Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Reviews
The Bearded Ladies have been working their formula of turn-based tactics and real-time stealth for three games now, and it shows for better and worse. Miasma Chronicles is the studio's most ambitious effort in scale and depth, but carries over the flaws of previous titles as well as their strengths, and wraps its clever combat in dated humour and world design.
You, a shiny shiba inu, must lead the people into the light. Humanity's flowy puzzles require a satisfying blend of intuition and experience to complete, but story mode's unrelenting ambiguity makes my brain itch.
A fast and joyously entertaining rampage through a spot-on recreation of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, Boltgun is the FPS that 40k fans have dreamed of since the first time they inexpertly splodged too-thick paint all over a Space Marine. Pacing issues can't prevent it from being a bloody good time.
Planet Of Lana is an action-packed, story-rich adventure across a wonderful sci-fi landscape filled with dangerous machines, but a mediocre middle act just stops it short of achieving true greatness.
HROT is a retro shooter that uses nineties style 3D graphics to build an oppressive late Soviet dictatorship afflicted by an unspecified disaster. It offers a masterclass in classic FPS map design, but has a weaker arsenal than other boomer shooters, and becomes less coherent as it progresses.
A chaotic kart racer with wonderfully imagined open zones, imaginative tracks, and robust building tools, hampered by meaningless live service progression.
A roguelite sequel that takes a few steps forward and one or two back from the original, but keeps the gloomy but intense spirit alive.
A hollow open world FPS which feels more like you're playing through an already abandoned live service, as opposed to a fully supported one.
A slightly janky Lovecraftian Holmes adventure in neo-classic Frogwares style, offering decent fun for fans of the studio's work.
An accomplished fantasy 4X with RPG leanings and cleverly interlocking systems that plain hasn't grabbed me personally, despite some colourful ideas.
Honkai: Star Rail is still in its early stages, but this free-to-play turn-based gacha game is incredibly good fun. With a strong opening, heavy focus on story, and simple but deep turn-based battles, this RPG is bursting with potential.
An undeniably fun Star Wars sequel with a suitably epic story and smart combat, but a hell of a lot of busywork alongside it.
A modern monster catcher RPG that brings lots of smart evolutions to almost every Poké-like system you can imagine.
Stranded: AD builds thoughtfully on the survival sims that came before it, keeping what works and streamlining what didn't. It all adds up to a classic story of human vs nature in which your survival depends on carving out a niche for yourself on a planet teeming with life.
Hibiscus & Butterfly tries to do more than it should as a second episode, but this is still a sweet, warm visual novel that's as restorative as one of its good cuppas. If you wanted more Coffee Talk, you're in for a treat.
Oxygen is a post-apocalyptic city builder where you develop technology, accumulate resources, and build advanced facilities in the face of toxic wind. And it's okay.
Dead Island 2 doesn't pretend to be anything other than a daft, messy romp through undead LA, and this carefree, capricious attitude is precisely what makes it fun.
Minecraft Legends is an interesting blend of adventure and RTS that could have been great, but hamstrings itself by limiting the player's freedom and control far beyond what you'd expect from a Minecraft game.
Mr. Saitou is a wonderful, short RPG which sees a troubled salaryman rediscover bits of himself, all thanks to a bright kid with a dream of his own. And while there's some serious bits in there, Shigihara cleverly ensures that the overarching theme of Japan's working culture is presented as laughable - because it is. Ultimately, business is weird, so make sure it's your business to give the game a whirl.
This grungy medieval low fantasy tactical RPG isn't just a sandbox, but a quick-sandbox, capable of sucking you right in with emergent stories and moments equally thrilling and silly. The trade off here is it can lack a bit of momentum, but if you stay curious, you'll end up well rewarded by its layered and considered world and systems.