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.
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.
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.
Echo Generation does require its players to think a bit more than we're currently used to, and some may run into a couple of snags along the way, but even that adds to the experience, and solving the puzzle of where to go and what to do next is a huge part of the charm.
F1 22 is a very good game, and fans of the game should enjoy it as well as previous editions. It has enough changes to avoid yearly FIFA talk about it being the same game but keeping the core to easily allow older players to adapt to the new game.
Happy endings are not exactly a theme in the 40K universe but it looks like the process of delivering this game had one. Complex Games successfully worked through the pressure to deliver an unforgettable Grey Knight escapade and provided 40K fans with another game in the "Good" column.
Dead Island 2 is everything its predecessor shined at and much, much more. This zombie shooter from Deep Silver brings us Los Angeles like we've never seen it before, full of beautiful landscapes, celebrities to rescue, and zombies to slay.
With some of the most satisfying and electrifying racing that video games have to offer, F1 23 represents the true pinnacle of the long-running Formula 1 simulation series.
If you have a fondness for engaging shooting mechanics, visually stunning landscapes, and well-designed enemies, along with a certain level of tolerance for Souls-like games, then Remnant 2 is unquestionably the perfect game for you.
Minus the periodic CTD issues, Shadow Gambit was one hell of a treasure hunt that took the cursed pirate fantasy and made the most of it. While perfection is unattainable, this game came really close to it and the good times are a promise to anyone willing to join the Marley and her crew.
Whether you want an awesome teambuilding session at a low cost, to bond with your friends and family, or just have a relaxing period of fun after a long day, Party Animals is a great way to do it. When you stack up the minuscule cost and download size against the massive replayability and fun potential, the decision to jump in becomes a no-brainer.