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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.
While at times the repetition inherent in its design got to me, the thing Hardspace: Shipbreaker shares most with those podcast games is that its core gameplay loop can feel incredible. That it sometimes tore me out of my complacency with no notice and made me fight for my life didn’t stop me from wanting to play just a few minutes more, it made the desire to do so nearly impossible to resist. Paying off your debt may be an endless slog, but when it feels this good I know I’ll be signing up for another tour with LYNX.
NeverAwake is still a transcendent and shockingly enjoyable adventure. Not only did I get invested in the story of the game, but the gameplay constantly kept me on my toes, and was a balanced challenge. While some may be irritated by the hardcore vibe of the game, I’d say this is a title that almost any gamer can appreciate. Add in the low price, and this is a must own adventure.
Despite the supposed horror theme, My Sticker Book has such an adorable, cute drawing style as well as the music background that sounds like the nostalgic tones from a toy music box. From art to music, My Sticker Book really reminds me of that feeling of childhood innocence. Fans of Gloomy Bear’s cute and creepy aesthetic would certainly appreciate the art style in this game too. Play My Sticker Book and get in touch with your inner child!
I came into Moonscars thinking that I was about to play yet another soul-like title in a game-scape riddled with them. I also found myself thinking that I’d grow bored with the title resulting in a poor but well-reasoned rating. Instead, Moonscars’ fluid combat mechanics, fun boss battles, and lovely art stylings kept me engaged and made me a believer that there is a lot more enjoyment still to be milled from the souls-like subgenre. Black Mermaid has molded themselves a familiar work of video game art that is also unique in enough ways to stand out as its own thing. It reignited my interest in the genre enough to want to revisit other games of this style, so I’ll take this game as the early Fall blessing that it is.
The creators knew they couldn’t make this the game all players wanted, so they instead made the version of the game that interested them, hoping many players would find it just as interesting. I can only speak for myself, but I definitely did. Return to Monkey Island is consistently funny, with a ton of charm and interesting puzzles to work through. The interface is the best in the series, and it’s incredibly well-paced. It may not be what every fan of the series has hoped for, but I think those who can look at it for what it is rather than what they might have hoped it would be will have a wonderful time with it.
Honestly, there’s very little to fault with Justice Sucks. In fact, there are only two things I can honestly think of that stood out: first, the controls aren’t particularly intuitive, though they start to click after a while; second, the game is a bit on the short side, though it does make up for that by offering a lot of load out options with abilities and perks to make replaying levels entertaining. Overall, Justice Sucks is a solid, wild romp. It’s the vengeful, murderous rampage through the eyes of a Roomba that you didn’t know you needed.
Metal: Hellsinger is relatively short, and while there are additional challenges you can complete if you fell in love with it, that’s mostly a good thing. While its core mechanics are strong, and I love its soundtrack, it’s a one-dimensional game where you’ll have seen most everything it has to offer quickly. At that point, it’s just a matter of how much you enjoy the feel of it. While it won’t be for everyone, it’s absolutely a game those with Game Pass should give a chance.
The Outbound Ghost is the best Paper Mario styled game I’ve played in many years. It easily offers a dozen hours of gameplay, and that’s just if you play the main story. For those that like to wander, there’s plenty of hidden secrets to unearth, as well as randomizer effects to mix up your experience. While the game wasn’t as tight or well organized as I would have liked, it’s still a solid turn-based RPG that fans should enjoy.