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SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is a fantastic first game for SEGA’s reboots. The action platforming sports solid movement mechanics, and very enjoyable combat and combo systems. The medallion and Ninpo can sometimes feel unnecessary, but there’s still some motivation to explore these due to new attacks for your moveset needing to be purchased at the store. The story does a good job setting the stage, and the artwork is just awesome to see. It also runs wonderfully on the Steam Deck. The best way to play will be at 60 FPS, but nothing else is needed otherwise. It’s a great game through and through, and one worth adding to your portable libraries.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a fantastic remake, and I feel Konami did it justice. Choosing not to add or change the existing content helps preserve what makes up the legacy of the original. The updates, while minimal on the surface, make the game feel fresh with stunning visuals and a new way to play that brings in a new perspective. The gameplay still holds up to today's standards, so just focusing on a new over-the-shoulder camera and some quality of life changes are perfect for a release like this. Even with some minor control issues here and there, it's a blast to play through the game in this new way, while still having the old control method and top-down camera as an option. I would not recommend playing this on the Steam Deck personally, though I would say it can be powered through if the Deck is your only device to play on. The more powerful handhelds are getting there, with the AYANEO 3 making it playable while looking fantastic. This bodes well for handhelds that will have the Z2 Extreme APU, like the Xbox ROG Ally X. Still, as a fan of the series or a newcomer, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a game worth playing through.
Ra Ra BOOM is a fun, albeit short, time. This fits the bill if you want a fairly short and entertaining game that you can play in 1 session with a few friends. This might not be for you if you're looking for a game with depth and replay value. Steam Deck performance is a little disappointing. We can mostly maintain 40 FPS, and the game is fully playable, but some performance issues and UI issues detract from what could be a great experience.
Echoes of the End is a solid production, but it just has many instances that take me out of the immersion. It's small things here and there, but in the end, it's enough to make the experience suffer. When the mechanics work together, it feels fantastic, and the visuals are top-notch, but when it doesn't work, it is frustrating and made me want to stop playing. The story is intriguing as well, even if the voice acting was off and plot was predictable. Unfortunately, the game isn't in any state to be played on the Steam Deck. Even at the lowest settings, it can't hit 30 FPS, and I wouldn't recommend playing on the go.
Abyssus is a fine addition to the co-op roguelike FPS genre. It doesn't throw a plethora of guns at you with different stats, but it does have that addictive gameplay loop that challenges you to get farther in with each run, with a little help from some upgrades each time, of course. Performance on the Steam Deck is solid, allowing us to have a good 60 FPS experience while not compromising image quality. The controls also work well, despite the game not advertising controller support.
Dead Take is a horrifying game that uses its short run time to create a memorable time. The way Surgent Studios uses surrealistic architecture, creepy atmosphere, and real-life videos to tell its disturbing story is wonderful. While some puzzles can be a little difficult to figure out without any help, the bulk of the game's basic gameplay is enjoyable when considering how brief the game is. Still, this is clearly a quality over quantity discussion, and I would say this is a quality experience that is worth playing through. Even with some compromises to visuals and the need for upscaling, it's a great game to enjoy on the Steam Deck. Sitting in my bed and playing Dead Take at night was awesome, even though it had ended up scaring me a lot.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound brings back the classic Ninja Gaiden gameplay in a modern way that I fell in love with. The gorgeous world and animations mix with the precise platforming and one-hit combat that I couldn't get enough of. Even with a short runtime, each level and boss fight felt distinct and enjoyable. Some of the dodging and climbing got in the way of my fights, and I didn't utilize upgrades much, but it was a ton of fun where quality over quantity goes a long way. On top of that, it's a gem to play on the Steam Deck. Just switching to 60 FPS fixes the minor issues I found at 90, and lowers the battery drain considerably. This is a perfect game to take on the go.
Killing Floor 3 is bloody, gorgeous, and so much fun to play. The gunplay feels impactful and tight, with fewer limitations for the weapons you want to use. The classic Killing Floor gameplay still holds up even today, and the updated visuals and dismemberment system make each shot count. While it can be a grind, I ultimately love the new weapon mod system and how I can create my own loadouts of each gun to be what I want. The character cosmetics and hub are a little disappointing, but they don't harm the overall experience. It's also surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck, which I found interesting. I didn't expect it to be playable, but disable Lumen and we have a very solid-performing experience. It's not going to hit 60 FPS, but it will be able to stick above 40 when playing solo and 30 when playing with friends. Killing Floor 3 is everything I wanted it to be, and I can't wait to see what content will be coming next.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has become my favorite soulslike game I have ever played. It's the first soulslike to not make me feel cheated when I lose and find a great balance between the traditional, slower, precise combat, while finding ways to make it feel faster and more dynamic. The combination of spells, Discipline skills, and managing Skyborn Might to enhance them is so much fun, and the multiple ways to build out and define our playstyle feel impactful and helpful. On top of that, the world is beautiful with an interesting story that sucked me in. The terminology and details for enhancing ourselves can be confusing, but it never detracted from the experience. However, this is not a game to play on the Steam Deck yet. It's possible this will change, but at this moment, it can't stick above 30 FPS on the lowest settings and frame generation makes it feel worse and more stuttery. If you have a better desktop for Moonlight streaming or GeForce NOW, that will be perfect. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is an incredible experience, and one I wholeheartedly recommend.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is the definitive way to experience this timeless classic. It was an amazing feeling getting back into the world of System Shock without feeling like it lost any of the charm I had fallen for from the original. The depth of the gameplay systems is wonderful, and although some of the original's faults do peek through, it doesn't change just how great it is to play with all of the improvements Nightdive has added. On top of that, it's a joy to play on the Steam Deck. It's definitely a Best on Deck game, and I can't help but enjoy playing it on the go. This is a great portable experience, and I can't wait for mods to come out!
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a wonderful time that I found myself enjoying, despite some aspects that make it feel a little dated. The tug-of-war combat mixed with ATLUS' established mechanics and great story make this a worthwhile experience to see through to the end. I enjoyed the fictional time period that it takes place in, and while some of the menus and fixed camera angles make the game feel dated, it still succeeds in what it sets out to do, with great quality of life features that enhance the gameplay in necessary ways. On top of that, it does run on the Steam Deck, but it isn't perfect. It's still very playable, and I would recommend playing it on the go, but just be prepared for some odd framerate issues here and there. I believe these will be fixed sooner or later, but for now, they are infrequent enough to just push through them.
FBC: Firebreak has a lot of great elements to it, but not enough content to keep it going. The core gunplay is great, and I had a blast playing the wacky 5 jobs with friends in the gorgeous environments of the federal agency, but the lack of random variables in the jobs and linear progression system made it hard to stay interested. Still, I have hope that with future updates, this is going to be a great co-op shooter to enjoy. It's also amazing how well it looks and runs on the Steam Deck, and I think that's saying a lot. It deserves praise for its optimization, and I can happily say its one that shouldn't be any problem playing on the go.
The Alters is an amazing game, and one of the few that I could actually see myself replaying for the story. The combination of survival, gathering, and base building, mixed with a winding, sci-fi story where your choices matter, is a treat and so intriguing that it only gets better the longer you play. Even with some little nuisances later and a slight overwhelming feeling, nothing ever detracted from the gameplay or story, and I was loving it. I was also surprised that it plays as well as it does on the Steam Deck. It isn't perfect, and does have some hitches and slowdowns, but it sticks above 30 FPS for the most part and looks great. It does need a lot of power, but in the end, it will be worthwhile to play on the go.
Elden Ring Nightreign feels like a near-perfect blend of From Software's souls-like formula and addictive roguelikes that make this experience feel like a step above the rest. The combat still feels just like Elden Ring and other souls-like games we have come to love, but the faster exploration and bite-sized expeditions kept my attention longer than most other souls-like games have. I adore the new roguelike mechanics, which make each run feel distinct and impactful, while also maintaining the quality that further elevates the experience. The Relic system can feel a little underwhelming, and the story for the characters feels significantly less complex and meaningful compared to the original game, but it's still a great, high-quality roguelike that should satisfy both fans of each genre Nightreign encompasses. It also runs quite well on the Steam Deck, even if there are some fluctuations with framerate and visuals. A lot of the issues come from an underwhelming PC port that lacks some essential settings, like V-Sync and in-game framerate limiters. However, it's still very playable, both online and offline, and is still a solid way to play this wonderful experience.
Blades of Fire is a fantastic metroidvania that excels in its gameplay loop. The combat is addicting and gory, with a solid amount of variety thanks to the weapons you can craft and wield. Combined with the simplistic progression and upgrade system, the experience is easy to get into and difficult to master. There are some little nuisances here and there, like getting your weapon caught on walls and some storytelling woes, but these are worth fighting through to experience this wonderful game. On top of that, it runs decently on the Steam Deck, even though it is only on the Epic Games Store. It can handle near-stable 30 FPS with low settings, and while it could be improved with a Steam release, it's still a solid way to play it if you don't want to wait for that possibility.
Is RoadCraft a bad game? Not necessarily, I could see how some people might enjoy it. For me, the game doesn't have the feeling of "survival" that SnowRunner has, where you are constantly trying to plan your own route and trying to protect your vehicle and preserve fuel, and because of the frustrating traversal and nature of the tasks at times, it isn't relaxing like American/Euro Truck Simulator. The game just feels rather... shallow, with similar objectives that take an age to complete, that you have to do over and over. The best parts of the game are watching your AI Trucks use the path you built/cleared, and the off-road terrain physics and deformation remain as good as ever. Sadly, the terrain deformation is losing its luster after 5 games, and the rest of the mechanics RoadCraft introduces aren't robust enough to support the game. RoadCraft is also currently unplayable on the Steam Deck; for whatever reason, the game crashes when compiling shaders, regardless of the Proton version I attempted using.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 has become my favorite collection of classic arcade fighting games from Capcom. The variety and quality of the experiences we can get from the eight games included here are great, and they still feel just as tight and smooth as ever. The online multiplayer and customization options are great as well, though the interwoven menus to make these adjustments are a little tedious. Luckily, the core of the game and the extra content make up for it, and I definitely have more reasons to come back and play more than not. It also runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck, and we can maximize our battery life with just a few changes and no compromise on quality or framerate. It's a wonderful experience on the go, and one I am happy to highly recommend.
The Precinct is an enjoyable police sandbox that is a blast to play a majority of the time. Being a policeman is a lot of fun, and I had a blast running through Aveno, stopping crimes and bringing perps in. I absolutely adored car races and the physics of driving through stores, lights, gates, and watching everything fly up around me. The story is a bit of a hit and miss, and combat can be a little clunky due to the way you aim and use cover, but it has its moments. The game is also quite playable on the Steam Deck using their specific preset. I wish we could make it better with a higher framerate or higher quality settings that don't need upscaling, but it's at least playable and enjoyable.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a fantastic next step for the franchise and a nice return to its roots. The horizontal-movement focus is easier to wrap my head around, and with a great assortment of weapons and the new shield, there were so many chaotic and destructive moments that I always found myself having a great time in the beautiful world. There were some moments when the shield would disrupt the flow of my movement, and there wasn't much to do outside of completing the campaign and collecting the secrets, but it's hard not to recommend the game just based on its addictive and refined gunplay.
Revenge of the Savage Planet does some things well. I like the movement, the combat is fine, if a bit basic, and the upgrades themselves are interesting and affect how you play the game as you progress. But from a game design perspective, I feel the game needed a lot more variety in how you progress the game, and every objective is just heading to a new location to find a new resource. It doesn't ruin the game, but it hampered my enjoyment. Steam Deck performance is alson't the best; we have to run on the absolute lowest settings possible, and even then, we only maintain a playable framerate. Fortunately, we do have good controller support, and I would say that the game can be played fully on the Steam Deck; you just might enjoy the experience more elsewhere.