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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.
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.
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.
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.
I did however have the best time solving its puzzles, which I’d hate to spoil here. But man, when you turn a photo upside-down and then stuff falls out of it? That moment got me to gasp. And the gravity physics were fun enough to have me playing with them until I made myself a little seasick. Viewfinder doesn’t have the tonal mastery of an exploration game like Myst, but it’s puzzles are second to none in the genre. You should definitely challenge yourself with Viewfinder, the most beguiling puzzle game of the year.
Either alone or with a buddy, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a good time. It updates a decades-old beat ’em up franchise by adding roguelike mechanics that actually harmonize pretty well. The gameplay is accessible but plenty challenging, and the large roster of unlockable characters keeps things interesting.
I may not be the target audience for LISA, but I recognize quality when I encounter it. The mechanics subvert the usual RPG tropes, leaving you tense and scrambling the entire time. The world itself is both funny and awful, with a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic tragedy thrown in. The level design left me feeling disoriented, but I think it was meant to. The graphics get your guard down, setting you up nicely for the brutal writing. The game is tough too, which feels appropriate. I have no idea what to score this game. Although I hated playing it, I can tell it was a well-crafted experience. I can’t honestly recommend LISA: Definitive Edition, but some of you will check it out regardless. To you I say, have fun! You will not soon forget this game.
The roadmap ahead for Exoprimal is bright. New Exosuits, game modes, and more are in the works. With just a little more content, Exoprimal could become something huge. As it currently stands, it is an addictive and greatly enjoyable experience for someone who wants to experience the story. Having only one real game mode at launch has done more harm than good. If it had been sold to us as a narrative game with multiplayer components rather than a drop-in shooter, it might have done itself some favors. There is great potential in Exoprimal and it is easily one of the most fun shooters I have played in a while. It just needs a little more to make it one of the best.
After beating the story in Jagged Alliance 3, I still really wanted to play more. I want to try out every merc on the roster, and learn how to use each of their unique abilities. There are fights that I want to play again, this time with a new approach. Fans of turned based action will find Jagged Alliance 3 to be a genre-best game. But I’m probably going to play those gunfights with the volume turned way down. After all, I’m not in Grand Chien for the atmosphere and the company. I just want to find new ways to blow stuff up.