Diablo IV has been through some big ups and downs since launching last summer, but the game's third season is about to begin, and it may be the biggest and most interesting one so far. The world of Diablo may be mostly known for angels and demons, but this time mechanical monstrosities will be getting in on the action. Titled "Season of the Construct," this season will see players journey to the depths underneath the desert of Kehjistan, where ancient robotic technology has sprung back to life and been made to serve the forces of evil. Players will make camp at the town of Gatehall and explore various vault dungeons full of the titular constructs as they attempt to master this powerful force for themselves.

SHOULD I PLAY WARHAMMER 40K: ROGUE TRADER? Absolutely play this game if you’re a Warhammer 40K fan or you’re chasing the high of Baldur’s Gate 3’s crunchy tactical battles. Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader isn’t as visually lavish as Larian’s magnum opus, but it’s packed with all the Warhammer 40K goodness a fan could ever want, and it’s set in a wild and unpredictable landscape of frontier worlds that provide some much-needed variety to the usual buffet of cookie-cutter space marines.

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.

SHOULD I PLAY BANISHERS: GHOSTS OF NEW EDEN? Check this one out if you’re a fan of other games from developer Don’t Nod, like Tell Me Why and Vampyr. In Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden you play a pair of ghost hunters—the banishers in the title—who have traveled to colonial New England to find their mentor and colleague, who has warned them of a terrible curse. It’s a great setting with some beautifully drawn characters filling out the story, but it unfolds at an awkwardly slow pace and features mediocre (if inoffensive) combat.

I really love the lore behind the Rusty Lake universe. The lore spans over 300 years and involves the stories of multiple families. All works from the Cube Escape series/Rusty Lake series contain various details and are related to each other, making the lore more complicated yet intriguing. Would definitely recommend the series to those who love lore-rich puzzle games.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it! Honkai: Star Rail is a sci-fi RPG that’s better than developer MiHoYo’s Honkai Impact 3rd and comes very close to the charm of the much-loved Genshin Impact. Star Rail’s immersive storyline, beautiful graphics, and deep turn-based combat have kept me thoroughly entertained. TIME PLAYED I played Honkai: Star Rail for seven hours. The tutorial took me around forty minutes, and the rest of my play time has been dedicated to various lengthy questlines. I’ve also acquired seven characters and leveled five of them to their current max of level twenty.

Without a doubt, the Runeterran lore of this game is one of the best there is. It's what got me hooked in the game. You can pick up a champ and eventually know who they are and what they are fighting for because their respective stories are reflected on their gameplay mechanics, voice line interactions and visual design. It's well-executed than other games and genres out there. Also, their alternate universes for their various skin lines are as vast and as rich with amazing storytelling. Arcane, the series on Netflix was based on this game's lore and set of champions.

For a certain type of dorky kid growing up in the '90s, the Stargate franchise was a formative gateway into goofy-yet-fun, low-budget sci-fi adventures. Beginning with the 1994 movie Stargate, the series quickly expanded out into multiple TV shows, comics, cartoons, books, and yes, video games. And while there hasn't been much going on with this IP in recent years, that's finally changing this week, as an all-new Stargate game has just launched...and you can even play the first mission for free.

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.

The best lore game I played is Nier. Drag-on Dragoon was release in 2003, later titled Drakengard, was created by Yoko Taro. Later it was followed by a sequel, then pre-sequel, and a lot of spin-offs. And Nier started as a spin-off from this Drakengard series, later getting a series of it's own. From this small description itself we can say for sure that this one's a lore-rich game! But don't worry you can enjoy Nier as it's own, but the world building is so rich that we need to have atleast the basic idea regarding it's history and lore to spot all the references and make all the connections.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it! Doomblade is a challenging but charming Metroidvania that gives off Hollow Knight vibes but manages to have a unique identity all its own. Stepping into the shoes of a tiny, tentacled creature known as Gloom Girl, I picked up an evil, sentient sword and set out on an intense adventure to take out the Dread Lords, otherworldly baddies who’ve wiped out the Gloomfolk and created a dystopian world. That adventure challenged my skills as much as anything I’ve played this year, but it was well worth fighting through to explore this wild, interesting world.

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.

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

Embark on a heartfelt journey with Domino, the young and introverted hero, in "DOMINO: The Little One." This immersive interactive narrative experience delves into the dreamscape, intertwining personal struggles with the looming challenges of environmental issues. GAME PRESENTATION The game's narratives are a standout feature, weaving a compelling story that explores Domino's inner world alongside

Lost Echo presents an immersive sci-fi mystery adventure that captivates players from the first click. As Greg embarks on a desperate quest to find his vanished girlfriend, Chloe, the game promises a visually stunning and emotionally engaging experience. Background Story: The narrative unfolds in the near future, blending suspense and sci-fi elements seamlessly. Greg's search for Chloe sets the stage for a thrilling journey filled with twists and turns, keeping players hooked with each revelation.

[Music credits: "Fantasy Orchestra 3 BGM 86" by Nico - "Fantasy Orchestra 2 BGM 112" by Nico]

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Wow, this is way harder to answer than it usually is. I would say skip Garten of Banban 3 if you’re looking for what might traditionally be called a “good” game. But on the other hand, if you’re looking for something almost inexplicably weird—like just so strange that you almost can’t help but enjoy it—then it might just be worth playing. As with previous entries in the series,

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 PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE LOST CROWN? Yes! As a long-time fan of the Prince of Persia franchise, I was excited to see it coming back, but even gamers who are totally unfamiliar with previous games should be able to find plenty to love in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This reboot puts players into the role of Sargon, a warrior of Persia who must venture into the dangerous region of Mount Qaf after the prince is kidnapped. In gameplay terms, that means exploring a fascinating region in the form of a tightly designed 2D Metroidvania-style adventure.

Step into the fantastical world of Figment, a game that seamlessly weaves together the ethereal tapestry of thoughts and fears. In this mind-bending adventure, players embark on a journey of rediscovery, facing nightmares head-on and restoring courage in a surreal landscape. Background Story: Figment introduces players to a serene mind disrupted by nightmarish creatures born from unsettling thoughts.