Ocean’s Heart is a good game with a specific audience in mind. The overall atmosphere and the presentation will capture the attention of anyone who has had even a casual relationship with the classic Zelda releases. But the game has more to offer than a simple homage and adds humor, cool levels, solid combat, and a quirky look that make it unique. Using the sword, bows, and bombs to get through enemies and puzzles is simple and engaging throughout. There are moments when the difficulty spikes a little too harshly but that’s compensated by the simple continue system. The map can be unhelpful and the borders between spaces a little hard to always detect. But Max Mraz knows how to make the player feel welcomed inside the world he builds and I cannot wait to see what he can deliver next, after Yarntown and Ocean’s Heart.

The Perfect Pencil is a great video game for anyone who likes the mechanical mix of the Metroidvania genre. The balance tilts toward exploration, which is a good choice given the weirdness of the universe and the beauty of its biomes. Scanning is a nice little additional idea that feels a little underused. The ability to heal through combat is solid, even if the more complex set-pieces and the boss battles move too fast for it. A balance pass for checkpoints is also needed. I like The Perfect Pencil’s originality and found it best enjoyed in sessions just long enough to get to a new save point.

I had a great time playing The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, so I’m compelled to recommend this to anyone who loves point & click adventure games. The outstanding voice-acting, stellar soundtrack and well-written story are easily among the best things this game has to offer. Hail, Abraxas Rex!

Life Is Strange is an imperfect video game and the actual mechanics of playing it, including the time rewind, can become annoying of frustrating, especially when the development team tries to borrow from another genre. But the game makes it easy to create a connection with Max and to care about her choices and trials, a rare feat, and that means any fan of narrative-driven experiences should try it out to see how he deals with the feelings of the protagonist and the impact they have on Arcadia Bay.

REPLACED is a beautiful, narrative driven experience, and that’s where the game is at its best. It tells a very interesting, gripping story, and I found myself fascinated with the great locations, mesmerizing backgrounds, but also the intricate characters found within the game. Sad Cat Studios hit it out of the park here, the game is not only visually impressive with its pixelated art style, but also the well-written story. REPLACED also brings excellent social commentary, making us think twice about our society and its path forward. It’s certainly not without its small issues, like combat being repetitive and platforming not shining that much. But it’s definitely one of those games that will make you pause and look at the scenery often, while pondering about your life and your role in society. Plus, if you are a completionist, there’s plenty of lore and extra info to be found here. All in all, it’s a delightful game, but keep in mind that it’s all about the story rather than action.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a great sequel. It innovates just enough to feel fresh but, unfortunately, takes a bit of player freedom away through its fixed characters.

I had a great time playing Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and I strongly recommend the game to anyone who loves games like Nioh. It’s a lot easier and has some interesting new mechanics that are definitely worth exploring.

Trinity Fusion is built around a combat system that’s easy to understand but hard to master. I like the focus on picking the best mix of weapons and Amplifiers, creating synergies that make handling both groups and individuals easy. The rogue-lite elements are not very deep, but they offer players extra options to tweak their playstyle. Choice matters and there’s plenty of space for experimentation. The narrative is just interesting enough to keep players engaged in the long term. The apocalyptic theme should have been used to increase the weirdness level of both worlds and enemies. Trinity Fusion has good mechanics and i8t will welcome both newcomers, thanks to the Hyper system, and veterans.

When I started playing Constance, I had no idea what to expect. Releasing a metroidvania so close to Silksong was a gamble, but I think it paid off. Constance might not be the 30+ hour juggernaut that game is, but it has a heartwarming story and its platforming is excellent. The narrative is amazing, and the unique painting mechanic adds risk, but also rewards strategic thinking, too. You’re also rewarded if you explore, which is important for this type of game. Constance has its caveats, like limited fast travel or the main character not speaking at all during the game. However, those things are by design, and they tie into the game’s approach towards stress and mental health. This is a type of game that can help you rethink some of your choices in life, while also giving you 4-5 hours of intense platforming goodness, and it’s a breath of fresh air for the genre.

Still the new art direction will not be to everyone’s liking, and it remains one of the compromises made by the developers to ensure that Return to Monkey Island is relevant for 2022. And they managed to accomplish so much more, by developing a great game. It works both as a fan service for the point & click aficionados and also as a modern-day adventure game for newcomers. It has some minor shortcomings, but overall, it is once more a shiny standard of how good adventures should play and feel.

Newcomers to the genre or the series should pick up the core Company of Heroes 2 at first, to get themselves familiarized with the series and its ideas, and then make the jump to The Western Front Armies in order to experience more varied matches.

Even if it’s a very short game, Neon Inferno is memorable and it brings one of the best side-scrolling shooting experiences in recent times. Zenovia Interactive has improved on the already good Steel Assault core gameplay. Their new game, Neon Inferno, feels more polished, and despite its shorter length, it brings a great story and wonderful moment-to-moment gameplay. Neon Inferno is an ode to the games of a golden era, and an excellent introduction to arcade shooters for those that never played one. It’s a must-have for any fan of action shooters, and a great way to take a break from demanding, challenging games.

Halls of Torment offers a good take on survival action mechanics. Many players will pick it up not only because of the strong core loop but also because of its presentation, which evokes Diablo in all but the smallest details. Anyone who loved the Blizzard titles and appreciates fast-paced combat with a focus on good upgrade choices will have fun. But nostalgia will not be enough for those looking for innovation in a crowded genre. The game’s world feels limited and the meta-progression mechanics aren’t enough to ensure the moment-to-moment action remains fresh. Halls of Torment does not transform its genre but can quickly become addictive for players who are into the mechanics and the general Diablo vibe.

Persona 3 Reload is a complete reimagining of the original. It feels just as modern as Persona 5, although it is less complex it does not feel rushed or less engaging. The developers managed to combine the best elements of the third and fifth episode into a remake that feels completely fresh. Beyond the grindy nature of Tartarus there are no real negative aspects to mention. Persona 3 Reload looks better, works better and plays better than the original, making it a must play for the fans of the series.

Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening takes a mostly forgotten fictional universe and builds a good game around it. The narrative is directly drawn from the anime based on the manga, while the mechanics competently use the action platformer template. The Psychogun’s guided attack is a unique mechanic that makes combat, especially boss engagements, more exciting. Play cooperatively, if possible, and don’t skip the cutscenes, even if they seem cheesy. The protagonist’s relatively imprecise movement could lead some players to quit playing, but Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening compensates with retro charm and a cool hand cannon that can stop time.

If you’re a fan of JRPGs, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Fuga: Melodies of Steel. The series deserves more games like this and a lot more people to play them. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a very interesting take on the turn-based strategy genre.

En Garde! offers a tight core idea and executes on it well, although in some predictable ways. It’s fun to constantly scan the battlefield and evaluate incoming enemies to decide how to use the environment and Adalia’s superior fencing skills to separate groups, stun some enemies, and, finally, take all of them down. The unlockable reveals even more options to spice battles up and create interesting scenarios. The title’s platforming and exploration are limited, which will limit its appeal for anyone who doesn’t quickly enjoy the combat. En Garde! is a happy adventure dedicated to fans of pulp and complex battle situations.

Hue promotes itself as a platformer and a puzzle game, and as far as I’m concerned it managed to do both genres justice in equal manner. The unique color-based controls is also something worth praising, and those of you that suffer from color blindness will be glad to know that the game also has a feature that will allow if you to play it without problems. All in all, if you’re the type that loves short games with a compelling story and a memorable gameplay experience, then Hue is definitely a title you should take into consideration.

If you ever wished you could play a necromancer, battle dragons and date a Khajiit, or, why not, all three, Elsweyr delivers on that and then some. Just don't give up because of the flavorless storyline.

Murderous Muses is a rare full-motion video-driven video game that uses the concept in interesting ways. The central mystery is compelling and it’s worth exploring the weirdness of the island where everything takes place. There are plenty of videos to unlock and investigate and some decent extra puzzles to solve. The gameplay is relatively limited, especially when it comes to hunting down that last keyword required to unlock a police interview. The presentation, the acting, and the plot are strong enough to keep players moving and thinking. Murderous Muse's quality should attract new players to the FMV genre while satisfying long-term fans.

Suzerain is a good experience that sometimes feels like it needs a little more game. Following the career path of President Rayne and facing the many challenges can be both thrilling and boring, with a side of frustrating at times. The developers clearly have a lot of talent for world-building and dialogue writing, which makes the game a treat for anyone willing to learn about the world and play with its possibilities. Come to Suzerain first for the feeling of power and the scheming, stay longer to discover the characters and the way choices are interlocked in an interesting way.

Worth the investment for its stellar story. Bear in mind that the combat and the camera issues are still present.

Passing By - A Tailwind Journey mixes flight and platforming in almost equal quantities. None of its mechanics have a ton of depth but the process of navigating, spotting islands, evaluating needs, and then exploring is engaging. The unique visual style and good soundtrack help immerse players in this world of floating islands. It would have been nice for the characters to have more dialogue, perhaps exploring the challenges of life among the clouds. Passing By - A Tailwind Journey successfully combines two different mechanics with a good central character and a unique world.

Backpack Hero has a unique core mechanic that works. I liked constantly thinking of what I wanted to pick up and how I could create combos by placing items just right. There are a ton of possibilities, even if combat itself often feels limited and repetitive. Story mode adds an interesting twist with town building and management, although the story hooks aren’t that strong. The game is best enjoyed in short sessions, exploring just enough to put down a new building or reach another milestone. Backpack Hero succeeds at creating a fun gameplay loop for a very specific audience.

It's clear that Watch Dogs Legion is Ubisoft's first step toward innovation after so many years of generic formulas. I'd say it's a good start, but the “play-as-anyone” system is quite basic and doesn't offer that variation and richness that you would expect. It's a great and ambitious idea, but the execution is far from perfect. Despite these shortcomings, I have to admit that Watch Dogs Legion is actually a good game. I'm not familiar with Ubisoft's plans, but Legion opens up a lot of potential for the future of the series. Anyone who liked any of the previous games will absolutely love Watch Dogs Legion. It offers a lot of content that you can go through with a customized team of hackers, so no playthrough should be the same.

Wizard with a Gun creates an effective mix of action combat, building, resource management, and rogue elements. The narrative has just enough mystery and quirks to keep players engaged but the focus is squarely on exploration and combat, which involve a lot of repetition but remain engaging. I love how player choices feed into the fights and I appreciate the tension introduced by the Chaos timer. The game’s art style enhances its mechanics and makes the world a pleasure to spend time in. Wizard with a Gun is fun both in single-player and when played cooperatively and gives fans of the genre a chance to find a unique playstyle.

The Talos Principle 2 is just as brilliant as the first game was, being larger and more detailed. During the over 30 hours it needs to finish, the fans of the puzzle genre will be delighted and immersed in a world that serves almost as a philosophical lesson. The already great puzzle design is now joined by a brilliant narrative and a pretty good pacing. There is no real replay value, but the content is rich enough to keep you engaged for a long while.

Nitro Kid doesn’t deliver anything entirely original, in terms of ideas or implementation, but the final experience is more than the sum of its parts. The battles are solid and require good planning to get through with minimal HP loss. The rogue layer is decent but could use a little more variety. Discovering floor layouts and boss designs is exciting, as is working solutions to overcome them. Make sure to play a run or two at a time, enough to allow the soundtrack to wash over you and make a little progress. Nitro Kid is quick, fun, and varied, a great experience for players who love card-driven titles that focus on close-quarters engagements. Saving kids from an evil corporation never felt better.