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Through all that, I found Tormented Souls to be just intriguing enough to be worth checking out if you have the time. It's a lesson in where survival-horror games have come from and what stories can still be told within the genre. With a little more modernization within the combat and cleaner visuals, this probably could have been an underground classic.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a no-frills, straight-to-PS5 port that checks all of the required boxes, and that's about it. A couple of performance modes support up to 120fps, there's a rudimentary DualSense implementation, and the great loading times make experiencing these games more enjoyable than ever, but it's hardly a phenomenal upgrade even at the lower price point - both for those upgrading from a PS4 copy and those buying into the franchise for the first time. While the Uncharted gameplay formula has become slightly predictable, both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy are enjoyable because of the stories they tell and their highly polished production values.
Once you start playing Rainbow Six: Extraction, it's difficult to stop. From the XP feed to the randomized nature of the levels and objectives, there's enough to keep players coming back for quite some time, especially with the constant opportunities to pull off nice saves amidst the chaos and tension. It is a great alternative for Rainbow Six fans who crave PvE after playing PvP for so long, but it also gives single-player fans a solid opportunity to experience some elements from Siege. It's still early in 2022, and a bevy of other co-op PvE games are still on the way, but Rainbow Six: Extraction provides enough variety that it needs to be played.
The parts that comprise God of War may not all be equally well-crafted, but they build a great cohesive experience and a noteworthy PC port. The soundtrack, visuals, story, combat, and the world come together so well that it amounts to something greater than the sum of its parts, and that is still true on PC almost four years removed from its original release on a last-gen console. That's all you need to know, so go and finally experience this gem for yourself.
Praey for the Gods is game that is inches away from being a new classic. It does many things very well, and it is an incredibly impressive achievement for a small team. It is dragged down a bit by trying to be too many things at once. I applaud the attempt to spice up the "in-between" time that Shadow had, but the result doesn't quite hit the mark. If you have a tolerance for tedium to reach some brief high points, then Praey delivers, but newcomers might be best served by starting off with Shadow of the Colossus.
Hot Wheels Unleashed is perhaps the best stand-alone game to use the license by far. It nails the feeling of racing with tiny die-cast cars and melds it with a presentation that looks far better than what you'd expect for a licensed title. The race variety is lacking, given the presence of only two race types, but the track variety greatly makes up for that shortcoming. It may have flown under everyone's radar, but Unleashed is worth everyone's attention.
I've struggled to properly rate Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. On the one hand, it does some great things in terms of the cases and the provided tools to solve those cases. I enjoyed that it never gave me an answer, and I had to arrive at my own conclusions given the evidence I'd found. On the other hand, the game is in a rough technical state with frequent frame rate issues on the PS5, basic animations that feel robotic, an empty open world, and voice acting that can pull you out of the experience at times. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or adventure games can check out Chapter One, simply for everything that it does right.
Nostalgia is going to play a heavy part in whether you'll like Zool Redimensioned. If you grew up with the Amiga as your main platform, you might be tickled to see Zool make a comeback even if the changes make it much easier than before. For those who didn't care too much about it back then, the improvements make it a better, shorter experience. For newcomers, the game is fun as a retro snack and worth checking out.
I thoroughly enjoyed After the Fall for what it is: a VR Left 4 Dead clone with satisfying gameplay and some cool social VR settings that lay a solid foundation for the future. However, we don't know what that future looks like yet since we don't know how much content Vertigo will release in the coming years - and at what price. The included content is the bare minimum, and the game has a few issues to iron out before I can recommend it. That said, if you've been itching for co-op fun with some friends in VR regardless of the platform, AtF is a good choice if you can see pasts its numerous minor shortcomings at launch.
It doesn't hit the highs of the SteamWorld series, but The Gunk is enjoyable. When you break things down, the game doesn't offer up a plethora of things to do, but it remains enjoyable thanks to how satisfying it is to clean up gunk. There's payoff for the curious in the form of extra materials to power up your arm faster, and even though it is familiar, the story remains satisfying. Its short length makes it perfect for the Game Pass service, but it is also a worthy purchase if you like brisk, uncomplicated adventures.
Captain ToonHead vs. The Punks from Outer Space is a fun time. The game may have some quirks (e.g., warping between spots requires reorientation), but the combat remains entertaining, especially since the game has a simpler approach. The upgrade flow can initially seem uneven, but the levels are never impossible, and the game's overall length makes up for the lack of post-campaign features. It may not be the best VR tower defense title, but it is enjoyable for those who are willing to jump in.
Between the bold and ever-contrasting color palette, the ambient music by indie rock band Japanese Breakfast, and the pure joy of climbing cliffs, ruins and dunes to your heart's content, Sable offers an immersive dive into the lives and traditions of its small, nomadic world. Beyond its artistic merits, the game is supremely fun to play. It's a title that adventure gamers and art lovers alike will happily explore for hours on end, and despite the occasional bug, it's a very well-made game. Sable is well worth adding to any adventure gamer's library, and I eagerly await Shedworks' next big title.
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is good where it counts: the gameplay. It may not be a difficult game, but the puzzles are a fine challenge for the average player, while the relatively short playtime means that the title doesn't feel like a chore. Don't expect too much from the rest of the package, whether that's aesthetics, narrative, or a reason to replay it once the credits roll. Overall, it's good enough to check out if you're itching for a puzzle-platformer.
A lot of what I write sounds negative, and that's the difficult part of discussing Aeterna Noctis. It does a lot of things that I genuinely like: It has excellent boss fights, some creative levels, an absurdly huge amount of content, and the platforming mostly works well. That level of heartfelt dedication makes it all the more frustrating when you get caught up on the areas where it still needs polish. I enjoyed a lot of the game, but I remember the annoyances more than the enjoyment. If you're willing to work past that, there's a lot to play in Aeterna Noctis, but it's easy to imagine someone reaching a particularly annoying bit of platforming and moving on to something else, especially because the game's long length can make it feel more exhausting than exhilarating. Metroidvania fans should absolutely give it a shot, but don't expect something as easy to pick-up-and-play as some of the genre greats.
Eye of the Temple is a rare VR gem that caught me by surprise. Its natural and immersive room-scale movement system, rewarding puzzle sections, and overall scale are excellent. If you own a VR headset and have enough room to play, Eye of the Temple successfully proves the potential of VR.
There's plenty to like about Mayhem Brawler. The setting is unique among games in the genre, and the mechanics work well with the combat system thanks to its fluidity and diversity. The main campaign may be short and the unlockables list consists of one mode, but the three different endings and multiple campaign branches mean that there's more content to this game than originally believed. You'll have to rely on local friends for this one, but there's an absolutely good time to be had.
Lucky's Tale hasn't aged perfectly since its 2016 release, but that's its only offense. It was - and still is - an excellent introductory VR title that offers a relaxed environment to get accustomed to VR within a family-friendly format that oozes charm. It's a great title for all age brackets and gaming abilities, but some may be put off by its short length, dated game design, and simple VR integration. Lucky's Tale may feel generic, but the enjoyable, colorful VR title delivers short bursts of happiness.
I cannot currently recommend Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition on the PC, and a lot has to happen until I do. The truth is that I've had a decent amount of fun with this remaster; part of it is based on nostalgia, and part of it is based on some ridiculous, unavoidable bugs that weren't as frequent as I'd feared. Given all of these issues and the abysmal performance of the three games on the PC, I'd stay away from the trilogy until several major updates have been released. Even then, this remaster may not be for everyone.
No matter what your focus is, Halo Infinite is a blast. For multiplayer fans, the gameplay is rock solid. The back-to-basics approach works well to keep longtime fans engaged, and the game is easy to pick up and play to hook newer fans. Campaign fans will enjoy that mode despite a few issues, since the open-world setting allows for some breadth in approach while retaining the familiar mission structure and flow. Infinite should be on your Christmas list, despite the lack of other big features at launch, like co-op, Forge, and local play.
Overall, Chorus is a fun arcade-style space shooter. The open world isn't super engaging, and the plot can be a touch messy, but they're secondary to the fun of piloting your super ship as you spin, shoot lightning, and turn into lasers. If you're in the mood for an entertaining and punchy space shooter with some cool mechanics, then Chorus fits the bill. I wish the plot were better conveyed and there were more variety in side-quests, but that certainly doesn't mar the experience. At the end of the day, you're blowing up Cthulhus with your magic space anime powers, and isn't that all it needs to be?