Before Your Eyes is a smart and moving first-person looker where your eyes are in control.
It Takes Two is a fantastically creative co-op game that nails every new concept it introduces.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2 is a notable step up from the game's previous DLC.
Mundaun is a great horror adventure game in a gorgeous hand-drawn world.
Little Nightmares II is a delightful follow-up to developer Tarsier's 2017 horror platformer, but it's sometimes weighed down by gameplay frustrations and inaccessibility.
Twin Mirror's solid character work and strong environments are shortchanged by pacing problems that undermine much of what it does well.
The Falconeer boasts an intriguing story and a hauntingly beautiful setting, but is hampered by repetitive missions in an empty open world.
In The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, Supermassive Games refines its tech and aesthetic but stumbles on storytelling.
With Doom Eternal's The Ancient Gods Part 1 Part 1 DLC, the best and worst of id Software's latest are on full display.
The Solitaire Conspiracy deals out excellent solitaire with a weak layer of FMV window dressing.
Technical issues and tired tropes aside, Serious Sam 4 is a largely successful synthesis of the series' disparate identities.
Spelunky 2 is a successful evolution of what made the original Spelunky work.
Windbound drops you in a world of wilderness and open water but fails to make exploration compelling.
Wasteland 3 doesn't bring much new to the table, both as a CRPG and as a piece of post-apocalyptic fiction. But, it's a terrifically executed role-playing game that rewards player investment from beginning to end.
Risk of Rain 2 is an exciting roguelike with an adrenaline-pumping pace, fantastically varied perks, and intriguing secrets to spare.
Though Maid of Sker has an intriguing premise, it is very often a frustrating chore to play.
Others provide functionality, like Twilen, the opportunistic merchant who sells Ori shards, equippable stones that provide our hero with active skills or passive buffs. You won't need to interact much with Wellspring Glade's inhabitants to finish the story, but you'll unearth a treasure trove of side quests and secrets by dedicating time to the village. The more grounded, yet still clever, conversations with these new characters adds an extra layer of connection to the game's world.
At times it feels like playing around with a chemistry set. Except it can only produce fun and harmless explosions.
Afterparty falls short of the standard that Night School set with Oxenfree. While it boasts a strong setting and brilliant set-up, it leans heavily on writing that just isn’t strong enough to shoulder the load. I still can’t wait to see what Night School does next, but Afterparty feels like a watered-down take on Oxenfree. Here’s hoping they can mix up something a little stronger for the next round.
Generally, though, The Park is an effective experience. It avoids the first-person horror genre’s worst habits while conveying an engaging story. It leans hard on horror tropes (and fails to interrogate well-trod stereotypical presentations of mental illness) but manages to unearth something potent in the process. Your mileage will certainly vary; roller coasters are thrilling for some, nauseating for others. I enjoyed this ride.