Though not every part lives up to the high bar set by its main gameplay, Australia Did It is ultimately defined by its creative combination mechanics, improvisational gameplay, and outstanding turn-based defense system.
Though not every part lives up to the high bar set by its main gameplay, Australia Did It is ultimately defined by its creative combination mechanics, improvisational gameplay, and outstanding turn-based defense system.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is beautiful, nuanced, and deeply rewarding, but it’s also tuned to be grueling in ways that aren’t always fun in the traditional sense.
Though its narrative and level design sometimes get in the way, the entire package is still a setpiece-filled action romp and one of the year’s best shooters.
Hell is Us isn’t perfect, but it’s a bold and respectable debut that largely delivers on its puzzle-solving promise, despite middling combat and uneven storytelling.
If you’re in the mood for something that recalls games like Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, Cronos might hit the spot. But it’s not without its pain points.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance should serve as a blueprint for delivering a retro-facing experience of an absentee franchise while still leveraging modern technology and game design conventions.
Recent updates have eliminated the tedious grind for upgrades, but the lack of a strong foundation underneath leaves FBC: Firebreak with too little, too late.
Shadow Labyrinth is uneven, overstuffed, and often frustrating. It has decent moment-to-moment gameplay, but it fails to materialize into something coherent.
Across its 12-hour runtime, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound seamlessly blends gorgeous pixel art, inventive level design, and sublime gameplay to create one of the best retro throwbacks I’ve ever played.
When Eriksholm finally lays out all of its stealth puzzle pieces on the board two-thirds through the game, the entire experience sings, inviting playful and smart experimentation. I just wish I had access to all of these pieces sooner.
Death Stranding 2 is a game with faults and annoyances, but it also makes big, expensive swings and is trying to establish its own unique genre, often successfully.
Overture is a victory lap, a reminder, and a worthwhile investment of time for anyone who enjoyed Neowiz’s first crack at this fairytale-inspired adventure.
Even though Nightreign's success comes with some significant caveats, it had me saying, “Just one more run,” over and over again, a marker of excellence in the genre.
Some of Blades of Fire's ideas around combat and its world are exciting. They just couldn’t overcome the parts that made me want to give up on the game.
The first game was a fun one-off experience, but its sequel is a far more complete and rewarding package that left me hungry for more savage planets to explore.
South of Midnight's decent combat and platforming are elevated to great heights by stellar visual and musical presentation, resulting in a game I can't stop smiling about.
