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They say that WWI exotic dancer and spy Mata Hari blew a kiss to her firing squad at her execution. That defiant energy runs through Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. Protagonist Hershel Wilk knows she is not up to the task, yet a sense of remorse pushes her forward. What she finds is a web of deceit that it alone warrants the price of entry. This is no Disco Elysium, but a thrilling beast of its own.
Spirit of the North 2, is, at its heart, an indie title, which is where ideas and uninhibited ambition can live and thrive. Where creativity can bring about ideas, and bend worlds and experiences into something profound.
OPUS: Prism Peak is a powerful journey that unflinchingly tells us to embrace change. Its surreal setting only serves to portray that none of our lives are that different. Through photography, memories, and community, its universal message of hope is one that lasts forever.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanius II might have been more enjoyable; nothing in it is inherently bad, if it weren’t also a boring experience. There are so many franchises in the Warhammer universe to stack it against where it falls considerably short, but even more turn-based tactical games that it just fails to live up to
IO Interactive successfully adapts an action film franchise into a game that puts you in the driver’s seat. It also helps that this isn’t just Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan rehashing one of their films but a unique experience that is worth undertaking. Some parts never gelled with me, some parts probably never will, but all that is worth it to experience this definitive take on 007.
Don’t let frustration throw you off. Mina the Hollower delivers everything it sets out to in spades. The combat is basic enough, but mix in quick traversal and a world that never stays stagnant, and it is equally frustrating and addictive.
I have played a few LEGO games, but the franchise has never clicked with me quite as much as LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Maybe it’s the fact that the title used Batman: Arkham as a base for its combat, or the well-designed open world. I don’t think so, though. So much of the experience feels like a more compelling version of what LEGO does. I remember playing LEGO Horizon with characters being random in every scene, an extension of the LEGO formula.
Have I been waiting for Forza Horizon 6 to bring us to a country I watched far too many NHK documentaries about? Yes, yes, I was. Was it everything I hoped it would be? For the most part, also yes. Forza Horizon still has some of the highest quality open-world racing around, blended into a chock world full of things to do and a pretty robust end game once you are the cream of the crop.
If we are being fair, Coffee Talk Tokyo doesn’t really try anything new. It’s the classic experiences of listening to conversations and fixing the occasional drink, basking in the praise you get when you get those drinks right. Do… Do you want them to try something new, though? The characters, the narrative, the coffee crafting, and the endgame all do what they are supposed to.
The further you progress into Blue Prince, the more it sinks its hooks into you. Even when the exploration of a day lasts what feels like an eternity, it is still over in the blink of an eye, and I was ready to go again. I imagine that the worst possible outcome of a game like this is to actually reach the end, the fabled room 46. When you finally achieve this, the mystery is over, the experience is done.
When all is said and done, WILL: Follow The Light shines in its particular moments of calmness while sailing through the icy waters of the north. Its pitch-perfect soundtrack, evoking Max Richter’s On The Nature of Daylight, leaves a tinge of melancholy. The story itself does not shy away from the inevitability of death.
Directive 8020 isn’t the scariest game I have ever played, but it has an astonishing handle on atmospheric tension. You don’t really know what’s coming next or what will hurt you. As an evolution of what Supermassive has done up to this point, it might be the most complete version of a choose-your-own-adventure. When you are eager to explore different routes and find the option at the tip of your fingers, it matters.
Pragmata has its issues, but there is one thing it does very right. It tries something different and, for the most part, succeeds in its crafting. The combat can get frustrating, but never because it splits itself between a third-person shooter and a maze-running puzzle. Exploration of the lunar colony is diverse and enjoyable, with the title using a mix of sci-fi ideas on familiar locales.
Starbites is more than the sum of its part is an enjoyable RPG that should not be ignored. The turn-based fights are fun and dynamic, with great animations both in combat and in cutscenes. What genuinely lets down that entire experience is how painfully distracting the textures and graphical issues are. Without those, this would probably be a game I throw out in every I need an RPG to play conversation.
Mixtape is a musical romp through the last night of now and the beginning of forever. A narrative that can make you laugh and make you cry. It’s a wild absurdist piece with a curated soundtrack of licensed music that is never very far away from delighting you with another moment that makes you light up.
A daring adventure with something worthwhile to say, Decline’s Drops is a solid debut title from developer Le Moulin aux Bulles. In a sea of side-scrollers, a tale about environmentalism wrapped in a challenging platformer is bold. While the gameplay itself does not always land and difficulty spikes abound, it is still a video game that will satisfy anyone looking for an apparent distraction with a powerful message.
Aphelion is really close to greatness. The narrative itself is impeccable and one that taken on its own might as well be one of the best of the year. I stand by that. The writing is passionate to the point it makes you root for its dual protagonists. The fact the game itself is concise aids it greatly, as it never outstays its welcome. But it’s impossible not to wonder how many times Don’t Nod must try to create a masterpiece only to fall short by a few crippling issues. I do not have the answer, but I long for the day they succeed.
Saros, like the lead protagonist Arjun, is flawed. It’s a lot of ways; it’s partially because of the team’s success. Somehow, Returnal remains largely uncopied, if at all, which is an absolute shame but means I can really only weigh this experience against its predecessor. In this vein, it falls short in plenty of ways. The moment when Selene escapes from her hell, only to be lowered into the ground and return on the other side, gives chills just thinking about it.
Accompanied by a groovy electronic soundtrack, NTE: Neverness to Everness is a confident anime open world. Jampacked with fun activities enticing replayability, the art of enjoying a free-to-play game’s daily actions seemed lost. Learning from previous entries in the genre, the combat is as engaging and stylish as it allows, rewarding fast reflexes. Finally, the expressive anime aesthetic is captivating.
inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories. It’s about a moment in time, a snapshot at the end of summer. The story of a brief moment for a girl named Makoto, who returned to a quiet life and ended up becoming connected with the locals who frequent the small konbini, where she agreed to take the night shift. Like any job, at least any that I’ve ever taken, it’s not always all fun. It can be hard work.