Overall, Bookwalker is an engaging game that takes an interesting premise and uses it to tell a story full of mystery and creativity. I enjoyed the meta-ness of me controlling a fictional character as he wrestles with how and if to control other characters that are fictional to him. World-building, puzzle-solving, and quality visuals and writing make Bookwalker a satisfyingly complete package well worth checking out.

Those familiar with the series will feel quite at home, as will general turn-based tactics fans. Genre stalwarts, such as overwatch and defensive position, aren't going anywhere, but the layers on top of all that are where Jagged Alliance 3 most proves its worth. Finally, I've found the type of one-more-turn game I've been looking for. I was challenged by it in the most satisfying ways: planning, leadership, and patience. Despite the flaws, I wanted to see the campaign through from the opening encounter, and I felt rewarded for that. To sum it up: Jagged Alliance is back.

I must say that developer Milestone has done an excellent job with this newest version of MotoGP. The graphics are simply stunning and everything runs smoothly on the Unreal game engine that was added a couple of years ago. There's a wide range of game options that can be customized in order to suit all motorcycle racers requirements for difficulty. The only problem that I see for sports games like MotoGP is that it's kind of a niche sporting category. Americans love NASCAR and Indy and Europeans love Formula One; but how popular is motorcycle racing? I don't know but after playing MotoGP 23 I have to say that I am now a fan of the sport and the game!

There really is a lot more depth to this new version of Tennis Manager 2023. In addition to the above improvements, all of the various screens have been improved. The manager and player statistics look really good and they contain expanded stats which can help to track the academies player progress. Even though I'm not a fan of personal data sharing and location tracking in games, these days it does appear to be a growing aspect of computer and video game development. I would prefer that Rebound CG and other developers rely more on their creativity and game quality to be able to draw more people in to purchase their products. The fact that we are constantly being bombarded with ads on TV, cell phone, on the Internet and everywhere, that I for one want to be ad free in the games that I play. However, even with that said, Tennis Manager 23 is a worthwhile game and that's based on the efforts made to improve things in game. If you don't mind sharing even some of your personal information and DOB certainly is very personal then you don't have anything to worry about.

It's unfortunate, because this game absolutely has the potential to turn itself around, as its core foundation is sound, but there are few redemption stories in the gaming industry, and not many publishers allow developers the time or resources to attempt such. Park Beyond isn't by any means a terrible game, but even post-launch, it's been left in such a terrible state that most players probably won't have the patience to distinguish the latter from the former.

As the description of the plot implies, Doomblade is a delightfully grimdark story and world. Every creature and environment is ugly or disturbing in some way, and whenever you get into any serious combat the soundtrack starts blaring out heavy metal music. In a world of pastel-colored indie games the stress how cozy and none-threatening they are, Doomblade is a welcome change of pace.

Aliens: Dark Descent is, without a doubt, one of the best games in the franchise's history. It's campy and ridiculous, intimidating and unsettling, tactical and yet still casual. It attempts to pull off a number of different (and often even opposing) themes and mechanics, and impressively rarely fails outright at any of them. The story, dialogue, and cutscene animation all work in tangent to produce a compelling narrative that stays true to the typical narrative conventions of the Alien franchise, taking what would normally be a forgettable cast and setting, and making them stand out through their reactions to situations and their contrasting personalities and approaches to dealing with the threats that face them.

Miasma Chronicles is a perfectly passable game, one with an admittedly long campaign that fairly justifies the modestly-high retail price. The problem is that the campaign in question feels far longer than it ought, because most aspects of its narrative and dialogue fail entirely to bring the player closer to the characters they're playing as, a critical failing for any game calling itself an RPG. Decent performances from the voice cast almost manages to redeem the game's storytelling failings, but never fully. The combat is often excessively repetitive, and the killcam system often seems more interested in capturing footage of the foliage presumably for a nature documentary, than focusing on the far more interesting bleeding and screaming enemy flailing around on the ground. Hopefully Miasma Chronicles does eventually get a sequel, because it does manage to lay down a lot of potentially interesting groundwork, albeit without ever managing to fully capitalize on it.

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.

Return to Grace won't win over anyone that isn't interested in the slow and pensive pace that this genre delivers, but those that are will find a wonderfully crafted adventure that balances familiar tropes with insightful themes, memorable dialogue, and beautiful environments. At about 2.5 hours in length, the game is a quick play, but it doesn't overstay its welcome and feels like it's exactly as long as it should be. Return to Grace is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a single-sitting adventure that'll stay in mind far longer.

The only thing I have to ask is: In a world where there are a few hundred Boomer Shooters released a year and a few dozen 40K games a year how was it nobody hit upon this formula before now? No points to Auroch Digital for making the most obvious possible combination, but full marks for putting together one hell of a shooter.

Lego 2K Drive provides an entertaining setting that will have older players reminiscing about playing with Lego in their backyards, whilst giving younger gamers a chance to experience the same thing in a virtual world. The almost fully destructible Lego environments allow players to drive unimpeded for the most part, cruising around Bricklandia at their own leisure, completing whichever quest they want. The ability to customise your rides in the garage adds to the fun aspect with gamers able to create their own outlandish vehicles. And with the ability to play in split screen co-op, Lego 2K Drive is the perfect opportunity for families to sit on the couch together smashing through Lego towns on their way to winning the Sky Trophy.

The best adaptations feel like they exist in the world of the original, rather than trying to redo what has been done. Starship Troopers: Extermination accomplishes that. It gives you the familiar action from a new perspective. The fights herein are chaotic, seemingly-insurmountable, tactical, and satisfying. The Troopers' signature assault rifle feels as it should, the Arachnid are tough-but-not-to-tough, and building defenses feels meaningful. The biggest knock against its effort can easily be addressed as the game lives on: it is entering a crowded market without much innovation, and a relatively light plate of classes and weapons. As a package, it can be exhilarating, especially with a group of friends, big or small. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

While no one would call Knight Crawlers especially innovative, the game that is here is far from charmless. The game has a cozy, relaxed vibe that goes some way towards giving the game an identity of its own beyond indie roguelike number 10,000,000. All the characters, both friend and foe, are cute little fellas that look like they were made from Duplo blocks. This low-stakes, low-intensity charm is bolstered by the game's mellow combat system. Your main attack is a projectile that automatically hits the nearest enemy and only fires when you are standing still. All the enemies will chase you so you need to judiciously run away and stop often enough for your automatic projectile to land a few hits.

Despite the several issues I had with graphical glitches and needing to restart on a couple of occasions, Redfall is an enjoyable experience. The story is somewhat of a slow build, told through its visual novel style approach, but kept me wanting to find out more about how Redfall came to be in such a predicament. But it is the combat and setting that provides for the most enjoyment. The opportunity to tackle problems from literally different angles and heights allow Redfall to be played with a variety of strategies. And when you team up with several friends in co-op, a whole new way of playing the game emerges with each character providing for a different approach.

In all, Mail Time is a fun, if short, experience that can remind people what it is they love about 3D platforming without requiring a lot of investment to learn controls or plot related subjects. The only real issue from my perspective being the lack of a map. That being said that lack isn't too much of a problem compared to the tranquil and enjoyable atmosphere of this easy-going game, making Mail Time a charming delight of a game that has left this reviewer wanting quite a bit more.

Showgunners has its fair share of new ideas, and it's best when it uses them. Moving around the world to find useful rewards adds an additional, relatively low stress, layer to a solid tactics experience. Meeting new contestants and fans, who are varied, expands the world and those that live in it. Inside combat, a lot will feel familiar to tactics veterans, but fresh elements are at least complex enough to sustain a playthrough. Forgoing procedural generation in contestants, defenders, and levels limits replayability, but it also eliminates pressure. You will never lose your favorite playable contestant for good because of a miscalculation. Their worst fate is a battle restart. Once the season is over, it's hard not to imagine the next as one with a plethora of characters who could be knocked out of competition for good, but the first season is at least good enough to leave you wanting a second.

Folks, the new WWE 2K23 is such a massive yearly game enterprise that has brought the goods yet again for 2023. This is a great game franchise and Visual Concepts and 2K Sports have delivered. I hate to admit that even though I played the PC version, my game pad expertise wasn't up to par to begin with and I struggled to perform all of the many required finishes and special moves. However, as I slowly got used to the controls by using the great included tutorial that is narrated by Xavier Woods, it became easier. Being able to deliver John Cena's smashing "Attitude Adjustment" finishing move or Triple H's trademark "Pedigree" is something that every WWE game wrestler should strive to accomplish. Practice does make perfect and the same holds true for real wrestlers along with in-game make-believe ones too.

Dead Island 2 is a remarkably solid game, one that doesn't make any attempt to reinvent the wheel, but nevertheless is a more than satisfying mindless casual zombie-killing gorefest. It won't be a game held up in years to come as the go-to model for open-world zombie games but given its decade-long tenure in development hell, it's nothing short of a miracle it ever managed to crawl across the finish line as anything less than a complete mess.

Innchanted is a fun co-op game for all ages. The mechanics are simple enough for younger players but the game still provides enough of a challenge for more experienced gamers. The indigenous Australian story and characters and vibrant cartoon style visuals give the game an exciting atmosphere. Each of the new mechanics and recipes are introduced regularly so that the gameplay always feels fresh. The co-op works well whether you're playing alone or with a group of friends on the couch, with the AI being particularly proficient. With the restaurant upgrades and bonuses, costume unlocks, as well as trying to achieve the three (or four) stars on each level, Innchanted has heaps of replayability and is a must-have for fans of cute co-op games.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is the direct product of an excessively-rushed development cycle. It suffers from questionable narrative direction, poor visual fidelity, and generic puzzles that will entertain the player at first, but quickly become tedious over time. While this is by no means a Sherlock Holmes game at its worst, it certainly falls short of the gold standard set by Frogwares themselves with their past entries. If you're an absolute Holmes diehard, The Awakened might scratch your itch, but if you're not already hooked by the Sherlock Holmes IP, then The Awakened probably won't do anything to pique your interest.

Stranger of Paradise is a game that has a bit of a slow start and the painful edginess of Jack contrasting with the world around him can be difficult to take seriously, but if gamers can persevere through that the combat more than makes up for it, making for a very fun game - and as time passes the surreal contrast of Jack begins to make more and more sense. That being said the game is a little bit of an investment at first, but once the ball starts rolling Stranger of Paradise is a fantastic Action RPG with very engaging combat that’s all centred around a fun and compelling Job mechanic that helps gamers play the way they want as they quest to kill Chaos and bring balance back to the world.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of H. P. Lovecraft and adjacent works will immediately get the idea, but the vastness of the sea alone paints an adequate picture. You are a small fisherman, doing what he knows how to do to answer a litany of questions, and the world is big, dark, scary, and fascinating. It's a mystery worth seeing and an experience worth having, because every satisfying game mechanic shines bright even in the blackest of fog drenched seas.

Overall, Supplice is a standout game that really emphasizes the aspects that people remember of the 90's FPS, but one final bit of attention to detail that should make any fan of the genre give Supplice a closer look is the pricing. The game is $15 on Steam base price, not counting any potential bundles or deals that may be occurring at the time. This price point makes the game feel a lot easier to swallow despite the short length, relatively speaking, meaning that players itching for something along the lines of a so-called 'boomer shooter' may want to pick up Supplice.

The Great War: Western Front excels at making you feel the pressures of World War I. Sometimes that leaves the gameplay lacking, but most often it requires a level of engagement that is hard to find in a lot of other strategy games. At a certain point it can feel like massive grand strategy tactics, while simply throwing walls of men at each other on the smaller scale. Spending additional time with it, however, will yield additional tactics and technology that transform battles. It is a game clearly made in the image of its namesake, so it is no wonder that the result is a gruelling series of meat grinders that lasts for quite some time. It successfully uses that earnestness to differentiate itself from its competitors enough to make it easy to find joy in the seemingly endless war.

Ravenbound comes across as an internal playtest version of an unreleased upcoming game. The barren open-world, the clunky and bugged game mechanics, and rampant balancing issues, makes the game feel like it's not ready for Early Access, let alone the full launch it's been given. It's easy to feel sorry for the many developers who likely put their hearts into this project, but sometimes it's not just ok, but often wise, to leave a game in the development oven for just a bit longer, rather than releasing it so prematurely.

In all, Arena Renovation has a lot of potential to be a very fun game, especially once the Early Access period is over and the developers have time to make certain that everything is prepared for a full release. The act of witnessing these dilapidated sports centres being brought back to life makes for a particularly satisfying experience, the level up system lets players feel a real sense of progression, and the game provides plenty of options to furnish areas to suit your aesthetic purposes. There are still some kinks to work out, particularly in long load times and clunky feeling controls, but this reviewer feels it's safe to say that Arena Renovation is a game to keep an eye on, especially if you're a player that enjoys the more grounded 'Simulator' games!

Terra Nil is the ultimate Zen experience when it comes to city builders and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.