical combat, a decent story, and a careful balance that is challenging but not punishing. The Emperor demands you pick up this game!
Bugsnax's The Isle of BIGsnax is a great reason to revisit Snacktooth. Whether you're a seasoned journalist or catching your first Strabby on a new platform, you really can't go wrong with this delightful adventure.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - Heartless Lullaby feels less like a full game and more like a short proof of concept. It'll be interesting to see what this free game evolves into, if anything, but if you're into the World of Darkness it's worth taking a look.
House of the Dead Remake is a fun, quick romp perfect for a night in with a friend, but will most likely wear out its welcome after a couple of hours. The HD graphics help update the game to the modern era while the addition of unlockable weapons, a horde mode, and multiple difficulties help to extend a rather short campaign, but still doesn't offer much reason to continue playing after you've completed the game a few times. The thing I was excited for the most, the motion controls, ultimately became my biggest disappointment and I can't help but feel that there was a huge missed opportunity to not package the game with a gun peripheral. Still, the core game remains fun despite being released over 25 years ago.
A physics-based platformer on the surface, Time Loader carries a weighty and heartfelt story that is bound to consume far more mental bandwidth than the screenshots and videos might have suggested. It's rare for games to surprise me, but Time Loader did exactly that.
Turtle Rock added interesting content in Tunnels of Terror. Ridden Hives offer a compelling challenge, new Cleaners are somewhat worth experimenting with, No Hope is undeniably challenging, and Warped Ridden make you think twice, at least for a moment. But what's missing is purpose. Heng is useless, Ridden Hives aren't worth the risk for the reward and Warped Ridden aren't any more terrifying or game-changing. It's hard to identify Turtle Rock's aim, but there's no question it was off.
Abermore is an immense disappointment. The bugs and glitches can be cataloged so extremely clearly that it's incredible that this game even got released, let alone past playtesting. Hell, was it playtested? Why did this game get released even if it wasn't finished? These questions stuck in my mind as I played through this dumpster fire. Maybe this game will see all its bugs patched? Sure, but that doesn't mean that there's nearly enough interesting, let alone unique, content throughout the levels to warrant any recommendation from me.
Anuchard presents some interesting concepts, but is executed sloppily. While combat is extremely simple, level design is lackluster, and most puzzles are too easy, the final hour or so holds a lot of promise.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed still provides a highly entertaining experience despite its few issues, and the Switch port does a great job of bringing the stellar title to newer audiences.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut provides the best Strand experience without changing too much. This version offers new content and features making an overall good experience even better.
Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril is a traditional 2D platformer that stays true to its NES roots. Its simple controls and charming 8-bit qualities make it a no brainer for any retro gaming fan. The over-the-top difficulty, while a little too much at times, creates a satisfying experience overall, making this a great game for anyone seeking a challenge.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on Switch receives a small downgrade in resolution and effects, but is largely the same as its PS4 counterpart. The story is still incredible, and well worth experiencing multiple times.
Spending time playing the different modes, and just getting a general feel for MLB The Show 22, I found myself enjoying more of the game than I thought I would. Homerun Derby among the other game modes really helped to engulf and immerse myself in the game. Between stats and rosters it is always fun to mess around with major league rosters the way you would want real teams to manage their rosters. With what should be a lasting impression MLB The Show 22 leaves little to the imagination from its predecessor. What should be a definitive installment with the addition of online co-op, winds up being more of the same formula that needs some updates and changes if it is to have a lasting legacy.
Puzzle Quest 3 is an excellent addition to the match-3 puzzle combat adventure genre. The game is easy to pick up and plays smoothly. With an intriguing story and amazing cast of characters, it's sure to be a hit for people across the board.
Road 96 is a politically charged piece of interactive art. Its themes of opposing fascism are depressingly relevant and conveyed through charming and funny characters. While the voice acting leaves a lot to be desired, this is a trip well worth taking over and over.
ANNO: Mutationem had a lot of promise, but ended up spread far too thin. Both the exploration and combat lack any sort of depth, the story is nonsensical, and the sprite work looks ugly in motion.
When it comes to the world, the narrative, and the characters that inhabit the Weird West, there's a lot to love. If you're looking for a game that's well written and where your choices feel important and consequential, then it's likely you'll be able to forgive some of the lacklustre RPG elements that unfortunately weigh this one down.
Moss Book II is a game very deserving of your attention. Its novel use of VR as a medium is fascinating and helps to tell a heartfelt story with you and the adorable Quill at its center. It's bigger and better than the first in many ways, but is greatly held back by small yet consistent and progress blocking bugs.
Quest for Infamy is a near perfect recreation of point-and-click adventure games of the past. Featuring hilarious dialogue, immature humor, a variety of locations to explore, some clever (and some frustrating) puzzles, and a decently long campaign with an interesting story to unravel. Game breaking bugs and a few of the genre's persistent issues, such as frustrating design and confusion as to where to go or what to do next, do present themselves and in this modern era are far harder to forgive. Still, Quest for Infamy is fun, funny, and worth giving a shot.
Submerged: Hidden Depths is the perfect game to play when needing a break from the more stressful or narrative intense experiences. Featuring a powerful orchestral score, relaxing exploration and puzzle solving, and a subtle yet interesting story about the bonds of family and the power of hope, Submerged surprised me and provided me with one of my favorite experiences of the year.