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I don’t know about you but Unbound feels precisely what the doctor ordered for the Need for Speed franchise. Heat has more or less left me hoping for more, and now that Unbound is built based on the success of its predecessor, it all feels like a complete game.
Football Manager 2023 is as solid from the mechanics' point of view as any of its predecessors. Working out tactical problems is as engaging as ever. Winning championships, or even avoiding relegation as the right team, is thrilling.
A Little to the Left is one of the most comfortable video games I have played in a while. The puzzles are good to excellent, some with multiple solutions, all with attached easy-to-use hints, complete with the options to simply move on to the next. But the game shines because it nails the presentation and connects it so deeply to its puzles.
Modern Warfare II is almost a perfect game. But the almost part is more significant than you’d be tempted to believe, and unfortunately, it sometimes makes the game a work-in-progress.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the perfect Switch exclusive. The game marvelously captures the playful spirit of the Mario universe, while offering some serious tactical strategy options for those looking for fix for their XCOM addiction.
In many ways, Gotham Knights is a game that does everything differently from the previous Arkham games, and maybe this is the reason why so many people seem disappointed.
The Case of the Golden Idol is a tight adventure with good mechanics, excellent design for all the scenes, and great presentation. Players should try to play a sequence at a time, savor the clues and avoid relying on the hint system as much as possible.
SuperPower 3 is a massive game that will require time and patience from anyone who wants to understand all the mechanics and try out all the scenarios. But there are no grand strategy games set during modern times that allow a player to choose Brazil and try to become a nuclear-powered Southern Hemisphere hegemon and other outlandish ideas.
Serial Cleaners has a very solid core idea and adds just enough variety with its four characters to make each level feel engaging and unique. I like solving the puzzle of how to get all the bodies while attracting as little attention as possible. The strength of the gameplay makes it easier to ignore the more undercooked elements of the narrative.
If you’re a casual NBA player, there’s absolutely no doubt you’ll find this year’s release a little bit overwhelming. There’s a lot that you need to discover, starting with the playing modes and ending with the gameplayer itself. NBA 2K23 comes with a huge learning curve for new players, but at the end of the day, this is only a good thing in the long term anyway.
Wayward Strand in many aspects is just like an elderly who takes their times and cannot be rushed. The dialogues cannot be skipped, the characters cannot be hurried and every event unfolds following its own pace. Some stories are almost boring, while others carry a heavy emotional load.
Broken Pieces has a decent narrative and puzzles that mostly make sense, with a camera system designed to evoke nostalgia. But the combat sections, few as they are, are mediocre and players need to quickly become invested in the story to keep moving forward, finding puzzle solutions, and returning to their home before 8 PM.
In between silly remarks, turn-based combat and puzzle solving, Sunday Gold provides enough entertainment to keep you going until the end, which is probably around 12-15 hours if you figure out the puzzles and finish the boss fights faster.
Little Orpheus began life as a video game for phones and, on those platforms, its limited gameplay probably did not stand out as much. This made it easier for the narrative and the presentation to impress players and to keep them moving to see how the story of Ivan and the nuclear bomb ends.
Betrayal at Club Low might not the best-looking game and its gameplay might sometimes feel limited or unfair. But the game has plenty of weirdness, a clear goal, great moments, and the ability to get players to explore, take risks, and deal with failure. A small universe and well-defined mechanics make this one of the first titles I have played through three times (with another run planned) in quite some time.
Steelrising is an interesting take on the soulslike formula. Exploring the French Revolution in the body of an automat is definitely something that I never thought I’d enjoy. However, while things look promising on paper, the execution is quite poor.
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2 has an inspired mix of narrative and presentation, with decent gameplay but somehow it is constantly under-delivering. There’s not enough madness to be found, players spend too much time picking stuff up rather than investigating weirdness, and the world is too normal to keep players moving forward.
Foretales manages to be both innovative in its gameplay and deliver an engaging story, a rare combination in the world of card-driven video games. It’s fast-paced, asks players to think about actions and consequences, and deals with the fate of the world and with more personal relationships.
It’s hard to judge NHRA Speed for All based purely on the gameplay experience, pretty much because this would make it one of the most disappointing releases of the year.
Circus Electrique is like a complex trifle: it has many layers that need to be in sync in order to achieve balance. It is not a game you can take lightly, and you will spend a lot of time figuring out details, statistics, strategies and tactics.