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The Lamplighters League has enough meat on its bones to make it a comfortable crowd-pleaser for tactics fans, and the careful integration of its many systems couples with a smooth learning curve to make it accessible to genre newcomers. The game taps into some of the best elements of customization and management while neatly avoiding crunchiness, and the only thing that's likely to become overwhelming is the occasional drawn-out battle. Simple to pick up and satisfying to master, The Lamplighters League is a polished tactical adventure that carves out a niche with swashbuckling swagger.
Resident Evil 4 Remake: Separate Ways is just as fun to play as Resident Evil 4 Remake was, although it's much shorter. There are some great set-pieces and moments of camp that you won't find in any other series, and it is nice that Capcom is at least giving Ada and Wesker to the base game's Mercenaries mode for free. But. This whole part of the game used to be free. This was an add-on, a bonus, something Capcom initially packaged in with Resident Evil 4 on the PlayStation 2. All you had to do was beat the game once - there was no extra money involved.
If Infinity Strash had leaned more heavily into the action combat, it would have been an excellent spin-off from the Dragon Quest series and could've been an enjoyable game in its own right. All the right pieces are here - there's just not enough of them. Unfortunately, that means Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai isn't so much an action RPG as an anime rewatch.
Silent Hope seems like a simple premise, but it is executed beautifully. The level of challenge is just right, the loot that is picked up with each run gives a very satisfying feeling, and the story is a journey, not only in what happened within this kingdom but also an exploration of mental health and pride. It truly becomes a dungeon crawler with hidden depths as the philosophy behind the story comes into play and the need to know more of what happened drives players to want to keep going and try to get a little further. Silent Hope is truly a well-crafted experience that offers much more than meets the eye.
Paleo Pines is by no means a bad game - it presents creative new mechanics and is a clear winner for any players who are big fans of dinosaurs. The experience just feels like it could've used a bit more time in the oven to perfect things like its graphics, direction, and the depth of its characters. It may not be perfect, but Paleo Pines offers a laid back and lighthearted adventure across a dinosaur-covered world that's well-suited for any player looking for a relaxing Jurassic adventure.
This title's gorgeous visuals, great sense of humor, and creative crafting make it much easier to overlook the areas in which it falls short. The game weaves a delightful tale full of feline-centric magical realism that's truly delightful, and it's possibly one of the best releases for cat lovers since Stray. Despite its flaws, Mineko's Night Market is perfect for any player looking for a creative and relaxing world to get lost in.
Ultimately there is nothing mind-blowing about Horizon Chase 2, but there also really isn't anything negative either. The only drawback is that there isn't more of it, as the game is pretty quick to complete at roughly eight hours for the entire World Tour unless played on high difficulties that make it harder to progress. Horizon Chase 2 simply feels like a fun game that is perfect at giving a nostalgic feel of a 90s arcade racer, but with much better graphics to smooth it out.
Overall, Payday 3 is another fantastic entry in a series of well received games. It may fall short in its storytelling and player onboarding, but it excels in providing an interesting plot, satisfying gameplay, well-designed levels, smart enemy A.I., and refined gameplay systems. While it's easy to recommend this for players that have access to a team to play with, the same cannot be said about those that don't; an issue that can hopefully be addressed with the changes and updates outlined in Payday 3's roadmap. Payday 3 is smart, fun, and chaotic in every way and is sure to rope in even more members into the Payday Gang.
Overall, Moonstone Island is a wonderful blend of deckbuilding, creature collecting, and traditional cozy life-sim. It is a game that makes it easy to lose track of time as players may be left feeling like they could do just one more day before logging out. The quickness of the passage of time, and the fact that the main story ends after one year is disappointing, but only because there is so much engaging content that Moonstone Island gives players to do that it feels like there should be more time to do it all, and more story to go along with it.
It’s at a good point for the price, and its singleplayer-or-co-op structure means that there’s no issue of threatened server shutdowns to fret over, but it definitely hits its stride as a multiplayer adventure. Unlike a few other nostalgia-bait projects in recent years, MythForce isn’t just a pretty face, but a well-tuned first-person fantasy brawler for people who love the grind.
Overall, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask is a quick and easy trip with good storytelling and interesting characters. Kitakami feels alive, which is no easy feat for DLC this short, and it's arguably better than either DLCs from Gen 8. As with Scarlet and Violet, though, the performance issues only slightly distract from the fun open-world exploration. The mechanics that have made Pokémon games popular for over two decades are still intact. In other words, all the right ingredients are here, even if some issues make the taste bittersweet.
AK-xolotl presents a cute run'n'gun roguelite concept, but an overall simplicity and lack of post-credits gameplay leaves it ultimately underexplored.
Lies of P is an exceptional dissection of the soulslike genre, bolstered by its strong setting and endearing cast, including its puppet protagonist.
Under The Waves is a powerful story with wonderful atmosphere, but a lack of polish holds it back from achieving its true potential.
Gunbrella is a visually stunning & charming game with great gunplay & solid platforming, but it struggles to focus & falls short of its potential.
At its core, Rune Factory 3 Special maintains the elements of the original fans know and love, but doesn't do a lot to innovate beyond its graphics.
[I] Doesn’t Exist is a brief but impactful experience that uses unique mechanics & smart writing to tell a complex & emotional story.
Hercule Poirot's newest outing features some charms, but it struggles to maintain a consistent standard of quality across all aspects of the game.
Where the base game may have initially failed to keep its word, Phantom Liberty delivers. Fans of Night City have plenty to look forward to; between relieving quality-of-life improvements, fresh ways to experience Night City, and a story that'll have players questioning their own values, it embodies all of Cyberpunk 2077's good, and almost none of it's bad.
Broken Edge is elegantly well-balanced with a considerable skill ceiling to reach for, systemically built on finely tuned fighter fundamentals. This would be a terrific game for a group of friends to play together as a fight club and, while not on the level of something like BoxVR, it definitely serves up a workout during extended play sessions. It would be no surprise if it successfully broke through as a viable esport, and its cross-platform functionality with other VR headsets should keep lobbies busy on its new platform launch. Broken Edge is fairly priced for its content – and Trebuchet will hopefully widen its roster with even more additional characters – but solo players should just be fully aware of its multiplayer leanings on entry. En garde!