The Sinking City 2 is a respectable scare fest boasting entertaining puzzle-solving. However, middling combat, flawed progression, and an underwhelming narrative hold it back from reaching the horrific heights of its more celebrated contemporaries.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy executes familiar genre staples and delivers a moving story starring a charismatic pirate on what may be the most impactful and tragic adventure of her life.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire's smart, humorous writing and enigmatic characters play into hardboiled fiction cliches in amusing ways that kept me hooked throughout the dozen or so hours it took to reach its high-stakes finale.
Super Meat Boy 3D makes a strong argument that Team Meat’s formula can work in three dimensions, but it needs to iron out some kinks before it reaches the same heights as its 2010 classic.
Thanks to superb gunplay, a compelling mystery, and terrific use of the roguelite formula, Deadzone: Rogue avoids getting lost in the crowded sci-fi shooter genre.
The goofy angle and unexpected production values help Darwin feel different, but frequent design annoyances and over reliance on bland stealth gameplay prevent it from rising to the top.
Fatal Frame II is frightening with its near-constant jump scares, oppressive atmosphere, difficult enemies, and arguably too much darkness. But more so than fear, the emotion I frequently grappled with was frustration.
Despite minor complaints, Pokémon Pokopia sticks out as one of the best examples of a third-party developer using the Pokémon license to the fullest extent possible.
Reanimal is a simple game with a challenging subject matter, and neither great as a shared experience nor fun. But, it is thought-provoking and stimulating, and if you can stomach it, Tarsier Studios has created something worth wrestling with.
Mario Tennis Fever is hardly a revolutionary entry, but it nails the series' most important element by offering a well-rounded experience with myriad ways for players of all skill levels to enjoy the game of tennis.
Taking cues from the likes of Hollow Knight and Ori, this punishing platforming and exploration game is well worth your time if you're up for a big challenge.
