The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom came out way back in May, but from the first time I glued a sword to another sword, I knew it would be one of my favorite games of the year. It manages to be so many things at the same time, from a physics sandbox to a puzzle-lover’s playground to a shockingly detailed engineering simulation. Oh, and it also happens to be a phenomenal Zelda game. Most games are filled with boundaries and restrictions, but in Tears of the Kingdom, you can do just about anything you want to do if you can find a way to make it work. Sure, you can’t walk up to dogs and pet them, but

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an interesting addition to the narrative storytelling genre - as it takes the choose-your-own-adventure format that a number of players may associate with Telltale-esque formats, and turns it into a Broadway-style musical. And the brilliant thing in all of this, is that it meshes seamlessly with the narrative. See, the protagonist, Grace, finds herself stuck in the midst of a murder mystery - one where she's the prime suspect, due to the victim dying rather literally on her doorstep. While already a problem, it's further compounded due to it being Calliope, The Last Muse, a member of the now dwindling Greek Pantheon. With only a week to prove her innocence, she must rely on her wits - and the vestiges of the muse. Namely, the ability to force those she encounters to sing from the heart. That said, that's hardly the extent of Stray gods' cleverness. As I mentioned earlier, this title belongs to the interactive fiction genre - with the typical trappings of making choices in order to progress forward through the narrative. That said, very early on in the game, you'll be given the option between a trio of Character Traits, being Charismatic, Clever, or Kickass - which provide access to dialogue options that would otherwise be barred to you. Here's the thing, though- these dialogue options -also- apply to the musical numbers, changing up the overall tone, and even imagery of those segments to a considerable degree. Admittedly, the song segments might be slightly stressful for some folks- since they are wholly comprised of timed dialogue elements- but, that decision ultimately feels like the correct one, given that it allows for a sense of musical flow. On the other side of things, you can actually disable the timed segments which crop up in the midst of normal dialogue. That said, while I mentioned that there's a certain brilliance to how it addresses the matter of player agency, this is also where the experience starts to fray. You won't necessarily notice it during your initial playthrough of the game, but once you loop around to the second, it becomes rather apparent that regardless of your choices, the outcomes turn out largely the same. While there are certainly elements that can go awry as you progress, these ultimately don't do anything to direct the course of the story one way or the other - having more of an influence on the final act and the ensuing epilogue, then anything else. That said, I do want to be clear here- this isn't an attempt to dissuade someone from trying it. On the whole- Stray Gods remains a fascinating and altogether solid first entry for Summerfall studios. That said, it would have highly benefited from a more efficient means of navigating the story and it's permutations, rather than locking players into playthroughs where it will take a notable amount of time to start making choices that feel impactful.  Especially given that you're unable to skip the song segments, which adds a significant amount of waiting time if youre truly intent on seeing everything.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it, especially if you’re a fan of Danganronpa or the Ace Attorney games. Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a near-perfect combination of old-school mystery solving and fantasy storytelling. You play as Yuma Kokohead, a detective who’s lost his memory after striking a deal with a mischievous spirit named Shinigami. Thanks to his spirit pact, Yuma can transform unsolved mysteries into labyrinths that will guide him towards the truth of any case. This unique approach to mystery-solving makes every investigation feel fresh and dynamic. Whether I was solving puzzles, talking to witnesses, or searching for clues, I felt invested in each case I tried to crack. A lot of games have tried to imitate

[Music credits: "Plains of Illeyneth" by Dragon Tamer -  "Orchestral Fantasy Fairy Village" by Frequently Asked Music]

This is truly surprising. I'm not a huge admirer of MiHoYo and their work, but reaching out to players that are specifically enamored with Persona and it's atmosphere in terms of bonding, gameplay, and music / story is a refreshing change of pace that hopefully result in fresh new concepts from other developers willing to reach out. It's difficult to suppose it wouldn't, given that the game has already gathered over 10 million pre-registered users in several months, and has undoubtedly risen even higher since its recent showcase and announcement. Don't forget to

SHOULD I PLAY WRESTLEQUEST? Definitely play it if you’re at all a fan of wrestling games and old-school, turn-based RPGs. WrestleQuest may be a wrestling game, but it plays more like Super Mario RPG than AEW: Fight Forever. I played as (and fought against) action figures inspired by legendary wrestlers—and even ran into some characters officially licensed from wrestlers like “Macho Man” Randy Savage, who’s basically this world’s god. Wrestling plus RPG may seem like a strange mix, but it works beautifully, coming together as a love letter to both the drama of the squared circle and the imagination and adventure of SNES-era role-playing games.

Since it arrived last month—heck, even since it was first revealed way back in 2020—one of the most oft-repeated opinions about Final Fantasy XVI has been that it doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game. After spending eighty hours with this latest entry in one of gaming’s biggest franchises, I can finally definitively respond to that opinion: Yes, Final Fantasy XVI doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy

I’ve never played Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, but Nier: Automata just might be my favorite video game of all time. It’s got everything I want in games: awesome battles, an emotional story, and an incredibly loveable cast of characters. I’m always happy to spend more time with characters like 2B, and that’s why the upcoming Goddess of Victory: NIKKE x NieR:Automata crossover event has me curious. I don’t know exactly what the collaboration will involve, but I do know that 2B, A2, and a few other characters will be visiting NIKKE’s world. In the trailer, you can see one of my favorite Nier: Automata characters, Pascal, holding a Lunar Tear. If they were looking for a way to tug at my heartstrings, they found it.

I hadn't heard much about upcoming horror game Fort Solis until I saw the above trailer, but watch this thing and try not to get hyped. The game takes place on a mysteriously deserted mining base on Mars, and players take on the role of an astronaut named Jake sent to investigate what happened. The trailer leaves it unclear what the actual threat lurking within Fort Solis is, which is great in my opinion. Let me be surprised when I play the actual game! But whatever it is, I'm getting

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it. Exoprimal combines the fast-paced sci-fi shooting action of Titanfall 2 with the team-based gameplay of Overwatch and adds its own twist with dinosaurs and multidimensional time travel. Even with some issues—slow progression, unbalanced characters, and messy gameplay modes—this mix of great elements from other games with its own unique style provides an insanely entertaining time.

Begin a captivating journey with "El Hijo: A Wild West Tale," where the innocence of a six-year-old collides with the challenges of a spaghetti-western world. This non-violent stealth game offers a unique perspective, blending cunning tactics with playful mischief. Background Story: The narrative unfolds as El Hijo, a young hero, faces adversity from a raided farm to remote monasteries and crime-infested towns. Separated from his mother, he navigates this treacherous landscape, gradually evolving in confidence and cleverness.

SHOULD I PLAY SONG OF NUNU? Play it. Song of Nunu offers an enchanting, narrative-driven experience into the universe of League of Legends. In this spin-off, League champions Nunu and Willump must traverse the frozen land of Freljord on a journey to uncover mysteries and search for lost family. While traversing through icy mountains, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters might feel a little easy,

SHOULD I PLAY BOOK OF HOURS? Play it if you’re a fan of Cultist Simulator or like complex games with unique mechanics. Book of Hours is an odd and fascinating game with a Lovecraftian narrative. It’s technically a deck-building RPG, but there are no battles with monsters or trips through dungeons. Instead, you play as a librarian working to rebuild an occult library. The gameplay can be pretty confusing, especially if you haven’t played

I finished the main story! mousebusters Such an awesome game, the storyline is chill with added comedy, so damn enjoyable. There are lots of lessons to be learned from it. There are a few bugs, like text bubbles getting cut off, but it doesn't mess with the gameplay. Even though the boss's ending wasn't what I expected, at least the peace in the apartment is back to normal. Boss, I miss you.. (｡•́︿•̀｡)

SHOULD I PLAY METHODS: DETECTIVE COMPETITION? Play it if you like mystery games with a sense of humor. In Methods: Detective Competition, one hundred detectives face off against one hundred master criminals. As you might expect, this plot requires a huge cast of characters, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of them. It’s more like a visual novel than an investigation game, but it’s still given me plenty of chances to test out my sleuthing skills.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it, especially if you’re in the mood to get lost in a great story. I’d describe Fall of Porcupine as a cozy game, but there’s an underlying darkness to its narrative that gives its events a real sense of weight. You play as Finley, a small-town doctor who’s returning to work after an on-the-job injury. Finley clearly loves the town of Porcupine and its residents, but he has some concerns about St. Ursula’s, the hospital he works at. There’s a free demo that serves as a prologue to the main story, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you’re interested in the game.

If you already play Persona, your chances of picking up on the game and getting into it are high; however, if you're interested in it because you believe it's a fantastic game because of how much the community loves the previous titles and you're looking to get into it, you should wait a while and play through the entirety of Persona 5 Royal because you won't be able to resonate with the characters.

Howdy partners! 🤠 Grab yourself a seat by the campfire and let me spin you a yarn about my ongoing journey through the wild, wild west in Red Dead Redemption 2. ⛺ I reckon I've been riding these dusty trails for quite some time now, and let me tell ya, it's been one heck of a ride. From the moment I first set foot in the sprawling world of RDR2, I knew I was in for something special. Now now now, where do I even begin!?

SHOULD I PLAY SOVEREIGN SYNDICATE? This is an RPG that’s all about character and setting, so skip this one if you’re mainly interested in combat and stats. While the characters in Sovereign Syndicate have various attributes that I was able to influence, there’s nary a battle to be found—instead, expect an experience closer to Disco Elysium—if Disco Elysium was set in an alternate version of Victorian London in which minotaurs, cyclopes, and werewolves shared the rough streets and opium dens of the East End with humans. That means this is a game where conversations and skill checks are how each characters’ mettle is tested.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it, unless you’re too scared. Like previous releases from developer Frictional Games, Amnesia: The Bunker is not for the faint of heart. Some fans worried about the announcement of this fourth game in the Amnesia series, particularly when it was revealed that it would be the first game in the franchise to give players a weapon. Those fears were misplaced, though; the limited ammunition and other defensive options in