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Kiborg may not have the polish of a big-budget title, but it nails the fundamentals. Gritty, addictive, and unapologetically brutal, this is one roguelite that knows exactly what it is and is able to deliver on that.
Overall, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a must for fans of the franchise and is a great choice for players looking for a massive open world to explore with a gameplay loop that is both memorable and addictive.
Omega 6 The Triangle Stars is an interesting title that has a fun story and unique characters that make for a stellar adventure full of puzzles and mystery, and some obscure rock, paper, scissors combat that starts fun but slowly turns into a chore that is full of random shenanigans.
A beginner’s introduction to difficult games, The First Berserker: Khazan has many of the accessibility options Soulslikes/Action RPG fans have cried out for, and it does it all with an excellent combat system, interesting lore and story, and some fine visuals.
Overall, my experience with Atomfall was more than pleasant, as I enjoyed the gameplay that the game offered, as well as the different characters I met along the journey. Unfortunately, the narrative let Atomfall down in some areas, as I felt relatively underwhelmed regarding the enemy factions and their overall role in the game's story.
Hazelight Studios has crafted an adventure that almost transcends what it is, a video game, and goes a long way to prove that games are as much art as books and films. Split Fiction is one of the best games of the year, this generation of gaming ,and potentially ever, with equal measures of finesse in its execution and brass balls to take some big risks. It’s one of those games you don’t want to miss.
À La Mode Games have crafted a great indie experience here, and the transition to consoles from PC has been a successful one. With extra modes available, the experience is even bigger now, and with a unique premise and execution, Sorry We’re Closed is now just the beginning of a fruitful future for the studio. Don’t miss out on this, especially if you’re a survival horror fan!
Overall, Monster Hunter Wilds is arguably one of the best titles within the franchise in terms of story, combat, locations, enemies, and even characters, as it blends all of these aspects into one fantastic creation that tells an amazing story that ends in one of the most satisfying ways possible, putting many of the other Monster Hunter titles to shame.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has crafted a thing of beauty here. Managing to send the already finely balanced franchise into the land of absurdity with the pirate theme, the studio still pulled together a tight enough experience that’ll have you laughing, shouting, crying, and enjoying every single moment. More Majima moving forward, please.
Don’t Nod has taken what they learned with Life is Strange and made something different, yet impressively better. It’ll make you think, both about your in-game actions and out of game life, and will stick with you long after you switch off. Most importantly, it goes to show games are an art form that can have a message, be fun and also still be unique and different to what we’ve seen before.
Odd Bug Studio has managed to build on the first game in some great ways, with deeper combat, even better visuals, and the magnanimous Doug Cockle narrating throughout, but a boring story and some lackluster additions make it fall just short of being perfect.
Driving is Hard is a fun experience that may not take too long to finish if you are already well-versed in climbing games like it. Still, thanks to the numerous locations and stories that the game provides, there is plenty to explore and uncover as you climb as high as you can.
Rebellion gives us another go-round with the arcade sniping sim with Sniper Elite: Resistance, and all-in-all it's an enjoyable one. A few post-launch patches from the devs could go a long way to fixing some issues, but a stronger story and more interesting characters are much needed next time. That said, shooting Nazis was an absolute riot, which is the most important thing.
Aspyr has done enough with Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles to warrant the remaster, giving it a fresh lick of paint, tighter controls, accessibility through the wazoo, and a bit more besides, but performance problems, lacking story and audio that keeps cutting out do tarnish the experience somewhat.
Dreamcore may not be the longest game, nor one full of features, but what it aims to do, it does incredibly well. Spend your time walking through seemingly never-ending mazes of desperate environments you never feel safe in, and do your best to escape. And then play the level again.
Infinity Nikki is a cozy game aimed at gamers who want a carefree exploration, simple mechanics and a gameplay experience that’ll make you unreasonably relaxed and cheery come the time you switch off. A lackluster narrative, poor and congested menus and hollow characters will make some parts of Infinity Nikki feel like it’s dragging though.
Aged combat can prove repetitive, with some rinse-and-repeat combos, but an incredible facelift both in graphics and audio proves enough to keep the experience as good as we remember it. Add some basic quality-of-life additions like the compass, and Aspyr has succeeded in making this a more than serviceable remaster, but also a genuinely fun one.