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Bleak Sword DX is a good challenge with a wonderfully designed retro 3D aesthetic, a steadily paced, increasing difficulty of enemies to keep the content feeling fresh, and some nice gameplay changes to ensure you’ll stick with it through the fun times and the rough. Odd disconnection issues, combat and control repetition and responsiveness do add to the frustrations a bit, but not enough to deter you from this satisfyingly savage slasher.
Layers of Fear is one of the most visually impressive games this generation, most certainly the most stunning horror game ever made. It’s a smart, creative approach to a remake by mixing up puzzles as well as incorporating a new storyline which links everything together with compelling, haunting writing. However, it is product of its time, with slow, aimless walking, constantly retreading familiar steps and cheap scares at almost every turn. The definitive way to play Layers of Fear but also a cautious reminder the substance is mostly at a surface level.
Dordogne is a work of art in more ways than one. From its striking pastel art style, to the soundtrack, storytelling and even the way it blends its gameplay mechanics, this is one of 2023’s best surprises and outside of text accessibility, some minor texture clipping and heavy-handed controls, this is an unforgettable adventure that will put you through a rollercoaster of emotions.
Final Fantasy 4 has taken the best elements of its predecessors and moulded them together to make a truly landmark experience. It’s easy to see why this is regarded as one of the greatest of all time with the focus on a powerful narrative, the much emulated and regarded ATB system, and all the other pieces which made Final Fantasy games great. Add in the Pixel Remaster upgrades and editions and this is, without doubt, the definitive, best way to play one of history’s most important games.
We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie takes the best bits of the series and bundles it all together in a wonderful little package. The creativity in environments is delightful, the updated visuals look stunning and the trademark humor and style is clear for all to see. While I definitely struggled with the controls and feel movement is really dated and clunky, this is just such a wonderful little gem that everyone should try at least once.
Etrian Odyssey has an easygoing nature that blends beautifully into the background, making it a perfect summer game for nights in the garden or while you’re watching TV. The map building is surprisingly satisfying, the visuals are stunningly rebuilt for Switch and the soundtrack transports you to wonderful retro eras past, while being a fulfilling, rewarding game in the modern era.
Street Fighter 6 is the best, most welcoming fighter I’ve ever played. From the presentation to the content, to the way it prepares you to fight in ranked and the stability of the online component, it’s easily the best and most complete Street Fighter game Capcom have ever made. With an enjoyable, World Tour mode that can sink hours of your time, to a thriving community-driven Battle Hub and all the prerequisites you expect from the genre, this stands alongside the best games released this year and is set up to be played and enjoyed for years into the future.
Amnesia: The Bunker is a well-designed, short sharp episode in the award-winning horror series. The setting is suitably tense, the new inventory management and puzzle-solving philosophy feeds into the suspense, along with the limited resources, and the multiple endings do add replayability. Short length and some interactivity issues aside, this is another memorable Amnesia game and one of the best to date.
Killer Frequency has a cool, unique concept that matches up together surprisingly well and is led by a cast of engaging, interesting characters who gel beautifully. The scenarios you work through are smart and clever, there’s a great soundtrack to play through, and the plot and gradual exploration of your station keeps you invested. A padded conclusion, and some clashes with VR and flat through interactivity and navigation do hold this back a bit, but this was still a great trip that we were glad to take.
System Shock is a great example of a remake done right. This betters the original release with improved combat, visuals, handling and writing, while maintaining the key source material, making sure SHODAN is as sinister as ever, that you never know what to find around every corner, and every inch of the environment is used to the full. Some performance problems and configurations restrict this a bit, and the difficulty will definitely be off-putting for others, even on the lowest settings, but this is every bit the game we hoped it would be, and a reminder of just how good and ahead of its time the original really was.
Miasma Chronicles offers a smart twist on real-time strategy and storytelling with a mixture of stealth and turn-based battles. The story is intriguing and the characters gel well and bounce off each other well. Some minor technical hiccups, combined with a limited weapon variety, frustrating difficulty and RNG do bring this down a bit but the content here is rich, enjoyable and plentiful.
The Tartarus Key successfully reimagines classic horror games in a way that suits modern storytelling. But rather than focus on guns and melee weapons, it offers some challenging brainteasers and eerie suspense. An enjoyable ride with multiple outcomes, this one was an unexpected fright that delivers some great moments.
Final Fantasy 3 is a fantastic amalgamation of all that’s come before it, streamlined in a way that sets the path for the future of the series. Players have freedom and choice with the jobs system and the benefits that come with each selection. But despite some important, marked differences to make the game more accessible, enticing, and player-friendly, this tale has started to feel overly familiar.
Minabo: A Walk Through Life is an easy-going, happy-go-lucky clicker that can evoke some deep thought and reflection. It’s fairly simplistic, though, so its price might raise an eyebrow but if you’re looking for some downtime between games or while watching TV, this could fill a gap.
In Tanta We Trust is a short, sweet DLC that has a good flow and energy. It paints a picture an intriguing, compelling picture of the wider world, and sets the scene for a future, despite the fact it remains uncertain. Content size, occasionally clunky dialogue and no major changes in content from the base game may be offputting for some, but what is here makes for a solid, well-rounded addition to Forspoken, whether it serves as a continuation for a player or an entry point.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum had a rough start prior to launch but despite its followup patches, it’s still not a good game. It plays with some interesting concepts but they are so often overshadowed by its poor controls, loose movement, and overly slow story where everyone feels like a bit part except the titular lead. There is a certain charm that ever so often seeps through, to make it a partly enjoyable platforming and even stealth experience, but just as it builds any kind of momentum the game swiftly reminds you of its drawbacks and frustrations.
Humanity is one of the finest puzzlers I’ve had the pleasure of playing. I learned something from each stage and couldn’t wait to see what the game had for me next,. The developments and surprises keep coming along with the challenges and there’s plenty of long tail to come with user created stages and builders. Minor fiddly controls aside, this will be one I keep going back to and will surely stay among the best games I’ve played all year.
Supraland: Six Inches Under has some fun and takes the player along for the ride. It’s easy-going, mostly harmless but has some clever puzzle-solving to make the experience feel rounded and enjoyable. Minor hard crashes and some repetitive content aside, this is one to play when you need a bit of a palette cleanser.
After Us may appear to be a game with a profound message at first play, but the deeper you get in, the more its grip lessens on the player between drawn out traversal sections, reptitive puzzling, clunky controls and a profound emptiness permeating throughout. While I appreciate what I think the game is trying to say, unfortunately, I don’t think it gets that message across as well as it would have liked.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun does a great job of blending classic and modern day shooters. They’ve done all the hard work in building an authentic aesthetic, as well as making grenades, charge attacks, shields, twin stick shooting and jumping all feel natural, working well within the confines of the game. Unfortunately, the desire to focus around enemy waves, arena shooting, overpowered strikes and overly long levels undoes a lot of that, leaving a lot of potential buried beneath unsatisfying, frustrating content.