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Engaging combat, a beautiful world, and intriguing story moments ensure Avowed is an action-RPG worth exploring, but tiresome encounters, progression quirks, and dull companions keep it from achieving divinity.
The medieval RPG series offers an improved sophomore effort, with another engaging and very immersive open world, interesting quests and better technical performance. Not everyone will find joy in its rigid mechanics and challenging combat, but Deliverance 2 continues to offer a strong foundation of some devoted role-playing.
While the returning sniping and stealth mechanics keep Sniper Elite: Resistance on target across some good open levels, the lack of innovation means it is not a surefire hit for everyone.
As a precision platformer with a focus on speedrunning, Unless works well. Mastering its tiny levels is satisfying, but the very short runtime means that its good ideas never really have time to fully develop.
Although the abstract portions of Discolored 2 might be too elusive for some, the more direct puzzles fare better across the 4-5 hour journey, along with some active threats that create pressure.
The combination of turn-based tactics with a run and gun style works far better than it should, thanks to mechanics that emphasize moving quickly around the battlefield. Repetitive missions and dull enemies drag down the experience slightly, but this is still worth playing for genre fans or Metal Slug veterans.
Fantasian Neo Dimension is a challenging JRPG that should entertain diehard fans of the genre. The plot is nothing to write home about, but the satisfying combat and gorgeous visuals help it stand out.
Indiana Jones makes a triumphant return in the Great Circle thanks to a stellar cast, good puzzles, gameplay variety, attention to detail, and solid technical performance. It is a must play for fans of the whip-cracking hero, and adventure gamers.
Despite the tremendous atmosphere, big open world, and familiar mechanics, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an uneven experience due to AI flaws, combat annoyances, laborious exploration, and technical issues.
Although still impressive and unmatched in its scale, the 2024 sequel to Microsoft Flight Simulator can't be carried by its novelty alone. The added career mode seems competent on paper, and being able to step outside your aircraft adds immersion. But the entire experience is hamstrung by very disappointing visuals and data streaming issues, as well as plentiful bugs and design shortcomings.
Forgive Me Father 2 is a throwback FPS with a stylish Lovecraftian presentation. If you're craving a slick arena shooter to play for a few hours then this is a good option, although the pedestrian level design and short campaign holds it back from competing with the best in the genre.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is far from the duo's best RPG outing, but that's not to say it is a bad one. The combat is engaging enough to remain entertaining throughout the 40+ hour adventure, even as it crawls along against the tide.
LEGO Horizon Adventures faithfully recreates the world of machines from the PlayStation game series, and has some fun combat. However, it is aimed squarely at younger players, and is rather brief. A fun and accessible introduction for newcomers, but returning fans will find this diversion not as worthwhile. =
Stealth fans might find enough entertainment in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, thanks to moments of decent immersion and sound manipulation, but inconsistent and shallow mechanics hold it back.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a worthwhile return for the RPG franchise. Despite some oversimplification of mechanics and uneven writing, the new combat style and interesting characters and narrative choices make for an engaging fantasy adventure.
With a wonderfully diverse campaign, hyperactive multiplayer, and a super replayable Zombies mode, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a brilliant showcase and the best franchise entry in a while.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a mishmash of enjoyable 2D platforming and frustrating 3D sequences. Shadow at least manages to somewhat mitigate the clumsy controls thanks to some interesting gameplay wrinkles. The title also looks good, but probably won't bring the pair of hedgehogs back to the forefront of the genre.
The Casting of Frank Stone may not be weighed down by its ties to the Dead by Daylight universe, but it's nonetheless unable to reach the surface from under the waves of a slow story, dull gameplay and a lack of thrills.
Despite excellent facial animations and wonderful music, Double Exposure has pacing issues, unlikable characters, dire gameplay, tonal problems, and is an incomplete imitation of the perfect storm.
Thronefall pares back the usual tower defence formula into something simpler but still quite satisfying. Being forced to work with a predefined layout for your castle is a major limitation, and one that will frustrate some, but the perks and mutations system reintroduces just enough complexity to give Thronefall staying power. It also helps that the game looks great.