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In the end, Lake delivers on producing a "slice of life" experience but with some issues that keep it from being excellent. The characters are interesting to talk to, even if only a few of them break out from being one-dimensional. The vocal performances are good, but the stiff facial and body animations and rushed story don't give it a chance to connect with players. If you can forgive these shortcomings and don't find the mail delivery mechanic to be tedious, Lake is relaxing and different enough from other offerings to warrant a glance.
For those who miss the feeling of a long tabletop campaign or have been craving a new isometric RPG, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is the game for you. It's not perfect, but it has most of the best parts of playing a game with pen and paper while ironing out some of the fiddly and boring parts so you don't have to deal with them. Owlcat Games has taken what it learned from Kingmaker and improved upon it to give us something new and fun - no dice required.
The TakeOver is an absolutely solid beat-'em-up experience. Get past some of the shortcomings, like constant load times and bad cut scene art, and you have a title that uses a solid base with additions that feel just right for the genre without going overboard. It's fun either solo or with a friend, and while online play would've been nice, fans of the genre will enjoy every minute with the game.
Overall, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition succeeds on several levels. It's an excellent update to a surprise indie hit that is still mighty enjoyable for anyone interested in the Soulslike genre. While difficulty and pacing get in the way, Mortal Shell is a short, sweet, and most importantly, challenging game to tide you over to the next main Souls offering.
No More Heroes III feels like a sequel to the first two games in every way, for all the good and bad that entails. It's creative, clever, charming, and delightfully weird. The combat system is simple but fun, and it doesn't overstay its welcome thanks to a wide variety of creative boss fights. However, everything outside of those elements feels a bit dull. Thankfully, like the first two games, No More Heroes III has enough interesting stuff going on to overshadow the flaws. Newcomers would probably be better off trying the cheaper No More Heroes titles on the Switch to see if Suda 51's specific eccentricities are to your taste.
By no means is Ashwalkers an action-packed survival adventure sim, but the story and importance of the journey was compelling enough to have me on the edge of my seat through my playthrough. I cared about Squad Three and wanted them to succeed, and for a narrative-driven game such as this, isn't that all you can ask for? If postapocalyptic survival games are your jam, Ashwalkers is worth its very reasonable $12 price tag and offers a different spin on the genre that you know and love.
Just … don't use the Soul Cannon, please.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is tricky to judge. The gameplay loop is repetitive and retreads a lot of the tropes found in similar co-op shooter experiences. Its presentation is good but inconsistent. What it does well is capturing the visuals and sound of the movies and distilling them into a well-established formula. There's a good variety of combat classes and engaging ways to customize and improve builds, so players are incentivized to continue playing and get better as the difficulty ratchets up to add a thrilling survival component. I am concerned about the title's online matchmaking, which we were unable to test. Since the title does not support crossplay, the game's longevity and player base will depend on early adopters and future content releases to prove that this online shooter is here to stay.
In pretty much every possible way, Psychonauts 2 is a direct sequel to the first game. It's perhaps prettier and more polished than it would have been if it had come out a decade ago, but the feel and tone are spot-on. It probably won't change your mind if the original Psychonauts didn't capture your heart. If it did, though, Psychonauts 2 is a charming, funny and incredibly welcome visit with some old friends. The gameplay is sometimes too straightforward for its own good, but everything else more than makes up for it. If you're looking for a charming platformer with its own style and sense of humor, Psychonauts 2 delivers in spades. Here's hoping it won't be another decade before we see another entry in the series.
For $5, Crossbow: Bloodnight provides a nice, quick arcade experience for those who want something simple and don't have lots of time to spare. The fast-paced nature keeps things exciting, and while there are times that can feel like the game is using unfair tactics, the instantaneous replay system and focus on shooting keeps you glued to the screen, even for a short while. If you need a quick palate cleanser between bigger titles, this'll do in a pinch.
When looked at through a modern lens, it is difficult to recommend Postal Redux to anyone who didn't play the original on the PC decades ago. The early attempts at being edgy backfire now into groan-worthy territory, while the singular focus gets tiresome if you're playing through the short campaign. The inaccuracy of your guns and their muted damage makes ammo management almost impossible, while the larger hitboxes create far too many missed shots and accidental deaths. The result isn't a terrible game since there's still some grim fun to be had, but there are certainly better shooter titles out there unless you're set on experiencing the shooters of yesteryear.
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection stands out as perhaps one of the most accessible games in the series yet. The various difficulty levels, accompanying adjustments, and the unlimited lives for all difficulty levels give series newcomers a sense of hope that they can see the game to its conclusion. At the same time, the title remains tough and uncompromising in enemy count and gameplay, giving longtime fans some comfort that the series hasn't lost its appeal. It is a solid game, and the only players who should stay away are those who hate facing an elevated level of difficulty from the get-go.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut feels like the truest, purest way to experience this title, so much so that I'm willing to go through it once again from the top, when Jin rode into battle with his uncle and almost died. I want to ride through the grass, stumble into duels, climb mountains and battle Mongols for another few dozen hours while making a stop on a freaky island to fight a crazy woman who likes poison and the color purple. I want to do it all, and I would recommend that anyone with the time should look into doing the same. It's still the samurai game of my dreams: Now it looks even better, and there's more of it.
Twelve Minutes had me on a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. I started being let down by the game seeming too simple in premise. Then I got frustrated because I got stuck uncovering its hidden complexities. Finally, I can't and don't want to put it down until I'd turned everything over thrice. It executes the time loop mechanic meticulously, its story is twisting and turning constantly, and the excellent voice cast, environmental art, and music work together to create a new type of adventure game. It is not perfect, and you see some cut corners, but what it sacrifices, it makes up for with a satisfying payoff as you delve deeper into its time loop to unravel the mystery at the core.
I always find a message within the selection of the Madden cover athlete, and in the picks of Tom Brady (arguably the greatest quarterback of all time) and Patrick Mahomes (arguably the most naturally gifted QB of all time), the message felt like a dual nod to Madden's age and enduring legacy as well as the promise of a bright future. However, even with the new stuff, I can't shake the sense of sameness in the experience of Madden NFL 22. The love of football keeps me playing, but there were no moments that made me think, "OK, we are in the next generation." That holds the series back while other games have passed it by. It looks like another year where "the leap" will have to wait - if it ever comes at all.
Road 96 shows that it is possible to do a "roguelike," narrative-focused story and do it well. It's a shockingly engaging and well-written game with likeable characters. It's sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes thought-provoking, but no matter what, it never gets boring. Each setback or revelation made me eager to see the next, and my ending felt like a satisfying resolution to the plot that I'd been building. If there were ever a game that defined, "It's the journey, not the destination," it's Road 96, and if you're a fan of quirky, narrative-driven games, then this is well worth a shot.
Last Stop is three interesting stories tied to an entirely pointless set of gameplay. The narrative drives the game and holds your interest, while the gameplay veers between pointless and distracting. Overall, it is an enjoyable romp for anyone who's fond of narrative-driven games. It's hard to escape the sense that I would've enjoyed an animated movie or television show more, but Last Stop is a satisfying, if not very interactive, story.
Foreclosed is an interesting idea that doesn't lean hard enough into its premise to succeed. The neat comic book styling and intriguing "identity theft made law" neo-noir setting give a strong first impression, but the core gameplay is tedious enough that it becomes a chore to get through to reach the more interesting bits. In the end, it feels like it squanders its potential, especially when it all but begs comparisons to similar games that offer the same ideas but are executed better.
The Siege of Paris DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla is less bloated, and that is a positive. It still recycles most of what it did previously, so this expansion does little to get you onboard if you're already burned out on it. As an expansion of Valhalla, The Siege of Paris seriously trims the fat and provides one of the better story arcs we've seen for this entry. The welcome reintroduction of black box missions provides a diversion from the regular grind that is so prevalent in its other content. It's a step in the right direction.
To that end, I'm headed back into Hell with a smile. Hades is some of the most fun I've had playing something, and I would recommend it to anyone.