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Call of the Sea has plenty to offer puzzle and walking sim fans alike. The story kept me going even when the puzzles felt difficult and excessive. The puzzles can be tough and seem unfair at times, but overall feel very solid in how they were crafted. The conclusion to the story of Nora, her illness, the previous expedition, and the true nature of the island left a satisfying feeling once I had completed it.
A Rogue Escape gives players just enough information to get started on their escape in an alien mech, and then allows them to fiddle and fuss their way to a fast and un-triumphant death. With tactile controls and fun reveals, the game slowly unfolds like the very best escape rooms. Bring your thinking cap and patience.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a true showpiece of new-gen technology. Whilst the internet argues over the matter of cross-generation games, Rift Apart avoids any such controversy since what it's doing simply isn't possible on the older hardware. I was tempted to go ahead and award a perfect score, but a familiar formula and some lacklustre puzzling prevented me from doing so. On the whole, though, this is gaming's summer blockbuster in the same vein that Hollywood emphasises this season for its big releases. For those with a PS5, it's an absolute must-play as a showcase of what's possible beyond just prettier graphics and faster framerates.
I really appreciate what Beautiful Desolation is trying to do with creative storytelling; well-developed characters; and a mind-bending and beautiful, albeit desolate, sci-fi world. I just ended up too frustrated by the limitations of the console medium and a lack of direction in many of the quests to ultimately recommend this game on this platform. It's a point-and-click adventure presented without a pointer or a clicker, better played on PC.
Legend of Keepers is a fun roguelike that relies a bit too much on the luck of the draw. Constructing custom teams is a non-starter, which leaves players doing their best with whatever the game doles out. The font size might be an issue for some, but overall, Legend of Keepers is a pleasant not-overly-difficult way to kill twelve hours.
Iron Harvest: Operation Eagle is a challenging DLC to a fun RTS game. Even though it can be played as a stand alone title Iron Harvest: Operation Eagle works best when accompanied by the main title Iron Harvest. The introduction of Ursonia and their campaign is a solid addition, even if adding aerial units to the game hurts its overall gameplay. The campaign story alone is worth the price of entry.
Dreamworks Spirit Lucky's Big Adventure might be a lot of fun, if it would function long enough for a kid to play it. This game is broken in nearly every way possible: the graphics stutter and shake, the save files won't load, and the quest lines lead players in circles. There is no way a responsible adult should hand a child a game in this condition-is is simply unplayable.
Simply put Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards is your typical action adventure RPG. Zones are fun and unique enough to satisfy. But the frame rate dips so low at times that it's easy to become frustrated. There's nothing eccentric here, and that's ok, not every game about saving the world has to be, I guess.
By making puzzle mechanics feel immediate and dangerous, Boxed In elevates the genre. While the edges feel a bit rough, the core gameplay mechanic is pure gold, giving Boxed In that much desired one-more-try factor. Highly recommended for immediate purchase.
While the cheerful island graphics and pirate themes are fun, King of Seas' over reliance on grinding quickly stifles the enjoyment. Exploration is highly enjoyable, but after you've seen everything, the story is the only thing left to pursue. Artificial barriers to extend the experience frustrate, as there is little satisfaction in grinding to victory.
Not a new game, but a good updating of an older classic. Gamers new to strategy, and those who missed the original, will find this well worth playing.
Biomutant attempts to channel many inspirations into a compelling package. It does much of that extremely well, excelling at world building and creating a fluid combat system to drive the experience. The one area it falls short is in tying it all together with an engrossing narrative. It not only fails at the narrative, but even worse, fails at the very mechanics of delivering the story. Wander the world on your own initiative and experience a great game; follow the path of the main quest and suffer the letdown of a mediocre tale, told poorly.
Knockout City is a rollicking good time, restructuring dodgeball into a competitive team sport that anyone can enjoy. Appropriate for all audiences, there is plenty of fun here for casuals and the hardcore crowd alike. Knockout City leaves plenty of room for the game to grow and expand, making it a solid platform for success as a living game. Bright, cheery, inclusive fun.
Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey translates the franchise's beloved gameplay successfully into the VR space. With a ton of devious puzzles and a few different modes to play around with, there is plenty of content here to keep bubble poppers busy for a while. The slightly twitchy aiming can be difficult at times, but overall the game is exactly what fans might expect.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends brings players into an alternate universe where Robin Hood and his Merry Men are a gang of murderous thieves. While the core heist gameplay loop offers some fun for committed players, the structure around those heists doesn't give much reason (beyond getting better) to keep playing. The thematic darkness doesn't help; when the Sherriff of Nottingham drops f-bombs and smashes people's heads like pumpkins, I kinda tap out.
Space Commander: War and Trade makes the transition from mobile to console without considering what changes would make the game more palatable for console players. A very basic trading system, a fiddly map, and super simple space combat all add up to an experience that underwhelms. There is a lot going on in Space Commander, but not very much of it is fun.
Resident Evil Village earns a spot right up there as one of the very best Resident Evil games in the franchise's 25 year run. Village is an amalgamation of what made Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 7 fan-favourite entries. Though it also delivers on it's own ambition with new breeds of terrifying enemies never seen before in Resident Evil. The Village is a desolate, decrepit, dolorous setting but undeniably beautiful thanks to some of the best art direction ever seen in the series. In an age of day one patches and bugs, Resident Evil looks and runs flawlessly on the PlayStation 5 version used in this review. Resident Evil Village is a Game of the Year contender.
Subnautica: Below Zero further refines the survival sim, setting a new highpoint for the genre with sky-high production values and amazing world building. Every excursion is risky and rewarding, as the game continues to tease, push, and pull the player ever deeper into its labyrinth. An extraordinary visual delight, Below Zero has the chops to match its graphics with superb gameplay. Subnautica: Below Zero is a masterclass in game design.
Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is nice and relaxing-and that's about it. While the game is nice to look at and listen to, there's very little challenge and, for a collect-a-thon, I can see where that can turn some people off. If you don't mind a simple game then the budget price tag might not seem too high. But if you're looking for a challenge, you definitely won't find it here.
When you're advertising 34 different endings, your survival journey needs to be survivable. But Ashwalkers rarely made me feel like my survival was on the line. I was hungry for more human interactions between squad members. But the bulk of the writing is saved for the badge-ridden hall of fame at the end of this post-apocalyptic Oregon Trail.