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A colourful world, an emergent soundtrack and tight controls make Ynglet one of the most memorable indie games I've played in some time. On occasion, the level design could be a little confusing, but it was never enough to ruin my experience. From start to finish, Ynglet is an exhilarating adventure based in a stunning world.
Cotton Fantasy is a beautiful love-letter to the best parts of an iconic, decades-old shoot-em-up franchise. The characters are cuter than ever, the shooting is funner than ever, and the wide variety of play styles and bonus stages to master makes this a game worth returning to plenty of times over.
A tale of high stakes con artistry in the early 1700s, Card Shark never lets up as it teaches you card trick after card trick, has you run con after con while immersing you in a conspiracy that'd make a royal blush.
An absorbing, interactive Doctor Who-style time mystery, which is, without a doubt, wholly unique.
Kao the Kangaroo is an often-delightful throwback to a simpler time, paying homage to the 3D platformers of yesteryear while retaining just enough of its own identity. Most importantly, its platforming and combat are both on point, and thanks to its likeable characters you'll want to see it through to the end.
Unexplored2 is an ambitious and interesting roguelike that falls short of what it could be. The unique Dungeons & Dragons inspired roleplaying system is let down by lacklustre combat feel and a litany of bugs that lead to frustration. I do think it's a title that's worth keeping an eye on though, as there's a whole heap of potential resting just under the surface.
I was hoping for something unique in the pantheon of Koei Tecmo's long-lived franchise, but it's a step backwards. Fans of the Touken Ranbu franchise may get a kick out of seeing their beloved swords in 3D, but for the rest of the world you have to hope that it isn't indicative of where Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is heading.
With a new WW2 tale to tell and Axis plot to foil, Sniper Elite 5 expands and refines a lot of the action that will be familiar to fans of Sniper Elite 4. There's a few rough edges, but this is a fun stealth action romp for Karl Fairburne.
Having spent a couple hours with the final release of Roller Champions, it’s definitely a future sports game that’s got some juice to it. It’s reductive to say it’s just Roller Derby Rocket League, but that’s also how it’s going to get people’s attention so it can showcase the kinds of skilful play and team-based gaming that could make it a success. Will it stick around for the long-run? Well, for that we’ll just have to wait and see.
Parkasaurus is a delightful park management sim. Its cute dinosaur designs and relaxed pace will suit all Jurassic fans, despite the obvious lack of Jeff Goldblum.
Played together with a group of friends and the wild array of modifiers mixing things up, Golf Gang is an absolute hoot, especially as both shot play and time count to your score. It's a party game through and through, but just feels a bit light (as many mini golf games do) when played on your own.
Swansong is a good investigative adventure dressed up in vampire finery, but doesn't quite live up to my expectations due to some overly restrictive design and a disconnect between the third person perspective and the largely text and table top mechanics. Once some of the bugs are patched and there are resources available to support the build choices you make, there is a solid adventure to be found here. It's not the new Bloodlines, but it's an authentic Vampire: The Masquerade experience nonetheless.
Soundfall is a whole heap of rhythm-action, loot-driven, Discord-smashing fun. It's also one of the indie highlights of 2022.
Evil Dead fans will love the amount of fan service on offer here, from the painstaking recreation of movie locations to Bruce Campbell's goofy one-liners. However, when it comes to raw entertainment value, there's an imbalance between the forces of good and evil. Playing as the survivors can be fun with friends but lacks the fun or variety of being an evildoer.
Trek to Yomi is a game that really does evoke the style of Kurosawa films, with a good story and good characters. However, it is let down by a combat system that can feel clunky and unresponsive against enemies that are a little too straightforward to defeat. If you enjoy sidescrollers and samurai then it may be worth spending the few hours it takes to play through it.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has a slow and snore-worthy opening hour, but hiding behind that repetitive introduction is an incredible blend of high-octane 2.5D combat and rewarding resource gathering gameplay. The icing on the cake, though, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe-worthy parade of character cameos and appearances that promise some of the many faces you'll be battling alongside (or maybe even against) once Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes comes out.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is a great take on the turn-based strategy genre, encouraging front-foot combat with a strike force of empowered Grey Knights at your disposal. It takes a while to get going, the situations and enemies you encounter lack a bit of variety, but this is an accomplished effort that's easy to recommend to fans of Warhammer 40K and XCOM alike.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most ambitious Lego game yet, and despite the occasional technical mishap it delivers a daring and often delightful romp through the most iconic film franchise of all time.
The rerelease of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a welcome one - it's always good to see these games brought back for a new generation. The fighting feels as good as ever, and looks better than ever thanks to modern hardware, but the storyline and pacing almost feel antithetical in a franchise that was built on just that. Is it a solid fighting game that fans will love? Absolutely. Is it a must-buy for Persona fans? No, probably not.
Rogue Legacy 2 is a sequel with great genes. The sense of progression constantly pulls your forward, all of the new mechanics and unlocks add a lot more depth and longevity to the game, and the combat and platforming feel just as solid as they did in the first game. It's an excellent roguelite that offers a lot of stuff to do as long as you're willing to put in the time.