Code Vein is a brilliant evolution of the soulslike style. With fun combat, a well done AI partner system and a wealth of build options. Each area permeates that distinct desolate feeling, while still managing to remain unique. Even the story manages to keep being interesting enough to continually draw the player forward to discover more, with an elegant system to experience memories of past events to flesh out the story. Anyone who enjoys both anime style games, and soulslike games has plenty to enjoy in Code Vein.
Valfaris is a master class of action, platforming and pacing. Personally I'd love to see these guys use this formula in a Metroidvania.
While I liked this far more than Wildlands it still has a fair way to go before it's as entertaining to play as some of the other shooters out there. It needed more going on; more variety and more spontaneity to take it up a notch and push it towards being an essential purchase. In its current state, it's just not "there" yet.
Whether through loyalty or lethargy, BurgerTime Party! just doesn't do enough with the original arcade game's formula to make this reboot worth checking out.
The Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a great way to (re)discover a once-forgotten Zelda game with a refined gameplay and an audiovisual overhaul, even if its most notable new feature is underwhelming.
If you're into this genre of shooters then you are in for a real treat. This game is poles apart from Call of Duty or Battlefront, and that's a great thing. It's tactical, it's slower-paced and it's incredibly enjoyable to sink into and engage with.
Unlike most studios in the industry which seem to deliver products that consistently fail to meet expectations and the hype, Spiders seems to manage getting better and better with each subsequent release. GreedFall is one of their better titles, if not the best, but it still falls somewhat short of being a truly great game. With that said, it's by no means bad, and it's certainly ambitious. If you find the subject matter intriguing, consider giving it a shot - it has lots to offer in terms of role-playing and storytelling, but fails in other areas.
An enjoyable game but not something that you have to play, it's disappointingly short and has a definite unfinished feel in places. I finished the game in three sittings, in well under five hours combined without really even trying to hammer through it on a moderate difficulty, so seasoned gamers will have this smashed in no time.
The Sojourn is a bizarre game. While not feeling like it pushes any kind of boundaries, it manages to put forward something new and interesting. Utilising simple graphics and an easy to grasp puzzling concept, it's incredibly easy to jump into, whether you're wanting to lose a few minutes or a few hours.
With a poorly executed plot, reused assets and a lack of challenge despite an intricate combat system, Daemon X Machina is an underwhelming title that could have benefited from a more polished narrative design and varied combats.