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With deep and challenging combat and tight controls, F.I.S.T. often provides a welcome challenge. That’s why it’s such a shame that slow progression and poor design choices hold it back from reaching its full potential. Still, at its best, F.I.S.T. is a memorable Metroidvania with variety and depth. If you’re up for the challenge and willing to deal with these issues, there’s definitely a good time to be had.
Cloud Gardens is a hypnotizingly meditative experience and perhaps one of the best chill games I’ve played all year. Its soothing soundtrack and peaceful dioramas are made more pleasant and calming with each careful move made by a contemplative player. Cloud Gardens reminds us that the apocalypse isn’t bad news for the Earth — just humanity. Life will continue to flourish and thrive long after we’re gone; Cloud Gardens showcases that bittersweet beauty of a world without us.
Honestly, I just wish I could have spent more time with SPOOKWARE Episode 1. I managed to roll the credits in just 3 hours, and though I have achievements to unlock still, I’d much rather wait for the next episode. My only question now is whether those subsequent episodes will be free downloads to owners of the game, or whether they’ll each go for a premium. Either way, SPOOKWARE is a game that’s quite entertaining and sure to appeal to fans of WarioWare. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too much longer for Episode 2.
King’s Bounty II is an excellent compromise between new and old and is a great time in general. As I’ve already mentioned, keeping a series going for a long time is difficult, and I’m sure that coming up with a proper sequel almost a decade after the last game was released was a difficult task. Difficult or not, however, 1C Entertainment managed to make it happen—and their final product is pretty great!
Lake is an extremely charming story-driven title where you can accidentally be so nice to everyone that you end up forgetting to live for yourself. For the right kind of person, that in and of itself can be a much-needed wake up call; for everyone else, it’s in the very least a soothing little mail-carrying simulator that allows you to set the pace. If you’re looking for some slice-of-life goodness that provides some chill and calming ambiance, taking it easy with Lake is a no-brainer.
Some games show that you don’t have to be flashy and dramatic to be epic, and I think Garden Story is a shining example of that. At its core, Garden Story is a game about community and the bonds we forge within our communities. It’s about not underestimating the value of a friendly gesture to someone in need, or just how much we all rely on one another. With a moving, heartfelt story, beautiful pixel art and music, and addictive gameplay, Garden Story is a must-have for your Switch collection.
Lamentum’s story and puzzle-solving challenges do feel too much like a rehash of those very same games that inspired it. In some ways, being an almost 1-1 repetition. However, thanks to its spine-chilling atmosphere and old-school survivor horror mechanics, it does play like a survival horror game from the 1990s. So if you like those, this is definitely the game for you.
The game’s arrival on the PlayStation 5 has been a long time coming. But thankfully, it was well worth the wait. With its unique dual-world gameplay mechanics and gripping narrative, The Medium is yet another macabre masterpiece from the talent at Bloober Team. If you have even a passing interest in horror games or are looking for a powerful supernatural story to experience that isn’t afraid to touch on uncomfortable subjects, this is one game that demands a spot in your PS5 library.
A Monster’s Expedition is a brilliant little puzzler. It gets incredible mileage out of a simple mechanic and manages to use it in unexpected ways. The game’s zen-like presentation, open-ended exploration, and sense of humor create a relaxing environment that soothes away the frustrations found in other puzzle games. I do wish I had a little assistance in the late-game portion, but maybe I’m the only one who needs it.
Golf Club: Wasteland frustrates me because there’s so much about it I like. With tighter controls, a few tweaks to certain levels, and a better-integrated narrative, this could be a truly special game. As is, it never comes together and is hard to recommend.
While I wish I was more charmed by Ravva and the Cyclops Curse, I’m still glad I played it. As a fan of pixel art and retro flair, this is a pretty satisfying game. It’s definitely challenging and occasionally unfair, but for the minimal asking price, it’s hard to say no. And though the game is very linear, I am aware of one hidden area you can discover. If you’re a fan of retro and want a new platformer, I’d check out Ravva and the Cyclops Curse. Here’s hoping the next title by Galope makes good on the promise of this game.
Crimson Spires isn’t quite like any VN that I’ve played before. It’s familiar in form, but, thanks to a heavier Western emphasis regarding its narrative, feels fresh and new in many ways. Whether you like action, suspense, or romance–or just want a new VN–I highly recommend taking a trip to Bataille. It’ll be so good that you won’t want to leave! …Not that you’ll have much of a choice in the matter.
Song of Farca is a top notch surveillance simulator that will simultaneously please players and make them paranoid that someone like Song is watching their every move. With intense cases that require invasive tactics to solve, Song of Farca asks players to make morally ambiguous and legally gray choices that will affect not only Song’s life, but Farca’s future. This was one of the few games I’ve played this year where I was glued to my chair from start to finish, unable to pry myself away from the scintillating story and cleverly addicting gameplay. Song of Farca is an absolute must-play and one that I really can’t recommend enough — just like I recommend keeping your webcams taped over.
While I wouldn’t want to play it time and again, El Shaddai is an experience well worth having. Some of the sights and sounds in this game are so different from anything I’ve ever seen in a game that I can only marvel at them. The gameplay may be simple, but its ever-changing stages keep things fresh long enough for you to reach the end. It isn’t quite a holy experience, but it’s one I won’t soon forget.
If you loved Maneater and are looking for content to sink your teeth into, Maneater: Truth Quest delivers just that. At just $15, it’s hard to argue you’re not getting your money’s worth for an expansion that should take most players around five hours to complete. However, if you already ate your fill of mercenaries and sea monsters the first time around, I’m not sure it offers quite enough to warrant coming back for a second course.
A compelling tale about a psychological breakdown and loss brought to life with a vibrant comic book art style, there’s a lot to like about this debut. For a first release, it’s a pretty fantastic job, despite a few minor hiccups.
Nothing to Remember had a solid vision and the bones of something great, but nothing really came together to make a memorable experience. The immersion factor wasn’t there, the story moves along entirely too slowly, and there’s little focus in anything that would have helped keep players invested. Nothing to Remember genuinely looks good, but its well-designed façade hides an unnecessarily convoluted method of storytelling devoid of any handholds that would allow players to get a good grasp on anything. What a shame, considering this genre is still relatively unexplored, that an otherwise promising entry is such a forgettable letdown.
With an unbelievable look, tight gameplay, and bravura moments which shouldn’t work yet do, Song of Iron breaks away from the pack and stands alone. It is a stunning achievement and an absolute must-play. Hear the song and join the fight.
At the end of the day, Clid the Snail is a fun but flawed first effort for Weird Beluga. I enjoyed the game’s more deliberate approach to its gunplay, and the weapon variety and shell customization options kept the action feeling fresh. Add to that some excellent puzzles and fantastic worldbuilding, and there’s no denying that there’s a lot to love here. That’s why it’s such a shame that things become so frustrating due to the developer’s artistic choices. After all, it’s hard to focus on a firefight when it looks like half of the screen has been slathered in vaseline. Perhaps the developer will add a patch down the road to remedy the muddy visuals. And if they do, Clid the Snail will be a much more playable experience. As for me, I’d probably wait and see if they clean things up before taking the plunge. However, if those issues aren’t enough to dissuade you, escargot ahead and give Clid a shot.
Despite any aforementioned hiccups, Patron is an addicting medieval city-builder that can hold its head up high amongst the others in this well-established genre.