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

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.

SHOULD I PLAY BLAZBLUE ENTROPY EFFECT? Definitely give this one a shot if you’re a fan of great roguelites or the action-packed anime aesthetic of the BlazBlue series. This spin-off, BlazBlue Entropy Effect, sees familiar characters, move sets, and thumb-crushing combos of the BlazBlue fighting games translated into a roguelite action game formula. That makes for a challenging experience, but thanks to a tightly designed progression system and an intriguing story, I found it hard to put this game down.

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.

SHOULD I PLAY CRYSTAL OF ATLAN? Absolutely play it once you get the chance! If the ongoing technical beta test is anything to go by, Crystal of Atlan may be the strongest action-RPG competition Genshin Impact has faced since Tower of Fantasy. While it’s too early to say whether Atlan can actually surpass Genshin, I feel confident that it’s well-designed enough to deserve your time and consideration.

We're always looking for the perfect game for the Halloween season, and it doesn't get much more perfect than World of Horror. In the works for years now, World of Horror is like a love letter to everything about the horror genre—but with a special focus on the unsettling body horror of manga artist Junji Ito and the unspeakable cosmic horror of author H.P. Lovecraft. What's most amazing about World of Horror is what it accomplishes with so little, though. The visuals are extremely lo-fi—in fact, the game's black-and-white art was literally created using MS Paint! Despite those humble tools, though, solo developer Panstasz has created some memorable and truly disturbing imagery.

SHOULD I PLAY FORT SOLIS? Fort Solis is absolutely worth playing, as long as you know the type of game you’re getting into. And that is, to be clear, a one hundred percent narrative game. Virtually all of the “gameplay” in Fort Solis is made up of walking around the titular creepy abandoned base on Mars, with a small handful of very simple puzzles and quick time events. That said, if you’re down for a creepy, suspenseful story, this one will get under your skin in all the best ways.

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

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 UNSORTED HORROR? Play it if you like horror games at all. I mean, it’s totally free, what do you have to lose? Unsorted Horror is a compilation of five brief but memorable horror experiences created by developer Mike Klubnika. While the actual gameplay is somewhat minimal here, the sense of atmosphere that Klubnika builds is second to none. This free collection operates as a first glimpse of someone who is likely to become a major name in the world of horror games, so you might as well get on board now.

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.

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,

CORRUPTOR "A monster born from Mania, with a deformed body and no sanity. Mania is a mutation unique to humans that causes abnormal mental and physical changes in individuals. First discovered in DisCity in N.F. 84, its cause is still unknown. People infected with Mania will become slaves to extreme feelings and emotions, such as hysteria, paranoia, and insatiable appetites for sensual pleasures; at the same time, their physical strength will increase exponentially, and their physical appearance will change beyond recognition. Eventually, they will go deranged and turn into grotesque monsters that have no will of their own."

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.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is Koei Tecmo's upcoming action RPG and one of the latest developments in Type-Moon's Fate series. Unlike previous installments, Fate/Samurai Remnant takes place further in the past during the Edo period in the mid-17th century, and features traditional Japanese themes and styles. As someone that's watched the anime series from time to time, I'm particularly interested in how this game will build on the Fate series and what combat could be like in the Edo period. I think the visuals are pretty cool too. The vibrant colors mixed with the anime-style look, makes the game appealing but not too far from any of the other Fate games or shows.

Epic Seven (7) is epic. Great graphics along with beautiful animated cutscenes that appear not too commonly during the storyline; atleast this is compensated by the new characters' E3 animations. Speaking of which, the LORE is immaculate. I cannot recall ever skipping the text that plays at the beginning of each level or episode, because I want to get to know the characters. The characters, no matter the rarity, all play such a huge role in the overarching LORE of Epic Seven; despite the endless roster of playable characters, there's never any one that leaves me confused on who they are. (The Moonlight heroes, on the other hand.......)

Despite being made by the same team that created the beloved Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide and Warhammer: Vermintide 2, players were very lukewarm on last year's Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. The mixed reviews on Steam pointed to tons of bugs, a lack of content, and unrewarding progression as major problems contributing to the lack of excitement. Well, developer Fatshark has been working away at Darktide for a year now, improving on those issues with patches adding new content, balancing classes and abilities, and squashing legions of bugs. That all culminates in the just-launched Patch 13, which completely overhauls how classes and leveling work in the game.

I would say my favorite lore-rich game is Inscryption. It is not merely a roguelike card-game, but is an integrated presentation of intriguing gameplay and unexpected plot-twist. For me, the more interesting part is actually outside of this game, since on one hand, another two works (Pony Island and The Hex) from the same development team also share the same universe with Inscryption (but with totally different stories and gameplay), which somehow triggers more interpretation of the lore from different players; and on the other hand, some part of the lore is even connected with the real world we’re living in, and that also makes the whole thing more fantastic.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it as soon as you’re able to. Wuthering Waves is still only in a limited-release closed beta, and it may be a while yet until it’s more widely available. As soon as you’re able to get into the game, though, I strongly recommend it. This stylish action-RPG brings a unique world to life on PC and mobile devices, with a blend of fantasy and sci-fi that focuses on the mystical properties of soundwaves. Even in this early state, I’m already sold on continuing to explore this strange new world.

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.