Jody Macgregor
A better Warhammer game than the last few.
A long game of choose-your-own-chosen-one with high highs to balance the lows.
At its best when it's strangest, Inscryption doesn't know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
Better than Borderlands 3, but not quite reaching the heights of Borderlands 2 at its best.
An evocative life-sim RPG you won't want to wake up from.
The knockabout glee of classic Saints Row ultraviolence is here, but held back a little by new-found restraint.
If you found Slay the Spire's oppressiveness off-putting, Mahokenshi's easier and dressed up in a pretty kimono.
Like a Miyazaki-movie love of food, from the glorious ramen Mr. Saitou slumps next to at an izakaya to the strange confectionery available at a convenience store run by fungus. And the RPG Maker interface that you'll need to hit F11 to force into fullscreen. And a soulful bittersweetness that means it's likely to, cliché as it sounds, make you laugh and make you cry. At least a little bit. It's not the full emotional rollercoaster of Rakuen—it's more of a bite-sized experience, a quick ghost train through a bouncy castle where you can whip to the last stop in a single sitting if you want.
Oxenfree 2 is a more mature second run at the walk-and-talk formula.
Rogue Trader gets 40K's atmosphere right, but it's buggy and the rules are a mess.
With its emphasis on roleplay rather than combat and borrowings from Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate feels like another step forward for the CRPG.
With its emphasis on crafting and trading rather than action, Last Epoch puts the cart before the horse.