Joelle Daniels

“2XKO is a phenomenal free-to-play fighting game that puts its best foot forward thanks to its depth of gameplay that won't immediately scare newcomers away because of good tutorials. It also helps that it's visually gorgeous and already has a strong roster to start out with.”

“From the Ashes is Frontiers of Pandora at its best. So'lek is a strong lead, the story goes darker, and the new skills and third-person flow make combat and stealth feel sharper than ever.”

“Pioneers of Pagonia has made several meaningful improvements since launching in Early Access nearly two years ago, and it's now well worth your time.”

“ROUTINE may have been a long time coming, but it's definitely well worth the experience now that it's finally here, especially for fans of the horror genre. It keeps you immersed at all times thanks to its lack of UI and full-body awareness.”

“A.I.L.A. is a fantastic looking game that makes a great first impression. However, spending a few hours with it is enough to expose some of its flaws, including strange puzzles and a lack of coherence between the storytelling and its many different horror experiences.”

“Escape From Tarkov might have been one of the first major extraction shooters, but the genre as a whole still has a lot to learn from its core gameplay and how it builds up tension.”

“Anno 117: Pax Romana is a fantastic new entry in a relatively niche genre that offers more accessible gameplay without sacrificing the depth that the city-building genre is known (and loved) for.”

“Mysteria Ecclesiae is a fantastic DLC with a fun story and strong production values, capping off a strong run of post-launch support for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.”

“Tormented Souls 2 is an excellent new entry in a budding horror franchise that takes everything that made its predecessor great and builds on top with an added layer of polish.”

“Slime Rancher 2 not only feels like a great sequel that builds on foundations laid with the original, but also a great game in its own right.”

“A fine addition to a young genre, Survivor adds smart twists, most notably its level-based structure; however, unlike the mainline Deep Rock Galactic, it's single-player only.”

“Assassin's Creed Shadow: Claws of Awaji feels like an excellent refinement of the base game with a small but dense new island, more focused story, and most of the fat from the base game trimmed out.”

“Lost Soul Aside has the foundations of a great action game with strong combat, but those strengths are buried beneath an inconsequential story and noticeable polish issues.”

“While Midnight Murder Club has some clever ideas and decent core gameplay, the lack of a player base makes it more likely that the game will be killed off before it can recover.”

“Echoes of the End offers an engaging couple of days of play, thanks to its intriguing story setup and well-paced mix of combat and puzzles.”

“The Enhanced Edition isn't a major overhaul, some original issues like the clunky UI and awkward camera still persist. In return, you get improved visuals and high-resolution textures. But even with its flaws, Neverwinter Nights 2 and its Mask of the Betrayer expansion continue to offer exceptional storytelling that holds up remarkably well. Play it for the nostalgia.”

“Overture is precisely what Lies of P always needed, more of the same, in the best possible way.”

“RoadCraft feels like the culmination of everything Saber Interactive learned while making its previous simulation games. Its vast variety of vehicles all feel incredibly fun to drive around, and rebuilding a place that got wrecked by natural disasters can be incredibly rewarding.”

“Even after arriving six years after the original, The Sinking City Remastered still feels like a rough gem, its investigative mechanics shine, but they're dulled by clunky combat, weak stealth, and a progression system that leans too heavily on uninspired, combat.”

“Post Trauma is an interesting experiment in the horror genre that tries to bring back classic gameplay styles to a modern age. Despite this, there are still strange puzzles to deal with, and the first-person segments feel counter-productive to the excellent atmosphere created by fixed camera angles.”