Black Legend isn't perfect, but it brings some really solid pieces to the game as a whole. The town is interesting and is designed well, the class system allows for a good amount of freedom of player choice, and the alchemy system is pretty novel. The writing (or lack thereof) is a stumbling block, along with the difficult healing system... but the atmosphere really draws you in and leaves you wanting more of Grant and its mysteries.

When it’s fun, it’s really fun. When it isn’t, it’s still totally competent. The final thought will have to come down to whether or not building and knocking down castles sounds like a fun way to spend an evening. If so, then perhaps Stronghold: Warlord is a castle worth besieging.

A Stitch in Time is a 2PH DLC through and through, bringing more of the same content available in the base game while somehow managing to not even remotely shake the boat. As always, the art team is always spot-on, but from a creative design perspective, the game has been in a deep slumber since 2018 that it has yet to wake up to. If you love Two Point Hospital and honestly can’t get enough of it, A Stitch in Time will leave you very, very satisfied.

The Lizardfolk are a very interesting army to play and the campaign has a lot of character. I personally found them rather weak and relying too heavily on front line cycling for my tastes, but the more I got to explore their strengths, the more fun I had. Overall, if you like Fantasy General 2, you’ll probably like Evolution as it mixes it up enough to be fresh, without taking away what makes it a great game.

The Yakuza series is one of the best at what it does, being an Action-RPG with explorable locations. The games in this collection are dated, but even so, they perform well today and are still enjoyable to play. For players who have played before on console, pick this up if you want updated graphics and the ability to play through the series again without having to worry about backwards compatibility on consoles. For fans on PC who haven’t played the full saga, I highly recommend the Collection as it’s important to understanding the story of Yakuza, and is plenty fun to play, even if it’s dated. For any players who are new to Yakuza, I recommend first checking out Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami, they are better starting points, the Remastered Collection is not the best place to jump in.

Not only does Little Nightmares 2 live up to its name, but it also improves on nearly every aspect of the first game. Players may run into a few frustrating hiccups along the way, but exploring this horrific world with Mono and Six is immensely satisfying. At the end of the day, I'd recommend this one to any fan of surreal horror stories with emotional twists, though you might have trouble sleeping when it's all said and done.

From Software might have started this genre, but Ninja Theory is hot on their heels when it comes to quality. Nioh 2 is an achievement. It’s equal parts challenging and rewarding, with a loot system that rocks, a combat system that is deep and nuanced, an online component that adds to the experience, and great performance on PC. I haven’t enjoyed myself this much in a long time. If you enjoy games of this subgenre and haven’t yet experienced Nioh 2, the time is now. Jump in, test your mettle, and become the samurai that world of Nioh so desperately needs.

FoGII:M consistently creates memorable battlefield moments. Winning a critical melee that collapses an enemy line and turns the tide of battle. A cavalry charge that unexpectedly smashes through an enemy flank. On overzealous charge that ends up in the rear of the enemy’s lines, isolated and vulnerable. For those looking for a more strategic experience, FoGII:M will fall flat. If you want tactical battles or a digital tabletop miniatures experience than FoGII:M is for you. The only thing missing from this digital tabletop experience is painting your army.

Good voice acting and cool, bloody werewolf fighting sequences could not fully save the rushed story and flat facial animations of this one-dimensional take on the rich World of Darkness universe.

Despite its linearity, I'd argue that The Medium is a genuinely chilling ghost story that's sure to leave a lasting impression. The splitscreen effects make for quite a few memorable moments, and there's no denying the growing sense of accomplishment as you solve difficult puzzles and make your way through the cursed resort. It may not be on the same level as some of its inspirations, but I'd definitely recommend The Medium to any fan of classic survival horror.

The team behind Combat Mission: Black Sea knew exactly what they wanted to make, and made exactly that product. The result is a wargaming module that appeals greatly to people who like this exact kind of game, but doesn’t do much to lure in or be kind to people who might want to dip their toe into wargaming. It is, in essence, grognard game design distilled. If you’re new to the genre and want to pick up Black Sea after reading this, I recommend being patient and keeping an open mind. It’s a different beast to mainstream games, but is immensely rewarding with time. If you are a wargamer interested in modern combat, I recommend Black Sea heartily.

Hitman III is a fascinating finale to the franchise that shyly continues the series’ tradition to iterate and improve on each entry.

While Orwell’s Animal Farm stays true to its source material, its repetitive and unclear gameplay weakens a stylized portrayal of the book. It’s not the worst way to spend a couple hours thanks to replayability and excellent narration, but it’s not compelling to get every ending and collect every stamp. You’ll get a lot more out of reading the book than you will from the game.

Call of the Sea feels like a mix between a puzzle game and a 1930s pulp novel. It blends these varied genres to mixed success; the puzzles are largely solid but you can find yourself banging your head against the wall in frustration for some, and the writing can be a bit campy but is carried by brilliant voice acting. While the game is decent, the visuals, the acting, and the setting are top notch. If entered with the right mindset, The Call of the Sea can be a good companion for an evening in.

In the end, Per Aspera is not the deepest colony builder, nor the most challenging. But it is still a fun game to play, in a relaxing kind of way. And when you zoom out and see your bases stretch across the surface or the planet begin to irrevocably change, it delivers a feel-good gaming moment. Narrative and a sense of scale are ultimately what set Per Aspera apart from other games in the genre. If you are looking for a laid-back terraforming experience, combined with an interesting story, try out Per Aspera. If you want a more personal or detail focussed colony building experience (one where you feel like you are overseeing the human settlement of Mars), than you're better off playing Surviving Mars.

The problem is that when it works, it works, but when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. Luckily, the game’s low points like the horrible binary stealth system and the bugs and lack of QoL are either fixable or vastly outweighted by the good bits, and the overall tally still ends up being much higher than the average of many other games out there. That’s helped a lot by the moment-to-moment gameplay, which pays off just as much as the story beats; the movement system lets you climb almost any short object, vehicles are weighty to drive and have fantastic interior and exterior designs, and guns feel properly loud and heavy. It’s story and narrative kept me glued to the screen, and everything – from sex scenes and romance options to Keanu Reeves trying to kill you or help you throughout the game – are remarkably well done. Cyberpunk 2077 is a game crafted with love, and it shows...A remarkably well-executed open world game whose great heights exceed its profound depths.

The Unexpected Quest is by no means a bad game, as completing tasks and acquiring resources can be entertaining if you approach the title with the right mindset. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly hard to justify the price-tag when you consider the game’s relatively short length and repetitive elements. Casual players might get a kick out of the laid-back experience, but RTS veterans should look elsewhere for their resource-managing and quest-completing thrills.

Haven exudes an amount of confidence that’s not often seen. Every piece falls into its place and there is never a moment to suggest that developer The Game Bakers had any doubts about the direction in which it wanted to take the game. Its satisfying exploration of interconnected levels, light survival, story-driven visual novel elements, and rhythmic combat all serve the greater experience. It boasts some of the most organic writing we’ve seen in a while and strong protagonists with excellent chemistry. Kay and Yu embody weakness and strength, childlike wonder and maturity, and kick ass together when the need arises. It’s hard to dislike them. Regardless if you’re in it just for its story or want to see everything it has to offer, Haven always finds a way to reward you and never wastes your time.

The remastering of Sam & Max Saves the World is a delightful return to the comedic antics of our crime fighting duo. Some jokes might not land and a lot of puzzles can feel too easy, but the duo’s wit has staying power. Add that with some catchy new tracks and a remastering that makes the game more stylish than less, and you have a proper return to form. If you never had a chance to play Sam and Max Save the World, this is the best way to experience one of Telltale’s first games.

Ultimately, EoS is not a bad game. But the lack of content within its strategic layer holds it back from living up to its full potential. With that said, I think the tactical combat and RPG elements are pretty solid. If you are drawn to lots of X-Com style tactical combat and some over the top Prohibition themed hijinks, you will find some fun within EoS. However, people looking for a deep strategic or tycoon focused experience, will likely be disappointed.

I suspect that some players will encounter balancing issues when playing out in the wild, but winning a game after effortlessly zipping across the map and summoning Asuryiani troops as backup can be extremely satisfying, so I’d say that the Craftworld Aeldari DLC is a worthwhile package if you’d like to keep conquering Gladius in new and interesting ways (so long as you can spare the cash).

A great Viking game, but as far from a true Assassin’s Creed game as there could ever be.

When you finally begin to put the aerial maneuvers together and to great effect, as you’re dodging incoming falcons, stopping in mid-air to shake that tailing dragon, or barrel-rolling to produce near-miss fire.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is definitely an interesting title, mixing the mundanities of rice planting with 2D hacking and slashing. While an acquired taste, those who like their games unique should have a fun time with Sakuna. If you can forgive an unlikeable protagonist and some repetitive gameplay at times, Sakuna is a solid title that shines even with its flaws.

Bugsnax is a feel-good adventure with a lovable cast, a rich variety of tasty prey to hunt, but thoroughly unremarkable gameplay.

A surprisingly inaccurate recreation of London ties into simplistic gameplay and terrible performance to create a deeply flawed and shallow game.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon reminded me why I loved video games to begin with. I cannot think of a game this year that has gripped me this tightly and didn’t let go. Here comes a game brimming with joy and excitement that is earnest with its drama and comedy. It’s the sort of game you can gush about for hours, and I will long after this review is published. Anyone who loves RPGs, open world games, comedies, crime dramas, and games PERIOD should have a lot of fun with the newest Yakuza.

A surprisingly well-rounded DLC that is focused on creepy death-worshiping and flesh-eating traits, but has an awesome ship design set even for those that don’t care about the Necroid stuff.