Coffee Talk: Tokyo is an amazing experience on the whole. The bright colors and collection of interesting characters invite you in. The many lives and stories that gravitate around the coffee shop are full of heart and expertly written. I was invested from start to finish and I looked forward to what was going to happen every time the bell chimed when the door was opened
Luna Abyss’ strength may not be its originality, but it weaves multiple genres and shooters together to craft one of the most engaging titles this year. Fawkes and the collective stories that are presented here come to life with strong writing and brilliant performances, with twists and turns that are genuinely pulled off to sheer perfection. I adored Luna Abyss, and simply want more.
Bus Bound is such a relaxing experience that is a fantastic way to unwind and continue to unlock new areas of the city, bus routes, and customization options for your bus. It may disappoint fans of Bus Simulator in its watered down simulator elements, but It's a choice I strongly believe was the right call, allowing Bus Bound to be something more digestible and casual.
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.
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.
