Digital Chumps
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Frozenheim meets the status quo for what you would expect from an RTS game. Where it excels is in its gameplay balance and how much control it gives you to create your gameplay path. It falls short in story cohesiveness and the occasional buggy controls.
Moo Lander is a fun game that can be played in short stints. It has a whacky and creative story that supports a side-scrolling shooter/puzzle/RPG backbone. It does more right than not and makes for an engaging and entertaining journey to hunt down alien cows.
The Jackbox Party Starter is a great way to dive into the Jackbox series if you have never explored it.
Knights of the Old Republic is a remake of a classic done right. Despite some issues with clunky gameplay and visuals, the story is entertaining, and the gameplay is engaging. The missions encourage the players to explore every inch of the mining station. Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience with an immersive story.
The Capcom Fighting Collection brings some unique titles that most U.S. gamers haven’t laid eyes on before. While not all the games in the collection are worthy to be in it, the Darkstalkers-centric theme makes it worth a look.
For an indie title, Kukoos: Lost Pets offers players a taste of charming 3D-platforming that has a potential for something much greater in the future, and I'm interested in seeing what more Kukoos has to offer in the future. Its ability-based platforming encourages folks to exercise precision, dexterity, and thoughtfulness, but I can't help but want more from PetitFabrik's charming universe that is the Kukoos. Sure, the Switch may not best accommodate precision compared to other platforms, but the platforming proper and successful charm of Kukoos is definitely enough to hold you over this holiday season.
Despite an obtuse overarching narrative and minimal gameplay, Karma: The Dark World continually swings for the fences. Pollard Studio's debut heavily leans on artistic direction that will linger with the player long after the story fades from memory.
Oh honey, APICO has all the fixins of a good and relaxing farming sim, but with bees! You have an inventory system that allows you to multitask without wasting time or restricting your options. There are little-to-no penalties for playing however you want, whenever you want. The soundtrack is so soothing and laid back that you'll put viewers and bees to sleep. And, there exists an element of surprise within the gameplay loop of beekeeping, breeding bees, and discovering bees that can keep you playing into the wee hours of the morning and can be disabled if you wish to leave less gameplay up to chance. Despite the gigantic tutorial (that could admittedly use some tightening up for new players) and the lack of deep story/community-building that you may expect from other popular farming sims, it is SO easy for one to lose track of time and relax in the bee-pun filled world of APICO. Give APICO some time -- it's an absolute hit, and I'm SO EXCITED to see it grow.
Conan Chop Chop is a straightforward roguelite. While it may be shallow in some regards on the equipment and the worldbuilding front, the ability to play with friends can make this roguelite a worthwhile experience for those who want to introduce their friends to the genre. Yes, Conan is on the easier end of most roguelites, but this comes at the cost of a less-than-compelling single player experience. If you're looking for a roguelite to ease you into the unforgiving nature of the roguelite gameplay loop of dying over and over again, then Conan Chop Chop won't leave you frustrated.
At its core, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is an inventory management game. The more you play, the more freedom you have to do things with that inventory. You can help others. You can hurt others. You can save citizens. You can kill them. You can grow your world. You can destroy it. Regardless of your decision, DSDC is a game unlike others in that your assumptions about core gameplay loops and storytelling are pushed aside in favor of exploring a disconnected future. For those who have yet to play DS, DSDC is clearly the iteration of DS that is worthy of your time given its iterations that are increasingly respectful of your time and patience while also giving you additional creative outlets to muck about. For those of you who were unable to get hooked into this game, then DSDC may not be the answer you seek in a cinematic experience. Give it a shot, though; I'd love to be proven wrong.
Either way, there are multiple reasons to praise the next-gen version of GTA V and GTA Online, but be warned that the new player experience is still much to be desired compared to other MMOs. If you own a PS5, you should definitely take advantage of trying out GTA Online before it becomes a premium game in a few months.
Harlow is a spectacular experience that brings everything you would want and maybe didn’t expect in a puzzle-driven game. It has great gameplay design, clever levels, and a presentation that will keep a smile on your face.
Despite veering into a number of dated tropes and choosing not to reinvent the wheel, Ghostwire: Tokyo thrives on its devotion to Japanese folklore, a cultural touchstone propelled by unique combat and a haunted city worth exploring.
Six new tracks by Daniel Deluxe, new Trophies and collectibles, and a refreshed progression system round out the major differences between Hel and its base game. For the most part then, Project_Hel is quite a lot like Ghostrunner, which makes sense. Ghostrunner is pretty unique though, so if you didn’t like it, you probably won’t like Project_Hel, either. However, those who did enjoy it should find enough differences, and similarities, with Project_Hel to make the most of it, and enjoy the additional context to the base story along the way. In conclusion, Project_Hel is a must have for fans of the base game, but safe to skip if you aren’t already a fan.
Pinball FX3 has scored another pinball hit with Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure. While it isn't perfect, it still brings a good pinball experience to the Pinball FX3 family.
Ambling around a cursed utopia and interrogating its eccentric characters while listening to jazzy, saxophone-obsessed electronica remains a fitting masquerade for a mercurial murder mystery. Almost two years after its first release, Paradise Killer's commitment to its vaporwave aesthetic remains a model for creative fiction and an amusement park for industrious detectives.
I am really excited for the future of 30XX, and the Abyssal Armory update is chock full of welcome additions. It has the futuristic design and fluid gameplay of the Megaman X series with the replayability of roguelike gold-standards of Hades, Returnal, and Enter the Gungeon.
Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer from developer Clifftop Games brings to life a classic point-and-click construct featuring a difficult mystery, minor puzzle solving, and superb presentation to complete the adventure.
Cygnus Enterprises is a fun experience that will hook you and keep you wanting to play the game. Team Miaozi did one helluva job of balancing each purposeful gameplay element into its design and it has worked very well. Keep an eye on this one and take a chance if you want something fun and that has the longevity to it for the holiday season. I’m sure it will get bigger and better.
Players not fond of a nostalgic challenge may bristle at Infernax's devotion to the past but beneath a few rough edges is a gory romp that hits a lot of classic notes.