I am really excited for the future of 30XX, and the Abyssal Armory update is chock full of welcome additions. It has the futuristic design and fluid gameplay of the Megaman X series with the replayability of roguelike gold-standards of Hades, Returnal, and Enter the Gungeon.
I want to have faith that Ion Driver is a proof of concept for something bigger and better from Gammera Nest, but what currently exists is less of a test of racing skill and more of a test of patience for a futuristic racing enthusiast. The lack of content, inconsistent hit detection, and buggy racing experience will leave you disappointed. You will see everything Ion Driver has to offer within a few minutes of playing the game, so don't expect an experience of progression, futuristic and high-speed racing, nor skill.
To say that Warp Frontier is a letdown would be mostly glossing over how it succeeds as a point-and-click, but saying that it's an indie gem would be overlook some of the more critical issues that exist in-game. The world and story of Warp Frontier are well developed, yes. The voice acting and soundtrack are icing on the imaginary cake. But, this sci-fi cop drama of a point-and-click is best saved for a PC-playthrough, as the Switch's hardware and controller limitations make some of the game's annoying puzzles into frustrations. I would highly recommend you play this on PC, as your experience will be marred by the Switch.
South Park: Snow Day is dumb fun best played with friends. While it walks solidly down the middle of the road in terms of it being a roguelite and a beat-em-up mashup, it falls short in offering deep variance and complexity to make things feel fresh and worth the replay. It’s funny as hell, though, so that is worth the first playthrough. Hopefully additional content is on the way to freshen things up.
Ground Divers! is an interesting specimen, albeit one that looks much better than it ends up playing. On one hand, being a spectator and plotting out mining paths may be an adult's dream of a nuanced Dig Dug. On the other hand, the grindiness of replaying levels and creating gacha-esque weapons with random perks can detract from a strategic experience. The world of Ground Divers! is a charming (but desolate) one, sure, but I want so much more from this game. Should you take the plunge and try your hand at Ground Divers!, I recommend playing in short bursts to avoid burning out on the grind.
My struggles with Witch Strandings are not of its simplicity, but that of lack of depth. Witch Strandings is not meant to be Death Stranding, part two. Instead, it's meant to be a simplified and more desolate interpretation of a "strand-type" game. The gameplay loop is so simple, all you need is a mouse; you will be wishing that your keyboard will have a greater purpose. Sure, the characters are well-written (albeit needier than I without my morning coffee), the atmosphere is moody and melancholy, and the core (rather, single) gameplay loop leaves the player to assume that they have only one purpose. However, I feel that Witch Strandings could do with another layer of complexity and depth, be it lore-driven or gameplay-driven, to bolster its attempt at experimenting with an already experimental genre. I do not consider Witch Strandings to be a fun in its current state (nor do I consider Death Stranding to be fun, either). Witch Strandings is an intriguing experiment that underdelivers on complexity but excels in atmospheric emulation and simple gameplay. I cannot help but want more from Witch Strandings, and I hope that Strange Scaffold continues to build on this experiment.
Conan Chop Chop is a straightforward roguelite. While it may be shallow in some regards on the equipment and the worldbuilding front, the ability to play with friends can make this roguelite a worthwhile experience for those who want to introduce their friends to the genre. Yes, Conan is on the easier end of most roguelites, but this comes at the cost of a less-than-compelling single player experience. If you're looking for a roguelite to ease you into the unforgiving nature of the roguelite gameplay loop of dying over and over again, then Conan Chop Chop won't leave you frustrated.
Serious Sam 4's PS5 port is disappointing. For a one-year-old game, it would have been nice for some PS5-specific features to be added to this port and give us a reason to try it out on the PS5, but...there seem to not be many reasons to try Serious Sam 4 on the PS5. It does not feel like many changes were made to this port, and the experience is reminiscent of a PS3 game. If you're looking for a fun and demon-filled FPS for your new PS5 this holiday season, then you might like Serious Sam 4. Otherwise, perhaps you should consider waiting until the experienced is more polished.
Paint the Town Red (PTTR) is a decent action sandbox game that can appeal to multiple kinds of players. For those of you who wanted a gorier version of Minecraft, this game is for you! However, the controls/mechanics are difficult to deal with. The roguelike mode Beneath is an interesting step in the right direction, but it pales in comparison to other modes. If you want this game, it's because you literally want to paint the town red in a sandbox environment, and paint the town red you shall.
Phantom Fury is a decent boomer shooter, albeit one that emphasizes environmental interactivity over an arcade-inspired killing spree in which everything is a weapon. The few moments of cinematic silliness are par for the course in the boomer shooter genre, but they’re not enough to make this any less of a slog.
Metal Mind has a lot of promise, don’t get me wrong, it just underdelivers on the charm and depth of its twin-shooter roguelite competitors. The glossing over of nuanced gameplay systems, emptiness of its hub, and vagueness of the universe leads me to believe that some additional refinement is needed to fully realize its potential. Once you figure out its systems, the core gameplay is fun and challenging.
This is all to say that Phantom Abyss falls somewhat short on achieving the goal of offering a challenging parkour adventure in a roguelite package. The whip and phantom gameplay involving other players’ trial and error are unique, but its clunkiness, difficulty, and disparate progression are worth a pause. I’m confident that additional polish and content are coming down the pipeline, but I need more from the current state of the game.
God of Rock is an interesting concept blending rhythm and fighting game elements, with some elements being executed better than others. On the rhythm side, the large soundtrack, complex note patterns, and vibrant visuals offer a good experience for those who excel at multitasking. On the fighting side, the combo system may feel familiar but less satisfying because of so much attention needing to be had on the note chart rather than the visually striking character dishing out damage. I am excited for the future of God of Rock, because once this ends up in the hands of creative community members, I'm sure that the competitive experience will be wild.
If Saviorless is Cuba’s first independent video game, then players are in for an aesthetically pleasing yet moody future of game design that touches on emotional elements that leave a mark on the psyche. Saviorless isn’t the best example of a platformer, but it’s a great start to something truly novel in the platforming space.
Corponation: The Sorting Process is an interesting, albeit well-designed simulation involving simple gameplay and a handful of minigames to break up the monotony of the corporate nonsense lifestyle. While it didn’t peak in terms of pulling on my heartstrings or senses of dread that usually accompany dystopian narratives, it sufficed in keeping me enticed with its gameplay.
Spirittea is the farming sim with Miyazaki vibes I've wanted for a hot minute. It doesn't onboard the player in the most intuitive fashion, so it's a smidge hard to pick up to get into the groove. But, once you've managed to parse through the disparate tea leaves that make up its multiple activities and mechanics, it's worth a try. I'm looking forward to seeing how Spirittea evolves in the future while I enjoy its coziness this holiday season.
Ebenezer and the Invisible World has its moments of fun and rewarding exploration through completing optional sidequests and finding secrets. It looks great, too. However, its big swings in the form of ghost management and stiff traversal/combat lends to a less than stellar experience. May this experience become better in the future with more time and polish? Absolutely, but it's worth waiting to see what happens.
If you're wanting to expand your musical tastes or play some more of Invector: Rhythm Galaxy, I recommend that you get at least one of its song packs. The Spinnin' pack is more for EDM folks, whereas Latin Power contains great choices for those interested in reggaeton/Latin pop music. I'm a smidge disappointed that the packs only contain music and not much else, but hey – the tracks themselves are excellent candidates for a rhythm game and will assuredly join your "on repeat" playlist this holiday season.
Yes, The Last of Us Part I for the PC has somewhat improved a little under two months in. Graphical stutters, framedrops, and other visual artifacts currently exist. If you're able to look past those graphical shortcomings, The Last of Us Part I is a truly exceptional game. Consider waiting just a bit more before jumping into one of the best series from Sony and Naughty Dog to date.
Decarnation is not about the gameplay, but about the journey. And that journey is wrought with existentialism, Lovecraftian horror, and psychological quandaries that may be trigger inducing. It will grip you, refuse to let go, and entrap you until the end of its story. Should you play Decarnation, you will be opting into experiencing horror through the eyes of a protagonist you may, or may not, empathize with. Should you play Decarnation, you should also avoid sharing its execution of horrors that should remain unspeakable. In other words, avoid spoiling whenever possible.