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A few finnicky glitches here, a few difficulty problems there, and I'm still happy to call this game the best in the franchise since Black Flag in 2013 (ironically enough, the last title in the franchise to bridge the gap between generations). Assassin's Creed Valhalla proves that even the big big companies can find ways to bring tons of heart and charm to a cash cow franchise all while embracing its past and setting up for an exciting future.
It's incredibly hard to sleep on this one, as it literally comes free with every PS5, but I can recommend this as the first thing you play on the console without any hesitation. Make the time for it to see where this generation's headed. You won't regret it.
The stealth can be frustrating at times, the bugs can be grating, and it can be simpler than you might want it to be, but El Hijo still has a lot to love. Honig Studios have crafted an incredibly wholesome experience with a freedom in choice about how to approach each scenario that leaves things nice and flexible. It's an extremely breezy experience, one you can glide through in a few sittings, that I think this industry needs more of.
While I fully understand that this game's impact was made stronger by my own personal experiences, I think Minute of Islands is something special for all. The care put into the artistry at nearly every level shows mastery of the art form that few others are able to match. Studio Fizbin is an incredible collective of artists, both with the pen and with code, and I cannot wait to see what they make next.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a special release. Although the game's original design may not have aged well in a world where platformers like Celeste and Super Meat Boy have shown how to balance steep difficulty with generally good design, this rare remake of a nearly 40 year old game not only recaptures the feel of the original completely, but also does what it can to modernize it appropriately for new audiences.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs has grown on me since I finished it. It might not be for everyone — and it might fight against itself on the way to the finish line. But if there's anything this game taught me, it's that the roughest edges can only be softened with time.
I can understand why someone could come away supremely disappointed with Beasts of Maravilla Island, but I don't think I'm one of those people. Games like these are rare and should be supported, so if you found any interest to latch onto in this review, get your tickets to Maravilla Island and experience the wonder of this brief mythical photography tour.
Mythic Ocean, similar to Immortals Fenyx Rising before it, humanizes larger-than-life characters with grander destinies than we mere mortals could ever hope for. It tells a story of friendship and empathy (or at least my version of the story did) that showcases the power of positivity in the face of uncertainty. Even considering minor issues with the pacing of the late-game progression and with the overall discovery of unique scenes and endings in follow-up playthroughs, I loved my time with Mythic Ocean, and I think you will too if you're a fan of good stories and good vibes.
As I approached the end of Chicory, wiping tears out of my eyes and grinning like a fool, it became immediately apparent that this game had broken through as one of those special games. As one of my favorites of all time. At some point, I knew where Chicory would rank in my books, and it blew me away. I didn't think we'd get here so soon, but . . .
It pains me to say that Biomutant feels like a lot of rough drafts of ideas were cobbled together to create an incoherent whole. Experiment 101 has a lot of interesting things at work here and I really hope they keep making games, but focusing in one or two of their best concepts instead of tossing everything they have at a game would serve them well.
Death's Door is all around professional. It's incredibly polished, well crafted with sound mechanics, and for the most part, it's a blast to play. I just wish the game surprised me more often. I wish it had something new to say, something different to offer. Everything else is so damned good and I don't want to come off as negative at all. I just felt that this great game was a few pieces away from being an all-time classic. Either way, it's easy to recommend spending some time knocking on Death's Door.
I've got a few nitpicks, but when I take a moment to loop back to the good... The Forgotten City is damn great. It's a story that had me hooked from beginning to end with layers I eagerly peeled back, before realizing I was staring at an epic worthy of being told amongst the Roman and Greek greats.
From beginning to end, I found myself waiting for the moment where Road 96's wheels fell off — it never came. With its ambitious randomized engine and political storyline, they had more than a few opportunities to fumble the concept. Instead, Digixart provided an interesting and human experience that we'd recommend to all fans of story-driven releases.
Boomerang X is a thrilling achievement. It's light, breezy, action-packed, and it doesn't hold back from beginning to end. Fans of classic shooters will settle in nicely here, but there's a certain quality to its controlled chaos that I think will appeal to gamers of all sorts. For a debut release, DANG! blew past all expectations, and I can't wait to see how they get our blood pumping again with future releases.
Overall, Astria Ascending is a perfectly good JRPG that is familiar and traditional in a way that is both refreshing and frustrating. What it does differently from others in its class (fun and unique temple puzzles, amazing quality art assets) are enough to help it rise from the ashes of its storytelling faults. Major difficulty spikes and repetitive encounters hold it back from greatness and may make this a skip for some, but the adventure will speak to many fans of classic JRPGs.
Ambition sells a fairly unique package for the dating sim genre. Attending parties, gathering gossip, and finding time to woo your chosen love interest truly becomes a delicate dance. Living in 2020s America as someone who wouldn't go to parties even sans pandemic, I wasn't sure how engaged I'd be with the narrative and the experience. But thanks to the game's beautiful artistic recreations of major French locales and a beautiful soundtrack of orchestral classical music, I was truly transported to revolutionary France, free to live out my bi dreams: wooing beautiful French people and starting a revolution in the streets. A story that allows a woman to wield her influence and sexuality to not only control her personal narrative but also the narrative of an entire nation is worthy of celebration, especially when it innovates on a formula that can feel a bit same-y. Ambition is a perfect experience for both fans of the genre and those who might be sick of the more traditional dating sim/visual novel experience.
Maple Powered Games has something here that I can just feel waiting to be mined out of this block of coal. If there's anything that's clear after my time with it, it's that Monster Harvest needed an Early Access period. In its current state, it's hard to recommend Monster Harvest. Fans of its genre inspirations will find little to enjoy in the game's interpretations of either gameplay style. Those looking for some winning combination of the two will walk away empty-handed. But I want to believe they can figure it out.
In an industry that operates so heavily under tradition and expectations, games like Inscryption come along and shake you awake, reminding you where games can go and what they can be.
The Jackbox experience is all about having fun with pals, making each other laugh, and experiencing something that no other game can offer. Jackbox Party Pack 8 delivers that again and again and again. In my case, this Pack has already seen as much playtime as the last two combined and it's only been a month since launch. If you've skipped out on Jackbox in recent years, do yourself a favor and add this one to your game night rotation.
All together, Nuclear Blaze is a perfect tiny package, but I had so much fun that I only craved more in the end. The developer has mentioned he'd like to make more levels — my own dream is for a tile-based level editor to be released so the community can keep the game alive eternally. Even if it never saw one drip of extra content though, Nuclear Blaze isn't just blowing smoke. These few hours of firefighting bring extremely enjoyable, bite-sized action. As I've said time and time again, I'd rather have a year's worth of these tiny experiences than some 120-hour blockbuster, so I hope Nuclear Blaze is a sign of changing tides in the indie space.