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Though not quite as strong as its predecessor thanks to its narrative devices, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is another incredibly strong RPG under Nihon Falcom's long-running belt. The party is stacked this time and serves as a warm-found family. Perhaps one of the best in the RPG scene. With this, there are a lot of exciting combat shenanigans and party DNA to engage in, joyously laying waste to beasties and mysterious figures. Better yet, the city of Edith feels more lived and breathed in than ever thanks to the bountiful list of activities and completion metrics to engage with. Though their journey is slightly rocky, at least Arkride Solutions has and always will have each other.
Leaning more into visual novel territory than detective work, Urban Myth Dissolution Center firmly guides you through some of the spookiest stories in contemporary folklore. Its striking pixel art and emphasis on social media as a tool for investigation lend it a unique charm, though it's let down by repetitive gameplay and awkwardness in its narrative pacing. Worth a look for fans of creepypasta, but those keen on a more fleshed-out investigative experience may be left wanting.
Rift of the Necrodancer is a solid rhythm game with some fresh and exciting takes on the classic Guitar Hero formula. The different enemy types and health system make this stand out from the crowd, but at higher difficulties, these fade into the background as you memorise your way through the tracks. Still, with killer design, delightful minigames and some absolutely banging tracks, this game delivers foot-tapping goodness that might just have you hooked.
It can't be denied how impressive Civilization VII is as a complete package. This is a franchise that finds a way to continually satisfy, even when compared to its already glowing legacy. Amongst a sea of strategy games, Civilization VII stands tall as a title that understands its identity, shows incredible attention to detail, and lives up to lofty expectations. Future expansions will undoubtedly fill certain notable absences, but even before then, we still have a formidable release that's deservingly ready to eat away at your free time.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an incredibly ambitious RPG venture that soars when all its moving system parts and systems work as they're meant to. As promised by Warhorse Studios themselves, protagonist Henry can be just about whatever you want him to be, whether that's a wise diplomat, a mischievous thief or a drunk who finds himself regularly in barfights and down in the dirt. This is bolstered by meaningful skill specialisations, a strong bond between Henry and Hans and a story with exciting twists and turns. However, immersion is broken often with disappointing bugs, odd narrative choices that don't bear weight and the fact female characters don't get to do much of anything. A good game that could've been amazing had it been given a little longer to cook, Warhorse's follow-up is a fun time despite all its obstacles but isn't quite ready to be crowned victor just yet.
An incredible video game seventeen years ago and an incredible video game now, Ninja Gaiden II Black is an immensely strong and timeless action game. All these years later its combat animation, diverse arsenal of weapons and setpieces are unmatched. Though there's still the issue of it not quite being the most definitive version, this 3D reboot run of the Ninja Gaiden franchise is as relevant as ever. Remember around the time of this trilogy when the age-old debate was whether pirates or ninjas would win in a fight? You simply need to look no further than Ryu and his friends in their blood-soaked glory.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap takes a now-established idea and gives it new life via a roguelike progression system. Whilst the foundation of the idea is still solid and provides many an hour of fun, the implementation is needlessly grindy and imperfectly scaled. Deathtrap is not the evolution of the series we wanted it to be. It's still a good amount of fun but falls short of its ultimate potential.
Everything that I loved about Citizen Sleeper is present here in Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. The music and art are as stunning as they ever were, the quality of the writing is exceptional and there is no shying away from complexity when it comes to the questions posed and the sometimes painful, but often beautiful conclusions drawn from them. While it doesn't engage with its core theme as extensively as I might have liked, I found myself enjoying every moment I spent in the Starward Belt, and I was captivated by everything I saw through the Sleeper's eyes.
SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada has some neat ideas that separate it from other extraction shooters on the market, but it can't fully shake off its repetitive nature and half-baked concepts. The fun loop of exploring a dangerous world, gathering resources and trying to survive the numerous threats trying to take you down goes a long way initially but eventually loses steam as monotonous grindy objectives rear their ugly head on maps without much variety. For now, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada doesn't quite live up to its ambitions; but with its decent foundations and a bit of time to add, improve and tweak its interesting universe, it could grow into something special down the track.
The Roottrees Are Dead is a triumph of investigative fiction, offering a compelling yet grounded family mystery within countless articles, websites, and archives waiting for you to uncover. The game has been much improved over its original iteration on itch.io, and the extra content "Roottreemania" adds a cool follow-up mystery to the main one. Any fan of investigation games will have a great time with The Roottrees are Dead.
Though Sniper Elite: Resistance ranks somewhat lower on the scale of games in the long-running franchise thanks to small bugs and a milquetoast campaign and protagonist, engaging in some sandbox Nazi-killing is still as fun as it's ever been. From every viscerally satisfying shot that can sail through a Nazi's skull to the hectic gunfights that hectically erupt across the battlefield, what remains as stellar as ever is the high-octane action. The game is bolstered by the emphasis on replayability with the quality of additional game modes and the fact it's a side-offering to the main Sniper Elite narrative, leaving it a fitting venture for newcomers and veteran Nazi slayers. No matter who you are, Sniper Elite: Resistance is an action shooter game worth your time because, and say it with me, all Nazis must die.
Eternal Strands delivers a slick, action-packed fantasy adventure with tonnes of heart and a whole lot of elemental fury to play with. Despite a little tedium creeping into its late-game grinding missions, it manages to weave an unbelievable number of mechanics into a cohesive gameplay loop that feels very satisfying. On top of that, its vibrant and imaginative world is gorgeously realised and full of delicious lore for fantasy nerds to devour. An incredibly strong first offering from new indie studio Yellow Brick Games.
The Stone of Madness feels like an admirable gamble of a new direction for The Game Kitchen, and one that mostly pays off. Besides the frustrations with the stealth, sanity system and inconsistent tone, its core prison break loop remains a satisfying one, and the monastery's environmental design and artistic direction make it a compelling playground to explore.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins puts you in a unique outsider position to influence Romance of the Three Kingdoms to your liking. It gives nuance to characters and lets you see parts of the story in a new light. The visuals are gorgeous and the experience is more immersive than before. That said, it's still the familiar musou combat and you shouldn't encounter many surprises. If you haven't touched a Dynasty Warriors game before, or haven't played one for a while, this is the perfect opportunity to jump in.
STAR WARS: Jedi Power Battles is a galactic disappointment. While some technical updates like faster load times are nice, the force is not strong with its outdated mechanics, frustrating platforming, and missed opportunities to fix core issues. A mediocre game from 2000 with no substantial changes simply doesn't cut it in 2025. It's a Womp rat of a re-release that fails to live up to the legacy of the Star Wars saga.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is an excellent follow-up to the first game, and a great game in its own right. The addition of elemental spells and overall rebalancing of a few features feels like an intuitive expansion of the original, and the new locations and characters introduced in this sequel were great additions, buoyed by Doug Cockle's iconic narration. That said, it still doesn't feel quite as good as it could be, with its preponderance of annoying flying bosses and Arlo's disappointingly limited moveset. That said, Odd Bug Studio has a good thing going so far with the Tails of Iron series, and I look forward to what they have planned for the future.
As a huge fan of the Tales series, Tales of Graces f Remastered is the ultimate way to experience one of the more thought-provoking and emotionally intriguing stories in the franchise. The quality of life improvements of this remaster not only serve to keep the series relevant, and greatly make up for some of the game's bigger shortcomings, such as its slow opening act, and a padded-out end-game, but it is also an exciting study into what the franchise's next remastered project might look like.
ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist offers an impressive Metroidvania experience, featuring hauntingly beautiful visuals, an evocative soundtrack, a unique story and a wonderfully genuine Homunculi cast that offers an exciting challenge for both seasoned Metroidvania fans and newcomers alike. While Lilac's fragility and the few navigational issues may hinder your progress temporarily, stay persistent. It's well worth seeing it through to the end to uncover the secrets of the Land of Fumes.
A lot of love for the survival horror genre has been put into Dead of Darkness, which shows in every aspect of the design. However, repetitive combat, constant inventory management, and frequent backtracking undercut the competent puzzle design and solid narrative. As a game so beholden to genre tropes and classic design, Dead of Darkness feels like it never quite knows how to play into its strengths. If you are a die-hard survival horror fan you might get some enjoyment over the throwback vibes-but otherwise, it may be better left in the dark.
Tyrant's Realm charms with its PS1-inspired visuals and creative level design but falls short on challenge and polish. The combat and boss battles show promise, but a lack of difficulty and clunky elements like the HUD hold it back. Fun for a nostalgic dungeon crawl, but not a true Soulslike contender.