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The Precinct plays in a smaller sandbox that you might be used to, and there’s a finite number of things to do, but it’s all well worth it. The developers have learned a lot since their last game, and it’s a richer and deeper experience for it. It lasts just as long as it needs to, and is not filled with any unnecessary bloat. Like its predecessor, The Precinct serves and protects as a homage to games of the past, and Fallen Tree Games offers restraint in its simcade police game.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software firing on all cylinders. This game fixes everything I didn’t like about DOOM Eternal, and enhances everything I loved about DOOM (2016). It’s a first-person shooter that smartly incorporates timing and challenge in a whole new way, with lots of replayability. A customizable parry window ensures The Dark Ages can be for anyone, regardless of skill level. DOOM: The Dark Ages finds refinement upon excellence to be a bright spot in the dark ages for this third and hopefully not final entry for the venerable first-person shooter.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered successfully revitalizes a classic RPG with significant visual and technical improvements, making it a must-play for fans of the genre. While it doesn’t feel wholly modern, anyone playing this for the first time will find so much to love and enjoy here. Prepare to lose yourself once again in the captivating world of Cyrodiil and all the locations within its borders. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is not a perfect remaster, but it’s a damn good one, preserving the heart and soul of Oblivion while making it shine on modern hardware.
South of Midnight has so many characters I want to see more of because of their natural dialogue and strong relationships, both built and pre-existing. It does feel like it tries to do a lot in a single game, in the event that a sequel can’t be made. But there’s so much to like here, that Compulsion Games should get to make another game set in this world, for it’s so lived in. South of Midnight is bona fide storybook classic full of character and culture, and a game to be remembered and treasured.
You know what is worth losing sleep? That’s right, fighting another boss in Khazan on New Game +, that’s what I’ll be doing soon. Probably as soon as wrap up this article. Care to guess what I’ll see? “Khazan has fallen”.
Commandos: Origins is an exciting return for the venerable series. It introduces new players to the world and the genre, and returning players will find a lot new and experience everything the series is known for. It delivers the challenging and rewarding gameplay you remember with a modern polish. Commandos: Origins brings old faces to new places for an exciting real-time tactics game that sits in its throne once again.
Breakout Beyond doesn’t go beyond anything we haven’t seen before. It has its issues with paddle sensitivity and endless mode not being infinite, but both of which can be fixed in updates or patches. NeoBreakout by Digital Eclipse or any of the other games within Atari 50 collection do offer a more complete experience. Breakout Beyond is still a solid Breakout experience, in a pretty package to justify its own existence with a style and visual flair the series has deserved for some time now.
Whether incidental or intentional, Spilled! is contemplative and reflective of the current state of our planet, and the help it needs. It feels good to be cleaning up these waters, and it is empowering to know that you can start small to have an influence. There’s satisfying visual feedback to show you are having an impact on this world, where Spilled! is absolutely sublime in design and execution.
Rebellion have made a fresh, exciting post-apocalyptic world we haven’t seen before, formed from the results of a real-world accident. There’s some fantastic player agency that’s unlike anything else we’ve been able to have from this perspective. Atomfall has deep systems to engage with, an impressively unrestricted world to explore, guerrilla-style combat, and a leads system that takes you to unpredictable places for one of the best surprises of the year.
To wrap this up, I remember talking years ago with a friend about an “Anno 2205” mod that added over 50 new goods. “Who would want that? That sounds like a nightmare,” he said. I want that, and “Kaiserpunk” delivers that and more, and oh so much more. Just be sure to check the time every now and then when playing it, okay?
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows breathes new of life into the aging Assassin’s Creed games, and one that brings back a lot of the stealth aspects the series is known for. Sneaking around and just wiping a base clean before ever being seen is just as satisfying as it ever was. The two protagonists have complement each other and are able to pick up where the other is weakest, but thankfully not to the point where you must rely on the brute force of Yasuke only. For us die hard fans of the Assassin’s Creed series, the ones who mourn for Desmond on December 21st, Shadows offers a refreshing welcome back to hidden ones.
FATE: Reawakened is a solid remaster that won’t compete with Diablo IV, Last Epoch, or Path of Exile 2, but it also doesn’t have to. I wish some of the menus, UI, and other gameplay bugs didn’t bog the overall experience, but thankfully there’s still a solid game here. FATE: Reawakened is a reminder of a simpler time, and while it doesn’t hold a torch to the original, it’s still a nostalgia trip worth taking.
Like Overboard! before it, Expelled! is incredibly novel and satisfying that’s high school drama at its finest. Just getting the right ending doesn’t mean you’re done. It’s rare, but this game’s achievements will drive you towards its completion. Expelled! is anything but academic, there’s payoffs aplenty for this incredibly cunning mystery follow-up.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is what a mainline Final Fantasy game should be. It’s showing us what could be, and where the series could go if given similar freedoms. I sincerely hope that when the remake project concludes, we get to see new stories told in the Final Fantasy pantheon with this level of polish. As for now, Rebirth is clearly the grandest feather in Square Enix’s cap, and it sets the high mark for whatever comes next.
Regardless, Dynasty Warriors: Origins plants a flag down and marks itself to be a true contender for a great game this year. Even if the series has been the butt of a joke for gamers over the years, its strategic improvements and modernized gameplay gives Origins a true next-gen evolution of the franchise while keeping the same charms of its past. For fans of the series, Origins is an absolute must-play, and for new players, it sets the stage for an exciting future of fandom for you.
Two Point Museum is the best the series has to offer. Playing this gives you an appreciation for what goes into making museums viable and sustainable. It might even encourage you to visit a local one you haven’t been to lately, or have never visited before. There’s plenty of laugh out loud moments, and things that will keep you smiling as you play, it’s simply a joy. Two Point Museum is a much more focused game, but one that’s near perfection in its execution of first-class management tools.
What Obsidian did with New Vegas to improve Fallout as Avowed does for Elder Scrolls. While in separate universes, this feels like Obsidian’s take on an Elder Scrolls-esque game, and does so much more. Avowed is gorgeous and delightful, but equally grim and dark as its story unfolds. You needn’t play Pillars of Eternity to understand everything, but you’ll be inclined to after the credits roll. Avowed asserts itself into the pantheon of great first-person RPGs, offering best-in-class combat.
X-Out is back thanks KRITZELKRATZ 3000 and Rainbow Arts, as the legendary developer returns in a big way for X-Out: Resurfaced. I can only fathom of a few retro remakes that look and feel this good to play. It was a game ahead of its time, and the depths it goes to be an engaging and challenging shmup. X-Out: Resurfaced is faithfully recreated, and this unique shoot’em up is for all to enjoy once again or for the first time.
Ultimately, Civilization VII feels like a safe bet. It’s a game where the additions are best for new players, and there’s not much new that returning players would care about. A lot of the changes feel like they exist simply for the sake of changing things up. Firaxis is aware that there are issues with the game, and successive patches have improved already since launch. Sid Meier’s Civilization VII introduces some interesting new ideas, streamlines the tech tree, and gives more control to city settlement and growth. It push the boundaries of the genre make it a refinement, not a revolution. In time this can be a great game, but for now, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is simply okay.
Keep Driving is a heartfelt homage to the open road, capturing the freedom, challenges, and introspection that come with long-distance driving. The management and logistics aspects are such a great fit, though the shoehorned “combat” left a lot to be desired. YCJY Games has crafted an experience that resonates with the wanderlust in all of us, offering a journey that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about reaching a destination. Keep Driving is a unique and rewarding adventure that’s well worth the trip.