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There are some truly fun moments in Gotham Knights. Playing with a friend highlights the very best of what the developers set out to do, and I enjoyed both the story and getting to see Gotham’s protectors outside of Batman grab the spotlight. If the developers had built Gotham Knights around its strengths, it could have been an easy recommendation. As is, you spend so much time in its bland open world that only those who plan to explore it with friends should seriously consider it.
I was hoping for something special with Undungeon, but sadly was utterly disappointed.
Triangle Strategy is another resounding success by Square Enix in its quest to bring turn-based pixel art masterpieces into the realm of modern gaming. Its bigger mechanics force players to make tactical decisions on and off the battlefield, while its more nuanced ones give players a sense of joy in discovery at even the smallest turn. Each of Triangle Strategy’s components are elegantly refined down to the smallest detail, but when blended make for a slightly, yet strangely, imbalanced experience. If you don’t mind a tactics game that focuses more on story with battles largely used to further exposition, Triangle Strategy is an absolute must-play.
With so many options to customize your team and strategic battles that feel better than ever, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is exactly what a sequel is supposed to be, building on the foundation the first game laid down while not being afraid to shake things up. A general lack of polish feels wrong in a game starring Mario, but beyond those issues lies a fantastic strategy title for all ages.
At its core, PGA Tour 2K23 is the excellent golf game I’ve been missing in recent years. A new three-click swing system opens the game up for players who didn’t care for the analog swinging of old. I’ll be playing way too many hours of this one in the months to come, even if the series could still use some work on its presentation and a bit more variety.
Lost Eidolons is a truly impressive tactical RPG. It has solid and easy-to-grasp mechanics and manages to differentiate itself thanks to the weapon swapping and realistic visual style. While there’s still some room for improvement and some minor issues that require fixing, I can wholeheartedly recommend this to any fans of the genre. Here’s hoping this talented new team has many more exciting adventures to share in the future.
Sure, Super Alloy Ranger isn’t breaking the mold of 2D action platformers, but Alloy Mushroom manages to perfectly capture the essence of what made old-school classics feel, look, and play great. Not to mention how affordable and humble the asking price is at $9.99. There’s a ton of replayability here, with two characters to play and master, secrets and collectables to find, and plenty of stages to perfect. If you’re a fan of Mega Man games or someone who appreciates gorgeous pixel art, this is a no-brainer purchase for you.
Session: Skate Sim is a game of two halves at the moment. It presents a daunting, yet rewarding challenge that genuinely tries to move the genre forward through its dedication to being an authentic sim, but at the same time lacks the character and anarchy that the genre and skateboarding, in general, are synonymous with. Add onto that a healthy serving of jank and bugs, and Session: Skate Sim becomes a hard sell. However, if you can look past its flaws and are down for a challenge, it’s worth giving a shot as the innovations it does present are worth experiencing, and the highs you will receive from mastering the complex controls are unlike anything else the genre has to offer.
While I do think there was room for some additional quality of life features here, and it sometimes gets a bit too clever for its own good, The Case of the Golden Idol took me back to my childhood, reminding me of the puzzles I once loved while putting its own spin on things that would only work in a video game. This idol might be cursed, but you should still take a chance on it.
Cultic is an astonishing achievement for a one-man studio. It has the creepy, sinister atmosphere of the finest horror titles, packed with the cathartic carnage of the best FPS games. It’s an odyssey into the heart of darkness, with the path blasted open by dynamite. Far more than just a worthy spiritual successor to Blood, Cultic is a descent into pure madness that you won’t want to miss.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a triumph, a title of such confidence and quality that it feels like the work of a veteran studio, rather than a studio trying its hand at the genre for the first time. With a truly flexible combat system, an engaging and deep narrative, and a gorgeous visual style that makes the most of its Greek and Roman inspirations, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars easily overcomes any minor criticisms that can be raised against the slightly lacking level design and quality of life issues. Even if you’re like me, and felt like you had already had your fill of Souls-likes for 2022, give Asterigos: Curse of the Stars a chance, and you’ll likely find yourself falling in love with the genre all over again.
I really was hoping to fall in love with Criminal Dissidia, but as it is now it feels woefully incomplete. Though it does feature attractive artwork, tons of cards to use and a metric ton of Steam achievements, it nevertheless was held back by poor translation, confusing combat mechanics and inconsistent difficulty. Fans of rogue-likes and deck builders might enjoy the game more, but even then it’s a hard title to recommend unless the developer makes a lot of quality of life improvements.
If you have people to play it with, SpiderHeck is an absolute must-play and a game you should be checking out right now. Even for solo players, though, I think there’s enough to keep you entertained for the . For me, SpiderHeck is the surprise of 2022 and is so good that I can overlook the arachnids crawling around in it.
Lost in Play doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does refine it into something that directly speaks to our inner child. Its juxtaposition of simple point and click storytelling and challenging mini-games makes for a fantastic balance sure to keep things interesting. If you’re ready to explore every corner of your imagination (and then some), Lost in Play is all you’ll need to get started.
Some games are only going to appeal to a very specific audience. That’s great, I’m all for niche games, and SuperPower 3 should have been one of those titles. With the number of issues, it has, though, including systems that simply don’t seem to work, performance problems, and a complete lack of direction, it’s hard to see even the players who it should be for getting much enjoyment out of it.
Tunic is intuitive gameplay at its finest, requiring you to figure things out as you go. You’ll either sink, or you’ll swim, and though I sank far more often than I swam, I still couldn’t get enough of this game. If you need a little Dark Souls with your Zelda, this is one of those games that you don’t want to pass up.
Prodeus is self-consciously an old-school shooter, and it does a good job in replicating the frenetic, explosive gunplay and oppressive atmosphere of classic 90’s FPS titles like Doom and Quake. Sadly, beyond some interesting aesthetics, it doesn’t really stake out much of an identity of its own. The lack of any real story, worldbuilding or unique gameplay mechanics stops Prodeus short of being something really special. Still, if you’d like a game where you can switch off your brain and just exercise your trigger finger, Prodeus provides a great world to blast your way through.
Overwatch 2 probably didn’t need to be billed as a full sequel or have a number put at the end of its name. It offers more changes than the average update, but billing it as a major update to the game would have been more honest. Still, marketing is marketing and doesn’t change that there are a lot of changes here that will make Overwatch fans who haven’t played in some time want to jump back in and see what all the fuss is about. Overwatch 2 remains a fantastic shooter, and now that you can play for free, any Switch player in need of a great multiplayer shooter should absolutely check it out.
Despite its flaws, No More Heroes III is a worthwhile addition to the series. With the performance issues that distracted on Switch now a thing of the past, and the best combat that the series has produced to date, No More Heroes III is capable of providing an overload of gorgeous, chaotic fun. With combat this good, it’s a shame that the rest of the package feels so woefully outdated at times. By relying so heavily on past gimmicks and humor, No More Heroes III becomes a recommendation for die-hard fans only, rather than something that could have had a more widespread appeal had some more efforts been made to modernize the experience.
While rough around the edges in spots, I was utterly immersed in Dyschronia: Chaos Alternate – Episode 1′s story, thanks to its fantastic writing and interesting cast of characters. Still, with that said, I do think the game might be a hard sell for players looking for an experience that takes advantage of the strengths of the VR medium. After all, the game is, first and foremost, a visual novel. You’re going to spend the lion’s share of your time in Astrum Close engaged in conversation and watching the narrative unfold. However, if you know what you’re getting into and are looking to scratch that Ace Attorney-inspired itch on your Meta Quest 2, then Dyschronia: Chaos Alternate – Episode 1 should be your prime suspect.