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Lightyear Frontier is an open-world farming simulator with exploration and adventure elements, released on March 19, 2024, in Early Access on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Developed by FRAME BREAK and published by Amplifier Studios, the game invites players to take on the role of a space pioneer tasked with cultivating alien resources and building a thriving farm on a remote planet.
Rotten Flesh, the brainchild of Steelkrill Studio and released on January 22, 2024, plunges us into a survival horror adventure set in the bowels of the sewers
Ready Steady Ship is undeniably a fun experience, designed for local cooperative play but not online. Developed by Martynas Cibulis, the sole creator of the game, it caters to a wide range of players, promising enjoyment and challenges. Despite some noticeable flaws, its creativity and entertainment value remain intact when played in pairs. The game has been meticulously crafted, although some parts have not been executed successfully. The variety of implemented ideas and their originality are to be appreciated. By the way, I highly recommend playing in local mode with a friend.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake is a product that has breathed new life into the 2013 original, enhancing graphics and gameplay and bringing back a title that will undoubtedly captivate new generations. With its evocative atmospheres, fantastic landscapes, and selfless brothers Naia and Naiee, whose dramatic yet message-rich story is ready to thrill us once again.
Despite having consumed my fair share of survival horror, I must admit that some sections of Jawbreaker managed to unsettle me a lot. The game handles the oppression and distress of the situation quite well, thanks also to excellent graphics. The police station is truly enormous, and even with the help of the map, it won’t be easy to navigate. The inspiration from genre classics like Outlast and the early Resident Evil games is clear, as admitted by the developer himself.
Seek a relaxing gaming experience centered on exploration? Then I Am Future is a title you shouldn’t miss. The deep crafting system and vast world to discover guarantee hours of fun, while the serene atmosphere helps create a unique gaming experience. Despite the initial learning curve for crafting, I Am Future stands out as a haven of peace in the survival landscape, differentiating itself from its competitors with its calm and contemplative approach. I Am Future, developed by Mandragora Studio and published by TinyBuild, made its PC early access debut on February 15, 2023.
Setting aside some naivety and technical aspects that require immediate attention, Cookie Cutter is a Metroidvania that will provide you with hours of wholesome fun, intense and blood-pumping battles, and a story that, despite its apparent simplicity, hides beneath its seemingly bare shell a soul waiting to be discovered. It’s an ideal choice for those seeking an unconventional Metroidvania in terms of themes and expressive language, yet equally enjoyable and familiar in gameplay mechanics.
The graphical style of this game is hauntingly beautiful, in the sense that it remains fixed in the player’s mind like a spell, just to stay on theme. And the ambience sound is no less. Take a moment, and take the time to listen to the chatter and laughter of children, the flow of a stream, the wind caressing the leaves, the call of a distant bird. The quality of the audio catapults you into the scene, ensuring constant and powerful immersion, especially with the help of a good pair of headphones.
Doctor Cat presents itself as a game with modest aspirations but stumbles in its attempt to tackle significant topics such as mental health and psychotherapy. While its intention is commendable and it manages to convey the weight of certain issues, particularly in everyday life, it ultimately falls short in delivering a deeper exploration. The writing, especially the dialogues, lacks the depth needed to fully engage with the complexity of these themes. While it maintains simplicity in its approach, with some additional technical refinement needed, such as in the music department, it could have better emphasized the importance of the topics it sought to address. Therefore, while Doctor Cat is honest in its simplicity, it misses the mark on fully realizing its potential to effectively discuss these vital issues
Who hasn’t ever jokingly entertained the remote possibility of being trapped in their own mind? The brilliance of the game is in the way we can manipulate the environment. You know those dreams where physics and optics make no sense and seem to follow their own rules? Well, imagine being able to dictate those laws yourself. And you’ve got Superliminal.
Midnight Ghost Hunt presents itself as a unique and entertaining gaming experience, cleverly blending elements of different genres to offer an adrenaline-fueled, tension-filled gameplay sprinkled with a good dose of dark humor. If you are looking for a title that offers unforgettable evenings with your friends, Midnight Ghost Hunt is definitely an option not to be underestimated. Developed by Vaulted Sky Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing, Midnight Ghost Hunt is an asymmetrical multiplayer game blending shooter and brawler genres, released on PC on March 31, 2022
Once familiarized, we will appreciate the frightening variety and depth of Scarlet Tower. Eight playable characters, very different from each other and highly customizable, dozens of passive abilities and runes… Just this is enough to describe the extremely high longevity and the desire of the developers to leave complete choice to the player. Yes, it’s repetitive, it’s true, but if taken in small doses, it becomes a pleasant and rewarding pastime, chasing the distant goal of reaching the final levels.
Lotus Lantern is certainly a neat product, with some flaws but really fun. Furthermore, it is the second top-down action roguelite that comes from Chinese developers together with Realm of Ink. The feedback from the hits (both given and taken) is good and fluid, although with so much stuff on the screen you risk having little clarity and sometimes not seeing the opponent’s bullets. Lotus Lantern is still too calibrated in favor of the character. Also considering that the story ends after a few complete runs. In closing, Lotus Lantern still has a long way to go, even if the path taken is the right one.
It’s impressive how after dozens of hours of play, you come across situations never seen before, or you manage to build an entirely new deck. Among attack, defense, support cards, or even curses that hinder battles and our ascent, we have almost endless possibilities, even in the synergy that sparks with the use of potions and the possession of relics. It’s almost a pity to win a game because when starting over we will lose our powerful deck that allowed us to triumph.
Murders on the Yangtze River presents a complex picture, characterized by elements of strong appeal as well as by significant limitations. On one hand, the game succeeds in capturing the interest of players by offering a deduction and puzzle-solving experience that, at various moments, shines for its ingenuity and proposes some original ideas that stimulate the mind and invite deep engagement. The ability to immerse players in a fascinating historical context, along with the construction of a narrative that weaves mysteries and investigations along the banks of the majestic Yangtze River, contributes to creating a memorable setting that enriches the gaming experience.
Skaramazuzu is a 2D graphic adventure, hand-drawn in a black and white style, simple yet expressive and impactful. Its aesthetics and storytelling are its strengths. It’s an enjoyable and at times moving title, full of beautiful positive messages conveyed with irony and lightness, but also with more intense and incisive moments. At times, it can be a bit tedious when continuously revisiting the same areas and talking to the same characters, even though the dialogues change each time. Skaramazuzu is a philosophical video game that utilizes the concept of archetypes and myth to create an original story that touches on universal themes.
Death of a Wish is a game where simplicity has its own sense of being. Despite its apparent simplicity, it hides a depth of interesting mechanics both in the combat system and in the general gameplay. It is certainly a game that expects the player to learn its mechanics quickly. The visual style, although fascinating and original, sometimes works against the player and the combat system, creating confusion during some battles and when viewing the character menu. If you love an original style and a good challenge, Death of a Wish is definitely made for you.
Stalker: Legends of the Zone brings the historic Stalker trilogy to old gen and next gen. A remarkable work that demonstrates GSC’s love for the series. Some small errors that can be solved in the future via patches, overall an excellent job.
Every mistake, every waste of valor points, every death of an ally, every failed mission, serves as a teacher. There are few videogames (and I assure you, being a hopeless lover of the most difficult games) that manage to convey such a sense of triumph and achievement as Wartales. We as players grow alongside our characters, treasure the harsh lessons taught by the game, devise ever more imaginative tactics to bypass or nullify the obstacles in our path, and eventually come to dominate the game.
Alterium Shift certainly has some excellent ideas and you can see that the developers love and know the world of JRPGs well. Perhaps they are tied too much to that world and inevitably bring into their game the defects and dynamics of games created almost 30 years ago. However, this is not a final judgment because the game is still in early access and the story ends exactly at the best moment. We have to take into account whether the mechanics and ideas will hold up throughout all the title and whether the rough edges will be fixed.