Zach Barth (the author of Infinifactory) is back and again creativity – both the developer’s and yours – plays first fiddle. [10/2015, p.71]

This interesting free-to-play shooter set on an intriguing alien planet can be immensely satisfying or (more often) painfully frustrating depending on how you fare and how well you manage your equipment and finances in the face of losing everything you’re carrying upon death.

I adore A Way Out, so I had really high expectations for Hazelight’s new game. Instead of sticking to the proven, perfect formula of AWO, the developers decided to give us more of everything and as a result overdid it in many respects. The levels are too long and there are too many minigames, while the story can’t keep up. It seemed to me the narrative is just a pretext to introduce as many different gameplay mechanics as possible, and as a result the relationship between the protagonists is implausible. [05/2021, p.26]

F1 22 is one of the best racing games on the market, especially when it comes to the career mode. I’m also happy with the VR support, but putting so much emphasis on supercars and cosmetic items is a step in the wrong direction.

Looking at charming, detailed hand-drawn environments is pure pleasure and the game’s simple story about priorities, plans and hopes is truly touching. [07/2017, p.42]

DE2 is a second division title, but for its price it is a surprisingly enjoyable game with cool equipment upgrade system and dozens of hours of content. [03/2017, p.66]

As an RPG with roguelite elements and tactical turn-based combat, The Hand of Merlin doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but is engaging and quite pretty. It’s a shame that its feeble story squanders the potential of Arthurian legend. The game is also surprisingly short and can be completed in 4-6 hours, provided that you’re not forced to start over after losing the entire party. However, randomized elements and the ability to chose your path make The Hand of Merlin replayable.

The only unquestionably valuable new feature in comparison to the previous Dr. Mario is the online mode. [09/2015, p.69]

A pretty, fast-paced, enjoyable runner. [02/2016, p.69]

How you rate Late Shift depends on how you look at it. It has few arguments as a game, but as an interactive live action movie it’s a very interesting phenomenon and it surprised me with how much the story can vary depending on your choices. [07/2017, p.44]

Rainbow Six Siege’s co-op oriented spin-off is an enjoyable alternative that closely resembles its cousin in terms of gameplay but puts more emphasis on action. The game is quite rich in content and offers a distinct change of atmosphere but unfortunately fails to properly reward cooperation between players and has some balancing issues.

Dakka Squadron is a simple yet enjoyable aerial shooter chock-full of rather silly humor. You can give it a try if you’re into Warhammer 40,000, but be warned that its basic gameplay becomes repetitive in longer sessions. [05/2021, p.35]

If you’ve never played Dark Souls, I obviously encourage you to try the new edition. Otherwise this remaster is not worth much and to me the only notable advantage of the PS4 version was that I could finally unplug my PS3. [07/2018, p.64]

A great horror game was turned into a decent co-op shooter. Dead Space 3 is well-made but the uniqueness of the series is gone. Was that really the goal? [CD-Action 04/2013, p.66]

It’s kinda funny that standard AWD vehicles are much better suited for the tracks introduced in this expansion than Hot Wheels toy cars that come with it. [07/2017, p.47]

Nebuchadnezzar is not as great as Pharaoh, the legendary city builder in whose footsteps it follows. However, it’s an interesting game that will satisfy your desire to build ancient cities, even if it relies too much on burdensome micromanagement. [05/2021, p.40]

The developers have made a huge step forward since their previous work, Lust for Darkness, and delivered an ambitious game that is better in every aspect. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but engaging story and disturbing atmosphere make Lust from Beyond worth your time. If you can stomach an erotic horror with some twisted imagery, that is. [05/2021, p.42]

Simple rules, addictive gameplay, and lots of charm make Krumit’s Tales easy to recommend to anyone, regardless of age. It’s not perfect (could use some more variety in the classes and combat departments), but on the other hand it might be the most stylish deck-building roguelike I’ve encountered. [10/2020, p.84]

Scarygirl's world could have well been born in Tim Burton's mind and gameplay strongly resembles good old Pandemonium. Unfortunately difficulty level is very uneven and some segments virtually play themselves while others may leave you furious. [June 2012, p.57]

The game tells intriguing stories and leaves room for interpretation but is short, linear and devoid of true tension. [07/2017, p.60]

A somewhat flawed port of an excellent XCOM cousin. There are some bugs and performance issues, and the included Heretek expansion disappointed me with the straightforwardness of its battles, but I will always recommend Mechanicus regardless of the platform. [10/2020, p.88]

Immortals of Aveum’s quality is very uneven and for every well-executed element there’s a “but” of some sorts. The combat system is great but not as unique as the developers claimed. We get 60 fps but at the expense of blurry graphics. The game’s intriguing lore deserves attention but is obscured by silly humor.

One of the few games in which ballistics really matter. Long range combat is very rewarding thanks to great X-ray animations depicting deadly shots. Close quarters combat on the other hand is terrible. [June 2012, p.62]

Bishop Games decided to break the "don’t fix it, if it’s not broke" rule and took a swing at an eternal foundation of platforming games, achieving something between a devastating uppercut and a shy slap. The idea to replace predefined platforms with ones created by the player on the fly sometimes works great, but due to inadequate level design most of the time I felt the developers failed to properly take advantage of the concept. Still I enjoyed the atmosphere of a dark fable, surprisingly good writing and pleasant movement physics, until the terrible last act erased the good impression almost entirely. [07/2018, p.78]

Alaloth has shortcomings, but is pretty addictive at the same time. If you care mostly about gameplay and character development, and the storyline is not that important for you, you will have a great time.

Siege’s multiplayer mode with its hectic pace and unpredictability seems to have a huge e-sport potential but with random teammates is often unplayable. [01/2016, p.52]

A lot of Modern Warfare, a bit of Bioshock 2 and a pinch of Team Fortress 2. It's a pity that Impostors does not share Battlefield Heroes' business model – free download and microtransactions. [June 2012, p.65]

In a nutshell, Breathedge is a Subnautica in space. While it’s not as good as the Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s masterpiece and would benefit from a better story, it’s still a solid survival game, real pretty and spiced up with absurd humor. [05/2021, p.58]

The difficulty level of this platformer/brawler is very demanding but fair, so when you grasp what it’s all about you’ll probably start to enjoy this red hot metal rod stuck in your... eye. [12/2013, p.65]

I spent 25 hours with Lightning Returns and most of them were pleasant, but it was mainly entertainment for my eyes and fingers rather than my brain. I reckon it to be the best game of the XIII trilogy, but it’s far behind those really outstanding Final Fantasies. [04/2014, p.60]

Omensight is a sibling of Spearhead Games’ previous title. Just like in Stories: The Path of Destinies, in key moments you need to make choices that lead to mutually exclusive levels. It gives you an unparalleled impression of influencing the story and shaping the game world, so the first couple of short playthroughs are immensely enjoyable. The more you play though, the more evident the game’s simple, repetitive structure becomes and the initial enchantment fades. Look for Omensight on sales. [07/2018, p.82]

An experienced traveler will deal with the campaign in 2 hours tops, but gathering experience in a series of adventures in a randomly generated world is the most enjoyable thing here. The moments of triumph and fear that you will experience along the way are reasons enough to give this game a chance despite its many (but not severe) technical issues. [05/2016, p.42]

Despite an average story Fran Bow was an interesting journey that even left me feeling uneasy in dark places. [11/2015, p.40]

Marvel Rivals isn't just another clone of Overwatch or Team Fortress 2. Sure, it's still a classic hero shooter, but one with some fresh ideas in terms of level and character design. There's a future ahead of this game.

The latest Monster Energy Supercross is a fun (but rather hard and not very approachable) game with a great track editor. My main concern is that there are too few notable changes and improvements compared to the previous entry to the series, and the graphics are years behind the times. [05/2021, p.64]

A perfect game for the last stage of a party – its gameplay is very simple, the fights are very short and there’s a lot of goofiness. [12/2013, p.67]

Red Thread Games obviously looks up to Telltale, but the first episode of Dreamfall Chapters lacks pace and excitement associated with The Walking Dead. [13/2014, p.78]

From the first minutes the game seems strange, alien but in fact it’s a really interesting and soothing experience. [07/2020, p.55]

A fun beat ‘em up wonderfully devoid of any deeper meaning. It’s one of those games you’ll forget about very quickly, but you’ll be playing it with a big smile. [11/2015, p.42]

For over two decades, Syberia has been moving and thought-provoking, and now it can reach new generations, although I am aware that many new players will bounce off it, unable to swallow a certain dose of naivety in this story.

Jydge’s core mechanics are solid and the means to customize the character in meaningful ways that impact the gameplay are almost ridiculously extensive. Unfortunately the game becomes wearisome quickly, as it offers only 18 short missions and the grind-based progression system makes you replay them over and over again with slight alterations. Jydge also doesn’t look good and voice acting is laughable. [13/2017, p.45]

The story starts like a million others but it does manage to keep the player engaged until the last minutes. An interesting narrative experiment that tells a simple tale in an unobvious way. [07/2020, p.64]

Shadows of Valentia is a mediocre tactical game, but a relaxing RPG. Whereas the best Fire Emblem games are like a steak you need to sink your teeth deep in to really appreciate it, Echoes is a popcorn that’s fun from the start but will not sate your hunger. [07/2017, p.66]

The Fractured but Whole might be a better game (mainly thanks to significantly improved combat) but The Stick of Truth was a better South Park by a long shot. The Stick was brimming with humor and creativity (remember the 8-bit Canada?), this one is a forced compilation of jokes that are mostly either lazily rehashed (City Wok’s owner mispronouncing words, they took our jobs, poof! It’s gone and many, many more) or shallow. Where’s the show’s brilliant satire!? I’m not just disappointed by the fact that Parker and Stone botched this. As a die-hard fan of the show I’m simply embarrassed. [13/2017, p.46]

Were the gameplay limited to survival elements and managing the titular mobile base, Last Train Home would have been great. Sadly, missions focused on combat are really disappointing and ultimately all the advantages of the game come from its atmosphere and skillful use of historical and geographical setting.

A digital board game in a purest form, with interesting, deep rules and nice art style. What bothered me was that it was not always immediately clear what happened during opponents’ rounds and I often spent more time analyzing their past movements than planning mine. [05/2016, p.52]

The Fall of Dungeon Guardians might look like a shameless copy of Legend of Grimrock but it turns out to be a solid, surprisingly innovative dungeon crawler with an interesting combat system. [01/2016, p.60]

Sometimes it was hard for me to shake the feeling that I'm playing a new rendition of the Destruction Derby series. Driving experience is good, but most of the story missions are boring and require you to crash into other cars after using the Shift feature to 'possess' some unfortunate random driver. Additional challenges that the city offers (e.g. races) also quickly become tiring. Music is good though and multiplayer is well designed. [Sept 2011, p.62]

A good standalone expansion with one new faction and 8 new maps. [11/2015, p.52]

I don’t like stealth games, because I find most of them boring. I launched CounterSpy just because its visuals caught my eye, but I put the controller away only after I saved the world. [Nov 2014, p.60]

If the only question that arises in your head after watching the gameplay video is ‘what for?’, this is not a game for you. But if you’re longing for never-ending summer, endless roads and countless toll booths on the highway, there’s no better choice than SCS Software’s new title. [12/2013, p.70]

An unusual mix of a lot of playability, some seasoned and some fresh ideas, an interesting world, and a huge dose of clunkiness. [07/2020, p.70]

People who spent dozens or even hundreds of hours with Crusader Kings and the Europa Universalis series will like Crusader Kings II and appreciate the fact that this is the most polished game by Paradox Interactive. Others will probably quickly get bored. [June 2012, p.82]

A well-done remake, especially if you can play it in VR. Gameplay changes are rather small, but randomized puzzles are a welcome addition. The photo mode, on the other hand, is botched. I’m not sure if yet another revival of Myst was necessary, but I must admit that revisiting this 26-year old classic again was an enjoyable experience. [11/2021, p.33]

I regret not having played Dishonored when it originally came out, because the Definitive Edition looks like time has been standing still for the last three years, at least when the PS4 version (which does not offer 60 fps, by the way) is concerned. [11/2015, p.52]

If it weren’t for some game breaking bugs I wouldn’t have imagined a better platform for this survival/tactical candy of a game than the Switch. [07/2020, p.73]

I expect more from Wadjet Eye, because they understand what made classic point’n’clicks great and their every game was a diamond that would rival Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword in the 90s. In comparison Shardlight is... well... just a good game, a diamond in the rough. [05/2016, p.54]

6 new stages and 5 new characters – sounds great until you realize that ‘new’ means ‘borrowed from Street Fighter X Tekken’ (with the exception of Decapre, which is a Cammy clone with an interesting move set). [Nov 2014, p.61]

At first I reckoned this FMV game to be a sitcom similar to “Friends” or “How I Met Your Mother”. When I started playing it, I thought the only thing that was missing was the laugh track. Fortunately, Five Dates is much more than an interactive romantic comedy. The cast is very good, every girl you date is unique and building relationships with them turned out to be very refreshing and enjoyable even for an introvert like me. [02/2021, p.35]

A simple yet addictive rougelike drawing from Hindu mythology. [07/2017, p.76]

Brilliant visuals, great music and unusual user interface will score points with people who like games that have a soul despite being very complex. However, to reach a broader audience, the developers would have to significantly improve the transparency of gameplay mechanics and iron out rough edges. [10/2021, p.40]

There’s a lot of gameplay ideas here but I’d rather the game was a half shorter, so that it would constantly surprise the player. [06/2020, p.45]

Due to repetitive gameplay Airborne Kingdom might not be the best city builder of 2020, but it definitely is one of the most interesting. Its mechanics nicely reflect the fact that your city floats in the air, but even though you need to consider the weight distribution and be careful not to tilt the whole thing, the game is easy and relaxing. [02/2021, p.37]

Doomsday is not as good as previous Deponias – not as funny (but still funny enough), considerably easier and heavier on mindless minigames. [05/2016, p.58]

Aliens: Fireteam Elite would really have been worth recommending if it had been more polished and offered more content. In its current state the game is definitely no Left 4 Dead, but it’s still pretty fun and you can give it a chance as you look out for a new Aliens vs. Predator. [11/2021, p.40]

It’s not the best Lego title, but it’s a fun game for a family friendly co-op (it does stutter a bit on PS4 in split-screen mode though). I was not very impressed, by my kid was over the moon. If you’ve already finished better Lego games (City, Hobbit, the latest Star Wars), you can pick up Ninjago – it will be fine, but nothing more. [13/2017, p.53]

For me the most important feature of this remaster is the inclusion of the optional chronological mode. It makes the story a bit less flashy but way easier to comprehend. [01/2016, p.65]

Steel Rats is built around a fun, refreshing concept, offers more than meets the eye and is varied enough to keep boredom at bay for the whole duration of the game, but could use better visuals and audio, and more creativity when it comes to enemies’ design. [01/2019, p.55]

There’s less content here than in many games in early access but everything is polished almost to perfection. Also, next to a spectacular shooter/slasher gameplay, there is an interesting story and universe here. [06/2020, p.50]

An interesting mix of a stealth game and a point’n’click adventure, set in the Wild West. As a six-year-old boy, you have to cleverly use the environment to escape from bandits and find out what happened to your mother. Enemy AI could be better and some minor technical issues spoiled the fun a bit, but every puzzle in the game can be solved in many ways, and that’s something I always welcome with open arms. El Hijo is a fairly easy but satisfying game that you can play with your kid, as there’s not a drop of blood here. [02/2021, p.40]

GreedFall won’t win over those who can’t stand certain gameplay half-measures and lack of polish but those who are not opposed to playing budget games should enjoy it just fine. [12/2019, p.44]

This sci-fi RPG with frequent turn-based battles and a hefty dose of repetitive puzzles offers a good story, an interesting combat system and decent voice acting. Sadly, everything else is mediocre, which, along with a considerable list of various bugs and flaws, made it impossible for the game to live up to its potential. [10/2021, p.46]

A calm, almost meditative game with no violence – something there should definitely be more of in the industry. Engages the player’s imagination more than anything else with its modest visuals, great ambient audio and a simple but engaging story. [06/2020, p.56]

The best idea for a game ever – an octopus must pretend to be human in front of its wife and kids. When it comes to the story it’s a great cartoon, amusing both to children and adults, but gameplay has some difficult moments and peculiar controls result in some odd bugs. [04/2014, p.62]

The Thaumaturge is a game of undeniable cultural value, and the opportunity to explore early 20th century Warsaw (realistic, but enriched with fantastic elements) alone made it worth my time. I wish I could tell you that the rest of the game – the story, the mechanics – is on par with the unique setting, but sadly, that’s not the case, as we’ve already seen all of it done much better elsewhere.

A minimalistic strategy/puzzle game, simple but inventive. [01/2016, p.71]

Contents of the original Saboteur! (1985) is just a prelude, as the game got about fivefold larger, having been expanded with new levels, enemies and traps. It does a great job at imitating various classic platforms (i.e. ZX Spectrum, Amiga) and although jerky animations and absence of a map get tiresome with time, Saboteur! still kicks ass and I enjoyed this nostalgic return to the first game I have ever finished. [01/2019, p.62]

The reinvigorated editions of the first three Final Fantasy games look great, run smoothly and offer some very welcome new features that modern audience expects (e.g. the auto-battle mode and auto-save). The new music arrangements done by Nobuo Uematsu himself are marvelous and the redrawn visuals are vibrant and full of details. Of course, these games are heavily outdated in terms of gameplay and storytelling, so their simplicity might discourage newcomers, but they are still a lot of fun and a great opportunity to experience the revered classics. [10/2021, p.50]

You will probably enjoy Tsioque if you bear in mind that it’s a two-hour (tops) classic animated film which sometimes needs you to do some light thinking and influence the story. A perfect plan for an evening with a kid. [01/2019, p.64]

The main goal of Haven is to relax you, and all gameplay mechanics work in harmony to help convey the beauty of living in a happy, trusting relationship. Exploring an alien planet indeed is calming, but monotony creeps in after a couple of hours. [02/2021, p.46]

Pac-Man World Re-PAC is a faithful remake of the 1999 platformer with all the strengths and weaknesses of the original (the former prevail). It’s a fun game with enjoyable graphics and almost no violence at all, so it’s a good choice for kids. However, grown-ups will enjoy it too, especially if they are nostalgic for Pac-Man.

Everything that was good in the original Dead Island and Riptide (like the combat system and the co-op) is still good in the new versions remastered with the Dying Light engine. Unfortunately everything that was bad (like the writing and repetitiveness) is still bad. [08/2016, p.59]

In its best moments Stygian really reminded me of the two original Fallout games but heavily spiced up with Lovecraftian horror. [12/2019, p.53]

I did not find The Last Wind Monk as thrilling as the first Inner World, because the effect of novelty has faded, but I still feel the need to recommend it to point’n’click lovers, especially those who enjoyed the original game. [13/2017, p.59]

It’s a well-made remaster but also one without which we could easily get by. Only for those who didn’t play the original game in the first place. [06/2020, p.58]

I fully recommend Orwell’s Animal Farm as a great way to familiarize oneself with the timeless novella. It lacks a lot as a game though, because the adaptation is completely faithful and therefore restricts the player’s freedom heavily. [02/2021, p.47]

Steelrising is completely different from what the fans of Spiders’ previous games could expect. It copies traditional soulslike mechanics but does stand out thanks to an interesting art direction and options that let you adjust the difficulty level to your liking. It should have been optimized better though, because the game’s visual quality does not justify its thirst for processing power.

Let’s Go, Eevee! is without a doubt a crucial step for the series. Or rather 18 steps back, 19 steps forward, and 15 steps sideways. It’s a remake of classic Pokémon games, although not a nostalgia trip for hardcore fans but rather a bridge for 147 million of Pokémon Go players – hence many elements were cut to simplify the gameplay. [01/2019, p.66]

As usual I had fun with LBP – it’s hard not to love sackboys and sackgirls – but I expected something fresher and more polished from the series’ debut on PS4. [01/2015, p.44]

It looks like current low budget games, does not offer the intensity of Modern Warfare or very emotional moments but still provides simple, unpretentious old school fun. [December 2011, p.90]

The game spent last two years in Early Access and a few months more would not be a steep price to pay for more polish. Still, its AI and physics do successfully infect the players with the ‘one more turn syndrome’. [06/2020, p.60]

On paper Sunday Gold has the elements needed for a simple but interesting RPG, including enjoyable puzzles and characters who have a lot to talk about. Sadly, most of its promising plot threads remain undeveloped, the enemies are repetitive and the level cap takes fun out of combat. Real shame, because it could have been a gem.

An enjoyable game that unfortunately gets repetitive in a long run. [13/2017, p.63]

It definitely starts better than it ends. While I was truly dazzled by the beginning, the finale – a bit different than previous missions – for me was rather a case of reviewer’s obligation. [12/2019, p.56]

Big Brain Academy returns in decent shape – it’s still a simple but enjoyable and engaging game that additionally exercises your brain. Possibly. A doctor’s opinion would be welcome.

The biggest obstacle on ReCore’s path to greatness is the uneven pacing of the campaign. First couple of hours, when the game gradually unveils its secrets, are almost perfect, but then it becomes unnecessarily hard and the story gets watered down too much. [12/2016, p.44]

I really wanted CoD’s return to World War II to be something more than a solid game – but it’s not. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve already seen all this, that the developers (or perhaps the publisher) chose to create something as safe as possible. There’s just one campaign mission that surprised me with its scale, the rest is just a disappointing “best of Call of Duty”. The multiplayer is as good as usual, but it was infused with unnecessary systems resembling mobile titles, e.g spending in-game currency on pointless tasks of the “kill 100 enemies” variety. Missions that make you watch other players open their loot boxes are the pinnacle of absurdity. [13/2017, p.64]

Doom 64 for Switch was overshadowed by Doom Eternal’s release on Nintendo’s handheld, but it would be a shame to ignore it. Do not mistake it for a port of the original Doom. Developed for Nintendo 64, it features a completely different campaign, offers more complex levels, and goes for a darker atmosphere. The enhanced Switch edition looks better, brings six additional levels, and fits the platform perfectly. [02/2021, p.55]