Fextralife
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I recommend picking it up if you’re looking for a light Soulslike offering that delivers value for the price. But if you’re in search of a full-course Soulslike experience, there is one major alternative currently available.
The First Berserker: Khazan is a brilliant blend of the Soulslike and Hack and Slash genres, offering some of the best combat in recent gaming years and an incredibly polished product. While it does have some shortcomings in its story, replayability, and occasionally borrows too heavily from past titles, if you live for action games such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Devil May Cry 5, this game will likely be your Game of the Year so far and a title we can recommend at full price.
Expansive, detailed and polished, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a fantastic exploration and stealth game with beautiful Japanese aesthetics, somewhat diminished by a thin story, clumsy narrative, and immersion-breaking design choices. Despite this, it's a thoroughly enjoyable entry into the series for fans seeking to explore medieval Japan.
Monster Hunter Wilds is a beautiful and addictive entry into the series that brings along polish and clears up some oldschool clutter. An excellent entry point for newcomers to the franchise, its superb gameplay and multiplayer experience will keep veterans entertained for many months to come
With stellar storytelling, top notch voice acting, and much more polish than its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a "return to form" for the RPG genre, and will likely be one of the best titles this year. Warhorse has proven they can elevate their formula to even greater heights, and I cannot wait to see what they do next. A day 1 buy for any RPG fan, especially those that enjoy true "role playing".
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is a sizeable expansion introducing excellent mechanical improvements, systems and activities that are sure to revitalize the game with innovative ideas for the genre, setting the stage for years of player support. Even if you don’t purchase the Expansion, there has never been a better time to return to Sanctuary…
Shadow of the Erdtree is an incredible expansion that no gamer should miss out on, adding even more value to an already outstanding game. With only minor performance issues and a few misses on the landscape, the expansion is challenging but rewarding, and full of secrets to discover. This is the kind of DLC every studio should aim to deliver, and very few can claim to do.
Overall, the DLC feels satisfying. It provides a good quality of 10 to 20 hours of playtime and lets you experience the fight against demons from a different perspective than the commander. You certainly don’t want to miss this DLC if you are into CRPG games, especially if you have already played Through the Ashes.
As for myself, I will probably be playing a little bit to familiarize myself with it. I’ll be waiting for the full game to come out to really dive into it, get the fully polished experience because that’s going to be amazing. Supergiant Games did absolutely fantastic with Hades, so I can’t wait to see what they do with Hades 2. The quality of the game is there, its value, and the game plays so well it doesn’t make sense it’s in Early Access.
Stellar Blade is a fantastic addition to the Action genre, with intense flashy combat, amazing boss fights, and the best “outfits” in modern gaming. If you enjoy games like Nier: Automata, Devil May Cry 5, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Stellar Blade is a day 1 buy, even if it has less replay value.
In conclusion, The Forgotten Kingdom is a pleasing crafted expansion that breathes new life into the world of Remnant 2. With its solid lore, engaging gameplay, new items to collect, and low price of 9.99 USD, it stands as a shining example of what DLC should strive to be in modern gaming.
While Rise of the Ronin suffers from outdated and unattractive graphics, the story and gameplay more than make up for it with a wealth of varied and interesting content available paired with good storytelling that keeps players engaged and wanting to know more. Fans of Team Ninja may be disappointed from the step down in combat quality, but nonetheless it is an enjoyable title that we can recommend at full price.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a fantastic adventure of exploration, discovery and learning that truly engages the player with a rewarding and nuanced combat system that carries well outside of combat. Brought down by small but impactful design choices and unfortunate poor performance on all platforms, this is the game of the year that should have been, but will likely never be…
Granblue Fantasy Relink is an action-packed RPG with stunning graphics, engaging combat, and high replay value. Fans of the Granblue Fantasy franchise and players seeking a visually impressive gaming experience will undoubtedly enjoy this game. Although there are a few areas that could be improved, the overall experience is incredible, and it’s worth playing, especially online with friends.
Remnant II: The Awakened King DLC is a worthy addition to the ever-growing content of Remnant II. The new Equipment, Class, enhancements, and especially the level design provided an enjoyable and immersive experience that will keep players engaged for a good while.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is a challenging but flawed game with some interesting RTS mechanics but lacking in factions and extras. A worthy purchase only for hardcore fans of the genre or those who very much enjoy multiplayer and pvp aspects of these games
Lords of the Fallen is an amazing achievement from the Hexworks team, and Souls-like fans will immediately feel at home in this highly ambitious title. Despite a few performance issues, and a handful of bugs, Lords of the Fallen is some of the most fun I've had this year, and that's saying something considering the titles that have launched in 2023.
Phantom Liberty continues to show that CDPR will always support their most ambitious title to date: Cyberpunk 2077, and does so in phenomenal fashion. From interesting characters, intriguing plot lines and new mechanics, Phantom Liberty is sure to win over fans of the franchise, and many who had previously given up on the game.
Lies of P is a phenomenal reimagining of a classic tale that manages to engage the audience with its unique setting, while keeping them on the edge of their seat with its innovative twists to solid Souls-like combat. With minor shortcomings and perhaps an over-reliance on its inspiration, it is regardless an IP Souls fans won't want to miss out on, and is arguably one of the best Souls-likes titles to date.
Starfield is a compelling and engaging interstellar adventure that successfully blends core RPG mechanics with open world exploration and deep questing. A complete delight from start to finish and an instant classic for any gamer that enjoys Sci Fi and is ready for adventure.