Brad Lang

“Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is an excellent return to the franchise that upgrades enough for the entire experience to feel fresh while still retaining what made the original versions so memorable.”

“While its roguelike elements could be a little more exciting, the minute-to-minute gameplay of a run is so fun that I found it easy to overlook this flaw as I leaped back into action to drop more bombs with a well-placed Synchronization. Overall, Metal Slug Tactics is well worth playing.”

“As much as one can applaud Aspyr for rejuvenating a classic game like Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, one has to question the point if so little has been done to bring it up to today's standards. The visual tweaks are appreciated but when so many other issues have been ignored, it's really only a game for diehard fans looking for a nostalgia hit. Coupled with the fact that there are plenty of better Star Wars games, Jango Fett's prequel is likely better preserved in fans' memories than in this remaster.”

“Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an excellent start to what could be a very popular franchise for A44 Games. While the narrative is lackluster and borderline dull, the combat, exploration, and art direction are all top-notch and help to make what could have been another Dark Souls imitator stand out from the crowd. There's a lot to love about it, especially for those who've been put off the Soulslike genre and want to finally dip their toes in with an accessible, fun starting point - though veterans of the genre may want to be wary of what could be another Steelrising difficulty level experience.”

“Capes is an excellent foundation for what could be a fantastic tactics franchise. Thanks to its excellent mechanics, squad-based dynamics, and progression, Spitfire Interactive's debut game will no doubt find plenty of love from those who appreciate small-scale strategy games that emphasize positioning and clever teamwork - it's just a pity that its writing, voice-acting, and animation vary so dramatically in quality that it's difficult to really appreciate its story.”

“Backbone presents the player with an intriguinging world, populated by interesting characters that drive it's often depressing and strange story home to what feels like an eventually inevitable conclusion. It's just a pity that the minute-to-minute gameplay is not only uninspired, but it's also rather boring.”

“Push past the convoluted mechanics and daunting start of Trials of Fire to be greeted by a deep and engaging deck-building rogue-like that's meticulously designed, generous with content, and rewarding to play.”

“Forged in the Barrens is an interesting expansion for Hearthstone that plays it safe while also introducing ideas that could make for some exciting changes in the future.”

“A half-hearted, boring attempt at a farming RPG, Harvest Moon: One World does nothing especially well. Even though it does show some initial promise, it quickly squanders that on poor farming mechanics, a bland open-world and lifeless characters.”

“Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is a disappointingly brief and unengaging role-playing game in a format that doesn't lend itself to engaging gameplay or deliver on a satisfying narrative. While there is potential under the hood, I can't say I enjoyed playing very much at all.”

“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is still a great game a decade later, but it's even better now with the addition of modern multiplayer sensibilities, improved visuals, and an expansive single-player campaign.”

“Noita is an exciting experiment that grew into a tense, complicated, and altogether satisfying game of self-expression and discovery. It allows players a level of freedom often unseen in rogue-likes at the expense of a clear and distinct visual language, and situations that become difficult to quickly parse.”

“Dark, depressing, and more than a little intense, Inmost is a gorgeous game with a powerful narrative hook that doesn't need to focus on its gameplay to deliver a powerful experience.”

“Risk of Rain 2 is an exceptional example of how to combine the rogue-like genre with shooter mechanics. Deep, satisfying and just so addictive, it's taking every cell in my body to prevent me from taking a week off from work just to play more of it.”

“Boring, generic, uninspired and every other synonym for painfully average, The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines isn't worth the time it takes to say its name.”

“Necrobarista is a touching, emotional journey that features an excellently written and easily lovable cast of characters. While the "memories" within the game are frustrating to unlock, it wasn't enough to detract from an otherwise excellent experience.”

“Summer in Mara makes a great first impression with its pleasant visuals and laid-back music but ultimately fails to remain engaging for long due to repetitive quests, a hollow world and plenty of tedious mechanics”

“XCOM 2 on Switch is a functional, enjoyable port that falls prey to some of the weaker hardware offered by Nintendo. If you can look past all the performance issues and long-ish load times, XCOM 2 continues to be one of the best strategy games ever published.”

“Despite some annoyingly prevalent fan-service and clunky fetch quests, Shantae and The Seven Sirens won me over with it’s beautiful realised world, charming characters and thoroughly polished metroidvania design”

“While visually intriguing and distinct, Liberated feels more like an idea than a game, thanks to an uninspired story, boring gameplay and a stunning lack of polish.”