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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 . . .
Even with Barlow's previous games in mind, I've never played anything like IMMORTALITY and might never again. It's a 10-15 hour experience that speaks to people who love stories, and to those who love creating and consuming art. It's a love letter to the oral tradition, to cave drawings, plays, films, dance, music, and games. It blends so many mediums, it contains so many different forms of art, and it examines it all through these displaced films — and through its characters, it reveals in the end that at the root of humanity are stories and storytellers. And we can't wait to see what else these storytellers do because it sure does feel good to just feel human in this chaotic time. It's for that reason, and a million others that could add to our pages and pages of notes we took during our playthrough, that VGG is giving IMMORTALITY the highest honor we can bestow.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is many things. It's a sequel that enhances everything that came before it. It's a look back at a series with 19 years of history behind it and a step forward into what the series might become next. It features some of the best gameplay the series has had, adapting the free-flowing beat-em-up style of the original games even more beautifully with a few key adjustments to the RPG format. And it contains so much surprising depth in almost every gameplay system and minigame hidden within. If I had to pick one RPG to take with me to a deserted island, it just might be Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. And for that reason, it gets one of the rarest scores we can give.
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.
It took a lot to Return to Monkey Island. Like I said in my intro, there was a lot of hesitation that came with me starting this game. Media revivals are extremely hit-and-miss, and I couldn't stand to watch a franchise so close to me fall apart. But when the credits rolled and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I realized why I was actually scared. I already knew when I started that I didn't want it to be over.
Playing Gunbrella reminded me of the first time I played classics like Cave Story, Untitled Story, and Owlboy: games that nailed the vibes in all facets, provided a play experience I could just lose myself in, and didn't overstay their welcome. Games that delivered satisfaction on all levels. Games that more than earn that declarative "video games are GOOD" while playing. Doinksoft had already cemented itself as a studio worth following with games like Gato Roboto and Demon Throttle, but Gunbrella makes them a "no questions asked" team moving forward. It's one of the best games I've played all year.
Chants of Sennaar is a fascinating, once-in-a-lifetime, incredibly human experience that has you doing mental gymnastics to puzzle out meaning from everything you see and everyone you encounter. Through its retelling of a classic parable, its simple and extremely effective art style, and a soundtrack that gently guides you along the path, Chants of Sennaar keeps its focus on the discovery of languages. Even when it tries to distract with less-than-stellar stealth segments and a few puzzles that outstayed their welcome, Rundisc provides a core experience that is so special and rare. It earns its place among some of the best puzzle and mystery games of all time, the likes of Case of the Golden Idol and Return of the Obra Dinn.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a satisfying '00s-era corridor shooter elevated by a constellation of bold talent that brought to life its audio, visual, and technical artistry. It tells a painfully relatable and intimate story, with a visual style that matches the chaos in its hero's heart and a soundtrack that vocalizes it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tribute Games, working with a property so near and dear to a whole generation's sentimental hearts, somehow managed to honor TMNT's roots both in gaming and in general while providing an experience worthy of a pedestal right alongside its many inspirations, if not above them. This cover band has become so much more — and I look forward to the day when we look back and see Tribute Games' greatest hits laid out in front of us.
Coin Crew Games delivered something special with Escape Academy. A true-to-its-roots escape room experience (and in our opinion, one of the most successful attempts to recreate this digitally). A compelling world. Puzzles that are just difficult enough that you are constantly surprising yourself with your own brain's ability. It's all quality. While their focus has primarily been on the arcade space, we hope this establishes Coin Crew's foothold in the at-home gaming world. As long as their next few games don't feature pipe puzzles. Please.
Card Shark is a one-of-a-kind experience, one that has the potential to completely immerse you in the life of a card cheat in ways you'd never expect. Nerial has gaming's equivalent of a pair of aces in Card Shark, and I wouldn't even mind if they'd cheated to get this winning hand. I mean, as they say, cheaters always prosper.
Color Gray Games could never release another game and they'd still be a team I'd remember years down the line. Case of the Golden Idol is an incredible first showing that may just revolutionize the mystery game genre in the way that classics like Return of the Obra Dinn did at launch. When I was done with it all, I was left with this hunger to create art, because that's what happens when I consume a piece of truly great art.
At its core, Exocolonist is a fascinating story about collective survival, finding harmony with the planet, and how a blank slate for humanity is, well, not really a blank slate at all. The memory of the crumbling planet Earth pursues these colonists, literally. And with the colony constantly on the brink of disaster, the old systems of militarization, power imbalances and overconsumption of resources starts to make a tempting appearance. It’s up to you as the player, and as part of the colony, to decide if you’re willing to give into that ghost of a collapsing society or if it’s better to try something new.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is pitch-perfect revival of a franchise we're desperate to see anything new from and a perfect excuse to spend another week of sleepless nights back inside this iconic roguelite. If Motion Twin and Evil Empire decide to hang up their Dead Cells hat after this, this would be just about the best way to say goodbye. (The only thing they could do better is announce that they're developing a new full Castlevania release themselves...) Fans of Castlevania need to hop into this as soon as they can. Fans of roguelites who haven't played Dead Cells at all yet need to use this DLC as their excuse to get into this game immediately. And those that aren't either... well you might just become mega fans of both franchises after a few runs through this DLC. WHAT IS A MAN? A MISERABLE LITTLE PILE OF GOOD VIDEO GAME IDEAS?
Terra Nil is a transformative city builder, in every sense of the word. While it presents a world that is polluted and broken down in a way that painfully reflects our world, it also tells us that nature can prevail in the end and that we can help facilitate that healing. It shows that with a bit of ingenuity and clever puzzle-solving, we might just work our way back over time. And it does it all in a tight package with a clear end and a focus on letting the natural beauty of our world take the spotlight. Can you believe these are the people who made the penis-fighting party game?
Toge Productions found a way to distill down the comforts of shared familiarity between friends and the otherwise complex nuances of interpersonal relationships in the piping hot drink known as Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly. Its narrative-first visual novel presentation might scare some away, but just like that complex-sounding drink at your local café with ingredients you've never heard of, it's most definitely worth a taste.