Honestly, I would have preferred Krafton give this game even more time to cook. It almost feels like I'm playing pretend at playing pretend right now—engaging with a variety of set pieces I can do a cute peace sign in front of before moving onto the next thing. In an attempt to offer something different to The Sims, Inzoi has failed to establish any sort of identity of its own. I'm not even sure Krafton knows what direction it wants to take right now, but it needs to figure that out quickly, otherwise I fear it'll be another casualty of the genre. [Impressions]

Overboard's more complex follow-up is another great evil detective game.

Come for the neck stabs and stay for the surprisingly great combat, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a stealth action buffet with a story to forget.

Exceptional building mechanics support a game that sometimes feels like a chore.

Fragpunk's bold decision to break almost every rule in the book leads to a captivating shooter.

Another fumbled PC port blighted by poor optimisation and unpredictable performance issues.

Repo is a fantastic co-op horror game that can hold its own against big shots like Lethal Company. It's also only in early access right now, and with plans to introduce more player customisation, story elements, equipment, levels, and enemies, all I can say is that I'm really looking forward to seeing where the devs take this co-op horror game. [Early Access Impressions]

A satisfying farming and tea-shop sim inside a well-written adventure with meaningful themes.

These are decent enough remasters, but not the outstanding ones these RPGs deserved.

An incredibly inventive, rapid-fire co-op adventure that never breaks its stride, despite its dull protagonists.

It takes too long to grow beyond its predecessor, but once it does Knights in Tight Spaces is an engaging and tactical roguelike deckbuilder.

Two Point Museum is the coolest, cosiest, and most evolved iteration of the formula to date, even if its more obtuse aspects prevented me from becoming a pro curator.

Best in class monster combat makes up for a wilderness that's a touch too streamlined.

There's been better narrative games, but none so achingly familiar as Lost Record's quartet of young punks.

A welcome refresh of a hack-and-slash mainstay that mostly impresses, despite a few glaring pacing problems.

Flawed and overfamiliar, but still as joyously OTT and hilarious as ever.

Great characters, challenging resource management, and impeccable road trip vibes.

Bigger than it first appears, Avowed is an engrossing and gorgeous action-RPG set in one of the most engaging fantasy worlds going, though it lacks the complex systems of its most beloved contemporaries.

A great detective game gets a lavish remake and an improved expansion in one essential package.

Graphics from the '80s with RPG gameplay from the late '90s and writing like nothing else: Skald was 2024's biggest pleasant surprise.

Toothless writing, old-fashioned open world design, and ropey port work undermine what should be a thrilling cinematic adventure.

Still a compelling sprint through human history, Civilization 7 sheds a little too much weight to match its excellent predecessors.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a big, bold, unutterably weird thing, and it's a new RPG classic.

Citizen Sleeper 2's broader scope stretches its mechanics thin, even while its story flourishes.

While the name may be slightly misleading, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a fantastic way to experience one of the best action games ever made.

Eternal Strands is an unforgettable combination of intense action, inventive improvisation and an engaging story.

It's old fashioned, but I find it quite compelling that it's a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. Sniper Elite has felt like the heir apparent to the stealth genre for a while now, and Resistance further solidifies that, a generous helping of sneaky action that's only slightly less impressive because it's retreading the same path Sniper Elite 5 already took in 2022.

Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap retains the frenzied fun of its predecessors despite a mixed bag of format changes.