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Fort Solis is a moderately successful first effort from Fallen Leaf. It scores points for atmosphere and good voice work, but suffers from clashing tonality. Tension is often severed before it takes hold, and the experience wraps up before exploring threads sufficiently. I understand why the scope is limited mostly to the critical path, but there were numerous threads along the way I wanted desperately to be able to tug at. Fort Solis isn’t exactly blazing any new trails, but there’s an entertaining few hours to be had here for fans of narrative adventures.
Ride 5 is not a huge, evolutionary leap from the last game in 2020. Instead, Ride 5 continues to refine and add depth, options, and polish to an already excellent racer. The continued lack of a thorough, step-by-step tutorial is puzzling. Ride 5 has options for inexperienced riders, but it’s clearly leaning hard into being an exacting motorcycle sim for fans of the sport.
I had a ton of fun with Immortals. The combat is snappy, explosive, and smooth. Everything looks amazing, just a colossal colorful assault on the senses at every turn. The puzzles are a pleasant distraction. The writing has its ups and downs, to be sure, but the story itself is a proper ride. I truly can’t get enough of the word Everwar. I could have used a bit less quipping in the dialogue, however. While the combat occasionally got frustrating, it’s nothing a little practice (and difficulty adjustment) can’t fix. Traversal is a good time, even if the dodge cooldown feels excessive. If your first-person shooters have felt too serious lately, take heart! Immortals of Aveum is a magic-soaked, colorful romp that grips hard and doesn’t let go.
Red Dead Redemption is an exceptional game that manages to capture the spirit of the Wild West. The incredible sound design and enthralling narrative are highlights of the adventure. Although it runs perfectly well on the Switch, the lack of an online mode and no additional content is disappointing. The high price point is contentious, however, this is an exquisite open-world adventure that shows Rockstar at its finest.
Blasphemous 2 is a very challenging game but by and large, it’s a fair one, too. Timing, persistence, and the ability to read patterns — not brute force — are the only keys to making it out the other side. In terms of level design and weapon variety, it’s a step forward from the first game. If you enjoyed Blasphemous, the sequel will feel both familiar and surprising in equal measure.
Fans of Lifeless Planet will be right at home with this game. Players who have not played the first game – understandable give the time gap between the two games – can play this game with no knowledge of the first game. If you’re a fan of big idea stories tied to puzzle solving and platforming type of games, Lifeless Moon is definitely worth a look.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a challenging and extremely entertaining stealth action and tactics game. It has a charming setting and story, with characters and mechanics that encourage creative and varied approaches to combat. There aren’t nearly enough great pirate games, so I’m glad Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew sailed into port.
I loved this game. The story is engrossing, the art is terrific, and the emotional impact is undeniable. I was a little bored by the election arc, but it still had me engaged. Card crafting is somewhat nebulous at times, but this is likely for the best. After all, if it was laid out nice and clean, it wouldn’t feel as mystical. You’re making a brand new form of divination. It’s normal for some elements to feel distant and strange. The game is touching, it hooked me, and creatively energized me. If you’re looking for more magic and mystery in your life, check out The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. You won’t regret it.
Gord is a richer and more complex game than it first appears. There are interesting layers of moral ambiguity and mental health to consider. Gord is a dark Slavic folk tale in survival/RTS-game disguise. Its mechanics and systems add up to an engaging gameplay experience. For a modest entry price, Gord provides a lot of entertainment, an engaging story and plenty of replay value via customizable scenarios.
Despite The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s hiccups, I’ve had a blast with it. As a diehard fan of the original film, Sumo Digital’s take on its disturbing universe is faithful, suspenseful, and a hell of a lot of fun. Bear in mind TCM will require a ton of support to maintain an interested player base. But if it gets even half of the love and care that Dead by Daylight receives, it will be a multiplayer staple for years to come. Ladies and gentlemen, start your chainsaws.
I am reminded of Sid Meier’s often repeated quote: “games are a series of interesting decisions.” I never really felt that my decisions were all that interesting in Astronaut: The Best. Either the course of action is fairly obvious, or it’s totally opaque. Click a button, find out what happens next. But then I keep looking at images from the game, which reminds me how consistent the whole experience is. I appreciate the wild swing, but ultimately, I don’t think Astronaut: The Best, is (the best.)
Part murder mystery, part visual novel, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an audacious experiment. Happily, it pays off in a unique video game experience. There aren’t many games that use songs in a theatrical way. Being able to direct the flow of the music in real time is exciting and engaging. Pacing issues aside, it’s a concept that’s definitely worthy of continued development. I hope Wintory and Gaider continue to iterate on this new IP.
Like in their earlier games, Deck 13 Interactive is definitely punching above their weight. If this results in some moments of unexpected awesomeness, it also results in some rough patches and missing polish.
The love and passion gone into the creation of WrestleQuest is clear, however, certain design decisions and a repetitive combat system make this a stumble down memory lane. Although the story is full of intrigue and famous wrestlers form part of the adventure, the repeat deviations quickly diminish interest in the narrative. Combat gets repetitive and animations fail to capture the nuances of the sport. Although fans of wrestling will enjoy seeing legends as part of the experience, some design decisions fumble the finish.
All in all, I enjoyed Master Detective Archives: Rain Code and you probably will, too. The presentation is slick, the setting is gorgeous, and the premise is genuinely brilliant. Making rapid-fire deductions while dodging accusations and falsehoods is one way to make solving mysteries a heart-pounding experience.
You will still find it necessary to micro-manage the entire on-track activity. Races can be run in fast forward modes or entirely simulated, but you will not realize optimal results. This is especially true in the early stages of a season.
Venba is a lovely, quaint tale that successfully captures the notion of an immigrant family struggling in Canada. The story is heartfelt and manages to tackle subjects in a sensitive and realistic manner. While the cooking aspects are a little awkward on the controller and its short run time means that certain story beats are not fully explored, the game maintains a level of charm that will keep you eager for the next dish.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a welcome return for the celebrated company. Although the first episode is particularly short, it sets up an intriguing story that requires no prior knowledge of the franchise, yet will please fans of the show. Several refinements improve the gameplay, however, it doesn’t stray too far away from conventions of the genre. Most importantly though, the world, the characters and the story are fascinating and due to this, I am excited for future episodes.
Although limited to just two factions out of dozens, the Grey Marines and Nurgle are classic enemies, and Warhammer 40K Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters is as close to the tabletop experience as you can get. The base game’s campaign is already dozens of hours long and while Execution Force doesn’t have a lot of new stories, it does fold in some great new units, enemies, and mission types. Daemonhunters fans will want to add this new DLC into the mix.
Disney Illusion Island is the perfect family platformer. With inclusivity at the center of its design, you can select a suitable difficulty option that allows everyone to engage and more importantly, enjoy the game. Love and admiration for the history of Mickey are apparent. References to classic cartoons and previous video games are noticeable as you venture through a new world. At first, I was taken aback by the lack of combat and familiar gameplay loops, however, the slick platforming and delightful design shine through to make this a wonderful and memorable adventure.