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Black Myth: Wukong uses the wonderful canvas of Chinese mythology to draw you into its world that is both beautiful and dangerous. Struggling at times to fully tell its story, its narrative mostly gives the game structure while leaving out a lot of detailed substance hoping for you to somehow make it make sense. Sure, the game’s emphasis is combat, but for a soulslike game that looks this beautiful and has so much lore attached to it, you would hope it also spent more time focusing on its story.
While its combat system leaves much to be desired, Dustborn is filled with a variety of fun elements focused on opening up to the people around you that truly helps the game blossom into a powerful experience. Once your trip is over you will definitely miss those you got to know, but you will be thankful you got on the bus in the first place.
A tower defense strategy game shouldn’t work as well as this does, even if it’s upgraded with gorgeous graphics and hack-and-slash action. Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of the most surprising and unique games of the year so far for good reasons. Every part of this game, from unlocking and upgrading villager roles, to strategically placing them on the battlefield, and then jumping straight into the fight yourself is engaging and exciting. Even if you aren’t a fan of strategy or action games, this is enough of a blend that it still comes highly recommended.
From the audio design right down to the creatures themselves, Flock, from developers Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg is oozing with charm. Learn to leverage your powers of observation to document dozens of strange and vibrant species that call the Uplands home. A bare-bones narrative pushes the player to explore further without getting in the way of a joyful experience. I already know this will be a cozy world to return to again and again over the coming years to see how my flock is doing.
While it may not be perfect or add more to what the original came with, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD lets those who never had a chance to play it experience it in a whole new light. Its bones may still scream 3DS handheld game, but you can appreciate how much went into making the game shine on Switch.
Shadow of the Erdtree is an expansion that perfectly complements Elden Ring, adding new things, but at the same time sticking to the good old developed recipe. For fans of the genre, there is a great reason to return to the game, just to explore the beautifully created world and face the biggest challenge yet.
Despite some of its shortcomings in pacing and lack of new content, Thousand-Year Door does a lot of things right and showcases how good this 20-year old game still is. From its classic turn-based system, complex yet lighthearted themes, and beautifully recreated worlds that make the most out of its papery aesthetic, there is plenty to love about this remake.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a fantastic game, but probably not for everyone. It appears to be a next-generation title in every aspect; impressive with its ever-changing Icelandic landscapes, realistic photogrammetry, lighting, particle effects, character movement animations, acting, and intriguing storyline. The combat is brutal, and the voices constantly heard by Senua sound as if we are hearing them in our own heads.
Hades 2 from Supergiant Games is an excellent roguelike and a worthy successor to Hades. It provides hours of great fun. Early Access is scheduled to last until the end of 2024, and I'm already looking forward to seeing what the final version of this game, which has already managed to win praise from fans of the first installment, will look like.
Heading Out seems like a great start to a game or a series that could continue to expand and get better. It lays the groundwork for some impressive ideas and concepts that racing games don’t usually tackle and offers you a chance to reflect on your own life in a surprising way.
Indika is more than a game. It’s a fascinating, one-of-a-kind experience, playing with conventions and instilling disturbing thoughts in our heads. If only developers didn’t desperately try to avoid sticking a “walking sim” label to their work…
Stellar Blade is an above-average title. Well-developed, with a captivating story from the first moment, and most importantly engaging due to thoroughly well-planned and competently executed gameplay. The South Korean studio Shift Up performed exceptionally well, and despite my initial skepticism, I ultimately saw it as one of the top games of 2024.
Ultimately, we can talk about a flop. I'm playing an underdeveloped and thoughtless game, requiring boring, time-consuming tasks. Messy, both in terms of the script and gameplay, which multiplies problems.
Princess Peach Showtime! only lasts around six hours and a couple more if you want to collect everything. It’s a breeze to get through and doesn’t offer much difficulty beyond collecting pesky gems, but it manages to give us a sampling of Peach’s potential as the star of future games.
While may stumble at times with balancing the amount of mini-games it throws your way, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth excels in all other areas and feels magnificent when all its pieces click into place.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will belong to a fairly specific audience. The game requires a significant amount of time to truly enjoy it. You can't simply play it for a moment because you'll feel like you haven't made any progress. At the same time, it's great that such a title appeared – in times when AAA titles are bland and safe a different approach is needed. We needed a game to demonstrate that things can be done differently.
The new Alone in the Dark is just the right game for fans of games full of suspense, who are tired of annoying jump-scares. So if you value the captivating atmosphere over adrenaline jumps in similar titles, you will really enjoy this reboot.
While there are things that work in its favor, Outcast: A New Beginning ultimately feels like any other open-world game you could play this year or have played years ago. It retains the charm of the original and further explores the world of the Talan in unique and odd ways, but how you go about doing that doesn’t feel as revolutionary as it did back in 1999.
All in all, The Thaumaturge is a game I won’t forget anytime soon. I even intend to play it again from the beginning as soon as Polish VO is added – and that’s something I didn’t declare for any title in a very, very long time.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is still a game that kids can easily gravitate to, but its added levels, co-op mode, and revamped presentation makes it a no-brainer even for older gamers looking for a relaxing, not-too-difficult good time.