Taken individually there are some aspects to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League that are enjoyable. The problem is that cloning the same few basic gameplay mechanics seen in most live service games creates a negative overall experience. As a result, even if playing alongside your friends as a full party, you will feel like participating in a chores marathon. The monotonous endgame can be fixed by adding new content, but seeing the already existing one it is hard to believe that we can expect a major improvement. It is a shame that such a fresh and unexpected take on the superhero universe is wasted on a live service model that fails to fix the mistakes of the genre.

War Hospital offers a decent management experience with nice flavor. There aren’t many games that use World War I as a setting and even less than ask fans to actually heal people rather than kill them. The game’s management aspect is well-executed, although the core gameplay loop tends to become repetitive. The development team also delivers a good recreation of the first worldwide conflict, with a focus on the frailty of humanity and the incredibly limited tools doctors and nurses had to save lives. I hope that Brave Lamb Studio takes the best ideas of War Hospital and refines them, either for DLC or a sequel.

Tekken 8 feels like a great game that with a bit more tuning could have been the best fighting game out there. The last fight of the campaign feels unnecessarily long, the Arcade Quest mode could have been made into a better fit with the rest of the game and there are some other aspects that commenting upon almost feels like nitpicking. Tekken 8 remains one of the best fighting games available, but it does not have a secret move to beat Mortal Kombat 1 or Street Fighter 6. There is no clear winner, and it all comes down to personal taste and which universe do you prefer.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is without any doubt the biggest game of the series published so far and arguably the most engaging one. Each and every part denotes the developer’s passion for their craft and the end result is one of the most atmospheric games I have had the chance to play lately. I cannot recommend the game highly enough, despite the controversial decision of putting NewGame+ behind an extra paywall. If you have never played Yakuza before, Infinite Wealth will open up your appetite in the best way possible.

GRAVEN aims for an intriguing combination of exploration, combat, and puzzle solving. All are decent, neither is truly good and the game cannot seem to decide what kind of experience it wants to create. I really wanted to use the spells, especially fire, to kill enemies, without resorting to blades or arrows. It doesn’t help that the fictional world feels derivative, and it is feel a connection to our Orthogonal hero. The game really needs a map. GRAVEN could have offered an interesting update on Hexen but it’s just a sometimes enjoyable mix of combat and puzzle work.

Stargate: Timekeepers delivers a decent core gameplay loop. Working with a variety of characters to move stealthily and eliminate enemies can be fun, especially when players are dealing with the more complex enemy setups. The constant visual reminder about quick saving is a good idea. But the narrative fails to make interesting use of the complex Stargate universe and none of the characters will keep players engaged. There’s little in the game that actually involves the Stargate system itself. Timekeepers is fun for fans of the stealth tactics space who are looking for new challenges and for die-hard fans of Stargate who are looking for another story set in that universe.

Anomaly Agent is a great retro-inspired side-scrolling action title. The combat system has depth and delivers some frantic engagements. Surviving a big fight with just a sliver of health feels great. The presentation is solid, with a special mention for the music, and the narrative, despite its familiar beats, is engaging. There’s one mission that involves kicking someone around that will annoy some players and the platforming has some difficult moments. But the game is inventive and imbued with a sense of coolness. Anomaly Agent is accessible to newcomers but also has plenty of challenges for hardcore fans.

The Cub fits in well with the rest of the games developed by Demagog to showcase the Great Climate Catastrophe story arc. Once again it is a game that carries a deep message, while not failing to entertain as a videogame. The shift in perspective between Golf Club: Nostalgia and The Cub is a fascinating way to present the same story but as two sides of the same coin. The challenge is not trivial, yet not painstaking either, the game being entertaining for newcomers and veterans alike.

Immortality requires patience, plenty of it, and an inquisitive mind. It does not offer instant gratification through frags or victory screens, rather a slow burning mystery that requires you to have the focus of a detective like Poirot. The game refuses to follow current trends and chooses to be an homage to the movie industry by showcasing what is hidden from the viewers. It is not for everyone, especially due to the limited gameplay mechanics it can become monotonous. Yet, there is something fascinating in uncovering what happened to Marissa Marcel.

Lil' Guardsman is a fun game that expertly combines story and gameplay. It’s built around a loveable central character who finds herself at the core of an interesting although familiar narrative. The deduction mechanics require players to pay attention, but the game also smartly gives them a rewind ability if they want to retcon some choices. There are a few rushed moments toward the end and a few choices feel frustrating. But these are small problems given how good everything else is. I love Lil’ Guardsman because it kept me engaged, gave me space to interact with a wide cast of characters and allowed me to rewind time when my teasing didn’t lead to the expected results.

Rising Lords is dedicated to fans of turn-based strategy with a historical element who don’t want to deal with unnecessary complexity. The game’s focus is on the economy and, specifically, the peasant-powered food supply. Small events can have big consequences and it is never easy to always give people full rations. The turn and hex-driven battles are also decent if lacking in surprises. The card system feels under-cooked. Rising Lords also offers players extra game modes, editors, and multiplayer, giving them multiple ways to engage with its core gameplay loops.

Spellbound Survivors is derivative and simple. The main mechanics are fine, although there’s little here that other titles in the genre don’t do better. The Legend Bar idea is interesting but the array of offered options is too small and all of them feel overpowered. The soundtrack is pretty good but there’s no narrative setup to engage with. It could be a nice experience for someone engaging with this type of gameplay for the first time. But it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from the biggest player in the genre. Spellbound Survivors has plenty of characters and upgrades to unlock but limited mechanical variety to enjoy.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic may be a casual game, but it offers a hardcore experience for the fans of the hidden-objects genre. It is a puzzle game that has a catchy visual style, it is full of details and offers many hours of fun. The lack of replay value of the basic levels is balanced out by the level editor, that hopefully will be embraced by the community. All in all, Hidden Through Time 2 is a good example of how to implement a simple concept in an engaging way.

The Lost Crown deserves a chance both from new players and old-time fans of the franchise. Yes, you do not play with the prince, but that does not affect the game experience. Ubisoft managed to put together a challenging and very enjoyable experience that mixes elements from different genres into a real good end result. The first big title of 2024 is a pleasant surprise, and while it may not be the sequel many have expected, it is a game that shows the dedication of the team from Montpelier.

Guardians of Holme’s moment-to-moment action is initially fun, as players create complex trap setups and decide the best way to use their own special powers. The game offers plenty of options and upgrade paths, as well as extra characters and a ton of traps to unlock. Both tower-defense genre veterans and newcomers will have fun with it. The big issue is the repetitive nature, which is baked into the core ideas. The narrative is not interesting enough to keep players going. A love of the gameplay is required to get enough gems to unlock the second playable character. Guardians of Holme has a good design but struggles to keep its core loop exciting.

Forest Grove is not the stocking filler I have hoped for. It is a mediocre game at best, that does not offer any real challenge or satisfaction. The game mechanics are way too simple and repetitive, the hardest part being to decern what is relevant for the case and what is not. While I appreciate what the developers tried to build here, I cannot recommend the game as long as there are so many better alternatives out there. You are better off watching your favorite TV series.

Card Detective combines two different concepts in an innovative way. Hazel Gong is the very model of an intrepid reporter, although the story she’s chasing is a bit mundane. And it’s fun to guide her as she chases the truth, either by asking direct questions or by carefully analyzing a subject. The card mechanics work well and there’s enough variety and space to craft decks and strategies. Some extra hints about how to best balance direct approaches and analysis would have been great to keep newcomers to the genre engaged. The title’s biggest weakness is the relatively mundane story and some difficulty spikes. Card Detective shows how the card-battler genre can evolve when combined with new approaches and offers complex card puzzles to solve.

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.

Born of Bread is joyful, designed to appeal to a wider range of audiences, with a quirky narrative that can draw some laughs and mechanics that are easy to understand. The story holds few surprises, but I liked the characters, even the background ones. I can’t say the same about battles. The idea of audience participation is intriguing but doesn’t mesh well with the rest of its systems. And the cycle of attacking and defending will quickly become repetitive. Born of Bread has a host of good ideas and will deliver hours of fun for players who click with all of them.

Soul Tolerance: Prologue manages to come close to the classic immersive sim idea of creating a city block filled with characters and mysteries. Sapporo is a good location for this kind of science-fiction story and the premise, built around the meaning of consciousness, is intriguing. Some of the robot characters are interesting, although their backstories need more depth. My biggest issue with the game was the shallow take on the massive problem of consciousness and the difference between inner life and behavior. Soul Tolerance: Prologue has some cool ideas but its future installments need to offer more depth for both narrative and mechanics.

Pixel Cafe might look cozy and warm in the still images, but in reality, it is a challenging experience with a very fast and dynamic gameplay. It reminds me very much of a mobile game and I still believe the control would feel much more natural on a touchscreen than it does on a controller. But overall, Pixel Cafe's journey is an engaging one, with some interesting characters and developments along the way. If you’re up to the frenzy of hectic nights and busy days, you like Chibi style characters and want to see how good you are behind various countertops, Pixel Cafe is right up your alley.

A Highland Song looks good and has plenty of impressive moments. Moira is a great character, able to take her love for her uncle and Scottish legends to imbue the world around her, harsh as it might be, with magic. The combination of mechanics means there’s variety but also leads to limited depth for each. It will probably take players two or three tries to get to the lighthouse and many more to find characters and secrets. A Highland Song is a good exploration-focused game that puts Moira’s spirit and Scottish charm front and center.

Overall Weedcraft Inc. stands out like a lonely bong forgotten on the shelf of a tobacco store. The interesting premise does not translate into an interesting gameplay, the general theme of the game being repetitiveness from gameplay structure to soundtrack. The control scheme is simply horrible and the main reason most players will get tired of this game, even before having the chance to get fed up with the mediocre story and monotonous gameplay. Although developed for PC originally, Weedcraft Inc. feels more like a mobile game, and not one of high quality.

Against the Storm is an engrossing and fun game. Its focus is on moment-to-moment settlement management but with a ton of gameplay ideas that make each new expedition feel unique. I love the unpredictable nature of the glades as well as the many ways to interact with the Queen’s requests and the dangerous ruins. Winning isn’t easy, although it helps a lot to open up city upgrades, but this is the rare game where failure is enjoyable. Against the Storm is compelling from the start, combines lore and mechanics in interesting ways, and offers gamers a lot of depth to explore.

Persona 5 is less an action RPG, and rather a well-executed tactical turn-based game. The gameplay is well thought out with complex systems, the design and visual style follows the legacy of the series with some minor changes to keep things fresh, and as per usual the polis of the game is spotless. Yet somewhere along the way the focus shifted too much towards the battle and had a somewhat negative impact on the pacing, the atmosphere and the player engagement in general. Persona 5 is the most repetitive and monotonous iteration released by Atlus so far.

SteamWorld Build initially looks like a classic city builder with a cute theme and robots instead of humans. But the mine management, especially when they reach the third underground level, has solid new ideas, especially during the frantic moments when you’re dealing with a big enemy assault. Finding and getting all the rocket parts is not easy, mainly because the scientist class gobbles up so many hard to produce products. I like the gradual ramp up in complexity that SteamWorld Build delivers and the game provides an engaging experience for both fans of the franchise and newcomers.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a complex and very open game that will mainly appeal to players who loved Mimimi’s previous entries in the stealth action genre. All the mechanics are refined, and character choices open up a ton of options for each mission. Success requires patience and good planning, but improvisation often creates more memorable moments. The title tries hard to be accessible to newcomers, offering bespoke introductions for each character and solid tutorial missions. But success and progress require careful thinking, good planning, and cautious executions. It takes time and patience to master Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew and the game offers impressive set-pieces and a great sense of accomplishment in return.

Knuckle Sandwich is clearly a love letter to classic 8-bit role-playing games but with a twist. Bright City has some interesting characters and interactions (I particularly love the washing machine save points). The story goes places. And the core mechanics are easy to learn and varied. The biggest issue is how difficult and repetitive combat can be, even with the many mini games thrown in. I genuinely think players should activate the Skip option as soon as they hit a roadblock and then use it liberally. Knuckle Sandwich is weird enough to be worth experiencing, even if its battle sequences aren’t always worth playing through.