Gaming Professors

Serious Sam: Tormental had the bar set low enough by the other indie spin-offs in the series, and then boldly set out to dance the limbo. The gameplay itself is fairly functional, though unoriginal. So, what you get is an average modern 2D rogue-lite with bullet hell elements and plenty of perks to unlock along the way. The only thing that might elevate this game is the presence of a well-known brand… whose fans will be turned off by the general disregard for the original series and the shoddy execution. If you’re not one of them, you might have some fun for a while—but you can do the same with the better titles that the developers cite as their inspiration. You can start with a Serious Sam game, but make sure it’s the good one, from Croteam.

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Skábma – Snowfall is an exploratory adventure game that aims to raise awareness among players about the indigenous Sami cultural minority. To that end, the game features authentic voice acting and numerous references to their traditions, way of life, and stories. The vast world offers a pleasant, if slightly monotonous, environment ideal for getting lost in, a feeling further enhanced by the absence of a properly detailed map. The jumping sections are also a major problem, forcing you to utter more than a few expletives. The game carries an interesting message, but it still needs some work to ultimately become that pleasantly educational platformer.

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Monster Harvest falls into the category of farming simulators that try to set themselves apart in some way. Here, the difference comes in the form of planimals—mutated creatures that could be likened to hybrids of animals and plants. Although the game features a fairly diverse range of farming items, it is clearly dragged down by a weak combat system, a boring story, and an overall sense of heavy repetition. The changing seasons and weather, which affect what you can grow, are nice, but they get lost in the overall experience because you’ll end up choosing what to grow anyway and focusing solely on that in the end.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is the perfect game set in the Spider-Man universe—it grabs you and won’t let go, just like a spider’s web. Thanks to its emotional storytelling and certain scenes, the story subconsciously draws you deeper and deeper into the game. Dynamic combat filled with various combos and acrobatic elements keeps you eager to thoroughly take down every villain—or at least wrap them up in a web. Thanks to the beautiful graphics and the open world of Manhattan, you can swing elegantly through the city and complete side quests that will also keep you entertained. The excellent gameplay and controls are also a surprise. The title includes all released DLC, which significantly extends the playtime. A major plus is the Czech localization. A thorn in the side for some may be the subpar optimization, which the developers are working on, and several updates have already been released, thanks to which the game now runs smoothly.

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Brilliantly written and original characters, some interesting choices, the game’s overall atmosphere, and, to top it all off, an excellent soundtrack. The adventure game Road 96 offers all of this, easily drawing you into its gripping and powerful story.

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A fun co-op game that can also be played solo. You’ll have to work a bit harder that way, but on the other hand, you’ll get to enjoy the end credits in the final mission. The game does still crash occasionally and can be a bit frustrating, but with its stunning visuals and great music, that’s something you can easily overlook. Plus, there are plenty of checkpoints in PHOGS! What still bothers me, though, is that the game was designed for consoles, and playing without a gamepad just makes it harder.

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Thunder Tier One is actually a pretty good game. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of tactical shooters, and I just need that first-person perspective to really enjoy them to the fullest. Of course, it’s all a matter of getting used to it, but it’s a shame. The missions are a bit monotonous, but what new twists could you really bring to shooters anyway? The problem is the camera occasionally getting stuck and the clunky AI. On the other hand, the game’s perfect sound design makes up for just about everything.

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Labyrinthine is a game with enormous potential that will delight any survival game fan with its horror elements and easy controls. But it really shines in co-op play. Unfortunately, the more players there are, the faster you’ll get through the game—which is both great and a bummer. After all, you want to stay scared in the maze for as long as possible.

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If you enjoy puzzle games—and especially if you’re into advanced spatial geometry—you definitely shouldn’t miss Patrick’s Parabox. This game offers excellent gameplay, well-designed levels, and overall high-quality production. Players looking for a challenge will find plenty of fresh and appropriately challenging fun that will keep them entertained for many, many hours.

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Stray is a must-play for every cat lover, because you simply won’t find a better game on this theme on the market. Exploring the unknown is in a cat’s nature, so it’s nice to step into that role for once and set out to discover a cyberpunk world where humans no longer have a place. After all, time spent with a cat is never wasted—and that goes for the gaming world, too.

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is a rather dull game that fails to surprise in any way. The tediously long dialogues, puzzles, poor graphics, and overall game design will only put you off. The game offers no action, the atmosphere falls flat, and because the characters show zero emotion, everything feels terribly artificial and forced.

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Ghostrunner – Project_Hel is a perfect expansion that adds another piece to the Ghostrunner puzzle. Hel is a brutal and relentless killing machine, and the DLC sheds more light on why she was so difficult to defeat in the main story. The gameplay is more aggressive than in the main game, while also offering greater freedom. Hel is simply no guardian of good, as evidenced not only by her abilities but also by the overall pace of the game. Unfortunately, like the main game, the DLC is relatively short, and in some cases, there is also a certain imbalance in the levels. Project_Hel is definitely not recommended if you haven’t completed the main game yet, as the beginning of Hel is similar to the advanced levels of Ghostrunner.

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Kerbal Space Program is a comprehensive space sandbox simulator where every single detail matters, which is why I recommend it to all players who are more like Sheldon Cooper and less like Charlie Sheen. Building a rocket, launching it into space, and performing various space maneuvers—that’s exactly what awaits you in this game. One final note: the price of this game has also skyrocketed, and it’s a bit on the high side.

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OneShot is undoubtedly a unique piece that I wouldn’t hesitate to call a work of art within the gaming industry. Niko is a charming and natural character lost in a mystical world without the sun. The mysterious setting also offers more complex—but above all, entertaining—puzzles. The most interesting aspect is undoubtedly the game’s interaction with the computer environment, which allows the game to have a tangible effect on the player even beyond the computer screen. However, as is often the case with art, the average player will likely continue to favor bigger and better titles that, unlike OneShot, immediately captivate with their visuals.

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Over the course of ten to fifteen hours, Hob will test your patience and strategic thinking in a casual action-platformer that offers players a story open to interpretation. The game world isn’t particularly vast, but its vertical diversity makes it incredibly interesting, with many hidden nooks and undiscovered secrets. The game suffers from minor technical glitches and a fixed isometric camera that will surely elicit more than a few curses. Despite this, Hob has plenty to offer and has more than a few surprises up its sleeve.

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Dune: Spice Wars is a well-crafted 4X strategy game set in the world of Dune. The diversity and balance of the factions—including the tech tree, buildings, and, to some extent, units—is truly impressive. What one faction lacks in combat, it makes up for in counterintelligence, sabotage, or politics. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into this, and the game’s balance is flawless. However, as you play, you’ll eventually get the feeling that something is missing to make you fully satisfied. There are very few units and the sound design is rather lackluster. The absence of a deeper story is noticeable, so you’re playing pure strategy, trying to capture as much territory as possible to launch the final assault.

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Sonic Origins is a comprehensive collection of the first four games featuring the blue hedgehog, offering new fans a great entry point into this expansive universe. Together with the new content, it provides over 15 hours of entertainment, depending on how much you want to explore and try out. The high-quality animations that tie all four games into a single storyline also do their job well. On the other hand, it is precisely the long-time fans who will notice the unpolished and flawed technical state, especially in the third game. There are also several complaints about the excessive price tag along with the incomprehensible DLC policy. Sonic Origins is thus another rushed project from Sega that certainly deserved more care and love.

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F1 22 has once again brought about a virtual evolution of the sport, ultimately taking the overall experience a step further. Despite a slightly different driving model, however, there isn’t much reason for owners of the previous edition to upgrade (perhaps only for the sake of official VR support on PC), and F1 22 will appeal more to players of older titles (F1 2020, F1 2019). As for the new features in the form of F1 Life and supercars, they haven’t quite lived up to their potential, and if Codemasters plans to do anything with these aspects in the future, they’ll likely need to put more work into the supercars in particular. Even so, F1 22 rightfully earns the title of the best game in the series, and we at Gaming Professors are awarding the game eight and a half out of ten points.

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Kingdom Rush is hugely popular on Steam. The numbers speak for themselves—an extremely positive rating, with 97% of 7,665 reviews, is a good indicator. The game is very well-balanced, smooth, sufficiently challenging, and features charming visuals. Really, if you’re looking for a solid, fun, and satisfying tower defense game, you should definitely give it a try; for me, it’s number one.

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Line War undoubtedly offers innovative gameplay concepts, but they seem to be severely underutilized. I would understand if this were an early access game, but as it stands, it strikes me as odd. The gameplay is very well-executed within the overall concept and definitely has potential, since there’s no need for perfect micro-management—you just need to think through your strategy, outline your commands, and focus on other things. The biggest downside, aside from the small player community, is clearly the absence of a classic mode where you can play against the AI. As it stands, it’s essentially a case of “playing chess against yourself."

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