EIP Gaming's Reviews
As close to flawless as any puzzle game can be, the Talos Principle 2 offers some of the deepest philosophy, most poignant moments, best written characters, and -- of course -- the smartest puzzles in gaming, all beautifully interwoven with each other to produce a masterful experience for contemplative gamers.
While missing some staples of a typical RPG, Long Gone Days is a great game, with a grounded story that effectively showcases the effects war can have on people.
Phantom Liberty is a great addition to Cyberpunk 2077, giving us a great new story, a new perk tree, and a new district to explore. While still not perfect, this expansion and the massive 2.0 patch make this a game well worth playing (or re-playing).
Starfield is a flawed game, but an incredible one. For everything is does right, there are other things that make it boring or uninteresting. With mods, it can be made amazing, but at base, it's a bit of a mess (albeit fun). However, the lack of accessibility options is egregious, making this much-hyped game unplayable for millions.
Larian Studios has truly managed to strike gold with Baldur's Gate, managing to satisfy old trends and innovate with new ones. Baldur's Gate 3 may be the RPG with the most player freedom available on the market today, but all that choice does come at a cost.
Building on classic roots and updating it with modern gameplay, presentation, and progression, Double Dragon Gaiden is an absolutely fantastic beat 'em up. Near-perfect from start to finish, it is a polished example of just how much you can do with a retro property when you’re willing to innovate and modernize the rock-solid core.
Tin Hearts manages to hit the puzzle game sweet spot, offering just the right amount of challenge. Its excellent puzzles, backed by great ambience, make it worth struggling with the less-than-optimal controls, and help you to ignore the 2010s-era character models.
A brief, focused experience, Strayed Lights offers solid combat, a beautiful world, and a compelling narrative. Never before has a game with so much parrying been so wholesome.
Afterimage is a great Metroidvania with a beautiful artstyle and a large world that you can enjoy it in. While there are a few issues with it, the progression and combat make it a fun experience overall. If you want to get the full story of the world and its characters, however, be prepared to hunt for it.
A perfectly serviceable zombie slayer, Dead Island 2 probably won't change the minds of anyone uninterested in looter shooters or zombie games. But for fans of dismembering the dead, or of randomly generated and customizable loot, there's a lot to like in Dambuster Studios' undead-filled Hell-A.
With a clear idea of what it is and what it wants to do, EVERSPACE 2 is an action RPG in space that ticks all the boxes. Offering a satisfying loot system and engaging combat, ROCKFISH have delivered a space shooter that's as nice to look at as it is to play.
A simple but fun game, Saga of Sins is an action platformer that lets you fight against the Seven Deadly Sins while being a monster yourself. The story throws in some twists and horror elements to keep things interesting, but there isn't much here that will surprise or impress players familiar with the genre -- but they still may find it an enjoyable way to spend 8 hours.
It's a simple game, but one in which all the systems work in harmony to create a chilled-out and satisfying experience. With customizable difficulty, decent variety in levels, and a soundtrack that makes you feel like you're in a fancy spa, Terra Nil offers a relaxing opportunity to turn a bleak little square of land into a verdant paradise.
Tchia is the perfect cozy game. It is deeply inspired by the culture of New Caledonia, and in showing that it creates one of the warmest, most engaging experiences in gaming. From its calm exploration to its charming story to its dozens of wonderful little moments, Tchia is one of the best games of 2023 so far. You owe it to yourself to play it.
Pillars of the Earth is a visually stunning game with a deep, immersive story. It's light on actual gameplay, and the slow pace may lose some players' interest early on. Still, it's a solid point-and-click adventure with an interesting setting.
If you like city builders and aren't afraid of a little crunch, give Pharaoh: A New Era a shot-- it'll feel refreshingly different from any modern game in the genre. It's challenging, well-presented, and makes the tweaks it needs to make to be accessible, without compromising on the game's soul.
While technically competent in all ways, the reliance on nostalgia and old "don't-fix-it-if-it-ain't-broke" game mechanics keeps Hogwarts Legacy from really being as stellar as it could be. It does everything well while falling into the Harry Potter trap of forgetting to innovate. Still, it is impossible to ignore the polish on display.
Inkulinati's tactical and strategic depth is equaled by its clever use of medieval marginalia as inspiration for both art, setting, and gameplay. Come for the exploding bean monsters and donkey butt horns, stay for the tricky turn-based combat.
A fun little tragicomic narrative adventure game, Backfirewall_ gets a lot right, with its vibrant environments, apt audio tracks, and authentic characters. The only thing holding back this brief but bombastic game is a slow start to the story and its easy puzzles. An excellent choice for gaming beginners, or people looking for a relaxing way to wind down.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider might be a throwback to the 80s and 90s, and wears its inspirations on its sleeves, but there is a lot more to it than just nostalgia. While Moonrider has flaws, and is a very short experience, it is one worth experiencing for anyone with a fondness for classic platformers and grungy aesthetics.