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Death Howl provides healing to one of life’s most challenging experiences: the death of a close loved one. As Ro physically fights through this world, defeating monsters to save her son, many of her most important battles are emotional, as she wrestles with grief. While Death Howl leans heavily into its Soulslike difficulty, its chess-like tactics allow for countless possibilities. I logged about 56 hours completing quests and exploring the world, and I’m just short of that platinum trophy. You better believe I’ll be back to finish it and revel in the spirited strangeness of another world.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is an incredibly well-rounded addition to the survival-horror genre. It successfully reimagines the Resident Evil franchise while helping series newcomers begin their RE journey without the intimidation of pre-established lore or the need to play older, fixed-camera games (such as the original Resident Evil, or Resident Evil 0). Nearly 10 years later, the game still holds up incredibly well.
I may harp about Demon Tides’ issues, but that’s only because I want this game to succeed. Fabraz continues to create some of the most interesting collectathons on the market, and not since A Hat in Time have I found myself so enthralled by a game’s frame-by-frame platforming mechanics. Like A Hat in Time, though, the jank is real. I wish the game’s colorful visuals and open-world design could shine properly, but performance issues and bugs often drag down the experience. And yet, the game offers far too much fun for me not to recommend it. I 100%’d everything in about 25 hours, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every second.
As a platformer-meets-horror game, Love Eternal is equal parts aggravating and enlightening. The story is opaque, with an ending that had me scratching my head, and yet I found myself wildly engrossed. The platforming is woefully undercooked, but a mid-game genre shift almost (almost) redeems the entire experience. Add in a late-game curveball that, while I won’t spoil here, is bound to invite plenty of speculation, and Love Eternal is a work of art that deserves praise. Now, is that art fun? Is it something I’d recommend to a majority of people, or even to diehard platformer fans? I can’t say I would — the goods just aren’t here. However, if you’re willing to compromise your sanity a bit, you’ll find a dimension to Love Eternal that’s worth exploring.
I am having an absolute blast with Mewgenics. Even after playing for over 30 hours, I can tell I have only cracked the surface of what the game has to offer. Like many roguelikes, the game’s difficulty and design demand many playthroughs and hours to build up your arsenal of resources and personal skill to beat the entire game. There is a genuinely impressive number of enemies, items, and ability synergies that are incredibly satisfying to discover. I’m looking forward to exploring new areas, experimenting with new ability combinations, and breeding new genetically monstrous kitties for many more hours. Based on how addicting Mewgenics is, I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.
As it currently stands, Bladesong is a truly brilliant game, with a huge amount of painstaking effort put into its development. The story is novel-worthy, the artwork is breathtaking, and the sword-making mechanics are innovative and enjoyable to use. While it isn’t perfect and could use some polishing in places, the game has incredible potential, and I’m excited to see what it becomes. If you have an interest in fantasy, history, weaponry, or even just enjoy a good book, I cannot recommend Bladesong enough.
Ultimately, the tragedy of Big Hops is that it’s clearly so close to being a remarkable game. The gameplay mechanics and level architecture are fantastic, and I hope the team at Luckshot can bring over that same philosophy and design ethos to something a little more refined. Even if Luckshot fixes the crashes and frame rate issues, Big Hops has little to offer outside of its great gameplay mechanics. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not enough.
I was absolutely riveted by TR-49. I played in two long sessions, finishing the game in about seven hours. However, I wanted more — and so I did something I almost never do, and spent extra time getting 100% of the achievements, discovering multiple endings. TR-49 achieves everything it sets out to do. Furthermore, for its amazingly low price point of $6.99, TR-49 is an absolute bargain for an experience this good. If you love books, weird games, games that make you think, great audio design, code-breaking, war-time stories, and/or poignant reflections on what it means to be alive in the world, then you'll love TR-49. I could hardly bear to put TR-49 down, and once you try it, neither will you.
I enjoyed Perfect Tides: Station to Station far more than I expected I would. It’s gritty, entertaining, and painfully relatable. It’s also very likely changed my opinion on point-and-clicks forever. For a simple, somewhat emotionally exhausting, story-oriented game, it definitely hits the mark. There are areas where I felt it could have been improved mechanics-wise, and I doubt I’d play through it again, but I do absolutely think it’s worth a try for anyone with an appreciation for storytelling, art, or comically large eyes.
Neon Inferno is an incredibly polished experience, but it is ultimately quite a short one. If you’re quick to learn its patterns, the game can be completed in under two hours. That brevity feels deliberate. The game tells a full, complete story without padding itself too much or overstaying its welcome (frustrating chase sequences aside). It trades length for momentum and clarity. Coupled with the gorgeous visuals, Neon Inferno is a flame that burns brightly and fades quickly. Its layered combat, relentless pacing, and unapologetic spectacle make every clean run feel earned.
While I can ho and hum about minor issues all day, I do need to stress that Marvel Cosmic Invasion cannot possibly be confused for a bad game. Whatever nitpicks I have about the presentation are offset by gameplay improvements and the solid foundation it builds off of. If you’re a fan of Tribute Games’ previous work, this will scratch an itch for more. If you’re in a friend group aching for a chaotic fun time, this will serve you all very well. And if you’re a Marvel fan, there’s enough love on display in the characters and cameos to satisfy all the die-hards. Even my cynical, nitpicking heart can’t overcome the fact that I am all three.
Constance is a game that’s tragically at odds with itself. Its story feels like a warm blanket, but its boss battles are a trial by fire. Its world is vibrant, but its map is cumbersome. Perhaps that’s the point — that finding solace takes pain, perseverance, and self-determination. I can respect the vision, but I’m just not sure the final product did that vision justice. I admire the effort put into Constance and commend bildundtonfabrik for treating the mental health crisis with the care and compassion it deserves. If ever the team created a sequel, this canvas could really take flight. As is, Constance is a good oeuvre that could’ve been great.
The Séance of Blake Manor is the third game from developer Spooky Doorway, and it’s the small Irish studio’s most ambitious yet. My playthrough lasted about 20 hours, but I took the time to have extra conversations, finish side quests, and explore every nook and cranny. The love that has been poured into Blake Manor — literally and in-game — is apparent. I feel lucky to have entered these hallowed grounds and hope it will be made available on more platforms soon so that more people can experience it.
I adored my time with GigaSword and ultimately didn’t want it to end. It is the special type of game you stay up late devouring, go to bed thinking about, and wake up wanting to play more. The classic metroidvania loop of exploring, finding abilities, and breaking new ground is beautifully complemented by a deceptively simple puzzle mechanic that had my synapses firing left and right. And bashing enemies to bits with your massive sword is pretty awesome too.
Overall, I did enjoy my time with Demonschool. Its vibrant cast of characters and fun take on the Killing School Life genre helped elevate the journey, but the needless amount of combat, lack of meaningful variety or rewards, and bugs soured the experience somewhat. While Demonschool is a worthy addition to the genre, I am more excited to see what comes next.
Possessor(s) is Heart Machine’s best work since Hyper Light Drifter — a flawed but powerful return to form. Even when the mechanics stumble, Possessor(s) never loses its emotional clarity. Some rough edges — clunky traversal, uneven combat, and convoluted navigation — hold it back from true greatness. But beneath the frustrations lies a beautiful, heartfelt tale that sticks with you.
I can’t help but feel this same sense of hopelessness at the end of my time with Bye Sweet Carole. I chased the experience of a time in the past, a nostalgia for hand-drawn animated media and some childhood-like scares. Each time the experience got close, something would blow that hope a little further, whether it was an annoying monster that felt unavoidable in the game’s level design or a glitch that made progress impossible. I never caught up with my metaphorical flying piece of paper. In reality, Bye Sweet Carole is an intricately animated experience that hides a disappointingly broken experience.
Absolum is one of the toughest games I’ve ever reviewed. Structurally, it’s a letdown, with disappointing balance choices, unrelenting RNG, and a progression system that feels half-baked in comparison with other contemporary roguelikes. Mechanically, however, it’s probably the strongest beat-em-up I’ve ever played. The sublime combat ultimately wins out. Even when I was struggling to grind through runs, I was having a blast stringing up combos and laying waste to my enemies. If Dotemu ever decides to make a sequel, they could be on to something revolutionary. For now, Absolum will just have to settle as something great.
PowerWash Simulator 2 probably doesn’t need to exist. FuturLab could have released DLC packs for the original PowerWash Simulator and players would have been fairly happy. But the small additions, system changes, and overall size of the game do justify the sequel existing. While the changes probably aren’t enough to allure someone who wasn’t already interested in power washing, players who do Want More Water will be thrilled with what is inside.
Yooka-Replaylee is a very solid 3D platformer that elevates the original in as many ways as it can. Much like any other remake or remaster, however, one’s enjoyment of this game rests partially on how much you liked the original. If you liked Yooka-Laylee, you’ll love Yooka-Replaylee. If you hated Laylee, you probably still won’t like Replaylee. I thought Yooka-Laylee was a cromulent but uneven experience when I first played it. Yooka-Replaylee, on the other hand, is a lot of fun, and changed most of what I wished had been better about its predecessor. Sometimes, a game just needs a second chance to really shine brighter, even if some of the original blemishes remain.