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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a beautifully-crafted experience that excels in storytelling, visual fidelity and auditory immersion. Ninja Theory’s dedication to a realistic and sensitive portrayal of psychosis sets a new standard in the industry. The accessibility features, cinematic approach and thoughtful combat mechanics ensure that it can be enjoyed by a diverse range of players. Whether you're a fan of the original Hellblade or a newcomer to the series, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 offers a deeply engaging and unforgettable experience. Its blend of realistic graphics, compelling narrative and innovative sound design makes it a standout title of the year.
Samurai Warriors 4 DX is the best version of the ten-year-old game. The performance is smooth with a stable framerate on both PC and Steam Deck. The large amount of included DLC is a nice incentive for those who are only familiar with the vanilla version or simply missed out on the original when it arrived. Most of the DLC consists of cosmetic items such as new costumes or custom character creation parts, though. Overall, this is a great port of Samurai Warriors 4, but unless the inclusion of all the DLC is a major point of interest, there isn't much reason to revisit this game for those who already have the original.
POed: Definitive Edition is an excellent version of a middling game, with only some of its problems due to it being early days for the FPS. It's hard not to feel affection for what it's trying to do, though, and you can see as you play how it fits into the evolution of its genre. It would have been nice if the game had figured out an identity, either leaning into the weirdness or going for straight sci-fi action, but it's almost thirty years too late to fix that now. POed's legacy was almost nonexistent, that of a kind of ok-ish game that landed right in the middle of the FPS genre figuring itself out, and from a gaming history perspective that's more than a good enough reason to check it out.
A masterfully-orchestrated series of puzzles that are both stand-alone and interconnected alike, a brilliant use of a more-restricted color palette emboldening its art-style and aesthetic. And best of all: one of the most curious, perplexing but ultimately satisfying mysteries to see fully unraveled and revealed in its truest form. Combined, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes stands as Simogo's best work to date. Even with a portfolio as creative as theirs, a release deserving of that most lofty of titles: magnum opus.
Crow Country is a tribute to retro survival horror games, inviting players to embark on a nostalgic adventure that will keep players asking questions and investigating everything the atmosphere has to offer. SFB Games did a wonderful job emulating what had made the classic survival horror games truly special. The puzzles aren’t amazing or innovative, but they're still solid and provide enough information for anyone to solve on their own. Crow Country is relatively easy, but the developer does have a roadmap planning the inclusion of a Hard mode to hopefully add a significant challenge to it. While it is somewhat flawed, Crow Country is a solid and compelling experience for those who enjoy the genre, and it was a blast exploring and learning about the world SFB Games has created.
Nearly two decades on, Braid still refuses to show its age. A game whose varied ideas and smart execution remain one of the puzzle genre's finest showings. The Anniversary Edition doesn't so much attempt to fix what was never broken to begin with, but instead adds a rich assortment of visual and audible enhancements, on top of what is surprisingly as in-depth and varied a commentary on the game as you can get. Those who may not have clicked with its gameplay at first go might not find much to entice them back in for a second try. But for everybody else -- not least those fascinated with the development, construction and inevitable design -- Braid, Anniversary Edition offers a compelling insight into what remains a classic of great puzzle design.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is a solid new entry in the long-running franchise that excels in some ways and falls short in others. The combat is fast-paced, but does get draining due to the repetitious dungeon structure and lack of auto-battle as a feature. Fortunately, the strong voice acting serves as a motivator to keep going as does seeing where the amusing story will go. Visually, it retains the core look of the PS Vita-rooted series, just with a cleaner look across the board when compared to the older portable hardware. Thankfully, the framerate doesn't falter on the PS5 and the game as a whole is a solid recommendation to those who enjoy the franchise already -- and is a solid starting point for those looking to get into it since the gameplay is in-line with other entries, just more fine-tuned.
Animal Well is a stunner of a metroidvania, usually charming but frequently creepy, mysterious but by no means unapproachable, and filled from top to bottom with secrets that are always satisfying to uncover.
Cryptmaster is a commendable indie game that stands out for its originality in gameplay and narrative. While it faces technical and design challenges, the overall experience is enriched by its entertaining side characters, engaging plot and clever integration of language-based mechanics. The game will challenge your linguistic and typing skills and pull you deep into its mysterious world, promising adventure and amusement. The game might benefit from refinements in control responsiveness and visibility issues, but despite its flaws, these do not significantly detract from the engaging and enjoyable gameplay. Cryptmaster offers a refreshingly different perspective on dungeon crawling, making it a worthy addition for any gamer looking for something outside the ordinary dungeon crawling experience.
An impressive ode to the classics of the 1970s, Heading Out is a unique blend of genres with its own unique gameplay twists that make it worth checking out, whether you're a fan of high-octane driving or strategy-focused resource management. Dripping with style, a killer soundtrack and a ton of interesting stories along the way, it makes for one mesmerizing road trip, with the journey being one that Serious Sim should be proud of.
Botany Manor is a genuine delight, a charming little adventure game with a nice story, a lot of creativity in its plant designs and unique botanical work, and amazing puzzles that feel like a throwback to the classics of yore while having their own beautiful twists based around thorough exploration. It's an absolute gem, so make sure you don't overlook it just because Victoran-era botany doesn't seem all that intriguing at first. As it turns out, it can make for one amazing game.
MotoGP 24 sought out to provide what its community requested the most and those small handful of things are readily apparent in the game. Milestone didn't do that much outside of this, but the action on the track and the Career Mode are the highlights to what's offered here. Struggling on the track isn't an issue like it once was, and with the adaptive AI, racing is fun while still providing realism for players. The increase in visual fidelity is nice, but pausing the action may change some minds. A racing game should continue to build on its actual racing and MotoGP 24 does just that.
Simply put, The Rising Tide is a fitting end to Final Fantasy XVI. It delivers more stellar gameplay and an interesting narrative, all while further solidifying the legacy of the franchise's sixteenth title. While it may play it safe with the characters, bosses and story, it makes up for it with the addition of Leviathan and Kairos Gate. Furthermore, the DLC is a perfect sendoff to the game, lending itself well to what was established and giving fans a chance to return to Clive, Torgal, Jill and Jonathan one last time. Those who enjoyed the base game will find The Rising Tide to be an enjoyable and worthwhile adventure to travel back to Valisthea for.
Stellar Blade delivers masterclass gameplay, spectacular visuals and a compelling universe. It no doubt will draw comparisons to Nier and its successor, but what Shift Up has done is improved upon the formula greatly in creating one of the best action games of the year. The combat will have you engaged from start to finish, and while the story is overly predictable, the beautiful visuals and mesmerizing soundtrack will have you immersed. It does have fatigue when it comes to the open areas and side quests, and there’s a lost opportunity with the location choices, but the main story has been finely crafted into a wondrous adventure that will last over fifty hours. It helps that the side quests help establish the lore of the world and the characters are compelling enough to keep your interest. In the end, Stellar Blade is a must-play.
Much like the vast desert making up nearly everything in it, Sand Land can be rough and coarse at times, yet also provides a lot of beauty in various ways. The story is great, the characters are an enjoyable lot, and the vehicular combat and traversal are superb, marred only by annoying travel dialogue and bland levels at times. Whether you're a fan of the great Toriyama's work or not, there's still something special here to check out if you're willing to put in the effort.
Phantom Fury simply doesn't feel like it's ready yet, with too many bugs and nowhere near enough polish to become the game that it could be. Too many encounters are designed to only be beatable once you memorize enemy placement and a giant-mech boss shouldn't be an easier, more enjoyable encounter than a handful of guys in a hallway. Bugs are also abound, with enemies zipping between cover points while stuck in the kneeling position, music that you can almost hear playing in the background despite the volume being maxed out, or getting trapped in an elevator when its doors won't open. "Reset to checkpoint" is always an option, but in this case it was an open service elevator, and while sticking to the '90s/early-2000s gameplay convention of a hero who can't hop over a waist-high obstacle is authentic, it's the wrong kind of authenticity. Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison has the potential to be a great 90s throwback character, but Phantom Fury is nowhere near what's needed to see her reach her potential.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is a decent addition to the collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games. It succeeds by playing it safe. The two original arcade games are regarded as great arcade brawlers in addition to being some of the better Turtles games, and the gameplay of Wrath of the Mutants is heavily patterned after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. Fans of the franchise and genre will undoubtedly enjoy playing through the game once or twice, but outside of collecting all the trophies, there isn't much incentive for repeated playthroughs. There are no different game modes, no collectibles and the only difference in difficulty levels is the number of lives. Even with the additional content, it takes only slightly more than an hour to put an end to Shredder's plans and rescue April. It's fun enough to kill some time on a boring afternoon, but even the most hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan would hesitate to say this game kicks some serious shell.
While a feeling of déjà vu and retreading familiar ground may spring up, The Forgotten Kingdom still musters enough originality and welcome content to hunt down to make Remnant II's second DLC outing a satisfying if not spectacular addition. What it may lack in true environmental and level design variety, it more than makes up for with new enemy types and testing boss fights alike. As divisive as its perilous puzzle and platforming segments may wind up being, The Forgotten Kingdom still makes sure to pepper such moments with the worthwhile gear and weapons we've come to expect. A case of more of the same, which in itself is no bad thing, The Forgotten Kingdom while not the most substantial or stand-out of efforts, is still very much a fitting reflection of Remnant II's greatest strengths.
These types of games rarely do well with hardcore gamers, but they can sometimes reach mainstream success with casual gamers if they can get some good buzz on social media and streaming sites like Twitch. Personally, I don't see myself sticking with the game for the long haul, but then again, I'm not the target audience for it.
Despite issues with its difficulty balance and some of the elements of the metroidvania genre, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is still a promising start for Surgent Studios, with its smooth, fast gameplay, astounding world, engrossing story and jaw-dropping visuals. Hopefully we'll be returning to Kenzera sometime in the future, because no matter what form any future tales may take, there's a ton of potential here and a lot of fun to be had.