AltChar's Reviews
Black Book is an amazing offering from the five-person team at Morteshka. Its highs, lows and everything in between is bursting at the seams with the love and care Vladimir Beletskiy, Ildar Alimov, Mikhail Shvachko, Andrey Khudozhidkov and Darya Solonets put into the project. Black Book will take you 20-ish hours to finish and, if you're anything like me, you'll treasure every second of it.
This is not a perfect game but in reality, that is something games should only strive for and not one of them will ever reach. With that in mind, Black Lab Games certainly did an amazing job in that pursuit as Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is the first game of 2021 I felt sad to finish. Just like Red Thirst nudges Blood Angels to want more blood, Battlesector nudges me to crave another campaign.
Hi-Fi Rush has pretty much everything that makes a video game fun and even more importantly it's not trying to be overly precise and challenging like many other rhythm-based games. It's a complete package that hits the right notes over and over again, proving that big publishers should just let developers create games they really want to create.
Blasphemous 2 brings a stunning grotesque world to explore and stories that will haunt you long after you complete this truly remarkable action-platformer.
If CD Projekt Red had to make amends for the disappointing launch of Cyberpunk 2077, they certainly have done that with Phantom Liberty. Simply preem.
Frostpunk 2 is an absolutely incredible game, a true shining masterpiece with a unique setting, mechanics and addicting gameplay loop. Since it's also on Game Pass, I'm recommending it even to players who aren't really into these types of games. You won't regret it.
Obsidian's Pentiment is a multi-layered masterpiece full of endearing characters, compelling stories, and disturbing secrets that await you at every corner of this carefully crafted world. It's a charming video game that discusses difficult social themes and struggles of ordinary people, acting as a history lesson that will stay in your memory for a long long time, as every masterpiece does.
Lords of the Fallen stands as a genuine ode to the souls-like genre, a shining masterpiece that deserves recognition as one of the finest action RPGs in recent years.
With all its strengths and only a handful of minor shortcomings, I'd confidently declare that Alan Wake 2 stands as one of the standout releases of this year. Every moment you'll invest in the game will undeniably be time well spent.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fantastic game with a compelling story, excellent graphics and sound presentation, and one of the most complex yet entertaining gameplay experiences in the world of video games.
Few games in recent times have been able to do what Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has done: make me feel so engaged and immersed that I wish the feeling would never stop. It is a game that will keep you in constant awe throughout the playtime with its fantastic and mysterious story, incredible graphic and sound presentation and realistic and brutal combat that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Over the last few years, Call of Duty has struggled to deliver compelling stories or campaigns that will thoroughly impress us, but that's about to change because the Black Ops 6 campaign is arguably one of the best Call of Duty campaigns ever.
If you are looking for a casual or competitive hero shooter to play alone or with your friends, I recommend diving into Marvel Rivals; you will easily end up putting a few hundred hours into the game once you get a hang of the heroes and core gameplay loop.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is hands down a must-play for anyone who’s into Medieval open-world gameplay. All of it combines into a package that justifies the 59.99€ price tag, or 79.99€ if you’re going for the Gold Edition. Honestly, this is a serious Game of the Year contender.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is From Software's finest work yet with best-in-class combat, world design and exploration. Add stunning bosses that eclipse those of the base game and a whole slate of fantastic dungeons, weapons and armour and you have one of the greatest if not the greatest expansion ever made.
The First Berserker: Khazan is hands down one of the best Souls-likes that came out recently and can go hand-in-hand with the most outstanding FromSoft titles with zero problems.
Everything in Europa is crafted to fully immerse and relax you, which was clearly the developers' goal—and they nailed it. From start to finish, the game has a therapeutic effect, allowing you to enjoy every moment in a completely stress-free experience.
Double Fine's sequel to the classic action-adventure platformer from 2005 is everything we hoped to get from Raz's new adventure. Its charming but hilariously written characters and story, stupidly fun platform sequences, gorgeous level design and stunning art style make it a serious game of the year contender.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous' countless storytelling and gameplay qualities contribute to the proper definition of "RPG", which is something AAA games often like to throw away these days.
With just two people in the core team, and a total of five when you factor in people behind the video production, music and background melody for the sales pitch, Alien Pixel Studios created a game that is an absolute joy to go through. With exceptional gameplay design and no visible weaknesses, Unbound: Worlds Apart is a breathtaking indie you shouldn't miss out on.