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Overall, my time with Spectre Divide was spent either almost having fun or having a lot of fun making 4D chess plays with the unique Duality system, mostly the former. The gunplay feels off, the cel-shaded art style and bombardment of visual effects lead to confusion, and the matches can run as slow as a frozen creek. Despite that, the love the devs put into this game shine through in pieces of the map design and sponsor abilities.
Visions of Mana is a rollercoaster of emotions. The team under Square Enix has made a beautiful game with a solid mechanical foundation. But the balance of the game has been somewhat out of whack. What's here is not bad, just unpolished and a bit lacking. Visions of Mana is worth your time if the issues mentioned with combat and story won't be an issue for you. Maybe try it on a harder setting. At the very least, I recommend trying the free demo on every platform as that will give you a feel for how the game controls and feels. Visions of Mana is solid but doesn't quite reach the heights it aimed for.
Age of Mythology: Retold doesn't redefine the genre but returning fans will not be disappointed and new ones may discover why RTS games were king of the hill in the not-so-distant past. Retold is mechanically solid, beautifully remade, and a blast to play with friends.
Star Wars Outlaws might play things a bit safe, but the solid foundation leads to a fantastic adventure. The gameplay is tremendous, with some of the most engaging stealth mechanics I've enjoyed in a game in a while. Add in some great characters, fun side missions, and a gorgeous open world, and Star Wars Outlaws is a great trip across the stars.
Monster Jam Showdown is the definitive Monster Jam experience of this generation. With sleek gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and amazing sound design, you won't want to miss this game.
The Crimson Diamond is a fantastic mystery that's incredibly enjoyable to solve. The characters are delightful, the visuals are stunning, the music is catchy and era appropriate, and there's quite a lot to discover. This is a must play for any adventure game fan.
Tavern Talk is definitely the best next step in a line of cozy drinking talking simulators, as it tells a charming and gripping narrative that echoes the adventures found in the realm of magic and fantasy. It stands out on its own as a fun and heartwarming piece of D&D with its unique cast of characters and vast world-building and pairs well with great gameplay systems that add depth to its world but could use a bit of beefing up to break up the monotony.
Madden NFL 25 makes some great strides forward in Madden Franchise Mode including breakout scenarios, updated draft scouting and draft day experience, and the addition of new male and female coaching options. Franchise Mode feels the most "alive" it has in a number of years. You can also transfer your College Football 25 Road to Glory player into Madden Superstar Mode to continue their journey to the pro level. While the game suffers from some QOL issues, sound balance issues, and small gameplay glitches; Madden NFL 25 is the best we've gotten in specific avenues in a while.
Providing some high quality scares and morbidly curious gameplay, The Mortuary Assistant is a good horror game held back by an undercooked port to consoles that can create more frustration than fun.
Dustborn has noble intentions, but intentions don't matter as much as execution and it executes just about everything poorly. There are too many characters and gameplay styles to make any one of them shine, let alone enjoyable.
With camera in hand and a twinkle in your eye, The Star Named EOS guides you down memory lane in a simply sweet, but almost too-short narrative puzzle game. This is a decent voyage for casual puzzle enjoyers and those who don't mind a shorter experience overall.
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse remastered adds a much needed, fresh coat of paint to a fantastic adventure game. This is quite possibly the best the Freelance Police have to offer, and it's better than ever. The Switch version suffers from some framerate drops and loading issues, but even there it's a great time with your little buddy.
Thank Goodness You're Here is a wonderful little indie game that punches higher than it should. The comedic dialogue will have you rolling, and the art style is to die for. A lackluster story and shallow gameplay could drag it down, but somehow work perfectly for the game Panic has created. Know your medium, and good things will come of it.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder looks and plays the part of a competent action game. However, its heart lies more in its narrative. While I admire the ambition, Gestalt left me asking, both as a game and as a story, one simple question: "so what?".
Creatures of Ava is what you get when you simply dump a bunch of ideas into a bucket. The mechanics feel disconnected, the story is rote and uninteresting, and the world, while very pretty, looks generic for sci-fi. It's all been done before and better elsewhere, and sadly the game doesn't take the chance to connect anything together or really explore anything in depth.
XDefiant is a solid first-person shooter featuring familiar gameplay elements as other games in the genre but with a twist, including the different factions and their unique abilities. The factions help to keep the gameplay fresh from match to match, and they're all fairly balanced in their ability, though not necessarily their application. Unfortunately, the game still suffers with weapon balancing and hit registration, as well as missing a some accessibility and quality of life options.
If you're in the market for a superb mystery visual novel, then look no further. Staffer Case: A Supernatural Adventure, offers players a fantastical version of 1960s London. Investigate various murder cases in a world where some people have superpowers and everyone has a motive.
World of Goo 2 takes everything you loved about the original and turns it up to 11. The levels are more complex and inventive, there's more types of goo, and the humor is even more out there. Unfortunately, there are some features that feel like they're missing and a section of the game that completely goes against the rest of the story's themes. While it's somewhat of a mixed bag, there's far more good than bad here.
Taking up the torch of hope against the forces of evil was never going to be an easy task, and Darkest Dungeon II makes sure you feel it. While the roster of heroes creates plenty of opportunities for build crafting, actually interacting with all of the systems in the game can feel like a slog at times. Even so, there's enjoyment to be found in this roguelite spin on the brutally difficult combat and festering world that Darkest Dungeon is known for.
Tomba! Special Edition perfectly preserves the 1997 classic. The game is just as good as it was back then, and perhaps even better now with tons of quality of life features and extras. This is an incredibly special game, and I hope it finally gets the recognition it deserves.