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Real-world trombone playing entails years or decades of study, intense practice, sacrifice, blood, perspiration and tears. With Trombone Champ you can bypass all that sweat equity and just ascend to the trombone throne. Trombone Champ is a humble game made by folks with a genuine love of music, hot dogs, baboons and, even more remarkably, the trombone. It’s fun, funny, a little weird and an actual, genuine game despite what sounds like a silly premise. It’s no surprise that everyone secretly wants to be a trombone player, and now anyone can rise to that only dreamed-of level of coolness. Grab yourself some hot dogs, hug a baboon and go play Trombone Champ.
No Place For Brave is an incredible top-down adventure that tells a touching story about the lengths one will go for family. Its weighty combat is challenging but fair which makes each battle a thrill. Although I did encounter the occasional bug which stifled the pace, this didn’t hinder what was a wonderful and touching experience.
Overall, NBA 2K23 has some of the best gameplay in an NBA 2K game. While the MyPlayer mode is a bit of a shadow of its former self, the various additions and changes to MyTeam and MyNBA make up for it overall. Despite being on point in most areas, the Virtual Currency situation will definitely affect players’ enjoyment of the game. While the term “pay to win” does come to mind, NBA2K23’s gameplay and various modes are still very well done.
Temtem is a unique yet familiar take on the monster-collecting genre. Its blend of MMO mechanics gives it the potential for a long-running, sustainable community with more to enjoy than a single-player narrative. The new combat mechanics are a fantastic upgrade. However, the Tems themselves and the overall lack of guidance aren’t quite up to standards. Tems aren’t that memorable themselves and many of their names just don’t click. Having no guidance on typing, advantages, or explanations on a number of smaller features drops the enjoyment of gameplay. It’s a great experience, but it expects you to already have a certain amount of knowledge of both genres before picking up the controller.
All in all, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a unique experience. If you love worldbuilding, modernizing fantasy worlds, and urban fantasy, you should check it out. If you’re allergic to long cutscenes and extraneous infodumps, you should avoid it. Love it or hate it, Trails from Zero clearly knows what it is and what it’s doing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy all of Trails of Cold Steel so I can find out what happens in Zemuria next.
It’s nice to play an action game more influenced by Devil May Cry than Dark Souls for a change. Soulstice makes a good case for its combat and its synthesis of two characters with distinct fighting styles. The characters themselves aren’t particularly interesting or sympathetic, and their quips and asides grow annoying. The game’s fixed camera and how it hamstrings enjoyable platforming and exploration are most troubling. Soulstice isn’t as entertaining or polished as the games from which it draws inspiration, but it’s worth checking out for gamers growing tired of the Soulsborne template.
Children of the Worm is absolutely the type of expansion that Back 4 Blood deserves. It is substantially better than the awful first expansion. This expansion brings a new Cleaner, four new enemies, and six new levels to play through. The levels feel like they’ve been carefully constructed to showcase both the new enemies, especially the snipers, and the hordes of Ridden. There are some minor annoyances, such as a ridiculous overabundance of bear traps strewn about. However, all in all, this is a worthy addition to Back 4 Blood. If the third and final Back 4 Blood expansion follows this formula, we’re in for a treat.
Besides, I have to figure you didn’t pick up something called Bear & Breakfast because you wanted it to bend your mind. This shouldn’t be as hard as running a galactic empire. You’re just a dumb, kindhearted bear. Prospective players probably want to know things like if the bear walks real cute. And he does! He really has a cute little walk. If you’re looking for a cozy little game to take you away from harsh reality, you could do worse than spending your time in these woods.
Sucker for Love: First Date may be a niche title with a weird premise, but it does that premise incredibly well. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror and anime, or if you think dark romantic comedies are great, this game is for you. Akabaka’s weird creation definitely isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, you’re gonna love it. I know I did.
With Train Life: A Railway Simulator, sim railroad enthusiasts have another way to get their railroad fix. With its emphasis equally on the driving and economic aspects of running a railroad, Train Life: A Railway Simulator has a little more depth than those games that focus more on the locomotives and rolling stock. It’s also a Eurocentric sim, so American gamers wanting to drive a speeding Amtrak train over the Rockies are out of luck. Train Life: A Railway Simulator might be built for a specific audience, but general sim enthusiasts might give it try as well.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is not perfect, but there’s no denying the enjoyment one can get from it. Whether you enjoy playing solo or joining online with friends, there’s something suitable for everyone. Sure, it’s more fun if you know some main characters and villains, but it’s still entertaining if you’re new to the franchise. For myself, it was a pleasure to experience the modern nostalgia, and I’m positive other Gundam fans will feel the same.
Taken as a whole, Splatoon 3 is an engaging, exciting experience. You can cycle between weapon load-outs, game modes, and gear to keep things fresh. The solo campaign is always there if you ever get truly stuck, though it does nothing for your overall progression. The Anarchy Battles are a massive boost, with enough game types to keep you hooked for ages. The battles themselves are slick and speedy, with a host of potential strategies to help you eke out a win. I’d love more customization, and I’ve no patience for motion controls, but these are minor troubles. While it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, Splatoon 3 is a lot more of an already great idea.
In general Double Eleven and Ludeon have gifted console players with one of the best and most rewarding strategy games of all time. RimWorld is still difficult to master, complex and demanding, and the port to console hasn’t changed that. But, surprisingly, it’s entirely possible to sit on the couch, controller in hand, and have the same intriguing and addictive experience PC players have enjoyed since 2018.
Wayward Stand tells an intimate story that you discover at your own pace. The non-linear design gives you the freedom to personalize your journey through a long weekend at work with your mother. The in-game clock makes the world feel alive and pushes you to follow story arcs rather than meander. While the conclusion is a little lacklustre and there is an absence of gameplay, this is a wonderful passage through a moment in time.
Biomutant has ambition but at the end of the day, it just isn’t all that fun. Experiment 101 put together a strange chimera of ideas in their game that never quite connects in meaningful ways. Finding fun was hard because the story isn’t great, exploration is a chore, and combat is serviceable. I did like the puzzle-like nature of the Worldeater boss fights because they break the monotony of quests. Technologically speaking, the game looks and performs well enough. However, I encountered a few bugs that required dying or hopping to the title screen to fix. All in all, Biomutant had the potential to be a frolicking Zelda-like but everything about this ecologically-minded adventure falls short of its ambition.
As I said before, Point and Clicks aren’t usually my thing. Putting things randomly together, making obscure leaps of logic, and cycling through inventories just gets boring for me. But Sunday Gold offers so much more than most Point and Click games. It’s got JRPG-like combat. There’s the fun mini-games. And it’s excellently voice-acted and it looks gorgeous. Sure, the story won’t blow you away but trust me, Sunday Gold is a big game in a little package and it’s definitely worth a look.
Metal Hellsinger is a fantastic blend of metal music and first-person shooting, with a headbanging gothic vibe that’s hard not to love. It’s a perfect duet of virtuoso vocals and furious action. Like the best metal band, it shreds. Over an extended play session, Metal Hellisinger’s lack of variety hits a slightly disappointing note, but overall it’s a potent and immersive mixture of hard rock and heavy-metal action.
If you and your friends are still really into Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Pathogen is a no-brainer purchase. Like the Chapter 2 content, Pathogen adds lots of toys, cosmetics, and a new mode. For casual players only dipping into Fireteam Elite on occasion, the ratio of cost to content might not work in their favor. With the right group — that is, human friends or cooperators — Pathogen is just as rewarding as the base game, and extends the fun just a little longer.
Inscryption appears to be a very niche roguelite deck-building card game. But it turns into so much more. It’s a must play for anyone who is a fan of experimental videogame storytelling. Anyone remotely curious, who enjoys a great mystery, should also play without hesitation. This is the highest review score I’ve given in a while, and I wasn’t drawn to the base gameplay at all. Inscryption is a special game, and a wholly unique experience. It’s going to be remembered as a benchmark of videogame storytelling years from now. I could not be more shocked or impressed.
Thanks to its setting, outstanding art, and level design, paired with excellent combat mechanics, Steelrising makes a strong case for itself in a very crowded Soulsborne landscape. Occasional uninspired bosses, sketchy platforming and technical issues only slightly marred the overall experience. Steelrising is a Soulslike from start to finish, but it stands out as a game I actually can’t wait to play through again.