The world of Opus: Prism Peak is a finely crafted tale that ebbs and flows with wrenching and heavy emotion not often felt in many forms of media these days. I kindly recommend Eugene's story to anyone ready to take the plunge into a new world that threatens to pull you in and never let go of the heart it exposes in you.
Mouse P.I. For Hire excels in its genre and has not only a well-executed story, but a fantastic cast of characters to boot, brought to life with some often superb vocal performances. The gunplay and action is damn fun, and accompanied by a great soundtrack, it gives this game not only a fun and unique vibe, but an experience that is oozing with character.
Replaced offers up some of the best pixel art to ever exist, and much of its combat is so stylish that it feels pulled from some of the best action scenes across any genre. Flipping over an enemy to perform an execution never gets old, but the rest of the experience just doesn't live up to that high.
The Occultist is a first-person supernatural ghost story crafted by DALOAR and Daedalic Entertainment. As you travel to Godstone Island in search of your father, you discover that a cult has performed a ritual that has made the island devoid of life, almost frozen in time. However, Godstone Island isn’t the only part of the game devoid of life
Incantation is, simply put, a walking simulator horror experience. You’ll collect documents to learn more about the lore, solve puzzles, and avoid confrontations as you have no way to truly defend yourself. The atmosphere is fairly impressive with a few solid scares, but a limit on your interaction with the world does lessen the appeal.
Running a small shop that sells a variety of wares is never an easy task, even in the best of times. But when you have a debt hanging over you that if you don't pay, it is your flesh on the line. This is where we find ourselves with Fortune Seller, a gothic rogue-like where you are the shopkeeper trying to pay off your debt.
If you’re a fan of word-based games of any kind, then Beyond Words is absolutely a must-play. It’s an experience that I will continue playing for hundreds of hours. While Balatro’s ‘lightning in a bottle' success might not be replicated here, it does provide that similar rush when a round goes your way and you feel like an absolute god. With all that in mind, it’s impossible not to recommend it to everyone who likes these deckbuilding roguelike-style games.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflections advances the gameplay, story, and core systems beyond the portable nature of its predecessors. With doom on the horizon and truths that come to light, the prophecy of the Rathalos begins anew. This latest entry may drop its online to focus more on its single-player campaign, it is nonetheless a compelling package from start to finish.
With two excellent entries and even the disappointing second game, each providing slightly different versions, not to mention the game's online component, it truly gives players a decent amount here to really enjoy. While Battle Network will always be my preferred Mega Man Spin-off, Star Force nonetheless is a suitable continuation of the world and some of its basic combat systems.
When it comes to science fiction, we've seen the damage that corporations do when it comes to making a profit. Lives are expendable, and safety is secondary. And, with being so far away from any real laws to govern that responsibility, it generally becomes a game of survival. Icarus is such an experience.
