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Though satisfying, its questionable replayability due to a limited catalogue means you must slow down and enjoy experimentation, else you’re at risk of finding this title tedious, as I did, by playing it in one go. Hozy had the potential to blend its relaxing and creative core with a narrative-driven underbelly, but sadly underdelivers on emotional impact.
Even in its current state, Path of Exile 2 has set a new bar for the ARPG genre. I’m ready to pour thousands of hours into it over the years to come, and I’m confident that GGG will only make it magnitudes better over the next year as they continue to grow the game towards its full release. See you on the shores, exile.
The combat is fluid and satisfying, and the world of Thedas is well-designed and fun to explore. The story has its drawbacks, but overall it's still better than most. Whether it will live up to the prestigious storytelling of the previous Dragon Age games will very much depend on the RPG's curtain call.
If you enjoy the Ubisoft structure of games but have been overwhelmed by them lately, thankfully Outlaws avoids most of the pitfalls. I feel safe in recommending Star Wars Outlaws to anyone who is a Star Wars fan who is looking for a solid story in the beloved universe, with stealth-focused gameplay that allows you to truly live the life of a scoundrel on the Outer Rim.
If you enjoy visual novels and games very similar to this like the Coffee Talk franchise, then this is absolutely for you. It’s a slow burn that doesn’t speed up or see you getting into scenarios you could describe as epic or turning points for a universe, though. This is a game for those who want a genuine answer from friends when they ask how they’re doing, a visual novel you can take your time with and leans much more into making you feel something instead of blasting you with impressive fights, fates, and fantastic visuals.
Even though I have plenty of Dragon’s Dogma 2 to experience, I’m already incredibly immersed in the journey. If you’ve played the original, you know exactly what you’re getting here. If you haven’t—why haven’t you?!—you can expect a massive living open-world RPG with rewarding combat and an intriguing storyline. It’s not a seamless experience, but in my 40 hours of play it’s certainly been a worthwhile one.
But right now, Pocketpair has managed to both deliver on its surreal vision, and still create something that feels like more than just a novel “what-if” mash-up of ideas.
I’m not convinced Core Keeper can match the quality and scope of its best-in-class inspirations, but it’s already worth a look.
If you don’t want to dive deep into the competitive League part, you can play the autobattler, or the rhythm-runner, or look ahead to the fighting game. Or simply settle in with what’s a pretty enjoyable RPG in Ruined King. If anything, it’s a testament to how well even more side games could work in this universe.
Brand-new players, by all means. Tear into this poignant, artisanal, off-the-rails hiking video game, even if it’s slow at first. And don’t forget to smash that “like” button.
If FuturLab can continue adding creative levels, further flesh out the Career mode, and implement its planned multiplayer and "experimental" mechanics, PowerWash Simulator will be in a great place. As is, it's definitely good enough to recommend. Not so much "oddly satisfying" as it is "satisfying, period."
If you're desperately looking for more Doom Eternal, The Ancient Gods – Part One will give it to you.
If you're thinking of playing Among Trees and you know you need extrinsic motivators to hold your interest, you'll want to wait until the Early Access schedule is further along. If you're down for a laid-back forest hiking game and you enjoy charting your own course just for the heck of it, give it a chance.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection always looked on-point when the full game list was announced, but I'm surprised at how great the extras are and how functional it is. More of this please, Konami.
Despite clocking in at just a few hours long, A Hat in Time: Nyakuza Metro is an instant recommendation. It's pretty much everything I want out of a Hat DLC, and the exact formula I'd want Gears for Breakfast to keep replicating if said DLC never stopped coming. I hope it never stops.
Despite just offering a taste of what's to come with Vader Immortal, the first episode has me hooked and I want more. More opportunities to witness Mustafar's glory without the need to gain the high ground, more lore dumps, and more Vader being Vader.
Castlevania: Requiem is a complicated thing. It's both a wonderful package of two incredible moments in Castlevania history and a bog-standard port. Nothing has been significantly upgraded from the already existing PSP dual-pack, so if you already own these in some form or another, stick with those. Just keep in mind that at $10 each (Requiem is $20) it's currently one of the cheapest ways to get them. That ain't bad!
All of the gating is unnecessary, but if you're willing to dig into Seal the Deal there's a decent amount there. I wish that there was a Goku-approved hyperbolic chamber for the Hat in Time developers to enter so they could have an eternity to keep coming up with more hubs with no strings attached. One in just under a year isn't enough, but I have a feeling they're going to be cooking up a lot more in the future.
If you believe you're ready to take the plunge on a journey that just might end you, La-Mulana 2 is highly recommended. Just be sure to look out for false tablets…and don't stand still too often…oh, definitely listen when the game tells you to stop reading.
Wolfenstein II makes some acceptable compromises to run on Switch