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As someone who could not tell you the ins and outs of every little thing Diablo IV does, I really enjoyed Lord of Hatred. The warlock class was a lot of fun to play as, and the new campaign’s story was quite hard-hitting in spite of being a little too simple. For the hardcore player, there are new additions like the war table that should really excite your endless grinding, but the more casual crowd, like myself, can enjoy the ride without much dragging down the experience.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire melds the cartoon world of a century ago with intense shooter action in a way that is endearing as hell. The gameplay’s combat feels great the entire time, and the cartoon world at play here stands toe-to-toe with classics of the past. It’s a love letter to its inspirations and is an easy recommendation for someone looking for non-stop action and charm. The lack of the ability to return to older missions to get missed side jobs and certain collectibles is highly aggravating, and you never really feel like a detective here, but if what you really enjoy is cartoons and shooter action, that is fully on display here.
Moses & Plato – Last Train to Clawville is an enthralling murder puzzler, pulled along by an amazing cast and memorable characters. Even though it’s light on deep gameplay mechanics, the animal senses add wrinkles to clue gathering, setting up tense verbal standoffs as you zero in on the true murderer. Fans of Sherlock Holmes, visual novels, and well-executed mysteries are sure to enjoy this caper.
Placing and stacking buildings, adding signs, and styling graffiti will soothe your woes and stress. ShantyTown is great for those who want a relaxing title to sit back and zen out to, but it doesn’t fully capture the creative experience for those who want more customization in their city-builder. The art style is serene, offering a peaceful environment for you to escape your everyday worries. If you enjoy building games but get decision fatigue, ShantyTown is the perfect game to pick up and mellow out to.
RACCOIN is the next rogue-like I didn’t imagine I’d want, or would even work, but developer Doraccoon has pulled the correct levers for what makes one of these games feel good. While it didn’t consume my every thought like other similar titles, there was more than enough coin pushing goodness to keep me at the cabinet for hours. With its hundreds of modifiers and power up’s, and handful of unique characters with special abilities, RACCOIN is the next dopamine hit game to get your paws onto.
Simply put, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is well worth the price of admission. It’s an RPG that was crafted with care and pays homage to titles that came before it. The focus on quality over quantity is a gamble that paid off when talking about the total package, but came with a few nagging issues that bring it down a notch. The minimal effort shown toward the facial animations is a true crime against the voice actors who brought these expertly written characters to life. Pair that with the rather dated combat system, and it truly pains me to not set this game in a league of its own when talking about games I’ve played recently. Those are issues that are quickly overshadowed by just how fun this adventure is and how well core RPG tenets are executed upon. The story, world, and expansive lands this game takes place within are truly something that could give Bethesda a run for its money.
PlayEveryWare’s remaster shows a lot of respect for Defiance’s tone, improving upon its atmosphere with new lighting and textures, while also allowing players to freely pick and choose between its quality-of-life features. Touching up a classic is never easy, and while I do wish fewer corners were cut, especially when it comes to AI upscaling, I can’t deny that it does look great for the most part. It’s very clear that all of the remaster’s changes are well-intentioned and aim to modernize the game in optional ways, respecting those who prefer the original experience while also attempting to sand down some of its rougher edges.
Demon Tides tries to emulate bits and pieces of many 3D platformer favorites, and while it doesn’t nail it all perfectly, it still turns out a very fun and engaging adventure. Outside of some minor annoyances, the movement and traversal techniques feel good, and the growing list of challenges to grab your next golden gear keeps things interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s a hell of a good time, but there is plenty to like as you go bursting off for the next island.
Cairn is a difficult and sometimes punishing climbing game, forcing you to struggle with scaling a mountain, and what it means to survive doing a task that gargantuan. Those who keep at it will be treated to a great story about what people are willing to give up to achieve their goals, on top of a great sense of accomplishment once you finally reach the peak.
A Pizza Delivery’s saving grace is definitely nestled into the narrative it manages to tell despite the wrinkles left in its design. The escapist fantasy on offer is one in which you can revisit the regrets of your past, and even if you can’t get a second chance at doing the right thing, maybe you can help other people not trek down the same road you did. This is a world in which you can find another stranger out in the lonely city, paralyzed by their own memories and freezing half to death. You can save them by reminding them that the only way out is forward, and maybe even warm them up with a nice slice of pizza.
Demonschool’s finely tuned combat and instantly endearing characters are big selling points. However, both are bogged down by the game’s tendency to more or less throw everything at the player without even a single moment’s warning. You might be caught off guard if you expect the marathon-like feel that is typical of JRPGs, but you’ll find yourself over the moon if you’ve always thought you’d rather go for a sprint.
Moonlighter 2 carves out its own place in gaming, being a mix of a delightful shop-keeping simulator, with its newly added action rogue-like mechanics to differentiate itself from the gameplay of the original. Every change over the original game was welcome to me, with deeper and more varied combat, and more engaging shop and town management. It’s a tale of two games, and Digital Sun Games has given us an improved and more rewarding experience across both.
Sheepherds feels most clearly directed towards families, but certainly not exclusively so. Between the cooperative nature of the game and its general lack of artificial urgency, I personally found Sheepherds perfect for playing with my significant other. I see no reason why a full group of friends couldn’t have a good time too, whether gathered around a couch or online. If you think that party games feel too active, and cozy games feel too passive, then Sheepherds will feel just right.
Gigasword is a mix of an old school art style, Metroidvania progression, Souls-like combat, and the addition of a weighted weapon that changes how you solve puzzles and platform. All together it makes for an interesting and enjoyable gameplay feel that I was happy to engage with for hours. I felt less enthused about the aimless backtracking, which could have been fixed with better signposting or a more nuanced map. While those issues did frustrate me, I still would recommend this to folks looking for a throwback to older titles, with an original twist to keep things fresh for the modern day.
Goodnight Universe stands apart with an engrossing sci-fi story about family drama and our place in the world, while giving us a taste of the super-powered fantasy of a young child. It delivers on both those prompts, giving me a gaming experience I wouldn’t put down until I rolled credits. In a year of grand stories, unforgettable characters, and new personal favorite games, Goodnight Universe cements itself alongside the year’s best titles.
Regardless of its growing pains, Silent Hill f’s layered story is genuinely impressive to see, and Ryukishi07 does a great job at implementing a plot that is deeply rooted in Japanese mythology and culture into the series without feeling out of place. Konami’s gamble to partner with such a unique writer has definitely paid off, and I can only imagine Silent Hill fans are excited to see what’ll come next now that the series has gained a second wind.
NASCAR 25 overall plays and feels great. I have enjoyed my time with it and will likely spend more time in the near future playing online and completing my career mode run (I won’t stop until every championship is mine). Unfortunately, the little negatives add up to take out of what should be a great immersive experience. That being said, I think NASCAR fans are going to have a great time playing NASCAR 25, as they have not had a true simulation racing NASCAR game in years.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is the sequel to an amazing game that was full of life, where everything felt meaningful, and the design felt purposeful. Unfortunately, anything that its highly-regarded predecessor had has been stripped away and replaced with a generic combat system, a story that tries too hard to be the next big crime drama, and a lifeless world with little to do and a Masquerade Court that, like me, has lost all care in the world. Very few benefits outweigh the negatives that have befallen this fictional version of Seattle, leaving me feeling sorry for all the fans that waited 21 years to get a story that, if it wasn’t for the Bloodlines name, would be forgotten to time except by the most faithful scene queens and goths.
Undusted: Letters from the Past is a satisfying mix of what it presents to the player, a lo-fi cozy cleaning game that leaves me wanting to clean things perfectly over and over, while also presenting a narrative about family that pulls at the heart. I enjoyed myself so much that I played it entirely in one session, about two hours in total, finding myself enraptured in the art, music, story, and gameplay of this fantastic game about cleaning up old things.
Formula Legends has a story mode that would keep fans entertained for hours and hours, but I really can’t imagine sinking the time it must take to trudge through that many races. Despite being an arcade racer, it’s a bit lacking in variety. It’s as if attention to detail is standing in the way of letting players off the leash. With the addition of co-op at the very least, and a complete overhaul of the handling mechanics, it might be a bit easier to recommend Formula Legends. Until then, for now, I’d suggest that you steer clear.