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Short length aside, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is one of the most enjoyable games of the year. It’s a great retro revival with two protagonists I hope return and if Ninja Gaiden 4 is anywhere near this good, the franchise may be firing on all cylinders again.
If you are a fan of polished, meticulously designed puzzle games that will test your mental mettle and have you smiling from ear to ear, play Öoo, and then go back and play the rest of Nama Takahashi’s creations. You’ll have a blast!
MakeRoom puts focus on creativity and design, and very minimal in structure beyond learning mechanics. For some this comes off less game and more sandbox, but that definitely isn’t a bad thing. Instead it gives players the tools to design without pressure or parameters. An open space to explore their own imagination.
1000 Deaths is an enjoyable indie that takes a lot of inspiration from TV pop-culture and infuses it with classic platforming gameplay, then garnishes with its creative gravity-bending mechanic. The story and all the paths we can take are interesting, even if a little confusing at times.
9 Years of Shadows is a beautiful game with interesting mechanics. It’s filled with great intentions and ideas that were never fully realized. However, even with its glitches, confusingly long load time, and input lag, it was an enjoyable experience, albeit a sometimes frustrating one.
Donkey Kong Bananza is the reason to own a Switch 2. It is not only the most fun I’ve had with a Nintendo game in decades, it’s quite possibly one of Nintendo’s best games ever. Layer upon layer, everything has been built with care and detail. It is fun, silly, joyous, jaw-dropping, and heartfelt. You simply must play this game.
In summation, Sorry, We’re Closed provides a unique retro-feel of survival horror while plumbing the deeper nature of love and the worlds of angels and demons. While not a genre that I historically, or even currently, gravitate towards, I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of the game and how much I enjoyed what I experienced!
Catto’s Post Office is the cat’s meow. Delivering a low pressure, cozy experience curled up into a nice cat shaped ball. With its heartfelt story, adorable characters and soft gameplay it’s the perfect way to unwind. Like a cat in the sun, Catto’s Post Office leaves a lasting warmth even after you’ve finished the game.
The King Is Watching strikes a smart balance between kingdom-builder and roguelite, offering a run-based experience that’s both strategic and refreshingly unpredictable. Its layered meta progression and clever prophecy system give each attempt a sense of momentum, encouraging experimentation and long-term planning.
As much an experience as a video game, Time Flies will stick with me for some time. In the handful of hours I had completing everything the game has to offer, the games message that life is incredibly short left its mark on me. If only we were able to rewind clock hands in real life to give us more time with loved ones, or give them more time with us.
While A Dream About Parking Lots is short on runtime and light on visual flair, it carves out a unique space in the gaming landscape. Wandering through parking lots might sound dull on paper, but the ongoing conversations with your therapist adds a layer of introspection that elevates the experience. It might even have you Googling, why do I keep dreaming about parking lots?
Compared to Killing Floor 2, Killing Floor 3 is a step up. The amount of customization at your disposal will make you want to see what every gun is truly capable of. The new skills characters have are so fun and make the player feel powerful, no matter the class you choose. Blasting Zeds while listening to metal has never been better.
Despite its brevity – the game should take no more than one to two hours to complete – s.p.l.i.t offers a tightly woven narrative that instills a strong sense of dread and inevitability. You enter a world where victory feels almost impossible from the outset. The only real downside is the desire for more content.
EA Sports College Football 26 was one of my most anticipated games this year. From the EA deep dives and all the news, I was excited to play this game. While still exciting, there are some issues with the game. I ran into the bug where I could not call a play, there by having to waste a timeout. This happened to me several times during my “Road to Glory” with my QB. There was another bug I encountered where I kept receiving an error message saying, “I was not signed into the PlayStation Network”. I have even experienced a crash, in the middle of my game, which happened twice in one night.
If you’re into Soulslike games, this one ticks the boxes. Combat’s all about timing and precision, with weighty weapon swings, tricky stamina management and enemies who absolutely do not hold back. The aesthetic is moody and dripping in atmosphere, with fog-shrouded villages, twisted spirits and grim lore tucked around every corner. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it does pack a serious punch with its art style and haunting setting. Looks like the balance is just about right.
Typically, a game that dips its toes into many genres and attempts to accomplish many things at the same time is unable to deliver on it or at best is mediocre. I went into this game, with such fond memories of with the IP, with high expectations, and has surprisingly exceeded them all! This is a game that is fun, looks great, and runs well! A triple threat! If you’re into cozy, fantasy RPGs, I would highly recommend it! It’s Level 5 at their best!
Mario Kart World is a great entry into the Mario Kart series. The racing feels great, the tracks are engaging and varied, and the music and visuals are all at the high level you’d expect from Nintendo. The big new thing, the Free Roam, feels underbaked and a missed opportunity of the potential it could have been. It could have been transformative but instead sits as an option on the menu in a standard Mario Kart package I’ll unlikely bother with.
Regardless of the few issues I ran into with navigation and vague directions. While this is an issue here, the original was much, much worse, and I’m glad there were some attempts after fixing that. I had a lot of fun with this game. The story is super creative in a charming b horror sci-fi sort of way, the enemy variety was enough to keep me on edge, and the old school challenge it brings is something I think more mainstream games should take a crack at more often.
It’s very clear that a lot of care went into making a very solid game. The historical aspect gives it a lot of depth and somehow, the game never feels like it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Hell Clock finds its way as an ARPG and roguelike quite easily. It’s clear the developers at Rogue Snail had a story to tell and wanted to tell it in an approachable way. I can confirm they succeeded.
The Drifter is a fantastic supernatural thriller and point-and-click investigation game rolled into one, staying true to the staples of the genre while updating certain elements for a current-day audience. The team at Powrhoof has fashioned a gritty, intriguing tale that keeps you guessing without feeling lost, enticing you with breadcrumbs stuck in the muck collecting in the corners of Mawson. For those who love to solve problems with their logic and wits, and slowly unravel a mystery like none other in point-and-click games, The Dirfter is a must-play.