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Hollow Knight: Silksong is a grand step forward from a game that was already excellent. With a stronger protagonist and story, improved mobility and exploration and familiar yet very different combat, as a fan of the first game, by the time the credits rolled, it’s a rare case where I immediately just wanted to keep playing more and more. It’s a game that no one should miss this year through and through.
A harmonious soundtrack, gorgeous painting-like graphic design and a short, yet memorable story which will stick with me. Well, at least until I alter my choices for my second and third playthroughs. I best get the tea leaves in the pot, hadn’t I?
Who would have thought that a little co-op puzzle platformer that I demo’ed at a gaming convention would truly deliver such a powerful punch in such a small package! Gloomy Eyes was a complete joy to experience and left me wanting to see more of this tiny little macabre world. If you like the concept of a spooky (yet cozy) solo-player co-op game, you owe it to yourself to add Gloomy Eyes to your game library.
Hell Is Us isn’t just another third-person Souls adjacent action adventure. It’s a refreshing celebration of using your brain, relying on your gut, and trusting your instincts. Its endearing world, haunting enemies, and largely realised lore building are a testament to the developers’ understanding of the gaming mind. I hope this isn’t the last we see of the Hell is Us series; my instinct is that it won’t be.
Triangle Strategy is a well produced, well delivered game with fantastic visuals, sound and tactical gameplay. Square Enix’s trend of remastering classic Japanese Role Playing games with modern quality of life features and graphical effects is evident in this game. However, much like this text-heavy review, it isn’t a game I would recommend to those looking for a more gameplay focused experience. I would, however, greatly recommend it to those who love a deep, politically driven narrative, with heavy emphasis on character development, and player driven choices that impacts the course of the game. With several endings, paths to take, and party members to recruit along the way, Triangle Strategy delivers a wonderfully woven tale.
Overall, The Order of Giants doesn’t bring much new to the world of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Instead it builds on a great foundation with an enjoyable, albeit short, additional chapter. If you enjoyed the Great Circle and want more Indiana Jones you won’t come away disappointed by this DLC. You may however come out a little stinky after spending the vast majority of your time in the sewers of Rome.
Will this game be a contender game of the year? Probably not as it is a bit too niche. Will it tell a compelling story and make you work for the conclusion? Absolutely. Visual novel fans who like their stories a bit darker should absolutely have this on their radar and in their libraries. It may not be Danganronpa, but it sure is just as satisfying at the end of it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Bad Cheese and would recommend it to anyone who likes things on the weirder side of life. However, without the ability to chapter select, any missed collectibles means a completely new playthrough, which might be a turn off for completionists.
Cronos: The New Dawn is born of the same vein as some of the more classic single player horror games, and while the game definitely plays like a lot of the more recent entries it’s still its own thing. It borrows from a lot of them for sure, but there is a really good story here. The gameplay is right in line with the most recent horror remakes we’ve been getting lately, all while being able to borrow from past versions of those games by being tough but fair.
Hirogami is a solid, polished 3D platformer that offers a good amount of replayability. Its art direction and sound design go to great lengths to build an Origami world, while its narrative falls a bit flat and doesn’t do anything interesting with the game’s themes. Basic combat is improved with Hiro’s different animal forms, while I found the puzzles and traversal satisfying from the start. The game’s camera does its best to be a constant nuisance, but even the bizarre angles and perspectives couldn’t ruin a good time. A bit frayed at the edges and with a few extra creases, Hirogami is a fun adventure that is worth your time and paper.
The difficulty being occasionally uneven is a very small detraction from an otherwise fantastic game. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is otherwise an excellent 2D action game and is a great way to kick off the influx of retro revivals Sega announced in 2023. Art of Vengeance is another must play in the year 2025.
The Knightling is an example of how one frustrating issue can drag an entire work down with it. There’s plenty to like here, from its charming world and narrative, to its whimsical music. However all of this and the bulk of its mechanical and game design offerings are dragged down by input delay issues and poor optimization making for a disappointing experience. Despite this, with an apt amount of polish, I believe The Knightling could one day be an easier recommendation.
Madden NFL 26 has surprised me as a significant improvement over last year’s version of the game. We have heard it before from EA about the improvements they made to the game only to see very minor or minimal improvements. Madden 26 feels different; I must give credit to EA for giving us a better game this year than we have had in a while. Even with the same franchise relocation teams, Franchise mode is the best we have had since Madden 2020.
For veterans of the series, this remake offers a faithful return to one of the most beloved entries in gaming history. For newcomers, it’s an opportunity to experience Kojima’s Cold War masterpiece in a form that balances nostalgia with modern expectations. Whether or not that balance works for you will depend on how much you value preserving the past or reinventing it.
Sword of the Sea is a title you shouldn’t overlook. Its simplicity, polish, and attention to detail make it one of the year’s standout releases. For me, it has been one of the biggest surprises in a year already packed with new genres and experiments outside my comfort zone.
If you enjoy games like Unpacking or Make Room, Whisper of the House is one to check out. Whether you’re drawn in by the cozy unpacking and design or intrigued by hidden secrets, this game has plenty of both. But players beware, there’s more than meets the eye. The only way to uncover it is by playing it yourself.
Like the Calicorns, Herdling is a bit slow to start, but it gathers momentum throughout until the game reaches its top speed in its final chapters, delivering a satisfying ending that neatly punctuates Herdling’s themes of reconnecting with history, culture, and the world around us.
Is This Seat Taken? is truly a little hidden gem of a game that was an absolute pleasure to dip my toes (and ultimately whole self) into. The aesthetics, the comical exchanges between characters, and the truly rewarding feeling and getting 100% of the thumbs up from the little shapes in your seating arrangement. All were great!
Discounty had the recipe for a very fun, very addictive gameplay loop that is reminiscent of typical cozy games. Fans of the genre will have expectations and the lack of polish in performance severely hindering gameplay and fun, some seemingly incomplete gameplay features, and a world that felt like it wasn’t fully realized kept this game from being truly great. So much so that I’m left wondering if the game is finished. While many of these negatives can easily be adapted through and look past, they are numerous enough to impact overall enjoyment.
Overall, I found OFF, while being a very unique game, not something that I would ever return to. There is an absolute GLUT of turn-based RPGs out there – many of which I would recommend before OFF. That being said, if you are really looking for something that does break the mold of your standard RPG, then OFF might be the exact game that you’re looking for.