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Stalker 2 is unlike anything else in the FPS market right now, but design flaws that only become more baffling the more you play and an embarrassingly long list of minor bugs, performance hiccups, and game-breaking issues undo nearly all the good done in other areas of the game. An engrossing experience lies beneath all the clutter, but it will take time to unearth it.
Planet Coaster 2 offers a genre-best box of creative tools and community-driven features and expands on its predecessor on almost every level, but chances are you won't be as enchanted by its management systems, which continue to be a thorn in Frontier's side.
A largely straightforward motorsport management game with a distinct visual style, Golden Lap manages to offer tactical race simulation with off-the-track drama in a minimalist package. It may not satisfy hardcore petrolheads, but for slightly more relaxed race enjoyers, it's a fine sim experience.
As was the case with its predecessor, Frostpunk 2's city building and society management layers aren't particularly deep on their own but fuse into a cohesive whole that grips you soon after you arrive in its frozen wasteland.
Space Marine 2 is an old-fashioned triumph that eschews modern trends and vapid bloat in exchange for relentless, gory action and a fully-featured Warhammer 40K package that's presented in gorgeous fashion.
Star Wars Outlaws fully commits to realizing the open-world scoundrel experience many fans had been dreaming of and walks away unscathed, which is no small feat and reinforces the idea that Massive Entertainment is one of Ubisoft's best studios at the moment. However, it needed an extra push and bolder swings to leave a big mark on the genre.
Wrestling with Conscript's controls is, without a doubt, its main source of dread and horror, which is likely not what it was going for in the first place. When its combat mechanics don't get in the way, the sound design helps instill a sense of unease, but fear is thoroughly absent beyond a few choice first encounters.
Although flawed, Thrones of Decay is a desperately needed step in the right direction for Total War: Warhammer 3. The strong roster of Legendary Lords alongside new units that add flavor and fill gaps in their factions' rosters do the heavy lifting. They offer compelling reasons to revisit or try out their respective races, especially if you also factor in the reworks coming in update 5.0.
Dragon's Dogma 2 is as much of an odd RPG as its predecessor and makes little to no concessions, leveraging its many strengths and unique traits to make up for the half-baked bits.
Tomas Sala's second Falconeer game may come across as nicher at first glance, but it's far easier to approach and have a great time with despite some baffling inconsistencies.
Millennia's take on the historical 4X formula is fascinating, but the wonder wears off soon due to misplaced priorities and omissions that are hard to overlook.
Alone in the Dark presents a promising yet imperfect reimagining that captures the essence of a mesmerising, atmospheric adventure game. However, it struggles to rationalise the inclusion of clunky combat and basic stealth elements that detract from the overall experience.
Expeditions feels like an exciting new direction for this series that encourages more experimentation on the gameplay side and I am thrilled that this didn't just feel like Mudrunner or Snowrunner again. I am excited to see where Saber takes the game with its seasonal content, especially after the exciting editions we saw with the Snowrunner seasons.
Praying in Vain
War Hospital is a primarily functional World War I management simulation game that struggles to establish a meaningful connection between players and their staff and patients. As you progress beyond the initial hours, the gameplay becomes bogged down by repetitive mechanics exacerbated by an inadequate user interface with insufficient tooltips and unclear instructions, accompanied by a host of frustrating bugs that compelled me to frequently reload older save files and restart entire chapters.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is at its best when it encourages you to be patient and focus on discovering its world, taking in the strange shapes of its trees and plants, while uncovering Na'Vi stories and customs. Easily the best way to experience the universe envisioned by James Cameron, it's also a fun enough take on a FarCry game, albeit not one that refreshes Ubisoft's tired formula nearly enough.
The repetitive minigames that occupy a significant portion of the gameplay in Zipp's Cafe tend to hinder its charm, despite the narrative potential that flickers through its admittedly dry dialogues. While the game succeeds to some extent in immersing players into its expansive setting, the lackluster routine of food and drink preparation, coupled with insufficiently developed characters, makes it challenging to feel drawn into becoming a frequent visitor.
Dungeons 4 doesn't raise the bar for the dungeon-building subgenre, but it's a delightful fantasy romp that harkens back to less complicated times, and that's quite valuable on its own.
A masterpiece in terms of atmosphere building and one of the few games in a long while that effortlessly kept me fully engrossed in its world, Alan Wake 2 is Remedy Entertainment's best game yet. Expert use of the contrast between light and dark works in tandem with spot-on sound design and deadly enemies to successfully insert horror even in the most inoffensive of places.
Cities: Skylines 2 doesn't rebuild the genre nor its identity, instead choosing to go bigger and deeper without losing sight of what made its predecessor work. With no better alternatives on sight, this will do.