Lies of P has excellent combat and a raft of well-designed boss fights, but bad storytelling permeates a sense that you've seen all of this before.
Planet of Lana is a perfectly fine, if strangely unambitious, cinematic platformer, hitting all the right notes without writing a new song.
Elderand is, for better and worse, a fairly by-the-numbers Metroidvania. It does nothing exceptional, but it rarely slips up badly either.
Cagliostro's Secrets presents a reasonably-sized extra chunk of Steelrising that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but gets the job done.
Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers occasionally overcommits to its retro vibe with punishing and unfair difficulty, but its action is tight and it's charming enough to overlook the flaws.
Soulstice's overwritten story and repetitive second half somewhat dull the catharsis of its glorious throwback hack-and-slash combat, but it's still great fun.
Steelrising never quite feels like a cohesive experience, but its warring halves of Soulslike combat and narrative RPG storytelling are compelling enough in and of themselves.
At its core, Dogworld is a satisfying, cathartic shooter. It's let down by difficulty issues, wonky core design, and some lethal bugs.
Jenny LeClue - Detectivu won't trouble even detective novices, but its sweet-natured world and strong writing see it through.
It's no reinvention of the wheel, but Resident Evil 3 is a satisfactory survival horror game nonetheless. Despite some wobbles and a sense of victory-lap complacency, RE3 has just enough intriguing moments to survive.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill offers a pleasing mixture of challenge and serenity. It's a touch repetitive and the level design needs work, but it's a fine way to while away a rainy afternoon or two.
Sludge Life 2 is a second verse that feels much the same as the first, but it's still got a bouncy, vivacious, and utterly unique sound.
Otxo is streamlined almost to a fault, but its got incredibly rewarding combat, fluid movement, and a great horror-inflected aesthetic. (Review Policy)
Pascal's Wager has a truly terrible story, but its exploration, combat, and enemy design set it apart.
Shady Part of Me has a frustrating story and a terrible title, but it's a great little puzzle platformer with a very neat central mechanic.
When Horace is good, it's a touching, thrilling experience. When it's bad, it's overly frustrating and too reliant on the dreaded pop culture references.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute has nothing new to offer but its rhythm-based combat. Luckily, that combat is immensely satisfying, even when the surrounding structure can feel a touch empty.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps plays it too safe, but there's fun to be had. Engaging platforming and improved combat make up for uninspired enemy design and a much too self-serious tone.
Phoenix Point will appeal to you if you're a big fan of the new XCOM games but wish they had more complexity. If you're turned off by punishing strategy and a hands-off approach, Phoenix Point is not for you.
Evil West successfully revitalizes the third-person shooter genre with intense, satisfying combat, even if its level design isn't much to write home about.