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I hope Visions of Mana signals a new, brighter direction for the series. This is more than a classic series receiving a jaw-dropping glow-up. This is a game that gives you a classic JRPG experience while being a modern blockbuster through and through. It's one of the best-looking games this generation and gives you dozens of unlockable options to customise your party your way. The story is deep and dark (for a PG title) and explores familiar themes in a new and engaging way. Visions of Mana confidently asserts its own spot among other long-running modern JRPGs, and I can't help but agree. It's proof that despite its age, this series still has a lot of potential left.
Though a mere optimisation and balance patch from meeting its full ambition, Black Myth: Wukong is a really great action RPG, almost standing as high as the rest. The story and world of Journey to the West and all its mythos translate incredibly well into an action game, providing immensely captivating creature and enemy boss designs and encounters. Serving as one of the most demanding games of its ilk for a while, both graphically and in combat challenge, you'll be well vested in Black Myth's world as you crush powerful mythic beasts wherever you go with fantastical magical abilities. This journey to the west is a journey well worth the wait.
Overall Elrentaros Wanderings doesn't have much to offer. There are a lot of different elements on display but none of them mesh together in a way that is satisfying and the game itself just comes across as an under-designed mess. Despite some cute character designs, the aesthetic of the game just isn't pleasing to the eye and on the whole, it leaves a lot to be desired.
World of Goo 2 understands what made the original so charming but adds a new coat of paint alongside some experimental gameplay and storytelling mechanics to keep the idea fresh. Whilst the sequel had the chance to become something completely new, as seen in Chapter 4, it instead chooses to largely stick with familiarity. This is far from a bad thing but may hold the title back from reaching its full potential. The game is worth a play if you have the time, and hopefully, the unique and new direction that the game teases is something 2D Boy is willing to continue to push toward in future releases.
Creatures of Ava is a gorgeous and ambitious creature-saver that has some neat ideas, not all of which are executed perfectly. Its non-combat is somewhat unwieldy, but the practice of cleansing adorable critters, giving them some love and leading them to safety with a sweet melody never gets old. The planet of Ava comes off as incredibly approachable and easy to lose many hours exploring, and the story is self-aware enough to go in some interesting directions. Despite some niggly issues, the puzzle-solving adventurous journey was still a memorable one; even if I didn't end up being the saviour I was expecting.
The emotional journey that Farewell North presents will likely be a difficult one for many to tackle; the loss of a parent. It handles the subject material eloquently and delicately, offering a tale of companionship between a dog and a human that is the foundation for a heartfelt adventure. Visually stunning and a feast for the ears, this humble story about grief is the most impactful video game experience I've had this year and one of the most enthralling I've ever had the delight of playing. I'll never get over the loss of my Mum. But Farewell North gave me some much-needed catharsis. It just might do the same for you.
A wonderfully silly little quest, Leximan feels like a love letter to anyone who's ever played an RPG. Killer writing brings humour and warmth to its simple adventure gameplay, while a whirlwind tour of genre-spanning minigames provide constant variety that surprises and delights. Despite some occasional wonky controls and slightly under-utilised Lexicon mechanics, its iconic encounters and clever use of wordplay make this magical journey a pleasure to experience.
Vampire Therapist is an incredibly fun play; all the characters are vibrant and interesting, the voice acting is outstanding the entire way through and yeah, vampires are hot. Everyone in this game is hot. There was clearly a lot of love and effort put into the therapy aspect of the game, too. Finding a way to add legitimate therapy techniques without making it feel unapproachable must have been hard, but it's definitely paid off.
Cat Quest III is a fantastic game and is far better than it has any right to be. More than just a silly game with silly puns, it is an impressive showcase of simple but quality game design, where they leave clever and tantalising breadcrumbs of discovery to drive the player forward. It's a tight and easy-to-control questathon game that anyone can play. That's perfect too; it's some of the simplest and most fun couch co-operative gaming I've experienced in yonks. Many a joyful moment was had hacking, slashing and dodging with my partner right by my side, before taking to the luscious and gorgeous crystal blue seas. These are only some of the gorgeous sights on offer. The Purribean is your oyster. Set sail, Cat Quest III is a real one.
The Crush House might not be the perfect production players were hoping for but what's there is a really good time and at least always fun. The nature of working and grinding to line up the perfect shot to watch the numbers tick up as you satisfy weird audiences from all walks of life is novel and never gets old. Yes, this means you're not always authentically re-creating the filming of reality TV as you instead focus on props and the environment in the interest of points, hurting the spotlight on its cast. Though when you can focus on its characters they're all irreverent, queer and delightfully heinous. I found myself always ready to drop everything for them at the drop of a hat as I tended to their ridiculous tasks, slowly working to an enticing sinister narrative that was hiding underneath. If all else, I could never accuse The Crush House's beauty of being skin-deep. It is weird, extra, juicy and unapologetic as all hell. It's exactly what it should be.
Eden Genesis is quite a fun title which fans of 2D platformers and speedrunning in particular are likely to enjoy. While the plot won't knock your socks off, it's a reasonably engaging little sci-fi tale while it lasts. The game is let down by its slow-paced mandatory combat levels, of which there are way too many and which feel at odds with the lightning-fast and flowing platforming which makes up the bulk of the rest of the game. However, with plenty of extra content to experience once you have reached the end credits, those looking for an engaging 2D platforming challenge to test your skill and reflexes will have a good time with Eden Genesis.
SteamWorld Heist 2 delivers an excellent blend of steampunk, pirate adventure, and tactical gameplay. With its distinctive style and original soundtrack, this sequel stands out. While the strategic missions and characters shine, the narrative and overworld ship combat are it's weakest points. Overall, it's a treasure trove of tactical fun, offering a blast for both seasoned strategists and newcomers.
Nobody Wants to Die has a lot of smart political and philosophical thoughts that relate to what's happening today. There's a lot of intrigue and spotting all the Greek Mythology references is exciting, alluding to the story at hand. However, the crime scene gameplay can get repetitive and frustrating, as the story feels like it's on rails. It's nice to be able to play a game you can't fail, but it feels odd that there's a heightened sense of danger that just… never comes. Introducing elements like quick-time events late in the game and without accessibility options for them is disappointing. Even still, the game is gorgeous and watching a friendship bloom with the two main characters is great to see.
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss is one of those games that's best played blind. It's a grounded yet enthralling mystery that uses its light clue-combining mechanics to convey an emotional journey of closure and grief. Its puzzles get you thinking without ever being too hard, allowing the story to naturally play out in the lonely ruins of this sunken ship.
While updated graphics and a new control scheme are all well and good, Aspyr should have done more to bring Star Wars: Bounty Hunter into the present day. The lives system should have stayed in the early 2000s where it belongs, as all it serves to do is make the game's already murderous level of difficulty even more aggravating by dragging out the experience and arbitrarily making players replay huge chunks of the game whenever the game serves up enough cheap deaths. The bounty hunting system also could have done with improvements to make it easier and more enjoyable to interact with. While there is some fun to be found with flying through the sky and gunning down your enemies, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is overall too frustrating an experience to be an easy recommend for anyone but the most diehard of Star Wars fans.
Players who enjoy casual puzzle titles are sure to find something to love in Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. With its beautifully hand-drawn world and original puzzle mechanics, Arranger offers a compelling story world with engaging puzzles that are great for puzzle fans, both young and old. The world's grid system creates a novel way to interact with engaging puzzles while also expanding on the story world. If you're looking for a hardcore puzzle challenge, Arranger might not be for you, however, if you're looking for a casual experience with colourful graphics to boot, Arranger will be a great fit for your library.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus wears its inspirations boldly – Hollow Knight in particular – but makes its unique mark in a delightfully crowded modern Metroidvania market. The platforming is difficult but the level design is creative. The boss fights are too long but encourage you to use what you've learned. There are UI issues but they don't occur often enough to ruin the game. The bridge section is brutal but shows an impressive confidence in the level design that persists until the end. The writing, art, and music are sublime. You should play this if you're a genre fan with more patience than me.
Princess Maker 2 remains an incredible and addicting game, but Regeneration is a disappointing remaster, offering barely any gameplay changes and an inconsistent art style. It misses obvious quality-of-life improvements that Princess Marker 2 sorely needed, leaving us at a loss as to why they bothered to remaster the game at all. Play Princess Maker 2 as it's a fantastic piece of gaming history, but there's no need to pay for this particular version.
Conscript is a good survival horror game but not the fantastic one it should have been destined to be. Its fierce and very apparent survival horror devotion is incredibly admirable, shining best when depicting war in quite simply the best way I've seen it in games to date. The sound design, art style and general mood make the vibes palpable like you're there on the ground in the thick of it. This loyalty to the genre is also a double-edged sword though, not quite having enough quality-of-life additions and progression slowing to a halt when you're hunting through a labyrinth for that one key to unlock that one door. For better or worse, Conscript is a homage to classic Resident Evil, through and through. Isn't that enough?
Dungeons of Hinterberg cleverly combines puzzles, combat and relationship-building into a tidy package that is captivating despite its low-pressure vibes. Each dungeon is distinct and satisfying in terms of style and mechanics, and combat is just the right amount of crunchy to feel fun throughout the adventure. The gorgeous aesthetic makes Hinterberg and its surroundings a lovely place to spend time, too, and the quirky characters you'll meet along the journey are all worth getting to know. With some truly memorable moments, Dungeons of Hinterberg is sure to scratch the itch of any wannabe dungeon-crawler with a penchant for problem-solving and is a stand-out indie effort in a year chock full of them.