The Alters combines a bunch of genres I hate, and somehow makes a game I loved (when it worked).

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a short, fun experience. It takes all the classic elements of the roguelite genre and meshes them into this world seamlessly. It’s well worth checking out whether at full price or via Game Pass.

F1 25 is a quite small upgrade over F1 24, but the presence of Braking Point 3, content from the F1 movie and improved career options ensure more unique race experiences, especially for solo players who want to do a full immersion of the Formula 1 experience.

Spray Paint Simulator is decent fun. I do not know if the devs have any DLC planned post-launch. As is, there is enough here once you’re done, I think most will have enjoyed their time and be ready to move on.

There’s a pleasant puzzler in Projected Dreams, thanks to its visuals, music, and simple game design. Who knew making shadow puppets could make for an enjoyable afternoon? An easy recommendation for everyone.

This review might seem a little contradictory, critiquing and then partially absolving those critiques, but this is a review in progress after all. I’m still forming my final opinion of the game as I keep playing it, but what I can tell you now is that if you’re interested in Elden Ring combat and exploration, and also have a couple of friends who are, Elden Ring: Nightreign is a game full of depth and plenty of things to kill and places to explore. That being said, my mostly solo-play experiences were a mixed bag at best, preventing me from praising the game too much or giving a high “review-in-progress” temporary score. [Provisional Score = 72]

The plot certainly goes to some very weird places, and while I appreciate the ‘message’ and themes, it barely held my attention. In the end, I’m left with a game that offers no challenge, outside of wrestling with an occasionally frustrating camera. It’s cute, quirky, and occasionally drew a smile, but to a T feels like a wasted concept that really isn’t a huge amount of fun to actually play.

If QTEs are up your alley (or you can endear ’em), 1f y0u’re a gh0st ca11 me here! is a cool little experience with great art, an interesting story to tell and multiple endings. It’ll cover an afternoon no sweat.

I walked away from Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo a happy camper. It’s a charming adventure title that boasts colourful visuals and family-friendly dialogue while broaching topics of frustration and other matters that might hit close to home. A variety of challenges will keep new players in the genre busy and older ones entertained through the game’s mix of comedy and tragedy. Quite literally, a good time for all ages.

Palia’s multiplayer-based life simulation experience is a unique one, something that sets it apart from other games in the genre. It’s got solid mechanics, an interesting lore, and a welcoming community. It’s a game best enjoyed in short bursts, but that can’t stop you from building the life of your dreams.

I’m torn on Knock on the Coffin Lid. When all elements align, it’s an audiovisually striking turn-based card game with an interesting lore, good player agency, and an addictive combat loop, one that’s easy to understand but hard to master. Yet, a series of difficulty spikes, an obtuse build system,m and a massive amount of repetition ensure that most of the hours spent in the game are wasted behind trial and error and replaying through many times seen before content, with even a handful design oddities that would need a quality-of-life patch or two. It could have been one of the finest card games on the console, but a handful of bizarre design choices don’t allow the game to reach its full potential.

Monster Train 2 is excellent. It takes everything I loved about the first game and makes it just a little better. The looks, music, and strategy will have me playing this one for years to come.

Blades of Fire is not going to be a game for everyone. It’s beautiful, runs great, and has some design decisions that made me pull my hair out. It’s incredibly long, and I do not think that it benefits the game in any meaningful way.

RoadCraft is a ton of fun. It smartly evolves the MudRunner series, taking one of my favorite physics-based puzzle games and adding in some deliciously creative chaos.

As this is the only way to get these games at home outside a Dreamcast, PSP or Emulation I strongly encourage fighting game fans to jump in and absolutely lose themselves in the Power Stone world! Play the other games too…

The Precinct has been a pleasant surprise. Solid shooting and driving mechanics, surprisingly deep police-related activities and an enjoyable 80’s cop movie style presentation mostly make up for the small open world and uninspired plot. The end result is a fun little romp onto the streets of crime – but from a cop’s point of view, for once. It’s not gonna win awards for originality, the gameplay could have surely been more refined, and it’s unlikely to make most people’s GOTY lists come December. Yet, it’s been a fun ride that I enjoyed from start to finish, with the end credits rolling before the game’s limited scope could start hurting the experience. Fans of old school GTA should keep an eye out for this one.

Ultimately, Promise Mascot Agency is just a great time. Excellent humor, hilarious characters, great dialogue, and just enough nonsense to stand out from the masses. The actual mission structure and open world formula is hardly anything special, borrowing most elements from the countless similar titles out there. Yet, Kaizen Game Works’ virtual trip to late Showa Era Japan is full of charm, making its 20 or so hours of content fly by like a spring breeze. When you’re done with some of the big games of the season, such as Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, the Oblivion remaster, or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, consider hiring these mascots, alright?

DOOM: The Dark Ages takes us back to the Slayer at his most powerful, stylish cape and all. Twenty-two levels of mayhem, excellent pacing, and furious combat make this entry my favorite in the series yet.

Despelote is one of the year’s most fascinating indie games, one I can recommend without much hesitation.

It’s a huge step up from the first game, and a delightfully dumb, beautifully good time.

Really, this is purely a time capsule that plays really well on the go, perfect for anyone who owned a Lynx and folks who love retro games. The collection’s titles run accurately and bonus functions like rewind and save states along with digitised versions of their box arts and manuals make The Epyx Collection: Handheld worth a look.

The brand new Arcade handling model is incredibly accessible and could open up the game to a brand new audience, though it needs some tweaks, as the AI simply can’t keep up with the endless grip of the players’ “cheated” bikes. The presentation has improved, thanks to a revamped UI and the powerful Unreal Engine 5, though Milestone’s visuals here are hardly a screamer (pun intended) at this point. With various other smart additions and changes, MotoGP 25 is the biggest update the series has seen in years, and it’s pretty much all for the better. Maybe it lacks a little bit of that extra coating that characterizes some of the finest 4-wheel racers on the market, but rest assured: if you want to race bikes on traditional circuits, MotoGP 25 is the place to be.

KIBORG caught my interest with its good looks, and quickly lost it with its bland and unsatisfying gameplay. Using some of the best rogue-lite tactics can’t help this one in the end, as its hilariously bad voiceover work and boring, repetitive combat make it a slog.

StarVaders is a wonderfully addicting game, one I didn’t expect to be a highlight of mine this month. The underlying mechanics present can make or break a run in a multitude of ways, the bosses are frenetic and can really pose a challenge, the runs don’t overstay their welcome, and it’s got the visuals and music to boot. This one gets a wholehearted recommendation from me.

This is a short review because La Quimera’s full release is over before it begins, while never being fun. The writing and voice acting are bottom of the barrel, and having three main missions for $30 is insulting. I hope I’m wrong and my game just broke, but the Steam achievements only showed three “complete mission” types along with the tutorial, so I doubt I am.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is about as good a remaster as you could hope for. It doesn’t look to reinvent the gameplay, instead focusing on smart tweaks where possible. What is remade are the graphics, and Virtuous has done a stupendous job keeping the feel of the original while overhauling every single pixel. It’s available on Game Pass, is fully Play Anywhere, and retails for $50 otherwise. Oblivion is an easy recommendation, as one of my favorite games is now that much better.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an inventive, beautiful experience like few others. Being the debut title from a studio and a new IP, it is an incredible achievement. Go in with as little knowledge of the story as possible. Whether you download this on Game Pass or plan to buy it, experience it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be full of wonder and tears as you fight to stop the Paintress from ever painting death again. Tomorrow Comes.

Crime Scene Cleaner is an odd duck. It’s mix of zen-inducing gameplay in some truly horrific crime scenes is delightful, though a lack of things to do post-campaign is a bummer.