Despite the occasional framerate stutter and character pop in, Samurai Warriors 5 manages to be a solid hack and slash experience with an interesting - albeit slightly predictable - narrative.
Astria Ascending's 2D puzzle platforming blended with turn-based combat and stunning art style does all the heavy lifting to keep players interested as the game's writing feels a bit generic.
The Gunk is a satisfying puzzle-adventure game where two down-on-their-luck space scrappers must help save an alien planet from a destructive black goo. The combat in The Gunk does feel frustratingly underbaked, but solid story pacing and excellent puzzle challenges help overshadow the struggle.
Designed with the hardcore simmer in mind, Farming Simulator 22 continues to build upon the foundation of previous games in the franchise to provide a realistic open world where players can put their green thumbs to the test in a variety of agricultural industries.
Nobody Saves the World is a humorous romp through a 2D world where the hero is little more than a pale, pantsless shell that players can magically transform into a colorful cast of characters. RPG elements let players customize the experience even further as they rack up a body count of baddies.
FAR: Changing Tides is the follow-up to FAR: Lone Sails, following a little boy named Toe as he leaves his home in a makeshift boat after an unseen apocalyptic event. There is no dialogue or combat, leaving all of FAR's storytelling to be interpreted by the player as they solve puzzles to overcome obstacles on their travels.
Tunic's world is as mysterious as it is beautiful. The world is a treasure trove of puzzles to solve coupled with a myriad of bosses determined to test your fortitude.
Trek to Yomi is an interactive take on the classic monochromatic Samurai films of yesteryear. Players take on the role of Hiroki, guiding him on his journey to exact revenge following the destruction of his village.
Regardless of whether you're just dipping your toes into management simulators for the first time, or you're a hardcore experienced management tycoon, this game has something to offer you. Let’s Build a Zoo: Dinosaur Island is the sort of simulator you load up for half an hour only to look at a clock when you’re done and realize you’ve lost half a day.
While I expected Stray to be a cyberpunk-themed walking simulator about a day in the life of a cat, I was unprepared for the deeply emotional adventure that this little cat was going to take me on. This stunningly beautiful world left me with a mountain of questions and has undoubtedly earned a place in my mind for some time.
Two Point Studios has managed to take a management scenario that would otherwise seem incredibly boring and turn it into a simulator that is both fun and funny to play.
Despite an extended stay in Game Preview, Ooblets' 1.0 launch has been plagued with glitches. Still, the charmingly quirky game developed by a small indie studio is hard not to love.
The Wandering Village launches into early access as a complete city-building simulator experience, but with plenty of room to grow. Minor bugs and quality-of-life improvements can go a long way to complete the player experience for this otherwise beautiful world that offers a unique look at the way humans impact the world around them.
Dressed up as an unassuming blue-collar employment simulator, Hardspace: Shipbreaker actually clamps down on the injustice of a capitalist system where the health and safety of employees is overlooked in favor of just getting the job done. Gameplay can be a little slow, but the narrative payoff is worth the wait.
The Call of Duty franchise needed a buffer between its past and its future, but Infinity Ward may have bitten off more than they could chew. Ultimately, Modern Warfare 2 has extremely promising multiplayer and co-op gameplay that feels good to play on the surface but woefully underbaked due to a lack of features and overall content in general. The campaign shines the brightest for those with a bit of nostalgia for the characters.
Criterion has managed to create a vibrant, beautiful, high octane Need for Speed entry that dares to breathe new life into a franchise that desperately needed it.
Valendis is a beautifully pixelated world with a rich history in this story-driven RPG. The initial introductions drag on a bit long, but once the story picks up it pays off in the end. Chained Echoes manages to introduce useful mechanics to its combat with the Overdrive system that work with the player while challenging them to change up their gameplay and strategy at the same time while still affording plenty of room for customization and accessibility.
I don’t regret a single moment I spent with Romancelvania. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hopeful for future improvements to the gameplay and I certainly acknowledge that it has its shortcomings, but for every misstep in 3D modeling or janky boss battle there’s 10 brilliant lines of dialogue that will no doubt put a smile on your face. The characters, their backstories, the ridiculous nature of everything going on will have you coming back for more. Every rose ceremony will leave you in strife as you must decide which monster you’re going to miss out on for the rest of your run. You’ll 100% want to replay again just to have more time with those you cut off the first go around. You can not help but have fun with Romancelvania.
Unwording only has an approximate run time of about 2 hours, and while the game does offer both an easy and normal difficulty there’s really very little difference with the exception of the availability of hints. The solutions to the puzzles are often pretty transparent and straightforward. It’s easily a one and done type of experience, unless you unintentionally miss a few of the interactions and want to see them on a subsequent playthrough or are trying to mop up missed achievement.
NotGames has managed to create a propaganda simulator that touches on some incredibly dark and distressing content in a way that can still be enjoyable to interact with. The world can be cruel, and the road to hell is often paved in good intentions. There are still bright moments, however, and we can find distractions and humor in those bright spots that help make the bitter bits go down a little better. You can have high risk, intense narratives while still having a game that is fun to play.