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Mile High Taxi brings a huge chunk of Crazy Taxi's frivolity to the futuristic skies, and it's clear that solo developer Cassius John-Adams has put their heart and soul into making this a truly Crazy ride.
The whole thing is a delight, and one of the more interesting takes on the deckbuilding roguelike genre I've played since Monster Train, which is apt, because it definitely takes some inspiration from that game. This is one of those games I'll be playing for months and possibly years to come, because it just feels good when you finally get a strong run going. However, the difficulty may put off some players. I recommend pushing through and fighting for those small successes, and those that do so will be rewarded by one of the best indie games of 2023 so far.
Meet Your Maker is a cunning blend of testing your skills and wits against devious deathtraps, and the creative joys of creating your own murderous mazes. The progression systems are a bit slow, the restrictions it puts on your ability to create levels somewhat restrictive, but there's the foundations of a game here that Behaviour Interactive can build upon.
Fueled Up may be an Overcooked! clone but it nonetheless has some intriguing ideas that set it apart from other games in the genre. Unfortunately, the issues with pacing, poor tutorials, haphazard controls, and difficulty spikes make for an uneven experience that will not suit many players. If you've done Ghost Town Game's finest to death then Fueled up might be worth a look, otherwise, forget fuelling spaceships and go fry some burgers instead.
With thoroughly inconsistent combat and painful platforming, The Crown of Wu has earned itself the unfortunate and distinctive demerit of being the worst video game based on the Journey to the West.
After a thrilling opening, Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo descends into utter farce. This awkward attempt at a narrative adventure is hampered by ridiculously long loading times, terrible animation, and awkward vocal performances. Give this one a wide birth and just go watch the film instead.
LOUD is a fun guitar arcade experience. The songs are fun to play through and are very reminiscent of a specific time for music. An initial run can be quite short but there is replay value in trying to get S ranks on songs, and unlocking higher levels.
The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog is a simple and fun visual novel adventure that any Sonic fan can click with. Even though it's been released for April Fools, the game is well polished and offers a truly engaging experience.
I really wanted to like Crime Boss: Rockay City, but it just feels like it was haphazardly thrown together, and the result is a game that feels like a bad copy of a popular franchise, with the tired actors, awful dialogue and repetitive gameplay really putting the boot in.
Ravenbound is a striking Scandinavian fantasy, and one that's often a delight to experience. However, this particular open world can often feel too empty and lifeless, relying on a player's thorough involvement in its collection of gameplay ideas to stay engaged.
While it paints its dystopian future in broad strokes and has some rough edges, there's a worthwhile and enjoyable tale to experience within The Last Worker.
As a wrestling fan, I want to create five-star classic matches, with back-and-forth action, near falls, and iconic moments, but ultimately WWE 2K23 cannot facilitate that. Messy and overly complicated controls hamper those efforts, but it's 2K's obsession with players winning matches that ensure this professional wrestling game misses the point entirely.
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos is an idiosyncratic adventure, managing to be jaw-droppingly beautiful, fun and often mesmerising while hanging on to some of the Souls-like genre's most frustrating elements.
Helvetti has buckets of charm, offering delightful 2D visuals that will impress any player with ease. Unfortunately, the feathery, button-mashing combat is less appealing, whilst the uninspired rogue-like mechanics never really click.
Every Atelier Ryza entry has been the best Atelier game yet, and Atelier Ryza 3 is no exception. It's the perfect final chapter for fans of Ryza and her story, but it's also the most polished and expansive exploration of the core ideals of the franchise we've seen yet – alchemy feels natural, exploration feels natural, and combat is a delightful adrenaline rush. It's sad to see my favourite tomboy alchemist go away, but if this game is any indication, the Atelier series will only get even better from here.
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is a game like no other. The art is incredible, and the gameplay perfectly blends simple combat with exhaustive customization. Above all else, the story is an unforgettable and unmatched journey that absolutely blew me away. This is one of NIS America's best games, and probably the best dungeon crawling RPG you'll ever play.
Tchia is clearly a labour of love as Awaceb try to bring their culture to the rest of the world and show off what it has to offer. I absolutely love that tone and feel, but the way Tchia is packaged and paced means that it is ultimately feels like less than the sum of its parts.
Trails to Azure is The Legend of Heroes at its best. With some of the most enjoyable characters, jaw-dropping events and immersive world-building of the entire franchise, it's clear why this Crossbell duology has been held in such high acclaim by fans for so long. If you've struggled for ages to find the right time to get into Legend of Heroes, your wait is over - start here with Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is a more mature and darker take on Leon's Euro Trip that constantly plays with your expectations and prior knowledge. The core narrative stays true to the original, but it's not afraid to make some significant changes, while the new gameplay flow lends itself brilliantly for repeated runs for specific challenges that I'm already planning. I'm eagerly awaiting the Mercenaries mode as the hard hitting combat should be perfect for high score chasing, but in the meantime Leon is about to have a bad day all over again.
DC Justice League Cosmic Chaos is a light hearted and comedic super hero game, with gameplay that is approachable for all. While the battling can get a bit repetitive at times the story and the charm of Happy Harbor will keep you going through to the end.