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FEED IT takes something painfully complex and distils it into a surreal horror experience without losing sight of the disturbing realities. It focuses on psychological abuse, control and survival then lets the low-fi visual atmosphere do the work. It’s quick, but branching endings and its meaningful themes make its hour-long runtime worthwhile. Short, nasty and very uneasy but sometimes that's exactly what horror needs to be.
Wild Blue Skies reminds me why arcade shooters were so much fun. It blends the best bits of on-rails action and Saturday morning cartoons into something nostalgic without feeling dated. The basic story and awkward weapon controls hold it back from greatness, but the tight gameplay and gorgeous presentation make this a hell of a pick-up-and-go replayable joyride. It doesn’t reinvent the arcade shooter, but I do think it nails the landing.
If Beast of Reincarnation is any indication of Game Freak’s capabilities when they’re taking a break from the Pokémon franchise, maybe they should be doing this sort of thing more often. Beast of Reincarnation feels fantastic to play, with a post-apocalyptic world filled with vibrant scenery and wildlife. I do wish that the narrative and characters were more engaging, but if you can look past that and appreciate the combat, you’ll find a lot to love from Beast of Reincarnation.
Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! is such a silly concept made from a ridiculous meme in the isekai genre of manga and anime. That is to say, Strange Scaffold understands the conventions of the genre, and includes some fantastic character designs and a great ska-inspired soundtrack.
Helix: Descent N Ascent is a unique puzzle game that understands exactly what makes a puzzle so fun to complete.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a bold remake that succeeds more often than it stumbles. The new Operation: Meteorite missions and stunning Unreal Engine 5 presentation make this far more than a straightforward remake, even if modern gameplay tweaks alter the pacing and feel. For newcomers, especially those who only own a PlayStation, it’s the best entry point the series has ever had. For veterans, it’s a compelling reason to return to Alpha Halo one more time, and probably not the last.
Despite being a single-player experience, Splatoon Raiders still has heaps of great frantic gameplay moments that can be found in a mainline Splatoon game and a great cast of characters to boot.
Denshattack! is absurd, campy, excessive and makes its tricks and speed look and feel effortless through the real craft that has gone into the tightness of its controls, cinematic eye and visual language.
Mad Cookies Studio’s roguelike deckbuilder has great bones, but ultimately lacks meat. With some additional post-launch content and a negotiation between two splintered halves, Fogpiercer could fulfil its potential. But for now, riding this particular line will appeal mostly to deckbuilder fans and train enthusiasts.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced does exactly what a great remake is supposed to do: replace the original as the definitive version of the game in the minds of fans. It looks, plays, and sounds better than the OG in every way, and makes up for the exclusion of the old modern-day segments with many hours of additional gameplay that round out Edward Kenway’s story. Best of all, it feels like the classic AC adventures I love; simpler due to the lack of complicated action-RPG mechanics, but no less enjoyable.
Overall, Moonlight Peaks is an impressive farming sim with clear polish and its own aesthetic vision. The characters are well-rounded and worth getting to know, with lots of great dialogue and personality.
Putting thoughts and feelings on remakes aside, Star Fox is a good game in its own right with a lot of replay value and a great entry point to the series.
Dark Scrolls is certainly fun at times, but it overall feels a bit insubstantial.
Deer & Boy is a beautifully crafted cinematic experience about two unlikely friends who find each other in their greatest time of need.
If you like adventure games with a large helping of puzzles and fourth-wall-breaking humour, Crushed In Time delivers in spades. The oddly limited control scheme unfortunately frustrates more than it aids. However, if you can look past that, Crushed In Time has a good amount to recommend for point-and-click adventure game fans.
Overall, Momento is short and sweet and a great way to pass the time. While it isn’t traditionally story-driven, it’s the type of game where narrative threads can be discovered and pieced together.
Swan Song is a charming game of interlocking narrative vision, puzzle design and presentation.
A worthy spiritual successor to Yacht Club Games’ Shovel Knight series, Mina the Hollower takes the studio’s love of retro aesthetics and strange fascination with digging and has crafted a fantastic world to explore, above and below ground.
007 First Light understands that Bond isn’t just gadgets and gunfights. There’s a lot of charm and chaos, and an abundance of improvisation under pressure.
Full of surprises and not afraid to throw you into the deep end, Yerba Buena is a delectably tricky linear puzzle narrative adventure masquerading as a colourful physics sandbox.