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Effie isn't going to blow any minds, but its tried-and-true action and 3D platforming design makes for a delightful callback to yesteryear.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket is a game about what happens in between the life-changing moments. About how everyday interactions and conversations are interesting in their own way. It's a memorable experience built around relatable characters, fun dialogue, and clever gameplay moments.
Underhero is a memorable and charming little adventure. By constantly mixing things up, the gameplay never feels stale. And the plot twists your expectations in ways you would have never seen coming.
Uncovering the past has its ups and downs in The Suicide of Rachel Foster. While not a horror game, it only needed a slight nudge to become one and it would have been better for it. At least its roomy hotel setting is nice to explore, even if the world needed more detail and excitement.
Taur has a few exciting moments and addictive progression elements to get you far into the campaign, but repetitive design, uneven difficulty, and unsatisfying combat eventually wear out its welcome.
Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate chooses quantity over quality. While it includes tons of characters, the bland level and mission design lose their allure far too quickly, which is a shame. With a little more care and tweaks to mechanics, it could have been a strong entry in the series.
Dreams is a creator-focused set of tools more so than a video game. If you've always wanted to get into game making, collaborate with the like-minded community, and weren't sure where to start, this is a great option. But if you're primarily after some quality gameplay, and not just bite-sized imitations, it's best to look elsewhere.
Almost every good piece of design in Last Encounter is knocked down multiple pegs thanks to an oppressive grind. It successfully manages to invest you in the world and its systems, before quickly erecting barriers that direct away from the interesting features. Had the game been a bit more generous with its upgrades, or toned down the monotony, this could have been a solid roguelike.
As a visual novel, Coffee Talk relies heavily on its writing, but the characters and the plot are so dull, they offer you no reason to care. Instead of visiting this fictitious coffee shop, find a local one in the real world - you'll have more fun.
LUNA The Shadow Dust is a streamlined point & click adventure that offers superb art design and peaceful music. While many of its puzzles are simple, some late-game challenges make fantastic use of the two well-animated characters in a brief tale told adequately without words.
Kunai is a short and sweet metroidvania with an exciting premise. In this era of rapid technological change, however, Kunai ultimately doesn't do enough to separate itself from the pack.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics isn't a swing and miss, because there wasn't a swing. This is a quirky and strangely-charming world, but the game has dulled it to a bog-standard strategy game, leaving behind the technical prowess that made the show interesting, and playing it safe in a way The Dark Crystal creator, Jim Henson, never would.
Kentucky Route Zero is an incredibly dull and over-embellished text adventure that fails to engage, entertain, or provide much value to anyone but perhaps the uppermost art connoisseurs.
Lightmatter rests somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to first person puzzlers. It uses the basic light tools satisfactorily, and the sharp visual style and brisk pace help it succeed. Unfortunately some technical blemishes offset its better qualities.
Despite its accessibility, Red Bow is not going to be for everyone. This isn't just because of its darker themes, but its rigid, basic structure that shifts between item gathering and NPC interaction. Even at the $5 asking price, it's tough to recommend to anyone but those who really fancy horror adventures with ample reading.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot isn't a bad game as much as it's a boring one. Turning the series into an open-world RPG seemed like an interesting challenge, but the game goes about that challenge in the dullest way possible. Putting effort into the series' highlights and dismissively padding out everything in between.
With its highs and lows, this light-hearted adventure remains generally pleasurable and highly relaxing. Although it turned out to be brief and very casual, I am hoping that there will be more content for Journey to the Savage Planet in the future.
Super Crush KO is a pleasant throw back to the glory days of the beat 'em up. The action is fast and fluid, and the visuals are charming and endearing. It's also a throw back in a bad way, though, as the lack of replay value and barebones story would feel right at home at an arcade.
Coteries of New York is a return to the world of Vampire: The Masquerade that fans will enjoy. Those unfamiliar with the series might be left feeling underwhelmed, however.
The Touryst is a leisurely puzzle/adventure game that should satisfy those looking for something very light to play on the go. Everyone else might find the experience too trivial and forgettable, apart from the unique visuals.