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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a strong debut title for Sandfall Interactive, with compelling characters and an original, unsettling story that’s part allegory, part surreal fantasy. Its turn-based/real-time hybrid combat is well thought out and grows more interesting as the game progresses. Some narrative pacing issues and repetitive enemy encounters pull Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from the brink of greatness. Still, it remains a unique and engaging take on both fantasy storytelling and JRPGs.
Steel Seed successfully blends its inspirations into a compelling sci-fi adventure that feels both fresh and familiar. It truly shines during its climbing and cinematic platforming segments, delivering memorable moments that echo its influences without feeling derivative.
1999’s Amerzone was technically a product of its times, but it told a still-interesting and layered story, set in a fantastical world. Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy is a true remake, keeping the skeleton intact while bringing the graphics, sound, puzzle mechanics, and exploration up to contemporary standards. Players of the original will find Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy both a respectful and exciting new experience. Adventure puzzle game fans who missed it the first time are in for a treat.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was worth the wait. Every mechanic is meticulously crafted, resulting in a deep, multilayered fighter.
Pinball FX VR does many thing right. Visually, the game is excellent. The tables, including the digital recreations of iconic pinball tables, all look great. The gameplay is as smooth and accurate as ever – Zen Studios definitely excels in this area.
This title is not entirely perfect. The adventure game elements look a little goofy, the characters can be quite archetypal, and the humor gets quite crass. But the game’s wild plot twists, intense character dynamics, and sheer style hold it together.
Blue Prince is an exceptional puzzle game, and one that we didn’t necessarily ask for in its roguelike form. While the game provides you with a clear objective at the start, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a lot more than one final objective to keep you coming back to Blue Prince, even after finding the 46th room. Once in a while, a game comes along and changes the gaming landscape for the foreseeable future. With the arrival of Blue Prince, I expect to see more games coming in a similar mold over the next few years. While some will hit and some will miss, I doubt many will have the same lasting impact as Blue Prince.
Promise Mascot Agency is a weird, flawed experience. You spend most of your time driving around this tiny town, chatting up a series of total weirdos. You’ve got a short list of tasks to complete, a lot of money to make, and a lot of fires to put out. But all of it is so engaging, so charming and fun, that you don’t mind one bit. This town is a complete, well-crafted world full of compelling characters and fascinating stories. Plus, the core gameplay loop is addictive and butter-smooth. I don’t know exactly how to recommend this game, but I can’t recommend it enough.
The story gives satisfying resolutions to many of the complex, multilayered narrative threads, but some of the more ambitious supernatural elements fail to deliver a full payoff.
If you’ve been looking for a way to play these games on modern consoles, then Lunar Remastered Collection is a godsend. The visuals are mostly preserved, the item management is better, and the voice acting is brand new.
Bionic Bay is a captivating platformer that pays homage to the forefathers of the genre while confidently carving its own path. Its stunning art direction immediately sets it apart, lending the game a fresh and distinctive identity in an otherwise crowded space.
Gorn 2 offers substantially more gameplay than the original Gorn. The arenas, enemies, and environments offer enhanced opportunities for creative mayhem. The first game’s way-over-the-top stylized violence and gore transfer intact, along with its goofy sense of satire. I
Tempest Rising comes at a great time, with few classic-type RTS games making an appearance. Tempest Rising easily recreates the fun of those early games and their addictive mechanics. At the same time, it looks and runs like a current title. Two impressive campaigns and the potential for endless enjoyment via skirmishes equals an impressive and exciting return to a regretfully absent genre.
The new version adds some quality-of-life features, new content, and an editor in concert with beautifully updated graphics. Enough time has passed to firmly assert that The Talos Principal is a genre classic, and The Talos Principal: Reawakened is simply the definitive version to own.
https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/game/the-talos-principle-reawakened/
Ultimately, Monster Energy Supercross 25 is a competent but unspectacular entry in the series. The improved visuals and deeper career mode are welcome additions, but the core gameplay remains largely unchanged.
Unfortunately, South of Midnight is saddled with frustrating, unpolished combat and action sequences that become repetitive long before the game’s midpoint. Even with its glaring faults, South of Midnight is mostly worth playing just for the orc-free story and uniquely American characters.
Any PC gamer who doesn’t already own The Last of Us Part II on console should definitely pick this up.
Koira is a heartfelt and inspiring journey that explores the deep emotional bonds between people and animals, bonds that are dynamic and fulfilling for both.
Overall, Battlefield Waltz is a pretty good time. Don’t expect something revolutionary, but do expect some fun romance. And the visuals are very nice.