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While the Soulslike genre is no stranger to cute indie entries or a sense of humor, there's nothing quite like Another Crab's Treasure on the market. It affectionately parodies many Souls games in its Sands Between, while executing their tropes with all the passion of a hardcore fan. Another Crab’s Treasure's family-friendly face hides surprising savagery, but doesn't neglect anyone who wants the relaxed experience it teases. Even its mechanics are often recycled from other Soulsbornes, but used in novel ways, even if there's some polish missing here and there. Delving into Another Crab's Treasure will unearth a mixture of the familiar and the unknown, the perfect accomplice to its quirky journey through the deep, blue sea.
When playing through The Last Case of Benedict Fox, it's clear that the developer had high ambitions for the project, but none of it really comes together in the end. Combat feels unresponsive, puzzles quickly become tedious, sound design is lacking, the story is hard to follow and delivered with sub-par voice acting, and that's simply too much for some nice lighting and visual effects to paper over, especially when games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Ultros exist.
Lucid Dreams Studio's Biomorph is a solid Metroidvania that should definitely scratch the itch for any fan craving more from the genre, and with a neat Kirby gimmick to boot. Its strong platforming and level design elevate Biomorph's otherwise straightforward approach to the genre, while its main issues mostly come from a desire to see the game do more with its concepts. Despite some lacking elements that do take away from the overall experience, there is nothing here that stops Biomorph from being an easy recommendation in a genre already filled with great releases.
Despite it never really standing out from the crowd, Inkbound does a decent job of creating a fight, die, and repeat cycle that is equal parts entertaining and challenging. Running the gauntlets of the various books with friends or strangers is an undoubtedly fun experience, and since unlockables can be earned in-game, it will perhaps drive a lot of players to keep at the grind a bit longer than they normally would. Those looking for something familiar but with a new twist should keep their eyes on Inkbound, and be ready to dive into the books and write their own adventures.
While Broken Roads' combat system is not bad, it does feel a bit lacking when compared to other titles. The map sizes are rather small, the enemies and allies are not that varied, and there does not seem to be a lot to do, especially in the early game. Most combat encounters simply boil down to moving to a spot, shooting a gun, and then waiting for the next turn to come around. There are very few exciting abilities, but it feels like most characters play the same. Things improve as players progress further through the game, but nailing down the early game combat is important to keep players engaged, and it feels like Broken Roads fails to do that.
The game is a snapshot of the lives of three women, uncovered over the course of a few days, the discoveries they make about each other, and how the whole experience brings them closer together. And like most people’s lives, it’s not all action, dungeon crawling, and loot collecting. It’s mainly emotions, arguments, secrets, heartache, and love; in other words, what the game has to offer simply won’t seem very interesting to everybody. But for anybody looking to spend a relaxing afternoon with a heartwarming tale, taking a brief road trip with Tess and Opal in Open Roads may be just the answer.
Princess Peach: Showtime has a lot going for it, but it sometimes comes across as a concept demo for a larger game that will be much better. Peach shouldn't have to wait another 19 years for her next solo outing, but hopefully her next game takes the time to give the Mushroom Kingdom's princess a proper, full-scale adventure.
Pepper Grinder does a good job of making players feel like their skills are progressing as they play through the game. It does sometimes feel like a grind, but there are enjoyable aspects to Pepper's adventure that should be tried. The drilling as a travel tool is neat, and the boss monster's designs and fights are entertaining, but the fun seems to fizzle out a little too quickly. Still, despite this and the game's sometimes frustrating controls, Ahr Ech set out to create something a bit different. And while some aspects come up short, some players will find things worth drilling through to discover.
South Park: Snow Day is a budget game, but instead of something brief but replayable with a lot of South Park humor and bursts of fun, players get something muted, limited, and shallower than even that detail would suggest. It offers some fun across its short runtime, but it's ultimately forgettable for any roguelike or South Park fan.
Horizon Forbidden West on PC is another incredible port from Nixxes. It successfully brings the Horizon Forbidden West experience to PC with a ton of content and tremendous performance. It's a must-buy for anyone that enjoyed the original, and it should leave fans excited to see what the studio is able to pull off with its upcoming Ghost of Tsushima PC port.
MLB The Show 24 is one of the strongest entries SDS has put out in this console generation. Storylines and Road To The Show's updates rejuvenate the franchise's single-player offerings, giving players a reason to come back each day and get a few swings in. Diamond Dynasty's changes are also a step in the right direction, though it will take time to see if SDS' new format works in the long run. While The Show is well overdue for a more substantial facelift, its rewarding gameplay makes that shortcoming an afterthought. When all's said and done, MLB The Show 24 is undoubtedly one of the series' best, and a great sign for the future.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is an ideal opportunity for gamers who may have missed the original release, but it’s also worth another playthrough for those who enjoyed the 2013 version. While the game developed by Starbreeze remains a classic and has aged decently well, Avantgarden’s remake improves upon it in nearly every way to bring the delightful, sometimes emotional odyssey to modern platforms.
After a whirlwind 40 hours with Dragon's Dogma 2, it is clear that Capcom has created a flawed masterpiece that might not be for everyone. However, for those that this game speaks to, they will love it to pieces. So, in a way, it is the perfect sequel to Dragon's Dogma. From its unique twist on the RPG party system to its laissez-faire gameplay mechanics that reward players who are willing to think outside the box and dig into every corner of the game, there is nothing quite like Dragon's Dogma 2, and there probably won't be for a long time.
The 2024 Alone in the Dark is a deeply flawed game, but at least it's never boring. The first playthrough is fun despite its issues, mostly thanks to the campy story, and exploring Derceto is rewarding, even with the simplistic puzzles. The second playthrough is where it becomes apparent that there isn't much to the game. At best, it's an incredibly basic and generic survival-horror game that's stuck in the past, and at worst, it's buggy and doesn't justify its $60 price tag.
Outcast: A New Beginning does offer a good amount of fun for those looking to mess around in an open-world sci-fi game that hearkens back to earlier entries in the genre. The world that Appeal created is fun to explore, the core gameplay loop feels like a blast from the past, and overall, it makes for a decent sci-fi experience. The story may not be the most interesting, and the content isn't that varied, but some players may still be able to find something to enjoy here. And fans of the original should at least enjoy this trip down memory lane, even if it could have been done better.
Unicorn Overlord is a standout tactics RPG landing just when the genre is coming back to life. It's deep, creative, gorgeous, and incredibly addicting, with plenty to offer for those who want to dig into all its systems. The game may stumble a bit with its simple plot, tedious UI, and quantity over quality side character stories, but those feel like small issues in an overall impressive and well-rounded game. Great for newcomers and genre veterans alike, Unicorn Overlord is a can’t-miss title.
WWE 2K24 is a gorgeous wrestling game with hard-hitting fights that will keep players plugged in for hours on end. The series seems to be settling in to the annual release trap of small steps forward over major improvements, but hopefully next year's entry can provide the big leaps that modes like MyGM need to help the WWE 2K series reach the next level and finish the comeback story that started with WWE 2K22.
The Outlast Trials is a fun, but flawed addition to the Outlast series, trading in the original titles’ claustrophobic horror for in-your-face multiplayer mayhem. The title’s core gameplay loop offers a thrilling challenge and high replayability, delivering plenty of trials for fans to sink their teeth into across its Core, Advanced, and Ultra Programs, with immersive audio-visual elements that deliver on all fronts. Unfortunately, The Outlast Trials' balancing issues, unjustified gratuity, and complete lack of scares may leave some players disappointed. Fans of the Outlast series will likely find plenty of reasons to explore and overcome the Murkoff Corporation’s various testing facilities, as the title offers enough challenge to keep them engaged. However, for general horror audiences, and those new to Outlast, The Outlast Trials may struggle to live up to the legendary reputation of the series’ original entries.
The Thaumaturge is a game made with a lot of love and hard work by Fool's Theory. That much is apparent within the first couple of hours and grows more obvious the longer a user plays. Its lack of a way to make searching for clues interesting may lead some players astray, but they will miss out on a demon-fueled magical adventure. It stumbles in other places, but it more than makes up for it with its monster designs and terrific storytelling. The Thaumaturge's mixture of 20th-century technology and magic should prove too fun to pass up, and players looking for a detective mystery with some intrigue and nightmares might have found something they can't find anywhere else.
Overall, Inkulinati can be a fun experience for anyone willing to give it a shot. The art style is incredibly charming, the gameplay is surprisingly deep, and its roguelite Journey Mode can be pretty engaging. However, the game also spends too much time telling players how to play it rather than letting them learn at their own pace. Additionally, the humor, lack of an online mode, and the fact it does not do anything truly groundbreaking with the concept may push some players away. But even with all of that, fans of the genre may still find something to love here.