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Rogue Waters is a fantastic entry within the rogue-lite and tactical-turn-based strategy genres. Rewarding meta-progression is supported by zany combat that promotes experimentation due to the generous undo feature, allowing for low-stakes trial and error that perfectly suits the slapstick nature of the pirate action. While the naval combat doesn’t feel like it’s fleshed out to its fullest potential, it’s easy to overlook with it being a small part of a much bigger whole that’s generally hard to fault, and if you’re a fan of either genre that Rogue Waters taps into, or, most importantly, a fan of pirates, then Rogue Waters is all but certain to get its hooks into you.
While its story may struggle to capture players due to time travel hijinks rendering what should be pivotal moments as low-stakes affairs, Trails Through Daybreak II is a fantastic slice of JRPG action that sings when focusing on its combat, progression, and exploration that rewards due to the richness Calvard presents in its world-building. On one hand, it is disappointing that the Daybreak arc seems to be struggling to move its narrative on in meaningful ways, but there’s no denying that the adventures of Van and his team continue to refine the series’ core gameplay loops in smart ways, even if uncovering the depths of its systems does require wrestling with a user interface that can be all too difficult to parse at times. Overall, Trails Through Daybreak II more than makes up for its narrative shortcomings in other areas to ensure that the Daybreak arc continues to feel like a great foundation to innovate on going forward.
I don’t want to leave you with the impression that Moons of Darsalon is a horrible game. It’s not, but I really wish the indie developer had put in more time streamlining the game mechanics instead of programming snarky one-liners for my crew. If you can absorb the complex controls and manage your finicky teammates, you’ll find an enjoyable puzzle-platformer here. But for those looking for a fast and smooth experience, you might want to look elsewhere.
Despite my uncertainty, once I refreshed my memory of the first game, I concluded that Ender Magnolia, for any faults, is still just as good. It’s beautiful, challenging and truly expansive, featuring a huge world map to explore, as well as multiple endings. While I lament that the music wasn’t as evocative and the map was occasionally perplexing, this is still a most worthy adventure, if not one that fared better than the original.
Warhorse Studios have created a triumphant sequel that improves and expands on the classic original in every way. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a game of staggering scope, depth and complexity, allowing you to be a smooth-talking diplomat, a cunning craftsman, a sneaky cutthroat, a chivalrous knight in shining armour, or any combination of the above. Whatever aspects of gaming you enjoy, there’s something for you here, and I can confidently say that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a medieval masterpiece.
The Roottrees Are Dead is a fascinating tale of a famous family with secrets in their closet. Exposing those secrets is some of the most fun I’ve had with a game in a long time, and anyone who has enjoyed similar investigative titles like Her Story, Return of the Obra Dinn, or The Case of the Golden Idol needs to look into the history of the Roottrees.
Laika: Aged Through Blood can feel like a lot at times. There’s no one mechanic that on its own is an issue, but there’s so much to manage that this is a game with a very high learning curve. Still, this is a singular game that feels so unique that it’s hard to imagine players who it clicks for won’t fall in love with it.
If you are someone, like me, who adored Sniper Elite 5 and are simply after more of the engrossing, visceral, and malleable stealth and sniping action provided by it, then you can’t go wrong with Sniper Elite: Resistance. It delivers a robust, ultra-replayable campaign that still has me hooked and a bevy of multiplayer modes if you want to dabble further after you’ve shattered all the skulls the campaign has to offer. Arguably, Rebellion has played it a little too safe in some areas, with the core gameplay loops and modes being virtually identical to Sniper Elite 5, but given that it has been two and half years since I spent time with the series Sniper Elite: Resistance is an excellent way to dive back in while Rebellion hopefully cooks up something special for the next installment.
Synduality: Echo of Ada had the potential to carve out its own niche by being an accessible extraction shooter available on console. It’s not completely without merit, with its snappy gunplay making for an exciting PvPvE experience and the novel Magus system initially showing a lot of promise. However, a laborious early game grind, and monetization so egregious that I don’t see anyone but the most hardcore of audiences sticking around severely sour the experience. Whether Game Studio can course correct remains to be seen, but early signs point towards yet another live service title that runs the risk of having its lifespan cut short due to excessive grind and greed.
That doesn’t change the fact that Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero eventually does become an excellent strategy RPG, at least on a mechanical level. Its narrative never really grabbed me, but once you get past the hours of tutorials, combat becomes incredibly engaging. With so many excellent games in the genre available, though, it can be hard to recommend slogging through a slow starter to get to the good stuff behind it. Fans of the original Phantom Brave who have waited so long for a follow-up will want to check The Lost Hero out, but other players will find games that make better use of their time.
Despite a few rare missteps, I still very much enjoyed Symphonia. I’ve played several games published by Headup Games, but this is one of the best. It’s colorful, whimsical and features precise and fluid controls. If it had just been a little bit longer and offered more reasons to keep playing (other than the infuriating Shadow Chase mode), I think it would have gotten a perfect score. As it stands, fans of platforming that are in the mood for a quick burn should absolutely check this musical adventure out.
Tales of Graces f Remastered modernizes a beloved game while preserving the elements that make it a classic. What you’re getting is an all-in-one package that includes fantastic quality-of-life additions, additional story content, and most (sadly not all) previously released DLC content.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana isn’t a necessary release for anyone who already has an easy way to play this adventure. For those who don’t, though, it’s a relatively simple but fun entry into the Ys series. I don’t know that it quite stands up for me as one of the series’ best titles. The story and characters are charming but also conventional, and while the gameplay is fun and moves well, it doesn’t really stand out in a crowded RPG market. Still, this isn’t a long game, and those who want to see what the Ys series is all about will find a lot of it packed into this entry. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana may not have been an essential re-release, but it’s nice to see a beloved game available to new fans, and it is absolutely the best version of the game available.
MiSide’s gonna be remembered for a while as a horror great, with the lunacy of Crazy Mita bringing a potent take on the classic yandere formula. The art of microdosing emotional attachment before prepping for the kill is so subtle, nervewracking, and harrowingly effective. Effortlessly dodging mood whiplash despite the wide gap between its horror core and fluffy, cozy dating sim front helps set MiSide apart as a strong title in the indie horror scene. Simple gameplay loops and puzzles compliment the harmless fun of hanging out with the various flavors of Mita and screwing around in the numerous delighful minigames packed in the five hour campaign. With pacing that’s fluid and balanced, MiSide’s simplistic little mechanics and gimmicks that wander in and out never overstay their welcome, and no one line or scene feels like wasteful filler. What really sells the package is how well it balances its thrill and mystery, going at a perfectly planned pace while giving the option to really chew on the extra worldbuilding details for the mobidly curious player wanting to sink their teeth in deeper. It can be easily forgiven for relying on some pretty familiar horror gaming tropes and mechanics when the execution results in such a smooth blend of the familiar while never forgetting to add that MiSide spice. For such a low price of admission to what’s one of the best damn indie horror games I’ve played in years, I think it goes without saying whose side I’m on.
I really wanted to enjoy The Legend of Cyber Cowboy, but after spending some time with it, I just feel it’s a super generic take on amazing games like The Binding of Isaac. It failed pretty spectacularly, not only in the balance arena but in being fun or engaging. Unless you’re a truly diehard fan of the twin-stick shooter genre, you won’t find anything to enjoy here.
While FANTASIAN Neo Dimension may not end as well as it begins, this is still an excellent RPG featuring wonderful characters, an interesting story, and perhaps my favorite battle system of any RPG I played in 2024. This is the ultimate way to play it as well, with an easier difficulty and new soundtrack options inspired by this version of the game being published by Square Enix. Fans of the genre won’t want to miss this one.
As a fan of Power Rangers, I especially enjoyed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. It’s a faithful and nostalgia-filled adventure full of colorful visual design, amazing voice acting, and challenging arcade action. While I do feel it’s not as well-tuned for single-player experiences, this is a wonderful game to play with friends. If you’re a longtime fan of the iconic characters, you’ll find something to adore in this love letter from Digital Eclipse.
While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle might not deliver the most satisfying combat experience, it more than makes up for it with its sense of adventure, storytelling, and exploration. MachineGames and Bethesda Softworks have succeeded in crafting a journey that evokes the timeless thrill of Indy’s cinematic quests, filled with puzzles, peril, and breathtaking locales. For fans of the franchise, this is the kind of adventure that makes you feel like you’re stepping into the shoes of Dr. Jones himself, solving mysteries and outrunning danger at every turn.
While its lack of optimization and frequent glitches occasionally crashed the party like an enemy hand grenade, Metal Slug Tactics‘ fast-paced, feature-rich combat and wealth of unlockable content kept me coming back for more. If you’re a fan of the franchise with a love for classic PS1 SRPGs like Vandal Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics, then this is a fight worth enlisting in – even if it’s a patch or two away from reaching its full potential.
"I feel extremely conflicted when I think deeply about Slitterhead. On the one hand, it's a return to the side of Toyama's mind that gave us Silent Hill, with Slitterhead presenting players with an otherworldly tale that thrives on surrealism and its gripping central mystery. On the other, it's a sub-par action game that weighs down its novel ideas with combat that feels weightless and unimpactful. Whether the combat is a deal breaker for the average player is going to depend on how much they value everything that Toyama and his team at Bokeh Studios have got right. For this writer, the answer to that conundrum is that on the whole, Slitterhead's positives do outweigh its negatives. It feels like Toyama is untethered again, and while not every design choice has worked out for the best, the fact that we have the horror legend operating independently and willing to create something unlike anything else is something to be celebrated."