Analog Stick Gaming
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The Occultist should be a game that I adore, given these types of games are usually my bread and butter. But when you can’t get behind your lead protagonist, you sort of lose interest in their journey and what makes them tick. Godstone often looks the part, and while a few puzzles and scenarios are exactly what this game nails, the same can’t be said for the whole package. As it stands, this is a game with a ton of wasted potential as its individual components don’t gel, and a cool premise is something that can only get you so far.
Pragmata pleasantly surprised me, and if Capcom does intend to return to this in a few years, I’d love to see the hacking systems become even deeper and more personalized. Hugh and Diana are a wonderful pair, and each nearly steals the show from one another. Their journey to stop IDUS may play it a bit too safe, but the journey nonetheless had me over the moon.
The Town of Zoz has been a story given magical life. Landscapes and crowded town streets are stuffed to the brim with cultural influence that almost makes you swear you can smell Ito's cooking. Despite its technical flaws, there is a wonderfully unique farming/cooking/adventure game that sets itself far apart from a heavily populated genre.
If you’re a fan of word-based games of any kind, then Beyond Words is absolutely a must-play. It’s an experience that I will continue playing for hundreds of hours. While Balatro’s ‘lightning in a bottle' success might not be replicated here, it does provide that similar rush when a round goes your way and you feel like an absolute god. With all that in mind, it’s impossible not to recommend it to everyone who likes these deckbuilding roguelike-style games.
Crimson Desert is the next-gen game we were promised a decade ago by AAA publishers. The scale here is beyond massive, with hundreds of hours offered here if you can get past the game’s criminal control setup and sluggish opening few hours. With some bizarre design choices, Crimson Desert is a game that I can see both sides of the argument on, given the current state of the game. Still, Pearl Abyss has created what is effectively the next Skyrim, a game that offers an unparalleled amount of freedom, that rewards you the more you put into it.
While some art assets are fine, with some decent music, I struggle to really find anything good about the whole package. The story is miserable, with extended dialogue sessions that, while voiced, are simply not entertaining. However, the biggest issue is the bland gameplay that does nothing to even stand out, providing combat and platforming that are dated, even by NES standards. The Dead Shall Rise was a hollow attempt at revisiting the lore, and Ascendance simply echoes that same attempt, offering a story that fans of the series simply didn’t take to.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was an incredible experience from start to finish. Its technical highs soar well above its predecessor, with few issues or gripes to address. That said, the series' online play has been a staple across the previous two games, so it does feel quite a strange choice to remove it entirely. Regardless, this is a must-play adventure, with stunning cinematic story beats, the engaging habitat system, and a collection of monsties so massive that you’ll never run out of moments to gush over.
Tombwater captures the soul of a soulslike game and wraps it in a retro-western inspired skin, while offering a deeper focus on story without short-changing the mechanics you’d expect from the genre. The basic map definitely hurts exploration, and the lack of accessibility will mean the game is unplayable for some people, but even then, it’s impossible not to recommend Tombwater to fans of soulslike games and retro games alike.
With two excellent entries and even the disappointing second game, each providing slightly different versions, not to mention the game's online component, it truly gives players a decent amount here to really enjoy. While Battle Network will always be my preferred Mega Man Spin-off, Star Force nonetheless is a suitable continuation of the world and some of its basic combat systems.
Icarus is a solid survival game, especially with friends. The threat of running out of oxygen is a welcome addition to the genre, as many survival games don't take place on a planet that failed terraforming. The lack of some direction may throw off newcomers, as well as some poor UI choices, but genre die-hards will almost find this game cozy at times, given the freedom to go it alone or with three other friends. Icarus shows the genre still has a lot of life in it, provided you can survive the night.
Screamer is damn fun once you’ve mastered its systems, both in their execution and timing. While the current difficulty can be a tad too challenging for the casual racing fan, the additional modes and online can provide a wealth of content to tackle. Screamer isn’t revolutionary, but its drift mechanics are damn impressive and allow the game to stand out and then some.
Dragonkin’s narrative isn’t its strongest element, despite some compelling sequel bait. Still, it has the right amount of power fantasy and thrilling combat to keep you and some friends occupied throughout its roughly 25-hour campaign. It may not be the next big action RPG, but it is more than satisfying enough to excel in the genre.
Minishoot’ Adventures runs at around 10 hours long, and never looks to overstay its welcome. The upgrades come fast, and the bullets even more so. The clever bosses and level design always feel good, and it simply just feels great to play. While I never thought about mixing a twin-stick shooter with the gameplay of classic Zelda, I'm glad these two did, as it's a match made in heaven.
This is one of the better Left 4 Dead clones, and a lot of that is due to the excellent driving and winching systems. Generic characters aside, the classes are fun, but had the game leaned more into its bizarre elements, like throwing fire, there could have been some insane class combinations that could have risen above the mediocrity. Toxic Commando is good for a few nights of co-op, but nothing more.
The bulk of my criticisms with WWE 2K26 are due to the fact that the core foundation here hasn't changed in years, with each yearly entry renovating instead of innovating. Crowds are largely lifeless, and the mixture of old and new models is shocking at times, especially due to the fact that some of these scans are years old. 2K26 is a solid wrestling title at its core, frankly, the best it's ever been, but so much of what is here is rooted in old systems and a foundation that is extremely dated.
Greedfall: The Dying World was not my first choice for Spiders to return to, but I’m glad they did. This does feel like a better overall package than the first game, even if I would have preferred they refined and enhanced the original game’s combat instead of tearing it down and appealing to those who passed on the original game entirely, possibly pushing fans of the original to the side.
Docked is absolutely worth your time. While its menu-driven structure occasionally breaks immersion, the strength of its core systems, satisfying progression, and impressive presentation make it easy to recommend.
Requiem does a number of things well to accommodate two slightly different Resident Evil experiences without this latest entry feeling like two unique games. It also builds on the franchise in ways like never before, with a revisit to Raccoon City decades after Leon and Claire barely escaped with their lives. Leon's redemption arc and Grace being able to learn the truth is captivating, cementing Requiem as one of the all-time best games in the series.
With a ton of different items to boost your power, and seven immensely fun characters to master, EX is wildly fun, despite its noticeable flaws, and continues the adventures of Scott Pilgrim, and his unique cast of heroes and villains, all somewhere in Toronto.
Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties should have been a much better experience, given the studio’s ability to reform and rebuild so much of what worked in the original. However, with poorly implemented pacing, a ton of cut content, and an awful casting choice, the title only succeeds in any real way due to the main story. Kiryu’s journey to find that normal life is one worth seeking, as well as diving into the criminal mind of Mine, should you be able to put up with a host of various issues, and that Yakuza elephant in the room.