If you like tower defence, you'll enjoy this fresh take on it. If you're an ARPG fan, you might be disappointed by some of the design decisions, but you might also be pleasantly surprised by the novel gameplay.

Probably the best thing about République is its evolution and the improvements made in the later episodes.

Tower of Time isn’t a massively ground-breaking game, but is a solid addition to the RPG genre, consistent with itself and impressive for a first time development. So if you’re looking for a new RPG, don’t mind reading or point and click dungeon crawling, then Artara might just be for you.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is hands down the best detective game I've ever played and one of the most enjoyable experiences of the 2014 gaming year so far.

While it may not entirely hit as a whole, Amnesia: The Bunker marks a high point for the series in many ways. It continues to feature impressive graphics and sound design, and a few of the mechanics here should join other constants. It falters a bit in its story, which is suitably mysterious and mystical, but at least partially predictable from a very early stage. It doesn't drag the experience down too much, but just enough. Still, it feels like a best-in-class dread simulator that doesn't overload you with a series of ever changing objectives, keeping your mission tight and focused throughout, allowing that sense of dread to be its main propellant.

While a fighting game isn’t exactly what one might expect for a sequel of a game like Persona 4 Golden, this reviewer finds it to be a fun fighting game with a compelling story that expands the world of Persona by introducing the Investigation Team to another team that once saved the world from a mysterious threat with the power of Personas.

For the patient gamer willing to spend time with a game and learn its quirks, Expeditions: Conquistador is a definite boon. The branching storyline, seeing the long-term consequences of your actions and the already-mentioned people and equipment management will assuredly entertain those who used to play Sid Meier’s Pirates! and new fans alike. For me personally, this is one of the best and most unique games that I’ve played this year.

There is fun to be had here, but aside from a few moments of joyous parkour, it's the sort of fun you can have in dozens of other open-world games. There is certainly some added fun in co-op with a couple of friends, but in a world where we get another open-world game every week, I just cannot recommend anyone go out and buy Dying Light 2 at full price. Especially not when it came out right before Horizon: Forbidden West and Elden Ring, both of which look far more promising.

As noted, this kind of experience isn't going to be for everyone. If you're looking for a more hands-on title with a more significant level of challenge, you may be best served elsewhere. If you enjoy a more narrative experience built around exploration without combat or demanding mechanics, you'll find a lot to love. As someone firmly in the latter camp, it's easy for me to recommend Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss as a welcome and high-quality addition to its genre.

If you enjoy classic-style point-and-click adventures that make you think – which is the reason we play them, I know, but I mean more so than usually – then Whispers of a Machine is a must-buy for you. You’ll probably have to look into a walkthrough at some points, but when you do, you’ll bash your head against a wall thinking “how did I miss that!?”

Element4l is founded on solid mechanics, fresh gameplay, and a undeniable sense of style.

Problems such as fairly samey missions: getting a base, building a base, building a mega army, to then overwhelm their base, and there are a fair few missions like that in this game. But, all in all, Ancestors adds enough of a twist to that classic formula to keep most RTS fans on their toes, while giving them a decent level of enjoyment.

While the inventory system is problematic, it’s not damning, especially considering that it is my only complaint about an otherwise great game. Every other aspect of Shadows: Awakening plays great. I’ve had more fun than I have had with similar titles in years, simply because most Action RPGs have started to look alike. Shadows: Awakening, on the other hand, is a truly unique title that scratches an itch that hasn’t been scratched in ages.

A gore-laden feast for the most barbaric among us, Blasphemous truly is a punishing game in the best possible way. I just wish it had a more gripping story to go with it.

It was the surprises that kept me invested throughout, and I'm certainly not going to spoil them here. What I can say is it left me with a refreshing RPG that may not revolutionize the genre, but I think starts the year off right for either or both RPG and One Piece fans.

Van Helsing II eclipses its predecessor in almost every way.

However, I still wholeheartedly believe that Teslagrad is worth playing: Rain Games has made a fun twitch-puzzle platformer that both hits the right nostalgic notes while also carving out its own unique identity. There aren't enough games like this these days and despite its moments of extreme frustration, the game's beauty and charm were always enough to keep me playing.

Ultimately, this ant colony simulator offers a unique and engaging experience, but it's one that could benefit from some streamlining and refinement. The core mechanics are solid, but the frustrating micro-management of the science system and the somewhat disjointed island exploration prevent it from truly shining. It's a game with a lot of potential, but it needs a bit more polish to truly capture the magic of a thriving, interconnected ant empire.

Between the lovely aesthetics And the brilliant combat system It becomes a thing of true beauty Full of joy and true wisdom

Taken as a whole, Stadium presents the best Trackmania 2 experience. It offers every feature found in last year’s Canyon and for half the price. More importantly, Stadium has adopted the bulk of the community, so new players would be advised to choose this better, cheaper option.

Don’t be fooled by its obvious influences. Stealth Inc 2 is a great little game that stands out on its own.

In all Persona 5 Tactica is more of a good thing. While the art style shift may cause some hesitancy, the game is built as a great introduction to its playstyle and has plenty of player friendly design implementations that make it welcoming even to those who only want to experience seeing the Phantom Thieves in action again even if the gameplay style isn’t one that they usually play. If you're a fan of the Phantom Thieves, or a fan of strategy RPGs, this revolution themed game is one to keep an eye on!

Neurodiver held my interest thoroughly for it's short 5 hours, and charmed me with its new characters and exciting story, but it didn't really leave a similar impact as the first one. It needed more time to really sell its ideas. If you're a fan of 2064: Read Only Memories, approach this more like another story in the world rather than a full fledged sequel. If you're new to this series altogether and you like cyberpunk anime from the 80's and don't mind simple gameplay, then give Neurodiver a shot, it's worth it for the characters and story; if it sticks in your memory, only time can tell.

It's clear to me that Still Wakes the Deep is about the journey and not the destination, and I do think that journey is thrilling and worth your time.

Roughly 15 years since the release of Tales of Graces f, it's still well worth the journey. The story, although familiar for the JRPG genre, is well told with enjoyable characters. When Graces f originally came out it was well received but swallowed up in the passage of time, so it's great that it's getting another go around with the remaster. It may not be perfect, but I think it's worth being remembered as a great game.

Magic: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 isn’t a substitute for the real game, but it’s clear that it’s not trying to be. Its narrower scope of cards and options work well to introduce new players to the game, as well as give veterans a quick fix.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is not a bad game by any standard. It's pretty, it's fun, and it follows a formula that has proven to be successful even if it's overdone by this point. As I played through it for this review I found myself alternating between enjoying myself and being frustrated with its shortcomings. There is a potentially brilliant horror/detective game buried under all the superfluous side quests and pointless collectibles, and each time I caught a glimpse of it, I find myself wondering about what could have been.

Just like the zombies that the Resident Evil brand was built on, Revelations proves that there might be life after death (or at least severe downward spiral) after all.