In this episode, Brad gives a peek behind the GOTY curtain by going through the BIG list of titles that are in the running for 2025’s top ten!

You can also hear the show on iTunes

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to SoVideogamesPODCAST (at) gmail (dot) com, or post them in the comments section below. Thanks!

The post So Videogames Episode 464: PRE-GOTY appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

As editor of GameCritics.com and the co-host of So Videogames Podcast – and also as a person who just generally loves videogames – I strive to sample as much of the industry as I can.

What’s the new hotness? What’s the current design trend? What’s everyone talking about?

I’m also always on the lookout for hidden gems or indies that fly under the radar, so it basically means that I try a ton of titles every year!

For anyone who’s curious what 12 months of plays looks like for me, here it is in the exact order that I played them.

There are no notes on any of them (except if I rolled credits – that’s mentioned in bold) but you can hear my thoughts on nearly all of them on the podcast.

Total Played: 271

Total Finished: 32

1 — Weird West, XBX – FINISHED

2 — Marvel Snap, Mobile

3 — Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance, Switch – FINISHED

4 — Marvel Puzzle Quest, Mobile

5 — Nikke, Mobile

6 — Kaiju Wars, Switch

7 — Aircraft Carrier Survival, Switch

8 — Vampire Survivors, XBX — FINISHED

9 — Drago Noka, Switch

10 — Lone Ruin, Switch

11 — Broken Lines, XBX

12 — Hades, Switch

13 — Lotus Bloom, Switch

14 — Scrap Riders, Switch

15 — Risk of Rain 2, PS5

16 — Sky: Children of Light, PS5

17 — Wayfinder (beta), PS5   

18 — Inscryption, PS5

19 — Desperados III, PS5 – FINISHED

20 — Brave’s Rage, Switch & PS5

21 — Shoulders of Giants, XBX

22 — The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, Switch

23 — Season: A Letter to the Future, PS5

24 — Sail Forth, XBX

25 — Inkulinati, XBX Preview

26 — Hi-Fi Rush, XBX

27 — Space Rescue: Code Pink, PC

28 — Midnight Suns, PC

29 — 7 Days To End With You, Switch

30 — Wonderland Nights: White Rabbit’s Diary, Switch

31 — Despot’s Game, XBX – FINISHED

32 — Roller Drama, Switch

33 — Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey

34 — Right and Down, Switch

35 — Dust & Neon, Switch

36 —Opportunity: A Sugar Baby Story, PC

37 — Demon’s Tier +, Switch

38 — Wild Hearts, XBX

39 — First Bite, PC – FINISHED

40 — Mosaic Chronicles Deluxe, Switch

41 — Urban Flow, Switch

42 — Fortnite, PS5

43 — Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, XBX – FINISHED

44 — Wanted: Dead, XBX

45 — Blood Bowl III, XBX

46 — For the King, Switch

47 — Zapling Bygone, XBX

48 — Underdungeon, Switch

49 — Meg’s Monster, Switch

50 — Dredge (demo), Switch

51 — Caverns of Mars: Recharged, XBX

52 — Romancelvania, XBX

53 — Dredge, Switch — FINISHED

54 — Perseverance: Complete Edition, Switch

55 — Pronty, Switch

56 — Defend the Rook, XBX – FINISHED

57 — Pirates: Outlaws, Switch

58 — Mato: Anomalies, XBX

59 — Nuclear Throne, XBX

60 — Atrio: the Dark Wild, XBX

61 — A Place for the Unwilling, XBX

62 — Megalan 11 (demo), XBX

63 — Evasion From Hell, XBX

64 — Saga of Sins, XBX

65 — Mr. Prepper, XBX

66 — In Other Waters, Switch – FINISHED

67 — Hentai World, Switch

68 — Elder Sign: Omens, PC

69 — Have a Nice Death, Switch

70 — Island Farmer, XBX

71 — Elechead, XBX

72 — Backbeat (demo) Switch

73 — Jet Lancer, Switch

74 — Storyteller, Switch

75 — The Legend of Tian Ding, XBX

76 — Neverout, XBX

77 — Tip Top, Don’t Fall!, XBX

78 — Merge & Blade, XBX

80 — Ritual: Crown of Horns, XBX

81 — West of Dead, XBX

82 — Crossroads Inn, XBX

83 — Infinite Guitars, XBX

84 — Mayhem in Single Valley, XBX

85 — Pentiment, XBX

86 — Hard West: Ultimate Edition, XBX

87 — Gemini, Switch

88 — Road Stones, Switch – FINISHED

89 — Jalopy, XBX

90 — Radiant Silvergun, XBX

91 — The Pale Beyond, PC

92 — Marfusha, Switch — FINISHED

93 — Perky Little Things, Switch

94 — Tents & Trees, Switch

95 — Sea Horizon, Switch

96 — The Good Life, XBX

97 — Iron Brigade, XBX — FINISHED

98 — Library of Babel, XBX

99 — Wildfrost (demo), Switch

100 — Barotrauma, PC

101 — Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, Android

102 — Cavity Busters, XBX

103 — The Forest Cathedral, XBX — FINISHED

104 — Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit, Switch

105 — Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia, Switch

106 — Mighty Doom, Android

107 — Front Mission 1^st (demo), Switch

108 — The Wreck, Switch

109 — Max Gentlemen: Sexy Business!, PC — FINISHED

110 — Graveyard Keeper: The Last Journey Edition, XB

111 — Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, Switch

112 — Varney Lake, XBX – FINISHED

113 — Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage, XBX

114 — Arcana of Paradise: The Tower, Switch

115 — The Creepy Syndrome, Switch

116 — The Last Case of Benedict Fox, XBX

117 — Stranded: Alien Dawn, XBX

118 — Homestead Arcana, XBX

119 — Redfall, XBX

120 — Zoeti, Switch

121 — Revita, XBX

122- Shadows Over Loathing, Switch

123 — Mia & the Dragon Princess, XBX – FINISHED

124 — Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, PS5 — FINISHED

125 — Planet of Lana, XBX

126 — Tin Hearts, XBX

127 — Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, XBX

128 — Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, PS5 – FINISHED

129 — Gerda: A Flame in Winter, Switch

130 — Dark Quest 3, XBX

131 — Forspoken, PS5

132 — Doubleshot Gals, Switch

133 — After Us, PS5

134 — Undergrave, XBX

135 — Star Trek: Resurgence, XBX – FINISHED

136 — Astronaut: The Best (demo), PC

137 — Miasma Chronicles, XBX

138 — Street Fighter 6, XBX – FINISHED

139 — Gerda: A Flame in Winter (Liva’s Story DLC), Switch

140 — Nocturnal, XBX

141 — Sunshine Shuffle, Switch

142 — Diablo IV, XBX

143 — The Lies of P (demo), XBX

144 — Push the Crate, Switch

145 — Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (demo), PC

146 — The Case of the Golden Idol, Switch

147 — Nova Lands, XBX

148 — Harmony: Fall of Reverie, Switch

149 — Lord of the Rings: Gollum

150 — Aliens: Dark Descent, PS5 *Fatally glitched, could not finish

151 — Auralux: Constellations, Switch

152 — NeverAwake, XBX

153 — Book Walker: Thief of Tales, XBX

154 — Boo Party, Switch

155 — Sky Caravan, Switch *Fatally glitched, could not finish

156 — Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty — Battle of Zhongyuan DLC, XBX

157 — Punch-A-Bunch, Switch

158 — Space Scavenger, Switch *Fatally glitched, could not finish

159 — My Lovely Wife, Switch — FINISHED

160 — The Wandering Village (demo), XBX

161 — Raging Bytes (demo), XBX

162 — Metal Mind (demo), XBX

163 — Trinity Fusion (demo), XBX

164 — Black Skylands (demo), XBX

165 — Born of Bread (demo), XBX

166 — Eroblast, Switch

167 — Exoprimal, XBX

168 — F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow, XBX

169 — Demonschool (demo), XBX

170 — Killsquad, PS5

171 — Rain World: Downpour, PS5

172 — The Wandering Village, XBX

173 — Cramped Room of Death, Switch

174 — LISA: the Painful, Switch

175 — Hitman 3, PS5 – FINISHED

176 — Gear Shifters, PS5

177 – Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition, PS5

178 — Patrick’s Parabox, Switch

179 — Madshot, Switch

180 — Shadow Gambit: the Cursed Crew, PS5 – FINISHED

181 — Sword of Glory, Switch

182 — Nova 111, Switch

183 — Roto Force, Android

184 — Femdemic, PC

185 — Blasphemous 2, Switch

186 — GYLT, PS5

187 — The Red Strings Club, Switch

188 — Atlas Fallen, PS5

189 — The Pale Beyond, Switch

190 — Remedium: Sentinels, PS5 — FINISHED

191 — Black Skylands, PS5 – FINISHED

192 — Steamroll, Switch

193 — The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Switch – FINISHED

194 — Starfield, XBX

195 — Venba, XBX — FINISHED

196 — Fort Solis, PS5

197 — Iron Danger, PS5

198 — Save Koch, XBX

199 — Armored Core 6: the Fires of Rubicon, XBX

200 — Punch Club 2, Switch

201 — Goodbye, Volcano High, PS5 – FINISHED

202 — Heretic’s Fork (demo), PC

203 — Chants of Sennaar, PS5

204 — Dungeon Bricker, Switch

205 — Virgo vs the Zodiac, Switch            

206 — Gunbrella, Switch

207 — Gloomhaven, XBX

208 — Shotgun King: the Final Checkmate, Switch

209 — Death & Taxes, XBX

210 — The Isle Tide Hotel, XBX

211 — Days of Doom, XBX

212 — Sea of Stars, XBX

213 — Frogun, PS5

214 — Super Adventure Hand, Switch

215 — Silent Hope, Switch

216 — Arcade Paradise, Xbox X

217 — Puzzle Plowing a Field, Switch

218 — Cyberpunk 2077, PS5 – FINISHED

219 — Lies of P, Xbox X

220 — Paranormasight: the Seven Mysteries of Honjo, Switch

221 — Shuyan Saga, PS5

222 — Slay the Spire, Switch

223 — Heavenly Bodies: Cleanup DLC, PS5

224 — The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo, XBX

225 — Mortal Kombat 1, PS5

226 — Freak Crossing, Switch

227 — Kingdom: Eighties, Switch

228 — Terra Alia, Switch

229 — Deflector, Switch

230 — Mechs V Kaiju, XBX

231 — Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness, Switch

232 — Saltsea Chronicles, PS5

233 — Tribal Pass, Switch

234 — The Lamplighters League, XBX – FINISHED

235 — Cocoon, XBX

236 — Endless Dungeon, PS5

237 — Crash: Autodrive, Switch

238 — Dave the Diver, Switch

239 — Wizard with a Gun, PS5

240 — Thirsty Suitors, PS5

241 — Jusant, PS5

242 — Gunhead, PS5

243 — Flooded, Switch

244 — Jagged Alliance 3, XBX

245 — Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue, Switch

246 — World of Horror, PS5

247 — Dungeon of the Endless, Switch

248 — Snakebird Complete, Switch

249 — Backpack Hero, Switch

250 — Alina of the Arena, Switch

251 — Fashion Dreamer, Switch

252 — Howl, Switch

253 — Sunshine Manor, PS5

254 — SteamWorld Build, PS5

255 — Tauronos, Switch

256 — Gelly Break Deluxe, Switch

257 — Astral Ascent, Switch

258 — Lake: Season’s Greetings, XBX — FINISHED

259 — The Invincible, PS5

260 — The Talos Principle II, PS5

261 — Teardown, PS5

262 — A Highland Song, Switch

263 — Chessarama, XBX

264 — Wall World, Switch

265 — Custom Mech Wars, PS5

266 — Ebenezer and the Invisible World, XBX

267 — Coffee Golf, Android

268 — While the Iron’s Hot, Switch

269 — Long Gone Days, PS5

270 — Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, PS5

271 — Terra Nil, Switch

The post Every Game I Played In 2023 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

2021 was a year that broke our brains just a little bit. You don’t need me to tell you that, and I’ve already spoken about this elsewhere anyway. I finished fewer games this year than any other year in recent memory. As a critic, I’ve generally believed that I should at least make a valiant effort to complete a game before judging it — the more of a work you’ve seen, the more informed your reaction to it will be.

This year, though, sanity won out, and I found it unusually easy to dismiss stuff that wasn’t grabbing me. Even the games that I did like often still offered friction, usually thanks to random mood swings. Very little stood out in 2021, which made it difficult to fill a list of ten. So this year — and hopefully only this year — I’m waiving my usual rule that I need to have completed a game for it to qualify for my list. If I enjoyed a game and I’m confident enough that it won’t suddenly soil all of my good will toward it in the eleventh hour, it’s eligible.

Late arrivals that I need more time with:

Chorus (PS5)

Exo One (XSS)

Inscryption (PC)

Praey for the Gods (PC)

I recognize that these are good, but they just didn’t grab me:

Chicory: A Colorful Tale (PC)

Death’s Door (PC/Switch)

The Forgotten City (PS5)

Sable (XSS)

Wildermyth (PC)

Honorable mentions:

– Hitman 3 (PC). This was easily the weakest of the trilogy for me, with the level design not quite hitting the same consistency that it did in the previous two. But even a middling Hitman is a delight compared to most of what’s out there.

– Knockout City (Switch). Creating a new multiplayer IP that’s both easy to understand and wholly unique is tricky, but this one pulls it off. It didn’t have the longest legs but I had a blast with it over the summer.

– Metroid Dread (Switch). A terrific side-scrolling action game, but merely an okay Metroid. The former is more important, though, and after the series has been on hiatus for so long, it’s just a relief to see it working on some level.

– Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5). I have very little experience with this series and only played this because it came with my PS5 bundle. Having said that, it’s good! A bit too safe and ordinary to land on my top ten, but Insomniac is one of the most consistent AAA developers in the business.

– Skul: The Hero Slayer (PC). Feels a lot like Hades in terms of both structure and the distribution of variables, albeit without that game’s groundbreaking approach to continuous narrative. One of the best roguelikes of 2021, especially for genre fans who like to tune out the story as they play.

The Top Ten:

10. Unpacking (XSS)

This here is a calming puzzle game with an uplifting hidden narrative about the things we choose to retain in our lives. I will admit that I’m attaching some personal bias to Unpacking, as it’s one of the few videogames this year that my girlfriend and I bonded over. She’s still relatively new to the medium, having bought a Switch in 2020 primarily due to quarantine boredom but not having used it for much outside of Animal Crossing. I believe this was her first official brush with the “activities that are tedious in real-life but make for weirdly hypnotic videogames” genre. I can’t wait to introduce her to House Flipper.

9. Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King (PC)

As mentioned, this was a year in which I actually completed so few games that I had to waive my usual rule about a title only qualifying for my top ten if I’d seen the whole thing. As such, anything that nevertheless did hold my attention until the credits rolled deserves special consideration. A great soulslike is both intimidating and enticing in equal measure, and while developers have no trouble grasping the former, they frequently struggle with the latter. After a relatively mundane first couple of hours, there came a moment in Shattered when understood the game’s true scope and felt a sense of wonder similar to what I felt looking around the skyboxes of Firelink Shrine for the first time. It’s an overambitious, janky thing, but then that’s just part of the Souls charm, isn’t it?

8. Eldest Souls (Switch)

Our editor-in-chief Brad Gallaway hates this thing. When I told him it was getting good reviews, he said, “I don’t believe for one second that people actually like that game, they’re just afraid to say it’s too hard.” Naturally, I adore it — but then I am a weirdo. I tweeted that it was a boss rush game in which my death count had me averaging fifty tries per boss. I stated this with the intent of communicating that I was enjoying myself. But naturally, people took this to be a bad thing, because that’s what a normal person would do. A normal person does not enjoy repeatedly bashing their head against a brick wall and smirking every time the crack gets just a little wider. I’m the guy who likes pain. No coffin please, Eldest Souls — just wet, wet mud.

7. Before Your Eyes (PC)

One of the most conceptually interesting releases this year, Before Your Eyes is a narrative adventure controlled entirely by blinking. Seriously — you hook up a webcam and advance the story by closing your eyes when prompted. It sounds gimmicky, and I know this sounds like a cop-out, but trust me when I say that developer GoodbyeWorld Games uses this mechanic to tell a story that simply wouldn’t have had the same impact otherwise. I also say this as somebody who, unfortunately, had to constantly pause and re-calibrate the sensor, likely due to both the position of my computer and the light reflecting off my glasses. It was worth it, because beneath the technical annoyances I found a beautiful requiem on the value of life told in a manner that no other medium could. This is interactive storytelling working on a level I’ve never seen before and will likely never see again.

6. Loop Hero (PC/Switch)

When it released on PC earlier this year, Loop Hero was dangerously addictive. When it was ported to Switch not too long ago, as my friend McGarnical put it on Twitter, it should have come with a surgeon general’s warning. The genius of Loop Hero is that it distills one of gaming’s basest pleasures — getting a steady stream of new loot — into something nearly involuntary. It almost feels like we have as much control over our hero’s adversaries as we do over the hero himself, merrily setting up barriers for him to push through. There’s no growth without struggle, after all — yet is there ultimately any growth at all, or does Loop Hero trap us in an endless cycle, promising a conclusion that it will never provide and keeping us distracted with a steady stream of treats in the meantime? I don’t know and I don’t care. I just know that Loop Hero transfixes me every time I boot it up.

5. Griftlands (Switch)

One of the coolest roguelikes in quite some time is also one of the worst-tutorialized — especially on Switch, where navigating an interface that was clearly designed for a mouse and keyboard feels like learning a new language. But players who push themselves over that initial hump will be rewarded not just with a super crunchy and flexible deckbuilder, but also with an ambitious experiment in interactive storytelling. “Moral choices” became cliché a couple of generations ago, and they’re so mundane at this point that we barely even register them, but they’re a natural fit for a roguelike where there are actual reasons to act in self-interest because hours of work can be undone in a second. The way that necessity funneled me down uniquely dark corridors throughout every single Griftlands run had me thinking that the roguelike genre has only just scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.

4. Returnal (PS5)

Here’s one for my very specific and weird taste — not just a roguelike, but the git gud kind. With very little in the way of permanent upgrades, there’s no safety net in Returnal — no guarantee that the player’s time investment will ever amount to anything if they don’t learn the enemy attack patterns and find a play style that suits them. The visual design and ambience strongly reminded me of Metroid Prime, and I was particularly impressed with how some of the more sprawling biomes (particularly the second and third) were able to maintain a sense of place even amid the procedural generation. The plot eventually indulges in one of my least-favorite tropes, but it’s also kept vague enough that you can largely just ignore the implications of what the story is actually about and just enjoy the protagonist’s downward spiral as a sort of tone piece. This is the first AAA roguelike that I’m aware of, and that alone makes it worth a look. That it looks and plays as good as it does only sweetens the deal.

3. Halo Infinite (XSS)

In a year when we were all craving comfort food, no list of 2021’s greatest successes would be complete without mentioning the glorious return of Halo. I’m still working on the campaign (which had the audacity to release the day after Endwalker), but while I’m generally against the open-worldification of every major franchise, enormous outdoor play spaces have always been Halo‘s forte and they flourish here. And in any case, Infinite already secured its spot weeks prior when the multiplayer dropped, feeling so familiar and natural at this point that we can all practically slide into a trance while playing. This one just barely inches out Returnal purely for the fact that Infinite has Chief fall into a coma and literally sleep through all of the stupid nonsense teased in Halo 5‘s ending.

2. Deathloop (PS5)

This year I’ve become what I hate, as my top four games of 2021 are all AAA releases. Notably, they’re all entries that march to the beat of their own drum, using bigger budgets to either expand their own niches or explore new territory altogether. Deathloop feels like both of those things at once — a natural progression and crown jewel for Arkane Studios (low-key one of the best developers for years running, further perfecting their near-monopoly on the immersive sim genre here) and simultaneously something completely unique, both in terms of flow and vibe. There have been other time loop games, and there have possibly been better time loop games, but none have so perfectly captured the measured confidence of Bill Murray successfully executing a robbery in Groundhog Day just by knowing exactly when the bag of money appears and when the people around it are all looking away. No one does lived-in environments like Arkane, and the slow, simple process of getting to know Blackreef — and using that knowledge to devious effect — was one of 2021’s purest joys.

1. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (PC)

In isolation, I don’t know if I could actually claim that Endwalker was the single best new release that I played all year. It’s an expansion to FFXIV and comes saddled with all of the flaws inherent to it. But Endwalker doesn’t exist in isolation, and taken with the understanding that anyone who can even access this campaign is obviously okay with said flaws (or else they wouldn’t have spent hundreds of hours with the damn game to begin with) it’s not only FFXIV‘s best expansion to date, but a triumphant conclusion to what must now surely be the greatest comeback story in the history of the industry. The fact that we can now take a step back and view this enterprise as something resembling a whole — however long it’ll continue trucking along after this — means there’s no greater time to celebrate FFXIV as the monumental achievement that it is. Yoshi-P and his team (with special marks to main scenario writer Natsuko Ishikawa) have done a remarkable job of making this all feel like a carefully-laid plan, and when you consider the mess that they were handed, that’s a stunning feat.

Thank you for reading, and I hope that 2022 treats us all just a little better.

*

The post Suskie’s Actual Top Ten Of 2021 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

With 2021 gone, it’s time to reflect on the experiences it brought — especially as a gamer! I played 70 titles in 2021 (yes, I actually spent half an hour counting them for you!) and I’m here to introduce my top 10!

But first, I should take care of a couple of 2021 bonus awards. Since I am a simple man, I’ll keep it simple here:

Games that I will never forget:

It Takes two, Maneater, Resident Evil Village, Psychonauts 2

Games that I wish I could forget:

Halo Infinite, Battlefield 2042, GTA Trilogy: The Definitive Edition

And here goes the top 10. Please note that these are not listed in any particular order so, there is no ‘best’ of the bests here. They’re all great!

>The Artful Escape

If scientists ever wanted to prove that videogames have a soul, The Artful Escape would end that debate. It’s about a teenage musician living in the shadow of his late superstar folk singer uncle. He wants to become a rock star, but has a real “living in a small city where everyone expects you to live up to your family name” situation, so he goes on an intergalactic musical adventure. The Artful Escape is more of a visual novel than a traditional action-based videogame, but since almost every frame of looks like a painting done by Kurt Cobain on LSD, it’s impossible not to fall in love with it.

>Hitman 3

While most people consider Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson the most badass bald creature on Earth, gamers know who the real king of bare scalp is — for the past 21 years we’ve been traveling the world with the deadliest bald man on earth, Agent 47! The reboot of the Hitman franchise in 2016 brought the silent assassin back into the spotlight and the third and final chapter in 2021 was an epic conclusion to a five-year-long saga. Talking about the sheer complexity of Hitman 3 levels requires several in-depth articles but we don’t have the space for that here, I am content with adding it to this list and saving us lots of time

>Little Nightmares 2

Earlier in the year I covered this title in an UNHyPED video. The second part of this gloomy journey is an artistic take on how the media affects society and how terrifying it can get. Aside from the story, the game also packs a bunch of nicely crafted levels and a mind-blowing plot twist at the end.

>Forza Horizons 5

Since the Need for Speed series took a wrong turn and turned into the videogame version of The Fast & The Furious, Microsoft’s Forza Horizon was the only refuge for those of us too lazy to learn how to play racing sims and too depressed to enjoy Mario Kart. Since the last Forza Horizons was one of the best arcade racing titles in the last decade, Forza Horizon 5 repeats the success of its predecessor with a new entry set in Mexico.

>Age of Empires 4

A long time ago in a galaxy not too far away, real-time strategy titles were like today’s battle royales — every game studio had one! As a guy who grew up with Dune 2000, Command & Conquer: Generals and Stronghold: Crusader, the past couple of years were really sad, since almost every great RTS franchise has been forgotten by their makers. Age of Empires 4 breathed a new life into this genre by providing players with a lengthy and diverse campaign and adding educational historical info clips at end of each level. Finally, a great argument against parents who claim videogames have no educational value!

>Chorus

Remember what I said about how RTS games aren’t as popular as they used to be? Replace “RTS” with “Space Combat Simulations” and the same holds true. In my review of Chorus, I explained how happy I was to experience such a wonderful return to the genre, the best I’ve played since Freelancer in 2003. As Star Citizen’s development is taking so long that its release may coincide with Jesus’ second coming, I suggest we all cherish Chorus in the meantime.

>The Eternal Cylinder

Yes, a weird indie game that you may not have heard of! The Eternal Cylinder isn’t just a cute and deadly survival title. It’s a really sophisticated title about the beauty of diversity and cooperation. Although it seems that the game does not take itself seriously enough to have a colorblind mode and thus be appealing to a more “diverse” group of gamers, I will take a blind eye on the matter and praise it for its lively environments and multi-layered gameplay.

>It Takes Two

I know It Takes Two is on everyone’s top 10 list, but I liked this one for a very personal reason — my wife and I often play couch co-op titles. There are certain types of games that I really like, but my wife calls them ridiculous. However, we both enjoyed It Takes Two and a game that can offer a memorable experience for both hardcore and casual gamers alike deserves to be praised. So, I’m praising.

>Psychonauts 2

Why is Psychonauts 2 here? Because it has one of the best narrative designs I’ve ever seen — every single element in the gameplay served a purpose in the narrative and world-building, from enemies that represent a mental issue, to the player abilities which are different types of psychic powers. Psychonauts 2 is a game made with love, but also with a great deal of attention paid to the details.

>The Forgotten City

Did I say these were listed in no particular order? Sorry, I lied. The Forgotten City is the year’s best! It’s about uncovering the secret behind a magical rule that turns the people of a small town into golden statues. As a time-traveler, the player must endeavor to lift the curse and return to the present! Time travel plus mystery plus moral and philosophical ambiguity plus crazy plot twists equal a great game.

*

The post Ali’s Top 10 Of 2021 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

If you’re a frequent and longtime reader of GameCritics, you may have noticed that my output has dried up significantly over the past year. Take a look outside and I don’t think you can blame me. While the hope for a better tomorrow was what kept me running (albeit mostly on fumes) in 2020, that better tomorrow never came, leading to a 2021 in which energy-sapping depression seeped into every aspect of my day-to-day life, right down to my gaming habits. Up became down, hot became cold, and I got way into an MMO for the first time in my life while stuff that would have grabbed me under normal circumstances failed to gain any traction.

Since I’m grateful for anything and everything that made the sting of 2021 a little easier to bear, I’m doing two year-end lists this time. The one where I actually make a conscious effort to celebrate the year’s biggest successes is still to come, so here’s some stuff that didn’t qualify for that list, but meant a lot to me anyway. Maybe it was a re-release of an old favorite, maybe something got an important update, maybe it was just good enough at the right time. Here’s the list of my not-favorite releases of 2021.

10. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

When Disco Elysium — comfortably one of my all-time favorite games, and one that I regret not giving a perfect score — was finally released on consoles this year, I expected a wave of newcomers to be swept away by its brilliance. That… didn’t exactly happen. It’s not really the kind of game that should be played on a console, for one thing, and a story centered on self-loathing probably wasn’t what most folks were looking for in 2021 (even if its eventual message is rather optimistic and hopeful, once it arrives at its destination). Still, Disco Elysium remains the best-written game I’ve ever played, and a seamless integration of narrative and play. This wasn’t its year, but I hope every seasoned gamer discovers it at some point down the road.

9. The Ascent

There is absolutely no reason for The Ascent to look as good as it does. Stripped down to its barest wireframe, it’s an almost shockingly basic twin-stick shooter that barely even tells a coherent plot. I keep seeing it compared to Diablo, and I must assume that this purely comes down to the isometric camera angle, because Diablo had actual depth. Why did something so simple need to be the prettiest game of 2021? I don’t know, but damned if it didn’t work on me, because I just loved existing in this world — taking in the views, the neon lights, the constant rumble of activity around me. Granted, it wasn’t enough of a pull to get me past the eight- or nine-hour mark, but I enjoyed what time I spent with it.

8. Oh look, it’s Tetris Effect again

It feels like this is the fourth year in a row where Tetris Effect has been eligible for year-end consideration. It’s a game that was essentially perfect in its most basic form and I was happy to leave it at that but they keep finding new ways to rope me back in. First it was Tetris Effect in VR, then it was Tetris Effect with other people, and now it’s Tetris Effect on a handheld as the game made its Switch debut earlier this year. Which means now I can bring Tetris Effect to bed with me and just sort of vibe myself to sleep. I think that’s every possible variant for the time being, at least until they figure out a way to beam Tetris Effect directly into my brain.

7. Necromunda: Hired Gun

I was in a real funk earlier this year, and believe it or not, Necromunda: Hired Gun was what pulled me out of it and made me love videogames again. It’s not even very good — it’s barely stable on the technical front, it’s full of extraneous systems and weird lurches in pacing, and it’s seemingly completely unaware of why people play games like this. But, anything that can give me even 10% of the rush I felt playing the 2016 reboot of Doom for the first time knows the way to my heart, and when Hired Gun is at its best — embracing over-the-top action in maximalist industrial environments that look like heavy metal album covers — it’s a thing of beauty. This is the most I’ve ever gotten into the Warhammer 40k universe, and it seems that the trick was just to make it really stupid.

6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (on Switch!)

I talked about this recently on a podcast I did with Richard Naik where we just kinda rambled for an hour, but whenever I restart KOTOR, I think that this will be the time I go for a Light Side run… and then I immediately meet Carth and I just can’t go through with it. I cannot be morally aligned with Carth. The choice between Light Side and Dark Side is an illusion when the path of good is represented by Carth. So, taking this classic RPG as the Sith simulator that it is, I enjoyed revisiting it for the billionth time in this close-to-perfect Switch port. By today’s standards, the cities that once felt so sprawling probably now look like glorified hallways, but I can’t overstate how thrilling it was in 2003 to explore the Star Wars universe on such an intimate level. It was such a staple of my teen years that it still feels elemental today.

5. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut

There were two major triple-A titles to get the “director’s cut” treatment this year, and both play fast and loose with the term. The idea of Ghost of Tsushima getting a director’s cut was laughable to me, because it suggests that the game was made by people instead of algorithms. On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, I don’t know how anyone played Death Stranding and assumed that we were witnessing anything but Hideo Kojima’s uncompromised vision, nor do I understand how adding a racetrack (in a game with notoriously bad vehicle handling) brings us closer to said vision. In any case, this was a bold, delirious, imperfect masterpiece two years ago, and it’s no less digestible now that its themes have taken some sort of corporeal form in the post-COVID age. I’m glad that this one has endured conversation, and I think we’ll be continuing to talk about it for some time to come.

4. Umurangi Generation, because you ignored it last year

This was my number-two pick in 2020. I ranked it above Hades, for god’s sake. It was the most relevant release of that year, which means it’s only gained relevance by the end of 2021, as things have not gotten a whole lot better. I let the lack of commotion surrounding Umurangi Generation slide when it was a niche PC title, but this year it came to Switch and now, officially, you have no excuse. If you’re a fan of chill arthouse hangout games with slow-boiling, cut-to-the-bone political messaging — or, hell, if you just trust my taste — you owe it to yourself to check this out at some point. Seriously, just put it on your eShop wishlist and wait for a sale if you need to. It’ll still be there when you’re ready for it.

3. Forza Horizon 5

I’ve never been a big fan of Forza Horizon because it’s just a series where you drive around and look at pretty environments, but it just so happens that this new one rolled along when I was in the mood to just drive around and look at pretty environments. As someone who seeks out challenge in videogames, I’m almost diametrically opposed to the completely frictionless Forza Horizon experience, which does everything it can to make the player feel like a king at all times. But yeah, casually cruising around Mexico while listening to Hot Chip and Wolf Alice hit me in a surprisingly direct way this year… at least until Halo Infinite stealth-dropped its multiplayer a week later and I forgot all about Forza. But that was a really good week, though!

2. Castlevania Advance Collection

There’s almost nothing that goes down quite as easy for me as a good Castlevania game, and now that Konami is done revisiting the era that I’m not as fond of — the ones with the fixed jump arcs — they’ve moved on to that wonderful post-Symphony phase. Circle of the Moon remains my vote for the most underrated entry in the series (and one that’s only improved with time, now that we no longer need to play it on the unlit GBA screen), and the immediacy with which the soul system in Aria of Sorrow clicks reaffirms why Igarashi returned to the idea in Bloodstained. I’m still waiting for the DS games to get their due, but with the release of this compilation, the job is at least halfway done.

1. Final Fantasy XIV

Not only was this the game that I spent the most time actually playing this year, but it was my big COVID project. I wouldn’t be so dramatic as to say that FFXIV saved my life, but it gave me comfort and structure during the absolute worst episode of depression that I’ve ever been through — and since it got mandatory story patches in the lead-up to Endwalker, I’m counting it as a 2021 release under the “ongoing game” qualifier. It’s funny that this is the one Final Fantasy game that plenty of fans will permanently rule out playing purely on the basis of it being an MMO, because once you’ve spent as much time with it as I have, it feels like the only Final Fantasy game that matters.

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The post Suskie’s Fake Top Ten Of 2021 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

Another year, another top ten.

This year saw me busier than ever — kind of ironic since I’ve barely left my house since COVID started.

Life found a way to fill that time void, though. Rather than catching up on my ridiculous backlog or playing every new title that came out, I felt like I only saw a fraction of a fraction of what I wanted to.

With this in mind, the games selected here are only the best of what I played… It’s entirely possible that my new most favorite game of all time was something that slipped past me this year — but hey, what can you do?

So, with that caveat in mind, here are my selections along with a few extra awards — and if you want to hear even more about these, Carlos Rodela and I covered them all on the So Videogames GOTY episode.

The Best Things I Played NOT from 2021

Days Gone, Leap of Fate

The Games I Wish I Had More Time To Play In 2021

Disco Elysium, Hitman 3, Lake, Inscryption, Sable, Subnautica: Below Zero

Indies Of The Year

Death Crown, Heavenly Bodies, Wanna Survive

Biggest Disappointments Of 2021

Jett: The Far Shore, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Diablo II

Honorable Mentions Of 2021

Minute of Islands, The Longing, Devil Slayer Raksasi, Crying Suns, Little Nightmares II

My Top 10 Of 2021

10 – Death Stranding: Director’s Cut review by Mike Suskie

This was almost my GOTY in 2020, and very well might have been if it didn’t have such a miserable pile of nonsensical diarrhea for a story. HOWEVER, this gameplay is sublime. The new additions are fine, but the rebalance of certain elements makes this game about playing FedEx in a ghost-filled wasteland even more enjoyable and playable than it already was. It’s a breath of fresh air to spend time on something that isn’t about guns or killing — it’s about bringing people together and doing nice deeds. Feels great to do that right now.

9 – Golf Club Wasteland review

It initially seems like a goofy indie offering some offbeat golf, but there’s a real heart underneath it. The story slowly unfolds into something great, and the soundtrack does an amazing job of world-building and tone-setting.

8 – Steampunk Tower 2 review

This rando mobile port came out of nowhere to rock my world. It flips the script on the Tower Defense genre and finds a perfect balance between being approachably simple and pleasantly complex. I couldn’t put it down.

7 – Guardians of the Galaxy review by Jarrod Johnston

Like everyone else has said this year, I expected it to be another Avengers-style bomb, but it turned out to be great. The writers crafted a series of mini-movies with a ridiculous amount of scene-specific dialogue that enriches every character while offering great camaraderie and a lot of laughs. The gameplay is fine enough, but as someone who appreciates finely-done character work, this is tops.

6 – Monster Hunter Rise review

As a longtime MH player, it was great to see this one take the best of past iterations, boil it all down to its absolute core, and deliver a pared-down experience that was all-killer, no filler. The new additions are also on point, and now that we’ve had this gassed-up experience, there’s no going back.

5 – The Artful Escape review

This trans-narrative-that-doesn’t-call-itself-a-trans-narrative may play more like an interactive music video than a traditional game, but the sights and sounds were powerful and it was easy to be carried through the stars by the power of guitar.

4 – Kosmokrats review

This game is so clever on every level — both as a 2D physics-based puzzle game, and as a branching narrative — with stakes!! — that takes into account not only player choice, but actual performance during play. It’s sharply-written and quite different than anything I’ve played in quite some time. This is some real out-of-the-box stuff.

3 – The Procession to Calvary review

I don’t usually go in for point-and-clicks, but this one was really Something Else. With visuals made from clippings of Renaissance paintings, it looks like nothing else. Supporting the visuals is an absolutely wicked sense of humor that had me literally laughing out loud. The vast majority of puzzles are well-done, and I knew this game was something special when I discovered the, uh… “alternate” path to winning. So, so good.

2 – Unavowed review by Jeff Ortloff

Two point-and-clicks on my top ten?? What is this madness?? And yet, it’s true. Unavowed felt like it was made for me. Urban Fantasy is probably my favorite genre, and this game sports incredibly strong writing and character work. The cast is great — I wanted to spend more time with all of them — and the game structure was superb. Also? It nails the ending. Chef’s kiss here, folks.

1 – Black Book review

What to say about Black Book? Yes, it’s rough — nearly every aspect of it needs more polish and tweaking, but the core of what it’s doing is amazing. This combination visual novel/deckbuilder offers a rare look into Slavic myths and folklore. It’s almost encyclopedic in nature, but it’ all relevant since so much of the game hinges on the main character’s role as a witch, and we’re not talking sexy lady with a pointy hat stuff. No, this is doing evil deeds, I made a pact with literal Satan witchcraft BUT it’s implemented in an incredibly refreshing, pragmatic way. The main character is a blend of both evil and goodness, and she exists in a world that accommodates the occult, Christianity, and the indigenous belief systems that predated them both. Combining all of this, the developers craft a truly epic tale that is deep, rich, nuanced, and goes places that I wouldn’t have ever imagined… The final hours were just stunning, and it came together in a way that I can only describe as perfect. Black Book was, without a doubt, the best thing I played all year.

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2020 was much easier to break down in terms of games that were my favorite to play, and the number one was such a standout. 2021 was a very different year. While a lot of players complained about a lack of meaningful triple-A titles early on, I found myself overwhelmed by exceptional smaller games — I really struggled to pick which I liked the most.

But, before I get to that, the supplementary awards.

The ‘Please stop releasing your games in December it is killing me’ 2020 awards go to:

• Monster Train
• Haven
• PHOGS!
• Unto The End

The ‘You are genuinely brilliant, but those release window bugs made it hard to get into at first’ awards go to:

• Hell Let Loose
• Splitgate
• Necromunda: Hired Gun

The ‘Games I am still playing, but maybe for not much longer’ awards go to:

• Gears 5
• Halo 5
• Rogue Company

The ‘It’s okay’ lifetime award for outstanding writing excellence goes to:

• Gears of War 3

MY TOP TEN FAVORITES OF 2021

10> The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes – PC, PS4/5, XBO/S/X Review

Consistently the Dark Pictures entries end up on my top ten lists, usually because the best social games will always be my most treasured memories. Sitting in the same room as others and laughing/shrieking our way through a horror plot is always immensely fun. This year’s entry is probably my favorite out of the three available (the others being Man of Medan and Little Hope). I think it’s because this game is the best in reconciling what they would like the players to be, versus what players actually want to be in the game. Previously, developers Supermassive Games have attempted to place the players in the role of ‘Director’ and have the people that the player controls be analogous to actors that are killed off when appropriate, or to satisfy a curiosity in how the story might play out differently. In contrast, most people I’ve seen want to be the actual characters. When positioned as directors, it meant that players often had a lot more information than the characters, which routinely led to players making sure everyone got out alive. House of Ashes hides more of its tricks, and a first playthrough with friends feels like one is in the same shoes as the characters on screen. This saves the ‘director’ playthrough for a second time round.

9> Lake – PC, XBO Review

I frequently refer to games as being perfect for ‘Hangover Sundays’. I’m pretty sure that if people searched those words out in my reviews, they’d realize I was a total hack — I’ve fallen back on the phrase whenever I want a shortcut explaining the atmosphere of a game that is easily digested and mechanically unthreatening. I didn’t use that term for Lake because I am desperately trying to get out of that habit, and also because it harkens back to a specific type of TV show found in the ’80s and ’90s. This was a time when I didn’t have as much knowledge on what a hangover even was, so instead of leaning on that crutch I will describe Lake as a game that reminded me of how much I enjoyed empty time. Sitting down and watching a show about absolutely nothing was a joy, and it was a joy that I rarely have as I get older. Sitting down and delivering letters in Lake, and the only point being that the letters are delivered felt really good.

8> Operation Tango – PS4/5, XBO/X/S, PC Preview

Operation Tango is brilliant game of communication where two players are tasked with explaining what they see on their screen and then figuring out what will be useful to the other player. This communication is what will get you through the game, but it doesn’t generate the best moments. To explain what makes Operation Tango brilliant, I need to tell a story of playing the final level in the game with my partner.

We had arrived in a neon-lit area. There were a series of buildings and stalls with milling pedestrians and drones flying overhead. We were tasked with finding and dismantling a bomb. As she sent me information, I quickly scanned nodes that led us closer and closer to our destination. However, an enemy agent was turned loose, and the drones above started attacking me.

“I can’t figure out how they’re seeing me.” I complained. “There doesn’t seem to be a clear rule for how to avoid them.”

As she was in the same room with me in real life, she nodded, and we carried on trying to beat the level.

About 30 minutes into trying to figure out the patrol patterns, the agent saw me through a wall and captured me. Frustrated, I had to put my controller down.

“I just don’t get it, this is ridiculous.” I said.

“Maybe you should stay out of the circles around them.” She casually suggested.

I turned to look at her. “What circles?” I asked incredulously.

“The ones that are around them on my screen. The Agent has a large circle, and the drones have smaller ones.” She said offhandedly. “Perhaps if you stay out of those you won’t get caught?”

Of course, my difficulty lay in the fact that she could see the circles (and omitted this information) while I had no idea the circles existed.

Our relationship survived this.

7> Griftlands – PC, XBO, PS4/5, XBX/S, Switch Review

Griftlands came out of early access this year, and it’s one of the finest roguelite deckbuilders out there. It offers three intertwining stories that are compelling with well-thought-out and meaningful choices to be made along the way. The deckbuilding is also excellent, it just gets too caught up in using its own terminology that is going to be daunting for new players to learn. That said, getting over that hump is worth it because everything here is very rewarding.

6> The Eternal Cylinder – PC, PS4/5, XBO/X/S Review

The opening of the game, before the title screen appears, has a narrator talking about ignoring the one and focusing on the many. His voice has a beautiful vibrancy that immediately had me thinking about Lemon Jelly’s ‘His Majesty King Raam’. Man, what a great narrator. His voice is audio equivalent of being tucked into a comfy bed with heavy blankets. Anyway, the game is an excellent 3D platformer with evolution mechanics and survival elements backed up by an utterly stunning world. Read Ali’s review for more details.

5> Psychonauts 2 – PC, PS4/5, XBO/X/S

I met Psychonauts 2 with trepidation. I have nothing but fond memories of playing the original while sitting in a rented room with a bunch of drunk co-workers as we whiled away a weekend in Montreal drinking 40oz Molson Dry. It felt like special game and a special moment that could not be replicated, because to replicate that feeling would require time travel as well as for me to regress in age. Sixteen years later, Psychonauts 2 arrived. The visual style remains intact and distinct, the worlds are bigger in terms of vision, and the storytelling — oh, the storytelling. Psychonauts was a game that took childlike glee at bizarre events with a little tragedy tucked away, whereas Psychonauts 2 takes those bizarre events and spins a story about loss, reconciliation, forgiveness while never losing its ability to find joy in glorious visuals. I cared about these people in the mid 2000s and, somehow, I cared about them even more in 2021. It’s wild to me that after all that time this IP has grown and matured with me — and maybe matured even more than me?

4> It Takes Two – PC, PS4/5, XBO/X/S Review

No other game has seamlessly introduced new mechanics that drastically change up how a game is played every 40 minutes. Any other game that has tried this always has one weak link — one section that is ill-functioning or badly laid out. It Takes Two doesn’t have anything close to that, and is a boundless delight because of it. It’s a sublime platforming experience with some of the most well-planned co-operative puzzles I’ve seen. The game also goes to great lengths to make play accessible to everyone, checkpoints are regular, and death is not a big deal. However, it still feels meaningful to beat challenges. Even with a terrible story that ends with an unearned conclusion, the uncomfortable Dr. Hakim, and the fact that the publishers are trying to get into NFTs, It Takes Two is still a 10/10 game. I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

3> Islanders – Switch, PC, PS4/5, XBO/X/S

There are people that don’t rate Islanders, and some of these people are my friends. It sucks to have friends that are wrong. Islanders is an ultra-simplistic city builder where the objective is to place enough buildings on an Island so that they generate enough points to go to the next island. The thing is, some buildings get negative points based on what they’re placed next to, so the player is constantly trying to optimize their setup. What becomes startling is how cities, construction yards, and farms bloom on each island, and I was constantly taking screenshots of these seemingly organic sprawls. The numbers encouraged me subconsciously to make gorgeous islands. My good friends, the ones that weren’t incredibly wrong about Islanders, sent me pictures of their islands and I appreciated them the way a person might gush over a picture of a friend’s pet, or child. Islanders is a quiet, gentle game that anyone with six dollars simply must buy.

2> The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa Switch, PC, XBO/X/S

Ringo Ishikawa is a troubled teen game. There is a grittiness and empty futility to it that I have seldom seen in this format. The dialogue is blunt, heartbreaking, angry, and listless. These are characters that don’t really know how to talk to each other, and they aren’t going to learn and grow in the way that one hopes that they could. Violence in this game is common and acts as a levelling system in an imitation of River City Ransom, but where other games have resorted to a killer soundtrack and reverence for the original, Ringo Ishikawa has a great soundtrack that reframes the senseless punching as a dead end for all those involved. This is a great game and I look forward to playing everything that the developer works on next.

1> Gnosia Switch, PS Vita Review

I generally do not like visual novels, and I said as much in the review. What Gnosia does so well is that it adds a more easily defined ‘game’ part to the formula, which also acts as an amazing replication of the paranoia in movies like The Thing. In fact, I called it a single player Among Us, but it appears to predate that. The writing is simplistic (it has to be) in the moments where you interrogate the rest of the crew, but it’s incredibly evocative of each member’s personality. The moments where you know exactly who the Gnosian is, but you push your limits and everyone turns on you instead is brilliantly done. The story outside the interrogations gives each character time to breathe with humor, sadness, and warmth. This is an essential purchase for anyone with a Switch.

The post AJ’s Top Ten Of 2021 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

September Total: XXXXX

1 – Marvel Puzzle Quest, Android

My one and only mobile jam. PLAYING DAILY

2 – Blackout: The Darkest Night, PC – covered in So Videogames episode 248

This is a visual novel about a guy who wakes up with amnesia and has to piece together what’s going on. The art is pretty nice, and it has a vague R. Crumb or maybe a Richard Corben sort of vibe to the art. I dig it! STILL PLAYING.

3- Lamentum, XBX

A 2D indie horror tale about a man who takes his ill wife to a remote mansion in search of a cure and finds — of course — Bad Stuff Happening There. I expected it to be more action-oriented from the trailers (and there IS action) but it’s also heavily inspired by Resident Evil in that there’s a lot of backtracking, odd items to use, locked doors, etc. I also thought it would be on the smaller side, but a quick search revealed that the campaign was maybe twice the size of what I was bargaining for. I made some okay progress but the saving was limited to a resource, and that was discouraging me from playing. Luckily, the dev soon announced that they got feedback saying this was a Not Cool thing and that they were patching in an “unlimited save” mode, so I’ll wait for that and restart it after it’s ready. PAUSED.

4 – Induction, Switch

This is a stylized, abstract puzzler that uses time loops to solve its challenges. It’s pretty cerebral and minimalist… Kinda cool, but not it’s not for me. DELETED.

5 – Zengeon, Switch – covered in So Videogames episode 248

A top-down roguelike that’s not realllly a roguelike? The aesthetics are rad, there’s a real Persona cool-kid vibe going on, and it’s well done. However, each character only has three abilities and a dodge move, and these don’t change. The roguelike aspects come in the form of randomized dungeons (hardly noticeable, TBFH) and pickups that offer buffs like “3% chance to inflict lightning damage per hit” or “6% chance to create shield when using earth abilities” and so on. It’s awfully weaksauce and ends up making each run feel identical to the last since the differences are so negligible. Feels like these devs leaned too far towards a standard action game template and didn’t go hard enough on the randomness and variation that makes roguelikes so great. DELETED.

6 – Space Marshals, Switch – covered in So Videogames episode 249

Still chugging away at this, one level at a time. It’s the perfect example of “nothing special, but every aspect is perfectly tuned” so it becomes fun to play despite not really bringing anything new to the table. Great polish and clear design for a straightforward isometric stealth/shooter here. STILL PLAYING.

7 – The Artful Escape, XBX – my review – Covered in So Videogames episode 249

It’s a trippy, psychedelic music video of a game that I had a great time with. It’s short, to the point, and delivers a great ride. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

8 – Frostpunk: The Last Autumn/On the Edge DLC, XBX – covered in So Videogames episode 249

I love me some Frotspunk so I was glad to jump back in, but I can’t lie — The Last Autumn is goddamn tough. I failed it maybe 8-10 times and had to take a break because I was losing self-esteem. Will definitely come back to it and I want to finish, but GOD DAMN it is brutally hard. PAUSED.

9 – Fire Tonight, Switch

This indie is about a girl trying to make it to her boyfriend’s house while her city is on fire. None of the mechanics felt very polished and I was not drawn into their relationship or their situation. DELETED.

10 – Stay Safe, Switch

Way too complicated and the text was too small. DELETED.

11- Dead Dust, Switch

A Western indie all about shooting Native Americans. YUCK. DELETED WITH PREJUDICE.

12 – Fortnite, PS5

A new season, and I’m back in. Not playing hardcore, but a couple of times per week for sure. Carnage is the reward for hitting level 100, so I definitely want to nab that. Also, VERY glad to see team challenges return, and the new punchcard system is fun. PLAYING WEEKLY.

13 – Crown Trick, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 249

This is an excellent turn-based roguelike that covers all the classic design bases while nicely updating the formula with some neat ideas and some gorgeous artwork. This one is a winner. STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED!

14 – Black Book, XBX – my review – covered on So Videogames episode 251

Very possibly my favorite game of 2021. It’s rich in cultural content, has an excellent story, solid Visual Novel and Deckbuilder mechanics, and delivers an e-p-i-c adventure. Thisgame is fantastic. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

15 – Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, PS5 – review by Dan Weissenberger

If you want some snipering, this delivers some pretty good snipering. I have issues with the story, though — you’re… kind of working for the bad guys doing bad things? Not sure I’m on board. DID NOT FINISH.

16 – Curious Expedition 2, Switch

A neat spin on roguelikes that has a strong tabletop boardgame feel to it. The devs iterated and improved on the first game, and it shows. STILL PLAYING.

17 – I Am Fish, XBX – covered on So Videogames episode 250

It looks like Finding Nemo but it’s a physics-based platforming game that’s way too hard and frustrating. If I had any hair, this would have made me pull it out. The devs really missed a trick by not making this easy and kid-friendly. DELETED.

18 – Eastward, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 250

There’s some really nice pixel art going on here, but it starts s-l-o-w, there’s too much talking, and the dungeons felt too long. I’m also not much into Zeldalikes/RPGs these days, so I bounced pretty quick. I was thinking it would be more action-focused than it is after watching the trailers, but that wasn’t an accurate impression, so that’s my bad. DELETED.

19 – Bonfire Peaks, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

I had to look up what “sokoban” meant, but this is one of those. A guy needs to burn boxes of his stuff because reasons, so he arranges them as stairs, maneuvers them through tight corners, etc. etc. with the ultimate goal of getting them to a bonfire. I like the look of it, but my brain can’t process these types of puzzles. Seems neat, but not for me. DID NOT FINISH.

20 – Picross S3, Switch

Yep, I’m back on this train. STILL PLAYING.

21 – Space Grunts, Switch

A 2D roguelike recommended to me by a friend. It might be good, but I just couldn’t get past the ugly art style — it’s a true eyesore that had no visual appeal. DELETED.

22 – Weapon of Choice DX, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

A true indie classic. This 2D run-and-gun has a great sense of humor, wild mechanics and applies a healthy dose of irreverence to every aspect of its design. It’s short, but offers some neat replay via different story routes and characters to unlock, and the guns are something else. Where else can you find a character wearing a spider-arm backpack and using a turbine engine as a weapon? FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

23 – Metallic Child, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

This realtime action roguelike has the player “in” the story as someone who controls a robot who’s lost self-control functions. It’s a neat conceit and the action is pretty good but my main issue with is is the art. Characters are squat and blocky, and there are a lot of lights and details that only serve to clutter up the screen. It’s tough to tell what’s going on at times, and it’s a little hard on the eyes overall. A less-is-more aesthetic would have done wonders here. DELETED.

24 – Dustwind: The Last Resort, XBX – covered on So Videogames episode 251

This eurojank, action-focused version of Fallout or Wasteland could have been great, but it takes ages to get going and the difficulty spikes are brutal. It turns into a repetitive slog almost immediately, and it also has no qualms about killing a player in the blink of an eye. Hope you remembered to save before you accidentally stumbled into that crowd of enemies! DELETED.

25 – Knights and Guns, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

An arcade-style 2D shooter with knights… and guns. They fire upwards at monsters that pop into existence, earning cash and such as they go. Not much more to say about it, honestly — felt like I had the measure of it after about ten minutes. DELETED.

26 – Skatebird, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

A cute little bird on a cute little skateboard — what else needs to be said? I was sold on the premise alone. Sadly, the game is horrible to play thanks to load of clipping, wack physics and a busted camera. A true shame to waste such a neat idea, but this is zero fun. DELETED.

27 – Shape Suitable, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 251

This simple game asks players to draw shapes that solve puzzles. For example, a UFO might need help carrying three balls. The player draws a ‘basket’ shape and the challenge is solved. It’s fun, breezy, and a great fit for the Switch. The perfect thing for ten minute bursts. STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED!

28 – Slay the Spire, Switch – my review

I was inspired to pick this back up after seeing a good friend go all the way and get the true ending — it’s no small feat and something that eluded me when I played it when it first hit the Switch. Not sure I’ll go all the way but I did enjoy this one for *many* hours and it would be a shame to never really finish it in the true sense. We’ll see… STILL PLAYING.

29 – Death’s Gambit: Afterlife, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 252

I’d heard lots of good about this one from Souls circles and I can see why. It offers many small tweaks on From’s formula (many make things less brutal to players!) but it just didn’t grab me. Part of it is that I’m pretty over metroidvanias at the moment, and part of it is that the controls feel overcomplicated and not very intuitive. There’s a mix of attack 1, attack 2, special attacks 1-3, items, shield, dodge, slide, jump, parry and probably a few more functions that I’m forgetting. Even after an hour or two I was still hitting the wrong buttons and forgetting what did what. Also, this Switch port feels sub-optimal — the text and graphics all feel too small and it’s a bit of an eye-ache. I can see why it has fans, but this isn’t the right one for me. DELETED.

30 – Suzerain, Switch – covered on So Videogames episode 252

A text-based narrative political intrigue simulator. It is surprisingly detailed and nuanced, and I was pretty impressed at how thoroughly it tries to simulate a real-ish version of politics. This is not for me, but it’s pretty cool. DID NOT FINISH.

31 – Nira, Switch

Under embargo. Sorry! CAN’T DISCUSS

32 – Diablo II: Resurrected, XBX – covered on So Videogames episode 252

I’ve heard — for YEARS — that Diablo II was the unsurpassed standard in ARPG/loot titles, but I never had the chance to play it until now. And while this game probably was the shit back in the day, it’s just a tedious, boring grind right now. The first several hours are slow and dull as dirt, the drops are few and far between, the skill trees are small and limited, the level design (randomized) is annoying and there are a ton of design and quality-of-life issues that need work. I have no nostalgia for this game and as such, it holds no appeal. All it really did was make me want to go back to Diablo III and put more time into that. DELETED.

33 – Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, PS5

I played and finished this when it first dropped, and despite the issues I had with the story (it’s utter horseshit) I LOVED the gameplay. Not the combat so much, but just the walking across terrain, shipping boxes, setting up ziplines… it’s all very zen and chill, and so far outside the norm that I wanted to re-experience it. I don’t know that I’ll finish it — it’s more likely I’ll get halfway and start noodling around and build roads or something, but that’s kind of exactly what I’m in the mood for right now. STILL PLAYING.

34 – Dandy Ace, XBX – review by Eugene Sax – covered on So Videogames episode 252

This realtime action roguelike is a lot like Hades, just on a smaller scale and with a smaller budget. The level design is a bit lacking, but the art is cute,the controls are right and the card system of mixing-and-matching powers is solid. It’s a pretty good time if you’re looking for fast-paced roguelike action. DID NOT FINISH.

35 – Ruin Raiders, Switch

Under embargo. Sorry! CAN’T DISCUSS

36 – Voice of Cards: the Isle Dragon Roars, Switch (demo) – covered on So Videogames episode 252

This is a neat demo where everything and everyone is made of cards, plus Yoko Taro is involved! Will check out the full version for sure. JUST A DEMO.

37 – A Juggler’s Tale, XBX – covered on So Videogames episode 252

A puzzle-platformer that seems like it’s going to be a mellow, experiential game but then gets a bit annoying due to inconsistency in checkpointing and non-intuitive puzzles. The music is great and the graphics are beautiful, but it was a little grating to play. DELETED.

38 – Magical Girls, Switch

It’s Breakout, but the reward for finishing are pics of anime girls who do not get nearly naked enough. DELETED.

39 – Evertried, Switch

Under embargo. Sorry! CAN’T DISCUSS

40 – Lemnis Gate, XBX

This puzzle-based ( !!! ) first-person shooter asks players to deploy a series of troops in ever-overlapping time loops. It’s a fantastic idea, but there’s no campaign or puzzle mode… it’s just a series of versus modes against other players or bots. My heart broke a little, but there’s no way I’m gonna get in on this without a more robust singleplayer side. DELETED.

41 – Tetragon, Switch – review by Brian Thiesen

A single-screen puzzler that has players rotating levels to make their way to an exit. It’s pretty neat but I’m not sure that I have the patience for it. WE’LL SEE!! STILL PLAYING.

42 – Underland, Switch

A single-screen puzzler where two people are trying to reach un underground city and they have to dig in various ways to get there — drills, dynamite on carts, or whatever else is available. Pretty early says but so far, I’m into it! STILL PLAYING.

43 – Dungeons & Bombs, Switch

A turn-based, puzzle-based indie that has no tutorial, explains nothing, and offers a princess with a beard. Why? No idea. I bailed after ten minutes. If you’re not going to take the time to explain your game, I’m not going to take the time to struggle to learn it. DELETED.

44 – World War Z: Aftermath, XBX – review by Dan Weissenberger – covered on So Videogames episode 252

This team-based shooter is my favorite of the bunch. Fun classes, excellent level design, a fresh and exciting campaign and some staggering setpieces. I won’t want to play it forever (and seriously, that’s a shitty way to measure these types of games) but I’m having a blast going through it again with the wife and son. STILL PLAYING.

Every Game I played In January 2021

Every Game I Played in February 2021

Every Game I Played in March 2021

Every Game I Played in April 2021

Every Game I Played in May 2021

Every Game I Played in June 2021

Every Game I Played in July 2021

Every Game I Played In August 2021

The post Every Game I Played In 2021: September appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

August Total: 36

1 – Marvel Puzzle Quest, Android

My one and only mobile jam. PLAYING DAILY

2 – The Ascent, XBX Game Pass covered on So Videogames episode 244

This isometric twin-stick shooter with a cyberpunk theme started strong and it grabbed me immediately, but extended play revealed it to be more shallow and repetitive than I had first hoped. The story was thin, there’s not much loot to fiddle with, the overworld is too large and tedious to deal with… The graphics and aesthetics are on point, but it just couldn’t keep my attention. I’m guessing the next game from this team will be fucking killer. DELETED.

3 – Sea Salt, Switch

Imagine Pikmin but with a Cthulhu theme and Lovecraft-inspired monsters and you’ve got Sea Salt. I loved this one when it first dropped but it was buggy — I wasn’t able to finish it so I put it on pause. Seems like it’s now been patched, and I happily rolled credits. This is one of my favorite Lovecraft-themed games of all time, for sure. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

4 – Picross S3, Switch

It’s what I play when I’m too tired for anything else. A few puzzles before bed usually fit the bill! STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED!

5 – Foreclosed, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 245

This second-person cyberpunk-themed action/stealth game has a comic-book style presentation and it caught my eye with some of the graphic design, but WOW, it is miserable to play. The script and writing seem like they were done by non-English speakers, the camera is way, way too close to the character and the camera swings WILDLY around. It’s nearly impossible to shoot with any accuracy, and I’m often looking at the ceiling or floor when I’m just trying to aim. It’s so bad, it literally made me nauseous. I have NO idea how this got approved… there may be a good game here somewhere, but this is in no way ready for prime time. DELETED WITH PREJUDICE.

6 – Fortnite, PS5

Not playing a lot since I maxed out the rewards, but I did tune in for the Ariana Grande concert. It was… okay? It looked pretty neat when she was performing, but it was shorter than expected and it didn’t seem to have an ending, it just dumped people back onto a map where they were stuck flying around on unicorns until they quit the “match”. This lack of a real finale was truly baffling. Also, seeing the MLK historical event pop up was super random, but honestly, pretty cool. PLAYING OCCASIONALLY.

7 – Skydrift Infinity, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 245

An airborne racing game featuring some cool-looking airplanes with the standard weapon/boost options that most kart-style racers have. It does exactly what one would expect — no more, no less. DID NOT FINISH.

8 – Mousebot: Escape from Catlab, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 245

This is a simple, cute title where the player drives a wheeled mousebot through tracks while collecting cheeses and avoiding traps. Good for kids or those looking for a very straightforward experience, I’d say? DID NOT FINISH.

9 – Bone Marrow, Switch covered on So Videogames episode 245

Ratalaika got me again!! This game looks like some sort of fantasy-themed Threes which it basically is, but it explains nothing about how the combat works and sometimes things happen and I’m not sure why? Maybe I’d like it if I actually understood what the hell was going on, but I was just shifting things and seeing what would result with little purpose. DELETED.

10 – Fort Triumph, XBX review by Jeff Ortloff

This is a weird one. It’s a top-down turn-based tactics title like a fantasy-themed XCOM, but there’s also some overworld exploration while competing against AI opponents who are stealing resources out from under you. The graphics are okay and the gameplay mechanics are solid enough, but it didn’t gel into anything really noteworthy to me. I had fun for a couple of hours but once I put it down, I didn’t want to come back to it. DID NOT FINISH.

11 – A Monster’s Expedition, Switch review by Sparky Clarkson

This cute puzzler is all about pushing/rolling logs in certain ways to help a monster traverse a series of small islands. I love the way it looks and the chillax’d vibe, but my brain isn’t great with these kinds of puzzles and that’s 100% of what the game is. It’s really well-done, but just not for me. DID NOT FINISH.

12 – Pathfinder: Kingmaker, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 245

This is a pretty epic-feeling RPG with strong writing and the ability to play both realtime and turn-based. It’s a little too granular when it comes to its D&D inspirations — who cares about casting something once per day for a radius of 6′ around the nearest party member, give me a spell with some oomph! — and a lot of the loot feels worthless (so many one-use potions!) but overall it was pretty cool. Didn’t have time to finish it due to review responsibilities, but I think this is good stuff. DID NOT FINISH.

13 – Boyfriend Dungeon, XBX Game Pass my review

Not gonna lie, I’d dig this one more if it was about dating women and not dudes BUT putting that aside, it’s pretty solid. The combo of realtime dungeon action and dating sim elements is a good one, the music rocks, the writing is (mostly) solid, and the art is strong. It stumbles a bit with combat that’s a bit too basic and one really poorly-handled character, but overall it’s a lot of fun. FINISHED.

14 – Islanders, Switch covered on So Videogames episode 246

I like the idea of placing structures on small islands as a puzzle-game sort of experience — it’s super chill and has no real punitive measures to it until you run out of stuff to place, but it just didn’t grab me. Putting the pieces down felt a little foo finicky and I’m not much of a play-for-high-score guy to start with, so… DID NOT FINISH.

15 – Curious Expedition 2, Switch

Started this and then hit an impassable bug in the tutorial. Will come back to it. PAUSED.

16 – Aliens: Fireteam Elite, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 247

Oh, Aliens. When will this IP ever get a killer game? (Sorry, not an Isolation fan here.) It’s super basic and repetitive, the shooting doesn’t feel great, and I was kinda bored with it after just one day. Sigh. STILL PLAYING WITH THE FAM… FOR NOW.

17 – Witchspring3 Re: Fine -The Story of Eirudy, Switch covered on So Videogames episode 246

This RPG got its start on mobile, and it kinda shows. The graphics are cute but the systems are confusing an overcomplicated, and I get the feeling that there might have been some microtransactions (now gone) that led to these designs. With a more thorough rework, this one might be okay. DID NOT FINISH.

18 – CyberHive, Switch

This looked like a cute little base management sim but it ended up being a super-janky cash-in with most of the budget seeming to go towards a few pieces of artwork depicting cute anime girls. DELETED.

19 – From Orbit, Switch

This game has absolutely no tutorial, and it really needed one. The gist is that you’re a spaceship that lands somewhere and needs resources, but there are little soldiers that transform (not sure to what end) and it’s unclear what resources do what, and it was way too common to have combat happening off-screen. Give me a break, I’m not going to find a wiki or play detective to figure this out if you don’t even attempt to explain anything. DELETED.

20 – Recompile, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 246

This Tron-inspired open world metroidvania starts strong with great visuals and a great premise set inside a computer system that’s gone rogue, but it lacks direction, is too difficult to navigate, and has some absurd difficulty spikes. With a little rebalancing and some more polish, this would be a killer game. Unfortunately, as it stands, it’s a little too prickly to be fully embraced. DELETED.

21 – Space Marshals, Switch

A pretty simple top-down shooting/stealth game but IT NAILS WHAT IT’S DOING. It’s polished, the systems work, it’s got a fair amount of variety, and it provides a really good time. A project like this is a great example that shows how far focusing on your core elements and doing them well will get you. STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED!

22 – Spelunker HD Deluxe, Switch covered on So Videogames episode 246

This 2D remaster would be a great arcade-style diversion if the character didn’t fucking DIE from fall damage that an infant could survive, unharmed. Misjudge a jump by one pixel, and DIE. Walk onto a platform from one pixel too high and DIE. Walk into a small indentation on the ground and DIE. Fucking come on, this is SO irritating. I don’t know how anyone can play this and not go insane. DELETED.

23 – Cloud Gardens, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 247

A really interesting, chill project that asks players to plant seeds and grow them on abandoned buildings in a post-apocalyptic setting. I was into it for a day but there are a lot of levels and after a while it felt like I was doing the same thing over and over with little variation. DID NOT FINISH.

24 – Robolife: Days With Aino, PC covered on So Videogames episode 247

This is an adults-only visual novel that features a scientist finding an abandoned android who must be repaired and trained. The art is excellent and the script is well-done. The training aspect is solid — it’s entertaining to send the android, Aino, to jobs and see her various skills improve. A variety of sidequests open up and there are lots of tasks to accomplish. It’s pretty entyertaining overall and it had no trouble keeping my interest. My only issue is that there are several instances where the main character (male, of course) takes advantage of female characters that are unconscious or incapacitated in some way. I am in no way a fan of non-consensual content like this, and these creeptastic bits skeeved me out pretty good. And honestly, I think this game would still be great (perhaps even better?) without any of the explicit stuff. It’s above average for an AO title in basically all respects and I could see it being really popular on consoles if the lewdness was gone. STILL PLAYING.

25 – Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 247

This roguelike deckbuilder is clean and streamlined, but the graphics are on the WoW side and it feels a bit too basic, maybe? I did a couple runs and bounced — there was nothing here that compelled me to keep playing. DELETED.

26 – Black Book, XBX covered on So Videogames episode 247

What if The Witcher 3, but with a young girl in Russia using visual novel and deckbuilder mechanics? Spoiler: I love this game. Main character Vasilisa is super hardcore — her fiancee dies, so she makes a deal with the devil to bring him back, and she pauses before doing this Not At All. This launches her on a truly epic quest (waaaaaay longer and more detailed than I was expecting) and along the way the developers stuff this game to the gills with tons and tons of Slavic folktales and myths. The perspectives shown in the script are fascinating and feel totally unlike anything we’d get from an American or Japanese developer. I am learning a lot about a whole new mythology, the gameplay is great, and I love the characters. This game is awesome! STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED!

27 – Murder Mystery Machine, Switch

Solve murder cases by finding clues and then stringing them together in a ‘mental map’ sort of mechanic to trigger new clues or deductions. It’s pretty cool and the Switch port is great. That said, sometimes the logic needed to press forward is a little too finicky… I’ve had to use the in-game clue system, like.. a LOT of times. STILL PLAYING.

28 – Super Animal Royale, PS5

It’s a cutesy 2D battle royale with anthropomorphic animal avatars. No room in my life for another one of these right now, but it’s neat to see another stab at the genre that isn’t just a reskinned PUBG or Fortnite. DELETED.

29 – Golf Club Wasteland, PS5

This unusual gem blends golf mechanics with courses made from the remnants of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and tosses in a surprisingly touching story to top it off. It’s… kinda great? FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

30 – Mahluk, PS5

A pretty basic action-platformer that looks cool in screenshots but really has nothing to recommend it otherwise. DELETED.

31 – Jett: the Far Shore, PS5

Under embargo. No comment!

32 – Mom Hid My Game! 2, Switch

This is a series of absurdist micro-puzzles that only take a minute or two to solve — help a poor kid get his 3DS back from a mom who wants him to study instead. It’s light, it’s goofy, and it’s a really fun time. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

33 – Townscaper, Switch

This is not really a game in the traditional sense, but rather, a creation tool or ‘digital toy’. Players click on the screen to create structures that automatically connect and reshape themselves — houses, bridges, towers, and so on. It’s as chill as can be, and it’s kinda neat to see what things will pop up and how the game will make it all cohere. It was fun for about an hour, but I moved on pretty soon after that since there wasn’t anything to do other than build the town. IT’S NOT REALLY A TRADITIONAL GAME, BUT IT IS NEAT.

34 – Dice Legacy, Switch

Under embargo. No comment, sorry!

35 – Zoffice, XBX

This is a neat little vignette about a woman coming to work in an office that’s still doing business in the zombie apocalypse. It looks great, it’s funny, and it’s pretty charming. It’s also… about ten minutes long. I was having a great time, thought I had finished the first level, and then credits rolled. I have no problem with short games, but this is like SHORT. I wish there had been at least 2-3 more ‘levels’ like the first, but nada. Hopefully this will encourage the dev to do more! FINISHED.

36 – Rustler, XBX

Apparently this is like a medieval GTA, but the game was totally unresponsive. Couldn’t get past the title screen! So much for QA, I guess… ON PAUSE. I’M SURE A PATCH IS COMING… I HOPE?

Every Game I played In January 2021

Every Game I Played in February 2021

Every Game I Played in March 2021

Every Game I Played in April 2021

Every Game I Played in May 2021

Every Game I Played in June 2021

Every Game I Played in July 2021

The post Every Game I Played In 2021: August appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

July Total: 29

1 – Returnal, PS5 my review

I found Returnal to be an endlessly frustrating experience because surprisingly poor decisions hold it back from being a better game. The mechanics and graphics are great and the cool factor is pretty high, but the underpinning design puts too much emphasis on pure reflexes and shooting mastery without enough supporting content or options to give a boost to players who need it. There’s also way too much emphasis on ‘negative’ items, with very few of the good ones offering a substantial bonus. The lack of significant persistence and no ability to save (!!!) were also pure head-scratchers. The game is *brutally* difficult in biomes 1-3, but I went through biomes 4-6 in a single day and rolled credits soon after. With some rebalancing and a few patches, this will be a stellar title. But as it stands? It’s impossible to recommend to anyone but the most hardcore. FINISHED.

2 – Greedfall, XBX review by Baabuska

This RPG starts off pretty well, but after maybe 5-6 hours I was flagging. It was hard for me to pinpoint why it was losing me, but I think what it ultimately came down to was that it didn’t do enough to get me invested — it got into the ‘do quests’ mode pretty quickly, without first cementing my affection for the characters or world. It’s not bad at all, but if I’m going to sink 40-60 hours into something, it’s gotta make me care first. DELETED.

3 – Sumire, Switch

This thoughtful story about a girl who contemplates her life as she travels with a magical flower who is only on Earth for one day was recommended to be my Matt Sainsbury, and I think it’s a good call. The art is cute and I enjoyed that the writing was more direct than I’d expect in something that looks so pastel and warm. STILL PLAYING.

4 – Marvel Puzzle Quest, Android

My one and only mobile jam. PLAYING DAILY.

5 – Fortnite, PS5

Still having fun with the current ‘alien invasion’ season. Got the winner’s umbrella, got the skins I wanted, and it’s all gravy from here. PLAYING WEEKLY.

6 – Hellfront: Honeymoon, XBX covered on episode 240 of So Videogames

I played this solo on PS5 last month and was quickly overwhelmed by the difficulty about halfway through the campaign. In response, I bought it again on XBX and recruited my wife to give me some backup! It’s a lot of fun with a partner, but I do feel a little salty about games that say you “can” play by yourself when the difficulty has obviously been tuned for co-op. That aside, this is a cute and smartly-streamlined RTS that is heavy on the action. Short campaign, too — if you have a partner. It makes for a great afternooner! STILL PLAYING.

7 – Sakura Succubus, Switch

I’ve been a little surprised at the amount of spicy content that Nintendo has allowed on the Switch lately — obvious sex animations, images of fully-naked women in suggestive poses, and more — so I was wondering if this Visual Novel was another ‘stealth sexy’ release. What I saw was a fully-linear (meaning: no choices) graphic novel with a ton of text and not nearly enough art to support it. The few images were re-used, many sections used background art only, I never encountered any nudity, and it was way too wordy without offering much humor or sharp observation. I quit it after an hour or two, it was intensely boring and kept putting me to sleep. DELETED.

8 – Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf, XBX covered on episode 240 of So Videogames

I’m a sucker for 40K games and this one’s been out on multiple different platforms. I’ve never clicked with it during any of the other times I’ve tried it, but I have to say that the Xbox version is the best overall. It’s a weird blend of turn-based tactics and card-based deckbuilding that doesn’t quite gel properly, but it’s not the worst 40K game out there. It’s not the best, but… not the worst. DID NOT FINISH.

9 – Risk System, Switch covered on episode 240 of So Videogames

This is a no-frills 2D sidescrolling shmup where the one and only gimmick is that your bullets gain power the closer you are to an enemy. Not a bad idea, but it’s not enough to carry an entire game. The story was incomprehensible nonsense and it all got really tedious in a hurry. DELETED.

10 – Unavowed, Switch review (PC) by Jeff Ortloff

Hold the phone — we’ve got another 2D point-and-click that actually rocks! This urban fantasy about a group of supernatural detectives has great writing, great characters, a great story and a great ending sequence. On top of that, almost all of the puzzles are totally logical and manageable and it’s a great port on the Switch! I absolutely LOVED this game, it is SO GOOD. One of the year’s best, by a mile. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

11 – Picross S2, Switch

I finished it! I finished it! I finished it!!! The very last “clip” puzzle had soooooooo many pieces, but I finally got it done. yay! FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

12 – Within the Blade, XBX covered on episode 241 of So Videogames

This indie ninja game has a way overcomplicated tutorial and once the action starts, it just doesn’t feel good. The weight and timing of the controls is just… yuck. Ratalaika (as a publisher) has a very distinct style to the games they put out in terms of how they control, and this falls right into their typical profile that just doesn’t work for me. DELETED.

13 – Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective, Switch covered on episode 241 of So Videogames

This is a super cute, super chill, super charming version of Where’s Waldo? That would be perfect for kids or for folks who wanna blow off some steam with a low-stakes experience. Good stuff if you’re in that zone. DID NOT FINISH.

14 – Deep Rock Galactic, XBX preview by Brad Bortone

My kid wanted to play this multi, so I jumped in with him. The gist: take on the role of a spaceborne dwarf who’s dropping into hostile underground areas to look for ore. It’s kind of a fun idea, but I didn’t get a lot of enjoyment out of it… The character classes feel fairly unbalanced and maneuvering in the environment felt clunky. I have some friends who swear it’s a great time in a group (and I believe them!) but it didn’t click with me. DELETED.

15 – Dreamscaper, Switch

A new isometric action-oriented roguelike. UNDER EMBARGO – CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT. (Sorry!)

16 – Ranger Dog, Switch covered on episode 242 of So Videogames

A cute, silly 2D shmup in the vein of Gradius or R-Type. Simple, but well-done. FINISHED.

17 – Cyber Hook, Switch covered on episode 242 of So Videogames

A grappling hook game that has a crappy-feeling grappling hook. DELETED.

18 – Fates of Ort, Switch

This indie RPG is surprisingly large and deep! It kinda caught me by surprise, and I was impressed with the scope — it’s like a micro-sized Elder Scrolls! That said, it’s not the kind of thing I’m looking for on Switch. DELETED.

19 – Streets of Rage 4, Switch covered on episode 242 of So Videogames

A ton of folks were raving about this but I gotta say, it feels too dated for my taste. I get no enjoyment from performing long combos, so the lack of a dodge, a block, any skill trees or other recent advancements mean that this feels like something that could have been in arcades in the early ’90s — it would have certainly been fine enough back then, but I don’t have much interest in something as retro-feeling as this. Too dull, too repetitive. DELETED.

20 – Chained, Switch covered on episode 242 of So Videogames

This is a cute little indie about ‘hacking’ bank computers while a short story unfolds about a guy who’s lost his job thanks to being made redundant by new technology. It’s simple, quick to play (maybe 2hrs?) and does what it wants to do. A fantastic palate cleanser between other games. FINISHED. RECOMMENDED!

21 – Picross S3, Switch

Yes, I finished one and immediately started another. What can I say??? STILL PLAYING. RECOMMENDED.

22 – Death’s Door, XBX covered on episode 243 of So Videogames

This isometric actioner is pleasantly streamlined and has a pretty good pace for most of its run. The combat feels good and there’s a good balance between fights and simple environmental puzzles. Also, being a bird with a sword is pretty novel! The bosses at the end of the game are a real drag tho, and there’s a lot of postgame stuff that might have made the main campaign feel a bit richer while I was going through it if it had been included. It’s good, but not great, but the music is lovely. FINISHED.

23 – Last Stop, XBX covered on episode 243 of So Videogames

This Telltale-esque narrative game offers three separate storylines which eventually converge — a dad who switched bodies with someone else, a cheating lady spy, and a schoolgirl who kidnaps a dude. It starts strong with this interesting set of premises but the pace is slow, there’s not much attachment or investment with the characters, and it feels as though the player’s choices have absolutely no effect on gameplay — the story goes exactly where it wants to go regardless of what dialogue options I choose. The things the player actually gets to affect are so inconsequential, It might as well have been a non-interactive video. DELETED.

24 – Eldest Souls, Switch

This isometric boss rush seems to be shooting for the same sort of moody environmental vibe as a Souls title but it’s brutally hard, the controls feel slow and mushy, and the hitboxes are tough to figure out. Combat is also largely repetitive — hit the enemy three times, do a charge move, dodge back. Wash, rinse, repeat. It just doesn’t feel good to play at all, and in a game that’s 95% combat, that’s a huge problem. DELETED.

25 – Zombie Blast Crew, Switch

An isometric twin-stick shooter where players shoot a lot of zombies and earn resources to level up their weapons and earn unlocks. It’s super simple and straightforward, and clearly got its start on mobile. However, it feels good to play and was perfect for quick sessions. I was actually having a great time except that it was designed with microtransactions in mind, and while those have been disabled on the Switch, the game has not been rebalanced to compensate for their removal. I hit a point where I had to replay old levels and hope for random drops since I couldn’t put any real cash in to buy unlocks, and that lack of care with the port just killed the experience. A shame! DELETED.

26 – Worse Than Death, Switch

A good-looking 2D horror experience that starts off a bit like I Know What You Did Last Summer. (It also reminds me a lot of the 2D horror game Home, from the same developer!) I hit a point where I was tracking down various notes to figure out the code for a keypad door and I’m just not here for this kind of puzzle any more. DELETED.

27 – Banners of Ruin, Switch

A Redwall-flavored strategic deckbuilder with wack-ass controls and text that is way too small. It also felt too complicated at the beginning on top of the other issues, and I wanted out pretty quickly. It’s probably great on PC, but this is not a great port to the Switch. DELETED.

28 – Doomsday Vault, Switch

An isometric puzzler about collecting plants at the end of the world. UNDER EMBARGO – CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT. (Sorry!)

29 – Frontline Zed, Switch

This is a strange one. There’s very little tutorial or info given, but basically you have one survivor in a zombie apocalypse who builds a wall that must be defended from incoming waves of the undead. Between waves the player can search a nearby town for extra guns, more survivors, exploding barrels and more. It’s strangely addicting, but also really repetitive and bare-bones. If there were a story, maybe some story choices, upgrades… or hell, I dunno, like anything beyond the simple loop it has, I think it would hook me. As it stands, it feels like a proof-of-concept for a full game that’s still in the works. STILL PLAYING BUT PROLLY NOT FOR LONG.

Every Game I played In January 2021

Every Game I Played in February 2021

Every Game I Played in March 2021

Every Game I Played in April 2021

Every Game I Played in May 2021

Every Game I Played in June 2021

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