In terms of gameplay, Space Crew is a huge step backwards compared to its predecessor, Bomber Crew. [13/2020, p.59]

I was delighted with Darksburg when I played it’s early build at Gamescom 2019. I don’t know what happened, but since then it has become a mere shadow of itself. Darksburg’s gameplay definitely has considerable potential, but the game is annoying more often than satisfying, and there’s not enough content to keep you playing longer than a couple hours. [13/2020, p.58]

Stretched between two generations of consoles, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is more of a teaser than a real showcase of PS5’s capabilities. It does not feel like a full-fledged sequel either, but the original’s gameplay mechanics still work great, while new gadgets and skills related to electricity are fun to use. [13/2020, p.54]

Rather than a typical online game, Genshin Impact resembles a traditional single-player jRPG with a real-time combat. For a free-to-play title it is very impressive, but turns out to be pretty derivative and quickly slumps into monotony. [13/2020, p.52]

Instead of employing trivial jump scare tactics, Visage expertly toys with your senses and messes with your head, first causing uneasiness, and then evoking authentic fear. There’s no reason to weep for the cancelled Silent Hills anymore. We’ve got Visage, the best horror game of the year, maybe even the best in years. [13/2020, p.51]

The developers did a great job at ironing out imperfections of the original game and expanding it without messing with its core. There are some visual shortcomings and performance issues, and the AI needs more work, but I longed for a good strategy game and Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition filled that void for me. [13/2020, p.50]

It’s the same Doom Eternal we know and love, but the DLC managed to make it even more frenetic. The onslaught of demons is actually so intense that it can easily get overwhelming, especially if you haven’t played Doom for a while or never mastered it. It’s a shame the developers were quite skimpy with new content, so we only got three new enemies (of which one is not even worth mentioning), three new runes, and three new maps (huge and well-designed though). [13/2020, p.49]

There’s nothing surprising or novel in 9 Monkeys of Shaolin, but when I defeated the last boss, I thought “that was exactly what I needed”. It’s a simple, old-school beat ‘em up that got pretty much everything right – the combat system, the enemies, the difficulty. It is quite short (ca. 5-6 hours), but I see it as an advantage – the game ends before its simplicity and mild repetitiveness become real downsides. [13/2020, p.48]

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is a frustrating, bug-ridden and rather ugly mess. However, it does offer an intriguing narrative and a palpable sense of insecurity, and I wish the same story was retold by another studio with more resources at its disposal. [13/2020, p.47]

It’s a decent game but not much more. It has everything a solid dungeon crawler should have, but it is also too derivative and predictable to be truly exciting. [13/2020, p.46]

First and foremost, Amnesia: Rebirth is an intriguing, well told story about grief, loss, dying hope and terrifying solitude. Beneath the skillfully laid out narrative you’ll also find a good horror game, though its ingredients feel a bit too familiar for Rebirth to be as scary as the first Amnesia. [13/2020, p.44]

Don’t expect a traditional point’n’click adventure game with engaging puzzles. When the Past Was Around is more of an artistic experience, a very easy, roughly hour-long journey into an intimate world of the main heroine’s memories. [13/2020, p.43]

Heart of the Forest is an instantly gripping, beautifully illustrated visual novel with a nicely branching storyline, difficult choices, and skillfully introduced RPG elements. [13/2020, p.42]

Despite its weak story, repetitive gameplay, and unvaried combat, Drake Hollow is a surprisingly enjoyable co-op survival game for casual players, especially those who love cute creatures but were disappointed by Ooblets. [13/2020, p.40]

I was sure Little Hope will improve significantly upon the first installment in The Dark Pictures series, but the developers opted for the bare minimum. The story is more interesting, the ending is more surprising, and the character cast is better. There are also some technical improvements. Little Hope is decent, but still fails to provide things I expect from a good horror game, like more engaging gameplay, interesting plot twists (Until Dawn!), and a real sense of terror. [13/2020, p.38]

Raji is set in a rarely explored (and therefore refreshing) setting of Hindu mythology that definitely works in its favor, and offers gameplay mechanics resembling a Prince of Persia game on a budget. The protagonist is as agile as Price and the game is generally enjoyable, but the platforming sections are too easy to pose a challenge, and the combat is not meaty enough to be satisfying. [13/2020, p.36]

The developers of The Girl of Glass did not lack ideas, quite the contrary – they had too many. The game would have scored higher, had it remained a simple point’n’click adventure, because its turn-based combat is a miss and later chapters focused solely on fighting are boring to the point of being unbearable. [13/2020, p.35]

I’ve had a weak spot for tactical games since 1988 (Laser Squad!) and during all this time I had my share of occasionally frustrating titles. Partisans 1941 is far beyond occasionally frustrating – it was infuriatingly hard even on lower difficulty setting, and additionally unfair due to chaotic combat and disheartening bugs (spotted by a sentry through a solid wall? Mission over!). [13/2020, p.34]

Torchlight III makes no attempt at all to introduce anything new to the genre and this lack of originality is disappointing after 8 years of waiting. It’s quite easy to point out a couple of other flaws (e.g. the shallow story), but I chose not to dwell on them, because the game delivered exactly what I expected from it – around 20 hours of enjoyable hacking and slashing that doesn’t engage the mind too much. [13/2020, p.32]

In many aspects Valhalla resembles most of Ubisoft’s games, but fortunately progression feels a lot more natural this time around. The game’s not perfect but I had lots of fun conquering new territories, plundering churches, and pillaging coastal villages while following a mature story and enjoying gorgeous, believable medieval Britain. [13/2020, p.26]

Tamarin reeks of low budget and complete lack of creativity. How is it even possible that people who once worked at Rare (where they made Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country, among others) developed such a sad, awful mess? [12/2020, p.73]

Double Kick Heroes is a very interesting arcade rhythm game with cool pixel art, great soundtrack, and fun references to real-life rock musicians. Unfortunately, some poor design choices spoiled the overall experience for me. User interface items that you need to focus on to stay alive are too tiny and therefore tire the eyes very quickly. I had to take breaks every 20 minutes, because I simply couldn’t concentrate any longer. [12/2020, p.72]

BPM’s developers managed to bring together their love for classic first-person shooters and a fresh idea. The result of their ambitions is a hellishly fast FPS with procedurally generated environments and a twist. Good reflexes are not enough to complete even the very first level, because to survive, you need to sync your actions to the beat of the music (the soundtrack is fantastic, by the way). For instance, if you pull the trigger at the wrong moment, your gun will misfire. Once you get used to it, you’ll be rewarded with intense, satisfying gameplay. [12/2020, p.71]

“Huge mechs, a ruined city, and a hot female teacher in a latex suit”, is how one of the game’s characters described his visions. That’s, in a nutshell, the essence of this unique, crazy RPG where you face kaiju in turned-based combat one minute, and follow weird conversations of high-school students the next. And there is nothing wrong with that. [12/2020, p.70]

For a game that mocks RPG clichés and pelts you with endless stream of hit-or-miss jokes and cultural references, The Dungeon of Nabe… Nehu… Neul… goddamit… The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is surprisingly solid in terms of gameplay mechanics and features genuinely fun tactical combat. [12/2020, p.68]

I wish I could call NBA 2K21 derivative but still good. It looks great as ever, but gameplay balance was ruined completely by the new shooting system, there are no new features, the MyTeam mode is going downhill plagued by microtransactions, and the game as a whole lacks even a tiniest spark of passion. [12/2020, p.67]

When The Unfinished Swan was released back in 2012 on PS3, it was unique. Today, upon its arrival on PC, it’s lost in a sea of much better indie games. [12/2020, p.66]

To put it simply, Star Wars: Squadrons is a low-budget X-Wing vs TIE Fighter II based off of Battlefront II’s space battles. I admit that I expected more, but after two decades we finally got a new Star Wars sim (leaning towards the arcade side, but still) and I did enjoy it. It looks and sounds like a Star Wars game should, and Motive’s successful effort to balance such dissimilar crafts as the X-Wing and the TIE Fighter is commendable. [12/2020, p.64]

This PS1 era antique was restored quite neatly. It was rebuilt almost from scratch (technical issues plaguing the prior Switch edition were eliminated), the gameplay is enjoyable and doesn’t get boring, but mainly because there’s no additional content here and the credits roll out after an hour or so. Basically, Panzer Dragoon’s remake is a short, sentimental journey for the most nostalgic fans. [12/2020, p.63]

Behind pixels the size of couscous pellets you’ll find sheer terror that even photorealistic visuals would not be able to mirror. The tension in The Enigma of Salazar House is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and I think only Song of Horror comes close in that regard. [12/2020, p.62]

I honestly did not expect such a stellar game. Crash Bandicoot 4 is breathtakingly beautiful, features an amazing soundtrack full of references to the original trilogy, offers tons of content, and thrilled me to bits with its brilliant level design. What’s more, it stayed true to its gameplay roots, while introducing loads of great new mechanics. For me it’s the game of the year. I salute you, Toys For Bob! [12/2020, p.58]

For its age, Crysis is still quite fun, but I don’t think bragging about the game’s ability to vanquish any PC should still be a thing today. There are many shooters that look much better and at the same time run much smoother on the same hardware. It’s also a pity that the Warhead expansion was not remastered along the base game and there’s no trace of the multiplayer modes. [12/2020, p.56]

We are probably all familiar with this phenomenon: you spend hours with a game complaining about it all the time, but you simply can’t turn it off. Having spent all evening with it, you feel guilty about wasting your time, but the next day you come back and play some more. For me, Port Royale 4 is one of such games. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the Caribbean and the depth of the trade system, but I’m not sure why I devoted so much time to a title that annoyed me with many ill-conceived bits, and whose low difficulty level often made me feel redundant. [12/2020, p.55]

The game’s biggest draw is the fact that it is based on true events. The developers changed the names of some places and people but all the stories you get to experience – some funny, some sad, others dramatic, or scary – really happened to someone. [12/2020, p.54]

This is without a doubt Supergiant’s best game – highly polished, designed to be replayed time after time over dozens or even hundreds of hours, friendly towards rookies, full of fun content, and addictive as hell. It also looks great and the voice acting is superb. [12/2020, p.52]

The world of Batuu is very polished, the environments are detailed, and there’s a story to play through, but there are also some issues that mar the experienced. You can’t edit lots without using codes, some missions are bugged (I couldn’t finish the evil storyline because of that!), and once you reach the pinnacle of your career, there’s not much left to do beside side missions. [12/2020, p.51]

The only problem with the Xbox version of Wet Dreams Don’t Dry is some technical issues, which are quite easy to ignore because the game is really good. It makes fun of itself, other adventure games, genre clichés, the past, the present, the developers, the player – and it usually hits the mark. What’s more, it can be surprisingly refined for a title which doesn’t shy away from penis jokes. [12/2020, p.51]

Unrailed! is intense, a bit chaotic, at times wearisome, but highly addictive. [12/2020, p.50]

If you haven’t played this great game before, you should, because its combat is still fun as hell, and the atmosphere and overall design are fantastic. The Ultimate Edition is the perfect opportunity to catch up, especially that only this version offers a free upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X. [12/2020, p.49]

There are no apparent bugs and all gameplay mechanics are very transparent. The reason for that is not the brilliance of the developers though, but rather the (let’s say) modesty of each and every element of the game. Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is as plain and sad as a crypt of some lowly countryside vampire. [12/2020, p.48]

Blitworks took the best from 8-bit platformers (Rick Dangerous! Montezuma’s Revenge!), evolved it greatly, and wrapped it up in visuals worthy of 2020. The result is amazing but be aware that you’ll be dying over and over and over again, because part of the game’s retro heritage is its frustrating difficulty level. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints and place Spelunky 2 among my top 10 games of the year. [12/2020, p.46]

The FIFA series desperately needs a fresh start. Right now, it relies mainly on the Ultimate Team mode and marketing, while going around in circles. Instead of leaping into the future, FIFA 21 takes half a step forward and two steps sideways in an attempt to differentiate itself from its predecessor well enough to rationalize spending money. If you already own FIFA 20 and are not addicted to Ultimate Team, you can sit this one out. [12/2020, p.44]

Anyone who can rally up some friends simply needs to give Among Us a try and feel the brilliant tension that builds up within the group as trust deteriorates and everyone becomes suspicious. [12/2020, p.42]

Star Renegades’ best feature is its combat system which rewards good tactics based on thorough analysis. Battles also look great, thanks to the polished pixel art, but the complicated, unfriendly interface makes enjoying them harder. I was also disappointed with the game’s rudimentary story, but what really disheartened me was the tiresome repetitiveness of gameplay. [12/2020, p.41]

Based on a true story, this dark thriller (a mix between a point’n’click and a survival horror/stealth game) excels at creating an overwhelming atmosphere that brings to mind David Fincher’s “Se7en”. This Is the Zodiac Speaking is not much of a looker and suffers from various flaws, but it really did chill my blood a couple of times. [12/2020, p.40]

For the first time since forever, I feel like playing Super Mario Bros. again. The team at Arika added 34 other players, increased the number of mobs accordingly, made the player character a bit more powerful – and thus managed to turn rusty gameplay into gold. [12/2020, p.39]

Dozens of hours of pure fun! Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a journey through an outstanding series, a feast – well, actually three feasts – for those who love platformers. Super Mario Galaxy alone makes this package worthwhile, but even the lowest rated among these games (Super Mario Sunshine) boasts a Metascore of 92! [12/2020, p.38]

Spellbreak tries to reinvigorate the worn-out battle royale genre by ditching guns and fortifications in favor of an excellent magic combat system (combining spells works great!) supported by remarkable character mobility. The result is a frenetic, very satisfying game. And it’s free, so it’s easier to turn a blind eye to the fact that the map is large but empty, and there isn’t even a simple chat system to make communication within the team easier. [12/2020, p.37]

Serious Sam remained true to its legacy and therefore is charmingly archaic – which is not a flaw in this case. It’s easy to point out that side missions are uninspired and fail to provide the diversity they were supposed to introduce, or question the quality of graphics and optimization, but it’s not really that important when burying enemies under piles of bullets is so much fun. [12/2020, p.34]

The main difference between the remake and the original game is that the latter was outstanding for its time, while the Definitive Edition is “merely” good. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. What’s crucial here is the fact that Hangar 13 approached the original’s narrative with proper respect and refrained from changing it too much. Mafia: Definitive Edition might not be remarkable as an open-world action game, but it still has the story worthy of the most revered gangster movies. [12/2020, p.28]

I’m not sure what I’m dealing with here. Is Hate Wave an exercise in Unreal Engine done after two weeks of watching tutorials on YouTube? It does seem that way, so why does someone want me to pay for it? [11/2020, p.77]

Kill it With Fire is one of those “so dumb it’s kinda fun” experiences. The game is very simple, intentionally ugly, and unpretentious, which makes killing house spiders with over-the-top weapons (explosives, flame thrower, shotgun, etc.) pretty enjoyable for around two hours. [11/2020, p.76]

It’s a solid, very pretty and well-balanced RTS in the vein of Company of Heroes and Dawn of War II. Its most important quality though is that it managed to retain the atmosphere and allure of the unique dieselpunk 1920+ universe it’s set in. [11/2020, p.74]

Inspired by Franz Kafka, this great mix between weird fiction and magical realism casts you in the role of a man turned suddenly and inexplicably into a little bug and lets you explore a civilization built by insects but resembling our own. In many aspects Metamorphosis is crude, but the unsettling atmosphere of the strangely bureaucratic insect world, unusual music, solid voice-acting, and dialogues full of legal gibberish that illustrates said bureaucracy make the game unique. [11/2020, p.73]

An interesting visual style resembling moving stained glass is pretty much all Gleamlight has going for itself. Its gameplay mechanics are very basic, the level design is pedestrian, and you can complete it in 50 minutes on your first playthrough. [11/2020, p.72]

At first, I found Transport INC to be quite engaging, but things went downhill after a couple of hours, when I realized that it pretends to be deeper than it really is. Its biggest flaw is that you can’t influence the economic environment in any way. You can’t develop cities or create supply and demand by building manufacturing plants or extracting oil. [11/2020, p.71]

Each of Inmost’s three playable characters has been given not only their own narrative, but also distinctly different gameplay mechanics. The bearded man’s segment is a full-blooded platformer that reminded me of Hollow Knight (and that’s a huge compliment). The little girl’s gripping story took the form of a simple yet suspenseful adventure game. And then there’s the knight whose action-oriented section is dull and feels like it was grafted from a different title. Despite that disappointment, I’m not surprised by the awards this beautiful, memorable game won when it was initially released on mobile devices. [11/2020, p.70]

This point’n’click adventure game set in a computer system is a brilliant and beautiful homage to the late ‘90s, when the Internet was a fascinating, messy eyesore. If you feel at least a bit nostalgic about that time period and what the Internet used to be back then, you absolutely need to play Hypnospace Outlaw. The only flaw I found in the game is that its story feels rushed. [11/2020, p.68]

With the way it combines genres, Spiritfarer simply shouldn’t work – and yet it works perfectly! It offers a varied and engaging gameplay, introduces you to fleshed-out characters, sounds and looks really good, and has plenty of content. While the story of a girl who takes up Charon’s duties of carrying souls into the afterlife tackles death without needless pathos and affirms life, it does not lack touching moments. [11/2020, p.66]

Initially I was more frustrated than entertained by Surgeon Simulator 2. Once I mastered the intentionally awkward controls, I began to appreciate it more and more. If you’re patient, and grotesque, dark humor is your thing, I believe you’ll enjoy this game. [11/2020, p.64]

It’s still good old Dontnod but Tell Me Why falls short of the studio’s previous achievements. Outdated engine aside, the game lacks interesting interactions or a relationship as powerful as Chloe’s and Max’s friendship in Life is Strange. Its simple story is quite linear and fails to surprise, and supporting characters are rather bland. [11/2020, p.62]

A mix between Three Kingdoms and Thrones of Britannia, Troy is a solid game that has a lot to offer and guarantees many hours of addictive fun but might disappoint loyal Total War fans with some of the changes (e.g. diplomacy). If you’re new to the series, be prepared to power through the overwhelming beginning, fortunately with the help of one of the best tutorials I’ve ever seen. [11/2020, p.60]

The latest game by No Man’s Sky developer is not only enjoyable to play, but also pleasant to look at. Despite visual simplicity it will charm you with its style and vibrant colors, bewitch you with its fairy tale atmosphere and sooth your senses with subdued soundtrack. If you’re looking for a puzzle game that won’t overheat your brain but will provide a couple of hours of varied fun, give The Last Campfire a chance. [11/2020, p.59]

A worthy successor to Crusader Kings II. Right now, it is not as deep and demanding as its predecessor with all its expansions installed, but it still is an excellent strategy game. For newcomers it’s a great way to dive into the world of crowned tyrants, treacherous vassals, unfaithful wives, and inconvenient babies strangled in their cradles. [11/2020, p.56]

Juggling genres is the series’ trademark and the latest game offers much larger variety in that aspect than any of its predecessor. Most of the genres were tackled well enough, but not all ideas are spot-on and almost every part of the game could be improved. It is the best Battletoads game to date though and it would’ve scored higher if it wasn’t for one frustrating and infuriating section towards the end of the campaign. [11/2020, p.55]

Most of the puzzles were well-designed and I appreciated the chance to put my problem-solving skills and spatial awareness to the test, but the game is insolently short. I finished the campaign in approximately two hours, but it can be done much faster even without skipping the cut-scenes. [11/2020, p.54]

The first Project CARS game designed not only for hardcore simulation fans, but also for more casual racing enthusiasts, was supposed to be love at first sight. Well, it wasn’t. It does boast one of the most enjoyable driving models you can come across nowadays, but it’s not enough. The rest of the game (including the single-player campaign that should have been named Project Grind) falls short of what the best racing games on the market offer. [11/2020, p.52]

A great remaster of the best “single-player MMORPG” ever. The original seemed to have everything it needed to shine, but some external factors (poor marketing, the closure of 38 Studios) robbed it of success. I’m happy to inform that the remastering was done expertly and this charming, fun, unpretentious game resembling Fable is still worth both its price and all the hours needed to complete it. I’m really happy I got this chance to revisit Amalur, and I want to believe that Re-Reckoning foreshadows the revival of the franchise that died prematurely years ago. [11/2020, p.48]

Wasteland 3 should actually be called Fallout 3, as it has much more in common with two legendary Interplay/Black Isle Studios games than any later entry to the Fallout series. If that’s not a sufficient recommendation, let me put it plainly: Wasteland 3 is the best turn-based post-apocalyptic RPG in many, many years. Yes, at the time of writing this review there were many gameplay and technical issues that needed to be addressed as soon as possible, but the fun this game offered made it very easy to look past them. [11/2020, p.46]

20 years ago Parkasaurus would have been a huge success but compared to contemporary games by Frontier (Planet Zoo or Planet Coaster), it looks like, well, a dinosaur. Actually, even RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999!) was deeper, more complex and better designed than Parkasaurus. [11/2020, p.44]

You need to be familiar with the animated series to fully enjoy Battle Through Time, otherwise you’ll find the game to be rather unexceptional and confusing. As a huge Samurai Jack fan, I was delighted with both the nostalgic journey and the story it offered me, even if sometimes the camera was unbearable. [11/2020, p.42]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York was an introduction to the World of Darkness, whereas Shadows of New York is a specific story with a predefined protagonist, that would allow the writers to really show their craft. And show their craft they did! I was falling asleep playing Coteries, but Shadows held me in its grip for 10 hours straight and finally convinced me that being a vampire is awesome. [11/2020, p.40]

It’s not just a game, it’s a phenomenon. It lets you explore literally the whole planet – cities, mountains, lakes, rivers, even my house was there – from the cockpits of 20-30 (depends on the version of the game) airplanes. Flying experiences are also great and vary from machine to machine. I’m sure I’ll be returning to MFS for years to come. [11/2020, p.38]

If you enjoy crafting and management, Factorio is unbelievably addictive. It’s also bursting at the seams with content, offers an editor, and a multiplayer, so whether you’re looking for a game to get you through a pandemic lockdown, or a title to spend years with on a desert island, Factorio is one of the best ideas. [11/2020, p.37]

I respect the Cold Symmetry team for their courage to put their own twist on the soulslike formula. In Mortal Shell almost nothing works how you would expect it to and even if the game doesn’t always benefit from that, it feels fresh and is definitely worth checking out. [11/2020, p.36]

What the developers of THPS 1 + 2 managed to achieve is nothing short of miraculous. During the first minutes with the game I was sure I had traveled back in time and only some new songs on the soundtrack convinced me otherwise. The remake feels exactly like the original game and, simply put, it is absurdly good. [11/2020, p.34]

A shooter with a roguelike’s soul, Risk of Rain 2 is pretty much devoid of any deeper meaning, but at the same time perfectly executed and brilliant in its simplicity. [11/2020, p.33]

Captain Tsubasa’s biggest strength is its touching story about friendship, rivalry, and the love of football. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the game. The narratives of both story campaigns in Rise of New Champions are boring, full of clichés and poorly written dialogues. That’s not the biggest problem though. As soon as a match starts, the abysmal gameplay turns the game from okayish to awful. [11/2020, p.32]

It could’ve been a great single player title. The publisher chose to go down the game as a service path though, and those who prefer to play solo need to tackle run-of-the-mill co-op missions. The multiplayer on the other hand is messy, chaotic and in the long run boring. When the developers manage to fix the most pressing bugs and find a way to bring more variety to co-op, this might become a solid game. Right now, I can only recommend it to the biggest fans of the Avengers. [11/2020, p.26]

I can’t believe the studio behind Project CARS and Need for Speed: Shift developed such an atrocity. I guess this is what happens when you’re assigned a laughably tight budget, have to spend half of it on voice acting by movie stars, and the publisher wants the game to imitate a triple AAA title. [10/2020, p.93]

Death Come True has an interesting narrative foundation which is wasted due to illusory choices (think “Telltale games”), the finale boiled down to choosing one of two options, and mediocre special effects. It’s like a B movie – mostly watchable if there’s nothing better, but forgettable. I’m still waiting for an FMV game to sweep me off my feet. [10/2020, p.92]

If you love Portal, The Witness, or The Talos Principle, you’re gonna enjoy Relicta. Its puzzles might get a little tedious in the long run (they are all based on magnetic gloves), but I really enjoyed them throughout most of the campaign. What’s important (to me at least), the story is not just a quick, half-baked addition to the puzzles, but a valuable element of the game. [10/2020, p.90]

The dialogues in this visual novel are surprisingly good (but maybe it’s just my inner cyberpunk and science fiction aficionado speaking), but as a whole Synergia is disappointing – too short and too shallow. [10/2020, p.89]

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]

With its engaging story steeped in Scandinavian folklore, varied and satisfying puzzles, unique art direction, and terrific audio, Roki is a real treat for every fan of the frosty North. [10/2020, p.87]

Rock of Ages III will surely satisfy fans of the series, but if you didn’t enjoy the previous games, this one will not win you over either. If you’ve never played Rock of Ages, watch the trailer – if it makes you laugh, you should give the game a chance. [10/2020, p.86]

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]

The game’s setting and horror vibes are interesting and boss fights are decent but my overall impression of Hellpoint is that the developers got in over their heads. I don’t recommend it to anyone who still has other soulslikes to feast on. [10/2020, p.83]

Hellbound offers some old school fun if you enjoy putting your aim and reflexes to the test. It’s a shame the developers stopped at seven levels, one boss fight, a handful of monsters, and six weapons (of which two are useless and some lack an alternative fire mode). What would have been merely a first episode in a 90’s shooter, pretends to be a whole campaign in Hellbound. If you’re experienced with the genre, you’ll finish the game in around two hours. [10/2020, p.82]

The latest adventure game by the developers of Botanicula and Machinarium will once again delight you with its beauty, but will also drag you into its amazing surreal world with a charming story. [10/2020, p.81]

The concept behind Aeronautica Imperialis’ turn-based tactical gameplay is neat (your and enemy units move simultaneously, so you need to do your best to predict enemy behavior) but right now I can recommend the game to hardcore Warhammer 40K fans only. Everyone else should wait for the developers to add much more content and variety, because in its current state the game gets boring after an hour. [10/2020, p.80]

In many aspects The Origami King is the best game in the Paper Mario series. It’s brimming with intelligent humor and it looks and sounds better than any of its predecessors. Unfortunately, combat is more challenging than before while still being superfluous (there’s pretty much no incentive to engage in it), so after a couple of hours I started avoiding the chore of fighting whenever I could. [10/2020, p.78]

The fifth chapter of this brilliantly creative and polished indie game is the best thing I’ve experienced in gaming in recent years. [10/2020, p.76]

What looks like a straightforward side-scrolling shooter with some platforming elements quickly turns out to be a rich (tons of items and upgrades!) and highly addictive roguelite. [10/2020, p.75]

Rocket Arena is surprisingly fun and addictive for a simple, non-violent title for younger gamers. It would’ve been a blast if there were more people playing it, but a couple of weeks after the release its servers are pretty much desolate. [10/2020, p.74]

It’s easy to start playing Railway Empire but difficult to stop. The game is very addictive, the Complete Collection is brimming with content, and building a railway network with dozens of efficiently moving trains gives great satisfaction. [10/2020, p.73]

Maid of Sker was at its best when I was navigating dark corridors unsure of what awaits me around the corner, while unsettling noises of the dreary hotel literally gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately, skillfully built atmosphere evaporated immediately whenever I met one of bland enemies and had to engage in a lame game of cat and mouse that quickly becomes a chore. [10/2020, p.72]