Wo Long: Fall Dynasty is a near flawless game and what I hope is just an intro to this fantastic world. Team Ninja have crafted a game that takes the basic structure of Nioh and other Souls-likes and creates their own unique, rewarding, and brutally challenging experience. In its almost forty hour campaign I was constantly surprised by the amount of new locations, creative boss fights, and sheer ambition of the game. It may be early in the year, but I'd be surprised if any game beats Wo Long for the top of my year-end list.
Resident Evil 4 was a 10/10 game when it was released and remains so to this day. Despite the years since its initial release, Leon's adventure has held up incredibly well thanks to a combination of fantastic gameplay, a fun story, campy characters, varied environments, and a lengthy campaign. Now with a new facelift which modernizes the gameplay while providing an incredible graphical update, adding thrilling new set pieces, and expanding the story, RE4 easily retains its spot amongst the best games ever.
Mario Party Superstars is the culmination of all that is great about the Mario Party series. Sporting many of the best boards and mini-games pulled from the series' long history and featuring multiple quality-of-life updates including online play, the ability to save and return to a game later, faster gameplay, a variety of different playstyles between the boards, a leveling system, and a ton of items to unlock, Mario Party Superstars may be the best entry yet in the long-running series. Here's hoping Nintendo supports this release and adds new boards in future DLC.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection brings two of the PlayStation 4's best games to current gen consoles in brilliant remasters that would fool even the pickiest of gamers into believing these games were native made for the PlayStation 5. Packed full of adventure, heart, incredible storytelling, fantastic visuals, and believable characters, the Legacy of Thieves collections shows why Naughty Dog is one of the undisputed champions of the medium.
Elden Ring is the culmination of all the Souls entries up to this point, creating a near perfect gameplay experience filled to the brim with incredible boss fights, gorgeous graphics, and an insanely large world to explore. A variety of new ideas, including crafting and the addition of the spirit horse Torrent, help bring a new level of immersion to the proceedings while simultaneously helping Elden Ring feel like a unique entry in the Souls genre. With gameplay tailored for players who want to experience the world solo as well as those who wish to play nearly the entire game in co-op, Elden Ring is a masterclass in design. Minor gripes about a couple of boss fights and the sheer density of the world to explore leaving many areas potentially undiscovered aside, Elden Ring is a nearly flawless experience which old and new fans of the Souls series will enjoy.
Trek to Yomi is a beautifully crafted experience. From your first steps into the game's world to your last players will be constantly enthralled by the tense combat, tightly written story, and exquisite art direction. It is rare that a game is released that thoroughly wows you with its graphics, atmosphere, and creativity and Trek to Yomi succeeds in all three departments. It is an experience that I highly recommend to all players.
Tunic on PS5 is fantastic. Charming level design, creative puzzles, surprising challenges, along with a lush world to explore and decipher all merge to create one of the best adventure games in recent memory. There's so much to uncover, including multiple endings, optional side quests, and collectible trophies, along with a New Game + mode that adds further challenges, that most players will find countless hours of entertainment.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most emotionally satisfying games I have ever played. I was stunned by the emotionally charged, beautifully presented, and impeccably acted story which is brought to life by incredible technical feats which showcase the power of the PS5. Time and again I was surprised by the sheer bleakness that the story was brave enough to dive into and the thrill of watching hope attempt - and often fail - to overcome those seemingly insurmountable odds. Requiem is a story which both uplifts and decimates your emotions at the same time; a story about characters that feel real and that you grow to care and root for. By the end you too will be shouting, "I am Amicia de Rune and I kneel to no one."
Moss: Book II is a genuinely emotional, surprisingly creative, and incredibly gorgeous follow-up to its critically acclaimed predecessor. Book II takes the themes and gameplay ideas from the first title and nearly perfects them and in doing so has created a longer, more difficult, and more fulfilling adventure for Quill.
Lies of P is a gorgeous, bloody, unforgiving game which builds off the well-tread souls template to create a wholly original adventure that never ceases being a joy to explore and experience. With top tier combat, fantastic enemy and boss designs, and intricate and often interweaving areas to explore, the game remains fresh despite the 30+ hours required for a first playthrough. I may be a sucker for these types of games, but Lies of P hit absolutely every note needed to draw me into its often grotesque yet surprisingly emotional world. Lies of P may be based on a well-known and over told fairy tale, but watching it unfold in a mature setting with a likable cast of characters and dire stakes made the story that much more enthralling.
Having multiple Lords to hunt and take down, each with their own unique territory and play style, greatly helps Village stand out from previous entries. Bringing back a merchant, giving hunting and fishing options, an upgraded inventory system, allowing the story to go absolutely off the rails, and switching the gameplay to be more action focused, even though I understand that may upset some players, all combined to help Village stand out from previous entries while still feeling unique. Upon completion I immediately spent my CP and hopped back into the campaign, the greatest compliment I can give any game. Village may very well be my new favorite entry in the series.
Tails of Iron is a fantastic, brutal, and gorgeous game. Placing rats at the forefront of an adventure game was a bold move, and serves the world that Odd Bug Studio has created immensely. The battle between the frogs and rats is intense, the combat is challenging - yet fair - and the wide variety of equipment is sure to make any RPG fan excited to experiment with new loadouts. I enjoyed every moment spent in the Rat Kingdom, and can only hope to see more from Redgi, his brothers, and this fantastic world.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a uniquely thrilling horror experience. Armed with only a camera and your wits, the tension is palpable and oozes out of every nook and cranny of Mt. Hikami and the surrounding areas. The camera serves to be as trusty of a weapon as a gun and adds a distinct tension to the action that few games could replicate. The atmosphere, level design, and story all work in tandem to create a surprisingly tense and beautiful experience, despite relying a bit too much on backtracking and having a rather thin story.
Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition is an overwhelmingly great package, stuffed with hundreds of hours of content, incredible replayability, a variety of distinct classes to choose from, a huge open world ripe for exploration, more loot than imaginable, and fun combat. Despite its age, Grim Dawn holds up incredibly well when stacked against more modern ARPGs and has made a fluid transition from PC to console with only a few minor slowdown issues.
What Lies in the Multiverse is one of the most unique puzzle/platformers released in recent years. Featuring gorgeous pixel-based graphics and a charmingly self-aware sense of humor, the game constantly throws a variety of new set pieces and obstacles at you and continues to find clever ways to use its central universe swapping mechanic. Despite some unexpectedly dark undertones, the game remains mainly upbeat, telling a story that deals with loss, friendship, and life in a surprisingly mature way. What Lies in the Multiverse is well worth picking up for fans of puzzle based games.
Submerged: Hidden Depths is the perfect game to play when needing a break from the more stressful or narrative intense experiences. Featuring a powerful orchestral score, relaxing exploration and puzzle solving, and a subtle yet interesting story about the bonds of family and the power of hope, Submerged surprised me and provided me with one of my favorite experiences of the year.
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is a painstakingly crafted love letter to a by-gone era of gaming, bringing 13 classic games to the modern age while adding in a slew of features including the ability to rewind, save, and toggle enhancements which greatly enhance the gameplay experience. Add in the impressively comprehensive list of documents available in the Turtle's Lair and you have a collection well worth the asking price.
Both Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space remain great games after all these years. These remasters honor what made the originals special, while simultaneously modernizing the games. Updated graphics, audio, and accessibility features are just a few of the quality-of-life improvements found in these charmingly bizarre yet well-crafted adventures. New players and old fans alike will find plenty to love.
Both Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space remain great games after all these years. These remasters honor what made the originals special, while simultaneously modernizing the games. Updated graphics, audio, and accessibility features are just a few of the quality-of-life improvements found in these charmingly bizarre yet well-crafted adventures. New players and old fans alike will find plenty to love.
The point-and-click genre has seen a resurgence in recent years and Unusual Findings is certainly a worthwhile successor to the games it pays homage to.