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Unlike games such as House Flipper or The Sims, here you don’t focus on buying/flipping houses or simulating people’s lives inside a home. Instead, Architect Life gives us some insight into how architects work, while allowing home designers to bring their craziest home ideas to life. The building tools are awesome, and the art style is stunning, not to mention you can play the career mode to challenge yourself or just go full-on creative mode for some relaxing builds.
Elden Ring Nightreign impressed me with its clever gameplay, stunning game world, but also numerous nightlords and enemy design. Sure, there were some issues at launch, but those were mostly ironed out, and matchmaking now runs very well. Of course, you can still choose to go on solo expeditions, if playing with others is not your cup of tea.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is a nice detective game that plays everything a little too safe. The idea of taking the hero out of the city is a good one and I like all the characters. Some very high stakes emerge later in the narrative that feel unearned, but I mostly like the light tone and the way characters interact with each other.
As a whole, I found Crashlands 2 to deliver that quirky, beautiful and engaging isometric survival experience I always wanted. I enjoyed the first one quite a lot, but I can happily say this new one blows it out of the water. The plot is great, the game is easy to get into, and there’s plenty of replay value, along with some cool end-game activities you can do over and over.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, if you crave high-octane action, heavy metal carnage, and just the right touch of fantasy madness, The Dark Ages demands your attention. DOOM has once again reinvented itself—and somehow, it still rips and tears.
Sure, Old Skies doesn’t have flashy graphics, they went with rather old school visuals, but for me, those stand out and make the game world very immersive. The voice overs are on point, and the dialog is very creative, although it can drag at times. All in all, Old Skies is interesting, exciting, and a breath of fresh air for the genre, especially with its time travel shenanigans.
Yes, it can be difficult at times, but it’s not a very punishing game, so you will find yourself cruising through Bastille and following the story, as you try to figure out how it all comes to an end. Plus, if you really want to test yourself, there are modifiers, secrets and speedruns to check out as well!
Expelled! might be built on the bones of Overboard! but it manages to improve on it both mechanically and in terms of story. Verity is a great protagonist, and the many mysteries linked to the characters and the school itself are a pleasure to unravel. A run can end in 15 minutes and in utter failure but still feel like progress.
Split Fiction is an amazing game, and it is akin of any kids first visit to a candy store. It is crammed full of new ideas, new gameplay mechanics, bigger and shinier levels, but somehow along the way it’s lost a part of its soul and along with it some of the appeal It Takes Two had.
I have no doubt that Wilds refines and enhances the existing Monster Hunter experience rather than redefining it. At the end of the day, those who embrace the franchise’s signature challenge and depth will find that this game stands as another solid and satisfying entry in the franchise, even if some mechanics may need some time to get used to.
While the game successfully immerses players in the unsettling world of urban legends, it struggles with execution. Those who enjoy visual novels and Japanese ghost stories may find it worthwhile, but players expecting a more interactive detective experience will be disappointed.
Civilization VII is a great 4X experience and every gamer interested in the genre should give it a try. The turn-based mechanics support a wide variety of playstyles and there’s a ton of diversity in leader and civ combinations. The eras system comes across as limited at first, but it basically allows players to play three potentially very different games of Civ in one campaign.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a great game for anyone who appreciates a complex science-fiction universe, well-rounded characters, and existential musings.
The Roottrees are Dead is a great video game for any players who like experiences like Obra Din or the two Golden Idol titles. It feels good to investigate, starting with a list of names, and reveal the rich history of an entire family. The feeling that there’s something more to learn, to understand, is always present and the game has a decent hint system to help players who get stuck.
My Lovely Empress offers an interesting mix of mechanics. Making sure the empire is growing and all classes are satisfied is pretty hard, even when bonds with the Yaoguai are strong. On top of that players need to woo neighboring rulers and decide how to best go about the complex task of bringing the empress back to life.
Arco has a unique look and world and a set of mechanics that are easy to understand but grow in complexity as characters unlock more options. I never got used to the ghosts that randomly join the fight but was eager to replay engagements to avoid losing even one pip of health.
Sins of a Solar Empire II is a great space-based real-time strategy game. It is designed to primarily appeal to those who liked the original, splitting factions into two, introducing variation to the star systems, and adding to the tactical complexity. The game does not offer a campaign, but each match generates its own unique stories.
Volgarr the Viking II is designed to appeal to players who liked the first installment, with its mix of difficulty and reward. The Norse-themed universe does not offer much in the way of story, but it has tight gameplay and plenty of challenges for players to face. Accept the fact that you’ll end up as a zombie at one point and get ready to delete saves to try again.
The Operator will attract anyone who likes a good mystery with some very contemporary themes and does not care too much about complex gameplay. The story moves at a good pace, the characters have personalities, and the general atmosphere of paranoia works well. But the mechanics are built around a computer screen, a few apps, and plenty of reading.
Minds Beneath Us is spectacular when delivering slice-of-life moments, both if they involve the main character and when it comes to ancillary conversations in the background. It’s also good at creating an interesting vision of the future while offering a core narrative that tackles modern themes in engaging ways. Its presentation adds to the immersion level, although the lack of faces will be a little disturbing.