PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? If you’ve got any appreciation for the Metroidvania style of game at all, then you owe it to yourself to play Afterimage. Coming off a successful Kickstarter campaign just a year ago, developer Aurogon Shanghai has released the next masterpiece in a masterpiece-heavy genre. With tight controls, compelling progression and exploration, and especially a stunning hand-drawn art style, Afterimage pays homage to the classics while also undeniably forging its own strong identity via a fascinating and diverse fantasy world. It’s really good.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Absolutely play it. Phantom Blade: Executioners is a flashy action game that mixes the best elements of classic side-scrolling 2D brawlers—think Streets of Rage and Golden Axe—with a deep yet approachable combo-based fighting system that feels like something out of Devil May Cry. The result is a brilliantly fun, bite-sized title that’s worth some time even if you’re tired of gacha games.

The Wolf Among Us" takes you on a gripping journey through the gritty streets of Fabletown, where fairy tales turn dark and the Big Bad Wolf is the sheriff. From the creators of The Walking Dead, this game plunges you into a noir-infused narrative that's as captivating as it is chilling. GAME PRESENTATION Narratives and Mysteries:   The storytelling prowess of "The Wolf Among Us" is nothing short of stellar.

Dive into the enchanting world of Night Reverie, where mystery and sibling bonds blend seamlessly in a delightful puzzle adventure. Background Story: In Night Reverie, the narrative unfolds with the touching tale of siblings Matt and Emma, navigating a distorted home. The storyline, while addressing poignant themes, maintains a sweet and hopeful tone, promising players an emotional yet uplifting journey.

The day that not so long ago seemed like it would never come has finally arrived: Diablo IV is upon us. The latest entry in the series is bigger, prettier, and more online than ever before, but the core of the action RPG formula that made it famous remains intact—pick a class, get gear, and kill countless screaming hordes of hellspawn. While we have some reservations about Blizzard’s plans for ongoing monetization,

It's acceptable to have reservations about buying massive games published by anyone, especially by new or even long-standing studios, with titles like Stray fully blowing up because of the internet when the reality remains that it wasn't much of a game, but rather a feline experience that was the first to really get a massive crowd. Black Myth Wukong does not do it to you. It treats you like a paying customer, delivers what you paid for and expect, avoids dumb ideas or gimmicks, and remains loyal to the source material,

SHOULD I PLAY TOKYO GHOUL: BREAK THE CHAINS? Skip it, unless you’re really, really into Tokyo Ghoul. Tokyo Ghoul: Break the Chains presents the exact same stuff I’ve seen a million times before across the long string of samey mobile gacha games I’ve tried over the years. It doesn’t contain an original idea in its gameplay or design. This lack of originality would make for a boring game no matter what, but it’s especially disappointing given the brilliance of the anime, light novel series, and manga it’s based on.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it. Disney Illusion Island is a charming, cartoony platformer starring iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. This enchanting Metroidvania only falls slightly short due to its lack of difficulty and lightly repetitive gameplay. Regardless of those issues, it’s one of my favorite games to play with friends right now and one of the best platformer titles I’ve encountered this year.

If you played the original Blasphemous anytime since it came out in 2019, then you know it was a disturbingly bloody little game that proved that pixel-art graphics can still bring the gore and grossness. And if you played it, you'll also know that on top of being filled with messed up enemies and cutscenes, it was also an extremely good Metroidvania. But whether you played the first game or not, you should take note of the impending release of

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 OVERWATCH 2 PVE MODE? Play it if you really like Overwatch 2. After a few years of waiting, Overwatch 2’s PvE mode is finally here and it’s probably one of the most disappointing events since the launch of the game itself. It’s not completely terrible or unplayable, it’s just okay. The campaign introduces three short story missions, as well as some challenges that provide loot and experience, but that’s about it. This lack of content, especially after waiting for what feels like a century, was very dissatisfying—and it all ended on a cliffhanger too. How infuriating!

SHOULD I PLAY WARM SNOW? Absolutely play it if you enjoy action-packed roguelites with tons of unlockables and a unique setting. Warm Snow takes place in a fictionalized version of seventeenth-century China where the kingdom has fallen into chaos thanks to a strange phenomenon known as “Warm Snow.” I had to slice my way through multiple locations and thousands of mutated enemies to get to the bottom of this bizarre event, equipping myself with different relics and weapons as I did so. This is as tightly designed and fun of a roguelite as I’ve ever played and definitely worth the dozens of hours you can put into it if you want to unlock everything.

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

SHOULD I PLAY THE CUB? Hell yes, especially since there’s a free demo available now. The Cub is an action-packed 2D platformer set on a postapocalyptic Earth that looks set to be one of the first indie hits of 2024. While the full game won’t be available until January 19, 2024, you can play the demo for free now, and it’s already very impressive. The game’s gorgeous visuals and challenging gameplay were definitely enough to sell me, and I can’t wait to check out the full version.

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

SHOULD I PLAY PHANTOM BLADE: EXECUTIONERS? Absolutely play it. Phantom Blade: Executioners is a flashy action game that mixes the best elements of classic side-scrolling 2D brawlers—think Streets of Rage and Golden Axe—with a deep yet approachable combo-based fighting system that feels like something out of Devil May Cry. The result is a brilliantly fun, bite-sized title that’s worth some time even if you’re tired of gacha games.

SHOULD I PLAY DRAGONHEIR: SILENT GODS? There are two main determining factors on whether you should check this one out: if you love old-school fantasy and tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, and if you don’t get immediately turned off by gacha and microtransactions. If you answered yes to both of those, then Dragonheir: Silent Gods is definitely worth playing. This cross-platform gacha RPG provides a much deeper and more unique experience than most gacha games, and it does so while paying tribute to the epic, imaginative fantasy of

I hate reading logs and diaries in any game. I just don't have patience for that  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Outer Wilds was probably the first game where I felt super engaged when reading every journal, log entry, and text piece that I could find. It has a masterfully crafted world with a complex story. And the game manages to deliver its narrative in a seamlessly easy and engaging way without any voice overs or cinematic cutscenes.

Great problem solving puzzle, great narratives. If you want more games like this, check out my list below.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? I strongly recommend skipping The Outlast Trials for now, unless you have a group of three other friends who all love the previous Outlast games and who are all available to play together at the same time. The Outlast Trials is a bold experiment for developer Red Barrels, taking the basic elements of its stealth horror franchise and adding co-op and live service elements for the first time. Unfortunately, that experiment is a failure, at least in its current state.