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Ultimately, Punk Wars stands out as a fun game with a rough-around-the-edges indie charm. It could do with some polish; some map and texture packs would be a welcome addition in the short term, and a fifth faction could drive interest further down the road. For right now, it’s definitely worth playing through at least one of the campaigns, especially at the low price point of $20 US. There is also a free demo available called Punk Wars: Prologue if you’d like to try it first. The full game is available for Windows and Mac on both Steam and GOG and, at the time of this writing, is 10% off on both platforms.
Mechajammer is a tough cyberpunk to love - with difficult combat, limited story and NPCs, and serious balancing issues with its character creation. Some players might still find something to enjoy, especially thanks to its intriguing PSX era graphics and fascinating synth-heavy soundtrack.
Ignited Steel: Mech Tactics is a fun game that'll scratch that tactical mecha combat itch. It learns from its predecessors and adds new mechanics that are fun to explore and exploit. It doesn't take too many risks, but it's a quite good first game from an indie studio. With new additional content and balance patches, it will surely become even better.
Sheltered 2 is not perfect. A game with the potential to be a very good survival management sim. Albeit not completely turn-based, it possesses the right blend of features and activities to make it a WORTHWHILE play, but needs more QoL and balancing. It remains playable but under-developed in certain areas, missing features that were present in the first game. There are game breaking bugs but not as many as when first released.
It’s pretty clear that this is a DLC intended for experienced players. Gladius isn’t a game that’s forgiving of mistakes in general, and the Adeptus Mechanicus penalize misplays more than other factions. If you’re a Gladius veteran though, or at least have played a campaign with one or two of the starting factions, the Adeptus Mechanicus will make an exciting addition to your game.
Jupiter Hell is fine for what it offers: a nostalgic 90s violent shooter with turn based design. Unfortunately, the limited amount of content and the generic overall experience, both in graphics and sounds, end up making it feel quite repetitive.
Rise of the Third Power, I initially thought it would be a pirate-adventure, but it has to do more with war and manipulation. The battles are fun for a while but a speed option would have been preferable to those that wanted an in-between story mode (one-shot kills) and regular battles that sometimes took a while. I finished the game in about 16 hours but I still had some side-quests to do. I also skipped regular battles via story mode so that cut down on the finish time . I only did regular mode for bosses. The music was great, but I wasn't a fan of the character portraits that clashed with the game in my opinion. I also did not like the story as the circular storyline had me as a player felt like I accomplished nothing or questioning why things happened the way they did or. A skip scene option also would have been nice as scenes can be long.
The best way to describe Royal Frontier is Oregon Trail with orcs. Who doesn't love a mishmash of genres?
Monark is a mostly solid JRPG with higher-than-average difficulty and a serviceable plot. While it won't surprise anyone with its unimpressive 3D graphics and a mediocre soundtrack, the characters and lore should indeed satisfy most fans of the genre.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs Royal Edition is a kind of a mix of three genres— a strategic role-playing game, a simulation, and even enough text to be like a visual novel in some ways. The basic goals for the game are set early. There is plenty of humor in the theme of the story with almost all of it in full-voiced dialogue. The characters are nicely designed and despite there being no elevation difference, the battlefields are designed decent as well. The battles are somewhat different from your regular SRPG but still good. If you don't mind a SRPG with some simulation aspects delivered in a humorous way, then give Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs a try.
I like Griftlands. It’s fun, and it does introduce new ideas, in the roguelite deckbuilder realm. I wish it did a bit more to make itself feel different from the other games in the genre. Combat is certainly somewhat too close to Slay the Spire and others. However, the setting and the negotiation system are great and really worth checking out. While I don’t intend to replay Griftlands, like I’ve done with other deckbuilders, I very much enjoyed my time with it.
Kemco RPGs have a look that can attract new and young fans but their gameplay is usually of the traditional RPG variety that classic and older fans may prefer. They usually don't have blockbuster budgets to work with so there usually isn't any cinematics or voice acting but most of that is made apparent with a quick look. Should if you are a RPG fan, Kemco is probably a company you have heard of as their games are low in price and you know what they bring to the table. This one is interesting enough that it warrants a look.
Lemnis Gate carries with it many of the tried-and-true aspects of a team shooter that have become beloved in the genre while adding a unique timeline element that makes it its own unique entity. If it weren't for its shockingly low population of active players, this one seems like it would become a fan favorite.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a strong entry in the cRPG genre that stays mostly faithful to its tabletop source material. It offers a combination of solid gameplay mechanics, an engaging narrative, and a variety of character customizations that will appeal to character-building fans.
Although I have never played League of Legends personally, it is famous and well-known enough that pretty much anyone who plays games is aware of its existence. Granted I am not the biggest player of MOBA games, so when I heard there was a traditional turn-based RPG based on League of Legends, I knew I wanted to play it to experience some of the League of Legends universe. The battle system is well-designed, the cut-scenes and hand-drawn like cinematics add depth to the story, and the music is pretty good. If you were ever curious about League of Legends and don't play online too much, this is a great place to start.
Wolfstride is a monochromatic, comical, visual RPG that definitely has been influenced by classic anime produced by the likes of Japanese animation companies such as Gainax and Sunrise. The black and white filter it has presents itself as almost wanting to have a gritty presentation which in my opinion does a good job of. Gameplay wise, you kind of spend more time preparing for battles than the actual battles themselves so think of it like training for a boxing match but instead it is a mecha tournament. The actual mecha battles are pretty fun, even when you are over-powered or they when they last a while. There are mini-games here and there with lots of places to explore. The world has a mix of western and eastern influences that makes up Rain City. There could be less backtracking but at least the overworld screen cuts it down somewhat.
Brutal Orchestra is a "meaty" fine roguelite turn-based strategy game which makes great use of a peculiar pixelated art style and an exquisite soundtrack. While the brutal difficulty might turn some people away, the funny writing and good selection of unlockables will make sure the fans will gobble this one up.
Gears Tactics is the one for both the fans of the classic Gears lore and of the X-COM style tactical gameplay. While some may not enjoy the fast-paced nature of the game, others will find it to be a breath of fresh air. For those that enjoy both - well, they are in for a treat as it is the best of both worlds, which'll leave you craving for more in the future.
Decisive Campaigns Ardennes Offensive is a monster of a game! While it's somewhat of an acquired taste, for some players it'll be exactly what they've been looking for. So grab your helmet, put on Band of Brothers in the background, load your M1 Garand (or K98K) and get ready to hold the frontline.
Encased is a love letter to the late 90s RPG and, despite some jagged edges, it's quite an exquisite post-apocalyptic irradiated meal for players, looking for a huge amount of freedom in building their own characters and stories.