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Bilkin’s Folly is a game that I could recommend to almost anyone in the mood for a treasure-hunting adventure. Its tone and characters highlight the experience and make the longer-than-expected time sail by, whilst its puzzling is largely engaging if drawn back by more obtusely difficult puzzles and some technical hiccups that will surely be fixed in short order.
Firewall Ultra has quickly moved itself to the regular playlist at my home. The game's fun and unique style of combat over other FPS titles on the market make for some interesting matches and tactics.
Starfield is not for everyone, but it is a game that can be truly special individually when players try to make their adventure within it. Unlike the Bethesda blueprint that appears at the game's foundation, there is no blueprint for how to play Starfield.
It is almost uncanny how the story of Jumplight Odyssey is analogous to its current state in Early Access, with both the game and the flagship SDF Catalina in functional yet imperfect states, as both seek to work towards optimisation, development of systems and eventually the salvation of the Forever Star/ 1.0 Launch.
The cast of characters here is super-likable and is the most I've enjoyed a High School cast in a video game since Life is Strange: Beyond the Storm. KO_OP may have taken a long time to get Goodbye Volcano High out the door, but it's been more than worth the wait for this final product, which is one of my favourite games of the year.
In summary, while Diablo IV has been released with a few annoying issues, the gameplay is enjoyable, and I enjoy the story. Unfortunately, the game hasn't been able to keep me invested after the story was complete.
There's not much here aside from wholesome vibes and messaging, but the game never overstays its welcome, knowing it's a short and sweet experience from the outset and delivering a lovely Amazon Rainforest visit.
As the credits rolled for Venba, I began thinking about how this would be someone's favourite game of 2023 and maybe one of their favourites of all time.
Families can get more out of this as an entry-level Metroidvania. Still, even as much as the game succeeded in charming me at times with the core characters, it's hard to recommend this to anyone over the many other Nintendo Switch exclusive 2D platformers.
From a pure gameplay perspective, AEW: Fight Forever nails it.
Although Speed Crew can initially seem confusing, once you click, you'll be yelling, "Pass the 3/4 torque wrench!" l
Aliens: Dark Descent is an excellent Aliens game, and I hope it's patched quickly to address the issues some players like myself are running into so I can wholeheartedly recommend it to fans. Because what's here is some of the tensest Aliens action I've played in a game, with a surprisingly exciting narrative to pull it all together.
Lego 2K Drive has thrown many popular arcade racer ideas together and asked, what works? For the Lego fan, this is going to scratch a specific itch. I don't think we need to see a "Scotty Smash" to fix this build, but to fulfil the desires of Lego racers, young and old; some tweaks will be needed in a sequel.
My time with Knight Crawlers, although initially frustrating, was rather enjoyable. I appreciated it more after discovering a small team designed and created the game.
The zippy speed, 80s-style death sports game show aesthetic and sound tactical decisions all coalesce into an experience suited to both tactics veterans looking for a shorter sugar hit or novices wanting an easy way into the genre.
Combat feels more lively from the get-go, with Cal already able to use plenty of force abilities and feeling like a Jedi; the narrative is much more exciting thanks to a clear focus in the opposite direction of the upcoming events of the films, and instead into the secret untapped potential at the feet of all Star Wars storytelling.
While Like a Dragon: Ishin! definitely feel at times like a PS4 launch game with odd animations and extensive load times, the gameplay and story still hold up today.
Dead Island 2 knows exactly what it wants to be, and it goes for the jugular with extreme melee combat and dismembering slow-motion finishing moves.
If you enjoyed your time with Horizon Forbidden West, you'll want to play Burning Shores. It's the next chapter in the Horizon story, a stepping stone towards the next game while also giving you an excuse to fly, dive, and glide around this beautiful world once again.
Everything in Octopath Traveller II coalesces in a way that makes an enjoyable classical style of RPG.