TheGamer's Reviews
Bleach: Rebirth of Souls has some uneven presentation and can get overly repetitive towards the end of its campaign, but its more thoughtful combat mechanics and commitment to doing the series’ story justice make it a strong first entry in what I hope is a new series. Whether you’re a seasoned Bankai user or a newcomer to the Soul Society like me, Rebirth of Souls is sure to show you why Bleach earned its place in The Big Three.
Your House is a good facsimile of an escape room, but the flaws only become more apparent in the digital realm.
I suspect that most fans of the Soulslike genre will have a great time with The First Berserker: Khazan - especially if their primary focus is on the gameplay. It has some thoughtful approaches to easing frustration while maintaining that rewarding, Soulsian challenge.
As someone who spent countless childhood holidays roaming these same Cumbrian hills before returning to a static caravan or family tent, Atomfall perfectly captures the British countryside. Combine that with a brilliant quest system and the tension of survival combat, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Now grab that cricket bat and decapitate a zombie before it eats your brains with Yorkshire puddings and gravy.
I hope that work on Kaiserpunk continues and the developers flesh out some of the systems, rework the UI, and work on both key aspects of the game (city building and regional management) to add more detail. There’s a lot of potential here, but Kaiserpunk’s just not quite ready for war.
Life sim fans are certain to lap it up with gusto, providing they can overcome the graphical barrier. The real test of whether InZoi will reign as the life sim king will come with time, as long as regular updates happen and Krafton delivers on the promise of all it has in development.
Despite some repetition and bloat that makes Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final stretch drag more than the rest of the game excites, its brave approach to exploration in a gorgeous world, heartfelt personal stories, and satisfying tweaks to the formula still make it stand as one of my favourite entries yet. While no one can say if Shadows will be the all-timer hit that both Ubisoft and the series need right now, I can at least say that it’s more than worthy of your time.
If you dropped Final Fantasy VII Rebirth like a hot potato because the phrase “Regional Intel” haunted your dreams, you might need to give this game a skip, but for everybody else out there, expect a bit of a bumpy ride that is ultimately well worth the turbulence.
Wanderstop balances the discomfort brought on by seeing a game strike so true at the heart of burnout with being an absolute pleasure to play, full of delightful secrets and a healthy helping of whimsy. I’m awed at how well it’s all balanced and how, despite some occasionally schlocky dialogue, it so effectively gets its point across.
The Gate Rune And Dunan Unification Wars is still the easiest way to access the first two games in the Suikoden franchise, and despite my many quibbles, the quality of the original titles bears out. That is more than enough to justify this collection’s existence, even if it does feel like a bit of a squandered opportunity.
Shortcomings aside, there is still nothing like Split Fiction in the modern gaming landscape, and so long as Hazelight sees fit to keep on making games like this, I’ll keep on showing up.
Knights In Tight Spaces is still a worthy successor to Fights In Tight Spaces, and the first deckbuilder to really catch my attention in 2025.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a fantastic game for those who appreciate short story collections that encompass all things weird and creepy. I played it on my Steam Deck, curled up in bed with it much like I would with one of my folklore books. Just don’t forget to check under your bed before you get into it.
Now that I’m old enough to appreciate this Interactive Display on how to curate a museum that’ll keep them coming back for more, I don’t foresee myself hanging up my name badge anytime soon.
For older fans wanting a hit of nostalgia, plenty of these games don’t hold up to revisits almost 25 years later. With none of the usual gubbins we’ve come to expect from retro anthologies, all you’re getting out of Early Days Collection is having your rose-tinted glasses stamped on.
It’s a streamlined Monster Hunter that goes to great lengths to avoid all of the fiddly (and often confusing) systems the series is known for. That’s a noble goal and one that I ultimately found to be refreshing, but in its simplification, it naturally sacrifices some interesting complexity.
Pirate Yakuza goes all in on making Majima the most charming, endearing, and downright loveable rogue he’s ever been. It takes everything Majima and ramps it up to a million, throws in some added pirate spice and soul searching for the main man, and has him performing stunts and smacking down enemies as if he’s a character in his prime, not a 60 year old fast approaching retirement.
But the game's utter sincerity is a major point in its favor, and these kinds of missteps are a side effect. If I have to put up with some deeply goofy choices in order to get a character as heartbreakingly earnest as Swann Holloway, I'll accept the trade-off.
Avowed is a valiant attempt at fantasy you can play your way, but while it delivers well enough with combat, the narrative just isn’t there. Too ambitious in what it wants to do, it falls way short.
I left Afterlove EP feeling more confused and frustrated than I was moved. It has a lot of interesting things to say about moving on from loss, the vicious hold that grief can have on us, and how art and love are intertwined, and its character writing is excellent, but the whole experience felt too unfocused and directionless to say anything concrete.