Even as someone who, until recently, was never really interested in walking simulators and their narrative-centric design, I was always well aware of the impact of Firewatch on its genre and the medium as a whole. Would it hold up to the high praise following it?

Pros:
+ gorgeous setting with incredible vistas
+ a smart variation on the tropes of the genre
+ incredible, true-to-life voice acting
+ dialogue system always feel natural and organic...
+ ...and reacts to player actions in surprising ways
+ map and compass system are well-implemented
+ the easter eggs and references to other games are sweet
+ the narrative takes wide, daring swings...

Cons:
- ...but misses more often than not
- technical performance is lacking and buggy, incl. a soft lock
- running has to be re-toggled every few seconds
- object interaction is pointless
- time limits for chosing answers are too short
- the initial multiple choice chapter seems perfunctory
- central metaphors of the narrative are heavy-handed
- story reveals arrive too late and seem arbitrary
- the ending feels abridged and unsure of itself

Playtime: Roughly 4,5 hours.

Blagic Moment: Finding something tragic in the last third and realizing that the main storyline connecting the two main characters is actually a Trojan Horse.

Verdict:
Regrettably, after finally playing through the game, I cannot help but feel like this is wonderfully presented but ultimately hollow narrative that never really knows what kind of story it wants to tell, directionlessly meandering between different character arcs without ever completing them. Neither Henry nor Delilah ever really change throughout their journeys, and the interactivity and choices the game offers in the beginning never amount to a coherent whole, including a severe lack of player-specific endings.

I was highly disappointed in Firewatch, especially coming off Gone Home and its more simplistic but much more effective approach to telling its heartfelt story. Therefore, I cannot recommend it and did not much enjoy it, but I am aware that I am pretty alone with this opinion.

Pro:
+ unique dice system with puzzle and strategic elements
+ addictive gameplay loop that is easy to learn but hard to master
+ chance effects are smartly obfuscated
+ every character offers a different playstyle
+ large variety of usable equipment
+ enemies are challenging and use their dice efficiently
+ enemies have elemental weaknesses and strengths
+ dice element effects are surprisingly complex
+ limit breaks offer tactical choices
+ save scamming is possible (and I would encourage it)
+ final episode is a smart and fitting end to the game
+ DLC offers even more playstyles and more complex puzzle episodes

Cons:
- a full run can take over an hour on later episodes
- difficulty is generally brutal and one bad fight can end a run
- some episodes require long-form planning and a lot of luck
- randomness inherent in dice games can become frustrating
- lack of meta-upgrades is a questionable design decision
- UI is confusing and dice tend to cover the play area
- visual style is flatout ugly
- enemy design is terrible and most are carricatures (gay wizard? smartphone witch?)
- sound design is equally awful
- writing is forgettable and dialogue cannot be skipped
- shop item costs are randomized for no reason
- not all relevant information is available during fights: no exp level etc.
- pause button does not actually pause the game
- you never get to win the car!

Playtime: 73 hours with all episodes, all hardmode levels plus all DLC episodes finished and 90 percent of achievements acquired.

Magic Moment: Showing the game to my partner for the first time and them falling in love with it much more than I did. My partner did not even want me to uninstall it after we finished it.

Favourite character: The thief. Feels very different to play and stealing items is fun.
Worst episode: Episode four of the inventor. Finishing it is an excercise in futility.

Verdict:
I am fully aware that one's taste for the aesthetics of a game are highly personal, but I have to come right out and say it: Dicey Dungeons is an ugly game with an ugly presentation that is best played with the sound of and a trigger finger on the button whenever characters start talking. With that in mind, the underlying combat mechanics are extremely strong, the different characters feel very differently from each other, and the real sense of progress from one episode to another quickly leads to the infamous loop of "one more run" that will cost you more than just a few hours of sleep.

Play it if like dice games and crave a challenge. Playing through all the episodes and additional DLC challenges is not necessary to enjoy this game and doing so will lead to a lot of frustration, which is mitigated by save scamming and restarting boss fights, which I would highly encourage.

Roguelite meets poker meets... the mad urge to try one's luck against the mercilessness of mathematical probabilities. To the wrong players, Balatro may become an addiction - to the right players, it certainly will.

Pros:
+ the simple presentation is perfectly realized
+ the gameplay loop is simple but addicting
+ no knowledge of card games or poker is necessary
+ gameplay is designed to offer various playstyles
+ joker system is a constant battle of risk and reward
+ huge number of jokers allows for plenty of experimentation
+ jokers and consumables can be sold and
+ option to skip fights extends the playstyle choices
+ unlocking new cards is a great motivator
+ challenge mode is a nice palatee cleanser between runs
+ the sole music track somehow manages to never get annoying

Cons:
- the tutorial is barebones and skips important aspects of the game
- joker and boss descriptions are often uninformative
- joker interactions cannot be inferred without trying them out
- higher difficulties are unbeatable without the right jokers
- boss blinds seem to be randomized, leading to unwinnable situations
- some of the bosses are not balanced and can damage a run beyond repair
- not all hands are equally viable for a winning run (straights are not worth it)
- some bugs and technical issue still have to be ironed out

Playtime: 48 hours with almost all decks unlocked but still quite a few difficulty levels to overcome.

Magic Moment: Getting the Egg joker, which periodically increases in sell price, and the Joker that adds the sell value of your jokers to your multiplayer in the first ante. Edging out a win on the final ante with a hail mary discard.

Verdict:
Balatro's deceptively simple look belies a surprisingly complex, satisfying riff on Texas hold 'em poker, combined with the usual rogue-lite chorus of "just one more run". The game constantly calls for meaningful choices that can turn a run on its head, even if the number of viable combinations of poker hands and jokers gets smaller and smaller as the difficulties increase. The challenge mode, however, is a nice addition that extends the possible playstyles even more, at least for players willing to really grind their teeth on the game's inherently frustrating randomness factor and often unclear joker interactions.

In any case, Balatro is a must play for roguelike and card game fans alike, and more proof that simple ideas can make for the best games. Play it, but know what you are getting into.

Pros:
+ a modern, respectful take on classic RPGs
+ fitting artstyle and detailed pixel art
+ walking speed and traversal are wonderfully fast
+ grinding is unimportant and heavily discouraged
+ overworld combat is usually optional
+ energy refill after battles is a daring but effective design choice
+ common fights are always challenging and meaningful
+ boss fights are challenging and their designs are memorable
+ reward system serves as an integrated achievement log
+ status effect system is innovative (but the game does not keep track of them)
+ swapping characters mid-fight is quick and rewarding
+ unique enemies are smartly integrated and hinted at
+ buried treasure system is a fresh idea
+ Sky Armors are undeniably cool and well-animated
+ dungeon design is pretty good and chests are hidden well
+ some items and skills retain their German idiosynchrasies
+ overworld map is charming and quick to traverse
+ a lot of optional content to explore towards the end
+ plenty of accessability options
+ overdrive system is a genuine innovation to the genre...

Cons:
- ...but its implementation is severely lacking
- multiple enemy attacks extend overdrive level more than defending decreases it
- Sky Armor overdrive bar in particular is often completely unworkable
- Sky Armor proficiency system is unintuitive and never explained
- only four characters can wear Sky Armor and none have Ultra Moves
- combat is generally simple, early tactics can carry through the entire game
- fights cannot be avoided in dungeons and caves
- enemies' aggro radius is intransparent
- gem system is overly complex and unnecessarily frustrating
- Ultra Moves are creative but inconsequential
- leveling system is intransparent and skill increases are expensive but unsatisfying
- turn order often seems arbitrary: the same fight can start with various orders
- reviving characters does not add them to the turn order overview
- the music is mostly bland, the main combat theme is forgettable
- menus spoil late-stage aspects of the game: Sky Armor, playable characters, canning etc.
- frequent UI and interface issues (characters not in party still show up in the menu...)
- cutscenes are too long and too frequent
- the cast of characters, especially the villains, is far too large
- the writing is too expansive and dependent on plot twists
- the ending is frustrating and nonsensical
- some typos and awkward phrases mar the English translation

Magic Moments: Playing Sienna for the first time and realizing what a badass she is. Exploring the overworld and finding hidden spots, just like in the old days.

Blahgic Moments: Finding an secret character and realizing that he starts from zero and is mostly useless in combat. Getting the Sky Armor for the first time and not being able to use Ultra Moves. Using moves that you actually are not comfortable with, just to satisfy the overdrive bar.

Playtime: 55 hours on default (normal) difficulty. 100% completion. All rewards and best weapons acquired, all optional bosses beaten.


Verdict:
Every once in a while, you are bound to play a game that everyone seems to love but you are somewhat disappointed by. Chained Echoes is that game for me.

While creator Matthias Linda's reverence for the look and feel of old-school, 90s RPGs is felt at every turn and very much appreciated by this 90s kid, the overall package of Chained Echoes beyond its pitch-perfect presentation is lacking in more ways than one. The hardcore railroading, while designed to make grinding obsolete, severely limits the customization of each party member, leading to a combat system that rarely changes over the course of the game. The same tactics will carry you from the first few hours to the finale, and even if Sienna's animation in particular never gets old, the combat in general becomes boring very early on, and the Sky Armors add very little to the overall combat loop. The cast of characters is too large to have everyone experience a complete arc, especially when it comes to the giant cast of villains, and the ending to the story feels designed by a Disney committee instead of evolving naturally over the course of the game.

That being said, there is never a doubt that Chained Echoes is a real labor of love that offers plenty of secrets to discover, characters to gawk over, and cool bosses to fight, and that will be enough for many fans of the genre. But the glorious reception feels somewhat excessive, and the frequent moments of frustration and questionable design decisions should not be overlooked.

So play it with an open mind and see if it's for you, but a quick playthrough without exploring every nook and cranny of this world is certainly enough.

Pros:
+ the look and general design are absolutely unique
+ the dungeon is huge and more complex than it seems at first
+ ability system is intriguing and affects every element of the game
+ exploration is a constant tug and pull between danger and reward
+ treasures are rare but incredibly useful
+ enemy locations are randomized
+ descend and ascend abilities are fun and can break the game
+ losing all party members does not lead to a complete game over
+ walking speed can be quickly adjusted

Cons:
- the general visual style, animations, and overall presentation are amateurish
- the game loop repeats without change from the first floor to the last
- playtime averages over 30 hours and feels artificially inflated
- exploring each floor in full is necessary but boring and time-consuming
- event numbers on the board seem to follow no discernible logic
- the number of useful abilities far outweighs the available slots
- user interface is ugly and badly designed
- combat mechanics are shallow and tedious
- characters have no personality and cannot be customized
- equipment cannot be changed mid-combat
- party strength is highly dependent on random enemy drops
- there is no no narrative beyond the barebones title card
- random number weapons turn fights into dice throwing competitions
- shop inventory is linked to party levels instead of floor progress
- music mostly consists of lazy versions of classical pieces
- hard rock combat theme in particular gets annoying fast
- even with the upgrade, the perspective is limiting and cannot be zoomed
- wanderer compass ability is necessary but frustrating to use
- losing and retrieving a party is terribly annoying
- a wandering, lost party is practically impossible to find
- optional characters can break the entire game
- enemies and traps can put you deeply into debt without warning


Playtime: Abandoned after 12 hours, with most floors uncovered, most characters collected and 46,000 tiles explored. Final boss found and fought but not beaten. -20,000 coins in debt because ... why not?

Blagic Moments: Using a weapon with randomized damage output for the first time and realizing that the damage number is indeed completely randomized, turning battles into endless dice throws. Losing a battle and having to retrieve it with level 1 characters for no apparent reason at all. Stepping on a trap that you have never seen before and going into debt for the rest of the game.

Magic Moment: Finally turning off the terrible sound to enjoy the game a tiny bit more.


Verdict:
Dungeon Encounters portrays itself as a modern take on classical RPG virtues that distills genre tropes down to the bare necessities, opting to focus on the strength of its the mechanics over the contemporary rat race of higher and higher production values. However, only a few hours in, the issue with this unique approach quickly becomes apparent: Exploring the same, grid-based maps over and over again gets grating fast, and the combat quickly amounts to little more than two spread sheets throwing dice with thousands of sides at each other.

Losing or winning a fight more often than not amounts to pure luck after the first third of the game, and certain enemy constellation can quickly lead to a party wipe even after copious amounts of grinding. One lost fight makes it necessary to retrieve the party with level 1 characters that can be lost even more quickly on the same boring maps. This combination of tedious exploration and unfair combat situations is the core design that the entire game is built around: by floor 20 or so, you will have spent hours repeating the same few actions without much of a reason to repeat them for 80 more floors due to the lack of a narrative or any other engaging elements. With this severe lack of dramatic heft, the game reveals itself to be a wholly superfluous time sink that offers nothing but hundreds of confrontations of still pictures, until the credits finally roll.

Skip this game if you value your time and play one of the classic progenitors of the genre instead if you value mechanics over presentation.

Pros:
+ unique 1-bit visuals ooze style
+ central deduction mechanic is singular in the medium
+ the murder mystery hooks you from the first minute
+ death memories are incredibly designed and full of details
+ the game tells a fully realized story in a handful of static scenes
+ supernatural elements add a lot of intrigue to the story
+ faces slowly appearing on the sketch serves as a smart guidance system
+ the three-correct-solutions design is a great idea
+ the guidance book is well-designed and mostly quick to use
+ clues can be gathered in many different ways and places
+ some murder scenes accept various causes of deaths
+ incredible sound design and voice acting
+ the game can be finished with any number of correct solutions
+ the soundtrack is tailored to each chapter and serves secret hints...

Cons:
- ...but is far too blarring for my taste and cannot be volume adjusted
- no in-game system to record clues and possible connections
- memories play out twice for no apparent reason
- ghost animations after a death memory cannot be skipped
- memories cannot be played from the book
- not all causes of death are identifiable without some guess work
- some victims' memories can only be identified via other death sequences
- not all people can be identified in a given memory if they are too far away
- the final chapter is a letdown and reveals nothing interesting

Playtime: 11,5 hours with the entire book filled. A few solutions were lucky guesses.

Magic Moments: Realizing for the first time that there are supernatural elements to the story. Finally identifying that one guy with the beanie hat who is in practically every memory. Guessing corectly which place some of the crew disappeared to on my first attempt.

Most Difficult Deduction: The name and fate of the circus strong man.

Verdict:
Return of the Obra Dinn is nothing short of a masterpiece. Lucas Pope careful, precise creation of not one but 60 murder mysteries is simply incredible, and there are enough smart design ideas here to fill at least three other games. While the journey across and below the ship to each corpse and their death memories can get a bit tiresome over the course of a playthrough, the audio-visual style more than enough for it with a unique look that oozes style. It is save to say that Obra Dinn will feel just as fresh and exciting in the future as it did on its initial release all thanks to its daring but detailed art direction, even if the story of its crew and their often violent demise can only properly be experienced once due to the nature of the game.

One complete journey on the Obra Dinn however should be absolutely mandatory for any fan of deduction games, Sudoku riddles, or players interested in the dangers of maritime life in the 19th century. You will not regret it.

Pros:
+ art design and visual style is one of the best ever created
+ incredibly realized, fully believable open world
+ size of the world has more than doubled from BOTW
+ movement through the world is a spectacle
+ important upgrades like the warp item are available early on
+ technical performance is mostly fine
+ untold amounts of things to do and secrets to discover
+ addition of caves noticeably enriches the game world
+ new abilities add a lot of new actions to the gameplay
+ ultra hand is an engineering marvel that works without issues
+ fuse system is easy to use and adds heaps of complexity to the combat
+ ascend mechanic is a helpful addition and just works
+ physics and chemistry systems have been much improved over BOTW
+ cooking system has been improved and many new modifiers affect the gameplay
+ Sages and their abilities are well-implemented and tied to the gameplay
+ Zelda's arc and plot revelations are highlights of the series
+ quests are more complex and varied compared to BOTW
+ story is better constructed and carries a greater urgency than in BOTW
+ Purrah is the best bae

Cons:
- controls are cluttered and take a lot of time to get used to
- ultra hand in particular feels cumbersome to use
- general game progression is copied from BOTW
- the depths are too empty and mostly disconnected from the overworld
- most shrines are too simple and too many are completely empty
- item management is time-consuming and needs more sorting options
- attaching items to arrows cannot be automated
- silver enemy variants are tedious damage sponges
- fights in the later game are zero-sum-games
- rewards for the bigger fetch quests are disappointing
- fuse system makes searching for treasure chests mostly obsolete
- shop prices are exceedingly high and rupees are tough to come by
- sensor is still difficult to handle
- musical direction is still great but mostly copies that of BOTW
- US dub is pretty rough (you should chose the Japanese voices instead)
- no accessability options
- final fight feels underwhelming compared to the size of the game

Playtime: 220 hours, 72% of in-game progress. Almost all quests finished, all armor acquired, all Bubbul gems acquired, all Sage's will acquired, all shrines and roots activated, 330 Korok seeds found.

Magic Moments: Entering the depths for the first time. Building a working flying machine and finding out I could control it. Entering the Korok forest again. Understanding the fuse system and using it to solve puzzles. The first finished Gleeok fight. Most importantly, finding out what happened to Zelda.

Best Shrine: Orochium Shrine (Courage to Fall).
Worst Shrine: Timawak Shrine (Against the Flow).

Verdict:
Nintendo have done it again: Tears of the Kingdom improves on Breath of the Wild in almost every possible way, offering a bigger, more exciting world, more secrets to discover, and a more engaging narrative to experience over the course of dozens, if not hundreds of hours of playtime. While the fresh gameplay options offer new, never seen possibilities to interact with the surprisingly large but beautiful game world, its quests, and puzzles, the ultra hand system in particular is a technical marvel that invites players' creativity in more ways than quite possibly any other game ever created. Even though the game is not flawless and issues like the cumbersome controls and item management, simple and short shrines, barren depths, and reused main quest structure should not remain unmentioned, the practically endless amount of incredible design decisions and memorable moments that Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Eiji Aonuma and their team at Nintendo have created here is nothing short of spectacular.

It is almost unthinkable where else the series could even go in the future after a game this fully realized, and I certainly do not envy the Zelda team's responsibility to create a rival to Tears of the Kingdom. But even if this is the actual endpoint for the series in terms of scope and scale for the time being, we should be thankful and glad Nintendo took a chance on one of its most beloved franchises and created this duology for us to experience. What a time to be alive.

After playing the first Blasphemous and ending up disappointed and frustrated by it, I was cautiously interested in this sequel. Would it improve on the weird difficulty spikes, issues with the platforming, and general lack of polish that plagued the original?

Pros:
+ graphical presentation is of the highest order
+ some screens rival Italian Renaissance chiaroscuro paintings
+ character and enemy designs are wonderfully weird and uncanny
+ combat options are varied and satisfying
+ boss fights are not the usual skill ceilings
+ weapons double as key items for progress
+ bead and statue systems allow for plenty of customization
+ soul system from souls-likes has been smartly changed up
+ one particular bead makes finding secrets easier
+ music has a fittingly grandiose style and quality
+ a lot of secrets to uncover...

Cons:
- ...but the number of collectibles is daunting
- the mace is OP and makes the other weapons obsolete
- boss introductions and dialogue cannot be skipped
- the verbose and obscurantist writing style is just so worn out
- quest item descriptions are rarely helpful in solving the quests
- important movement upgrades are found relatively late in the game
- little enemy variety and a lot of repeats from the first game
- some parts of the map are too hard to find

Playtime: 19 hours, 99% of the map uncovered, most but not all collectibles found.

Magic Moments: Finding one of the starting weapons in the dungeon and realizing how the game is structured. Entering shops and quest rooms and marveling at their incredibly detailed designs. Seeing a giant men feed a baby.

Verdict:
My opinion shortly after finishing the game could not be more clear: The fine people at Team17 have created a tight, polished Metroidvania that improves on the original in almost every way. The combat is more varied and tighter than ever before, the graphical presentation is frequently awe-inspiring, and the various collectables, although a bit too high in number, allow for lots of experimentation and varied personal playstyles. The newcomer-friendly difficulty is a most welcome change as well and shows that bosses do not have to serve as frustrating skill tests to be enjoyable.

In combination, Blasphemous 2 is a must play for fans of the original and a certain recommendation for anyone else.
Play it, Penant One, and a atone for your sins.

Pros:
- Another milestone with lots of historic value, especially in terms of its connection to the SaGa series
- Lovingly recreated in the Pixel Remaster versions with great soundtrack and visuals (except for the font and weird screen tearing)
- A map and autosave function that will eliminate most of the frustration
- An actual quest with actual characters and a distinct dramatic quality
- A leveling system that was daring for its time and still has many interesting ideas
- Secrets and side quests that make the world feel alive and reward players' curiosity
- An actual open world that introduces Chocobos to the series

Cons:
- Mostly opaque leveling system that never becomes any clearer throughout the game, with apparently random damage rolls that render strategic battles impossible
- Awful dungeon designs that bait players with empty rooms and punish their curiosity with random encounters
- Beginner's loot and items even in the final dungeon
- Higher encounter rate than in FFI that will either bore the hell out of you or make you scream in anger
- The incredibly disappointing quest for finding Ultima
- A final boss fight that is so badly designed that it becomes practically impossible if your party is developed with physical attacks in mind. Seriously, without one particular MISSABLE weapon, it becomes a huge chore and epitomizes all grievances directed at the game throughout the decades

Magic Moment: The first meeting with series mascot Cid and the Chocobo.

Verdict: Not recommended for newcomers, even veterans should probably skip this one. Longer and tougher than FFI, but not as rewarding. Certainly don't replay.

Pros:
+ perhaps the first true MetroidBrania ever created
+ smart inversion of the monomyth and tired video game clichés
+ unique open universe setting and visual style
+ fresh interpretation of the time loop concept
+ deep integration of gameplay, setting, and story
+ often ingenious, four-dimensional puzzle design
+ if something looks possible, it usually is (Sun Station!)
+ idiosyncratic translation mechanic and good writing
+ optional areas of the universe enrich the narrative
+ secret endings are surprising and often meta-textual
+ easter eggs at every corner, even on the startup screen
+ fitting soundtrack and sound design
+ incredible central track that is deeply interwoven with the gameplay

Cons:
- controls are iffy and take a lot of time getting used to
- hidden "meditation" mechanic should be available from the start
- not all gameplay elements are properly explained (e.g. the ship's emergency button)
- ship log could offer more hints after a certain time without progress
- a customizable note or marker system would eliminate issues with orientation
- CO2 meter is often just a bit too limiting
- character design is an acquired taste
- final loop is exciting but exceedingly difficult to pull of
- the final image and its implications are a bit cynical

Magic Moment(s): Too many to count. The first landing and gravity mechanics on Giant's Deep, the complex mechanics and secrets of the Quantum Moon, the tense moments during the final loop, the final musical sequence.

Verdict: Outer Wilds takes place in its own unique universe, far beyond the tired heroic clichés of the medium, and rewards intelligence and curiosity in fresh, exciting ways. The incredible team at Mobius Digital here not only (co-)invents the new genre of the MetroidBrania, but almost perfectly presents its vision of the possibilities of video games. To think that this is their first outing is almost unbelievable, as is the pure quality in all departments on display here. A true milestone in the history of gaming and a must play.

Pros:
+ the art style, visual direction, blur, and lightning effects are outstanding
+ the cutesy look serves as a perfect counterpoint to the complexity of the design
+ overworld and dungeons are smartly and efficiently designed
+ the camera is intelligently used to emphasize and hide elements in the world
+ short cuts at every corner lead to frequent moments of surprise
+ most of the game is designed around invisible systems of interlocking puzzle systems
+ a wide range of puzzles can be solved solely by observation and deduction
+ the in-game manual simultaneously serves as a guide, hint, reward, and storytelling device
+ the retro screen in the background when opening the manual is a really nice touch
+ combat and controls are simple but effective and fit the look and general design
+ enemy attacks are telegraphed well and failure is usually one's own fault
+ bomb reward and piggy bank system minimize grinding for resources
+ the checkpoint system is always fair and restarts are quick and easy
+ every area offers new enemies and requires new combat tactics
+ an integrated hint system helps to find the most obscure collectables
+ sequence breaking is very much possible and encouraged
+ the bosses are actual tests of skill but never unfair and fun to fight
+ the final boss is available very early on and not gated off behind progress
+ accessability options are plentiful and include anti-frustration features
+ the soundtrack is mysteriously introspective and part of the puzzle design
+ so many caves behind waterfalls

Cons:
- the game not pausing in the item menu is unnecessary and makes some tactics unviable
- combat options are basic and lack the freshness of the puzzles
- some puzzles are so obscure that most playery will never see or solve them
- important elements such as the items and cards are never explained
- card effects are mostly useless and their pictures seem random (tincture?)
- invisible enemies and permanently limited health points are frustrating
- the dash mechanic is buggy and can lead to a lot of cheap deaths
- manual pickups do not indicate their respective numbers in the manual
- the final boss cannot be easily restarted and takes some time to reach
- the final boss will test your patience and requires rote memorization
- story beats are barebones and the endings feel abridged

Magic Moments: Too many to count. Finding a treasure room by observing the dungeon architecture and hitting a wall for a real "eureka" moment. Going underground for the last key and wondering how much backstory is never made explicit. Finding a key item twice?!

Best Manual page: The story reveal on pages 7 and 8 is absolutely perfectly executed.


Verdict:
Let me come right out and say it: Tunic is a masterpiece. It's no surprise that Andrew Shuldice and his team had to delay the game various times, even after working on it for over seven years, as the sheer work required to create a game at this level of quality is felt from the very first, somber moments. The creators proudely wear the influence of modern classics such as Fez, The Witness, and the Zelda series on their sleeves, while producing a game that easily stands proudly among them. Behind the perfectly executed facade of cutesy characters, a simple but intricately designed audio-visual presentation, and familiar combat options lies a complex, interlocking grid of secret mechanics that require intelligence, patience, spatial awareness, and willingness to experiment to fully uncover - even the "load game" screen will take you by surprise. At the same time, players who just want to cut some shrubs, collect some loot or grind their teeth on the difficult but fair bosses will find plenty to enjoy here, although not giving explanations for even the most basic items or combat mechanics may be considered a step to far into obscurity. But for everyone willing to really invest time and effort in the world of Tunic, this is one of those gems that will keep you up all night, trying to see where it takes you while hoping the rabbit hole would never end.

Buy it, play it, uncover the manual, read the margins, wonder how they ever came up with those puzzles, play it some more and be glad you got to experience this. Andrew Shuldice's next game cannot come some enough.

Pros:
+ unique genre mix of horror and fishing game
+ great art style and technical performance
+ very atmospheric night time sceneries
+ fishing QTEs are varied and scale naturally
+ Tetris system for item storage is simple but satisfying
+ most fish have a distinct look and logical locations
+ the encyclopedia is helpful and quick to navigated
+ all main areas offer new biomes and require new strategies
+ clean UI and quick menu navigation
+ good to great writing in the style of H.P. Lovecraft
+ story holds a few genuine surprises
+ incredible ending sequence that does a lot with little
+ thumb stick dead zones can be adjusted in the options
+ a playthrough is quick and without any fluff
+ ship upgrades have a tangible effect on gameplay...


Cons:
- but it never feels like you actually have more room for cargo
- the horror elements have little effect on gameplay
- some enemy attacks cannot be avoided, even with the boost upgrade
- hull damage does not always correspond to the point of impact
- quest descriptions have few hints on their completion
- quest rewards are usually disappointing
- treasure is worthless and not worth the time to dredge them up
- metal scraps are pretty rare and cannot be bought
- no reward for catching all different kinds of fish
- weather effects are well-implemented but have no impact on gameplay
- the final journey feels abreviated and almost comes out of nowhere

Playtime: 13 hours, most quests finished and all endings unlocked.

Magic Moments: Daring the eye in the middle of the night and finding out what lurks beneath the ocean. The ending sequence reveal.


Verdict:
From the low-key but well-implemented horror elements to the satisfying loop of catching and selling fish, Dredg is a great little game that came out of nowhere to me and genuinely surprised me. Even though the setting and Lovecraftian elements could have been pushed a lot further and could have intertwined with the player's journey in a more meaningful way, the core mechanics just work, the presentation is great, and the writing is sharp.

Play it to the end and explore all endings. It's absolutely worth it.

Pros:
+ a huge overworld with hidden secrets and a revolutionary approach to progression
+ three-fold gameplay of tank, on foot and overhead action is unique and seamless
+ all levels have their own visual character and hold specific challenges
+ equipment upgrades noticeably change the gameplay and movement options
+ enemies do not respawn and pickups do not disappear after exiting a screen
+ re-entering areas and upgrading weapons as needed is possible
+ health of the main character can be replenished by entering the tank
+ boss fights can be retried again right away
+ controls on foot as well as in the tank are tight and even make strafing possible ...

Cons:
- ... except for the one-hit fall damage on foot that leads to cheap deaths
- continues are secretely limited and their amount is kept from the player
- no save or password system leads to a lot of frustration on death
- losing health and gun power on hit is a frustrating double punishment
- navigating the overworld and knowing where to go is difficult
- entering non-boss areas on foot for upgrades is basically a waste of time
- chances for finding hover and health pickups is not equally distributed
- backgrounds are lifeless and not animated
- grenades are apparently useless (this might be an issue with my emulator)
- late stage bosses appear to have RNG attacks


Magic Moment: Returning to the first screen of the game and realizing that progress was always in plain sight.

Playtime: Roughly 5 hours before dying in the final level and deciding that I was satisfied. Played on a shoddy NES emulator without save states originally released on Playstation 1 but repackaged for Playstation 4. I know.


Verdict:
As someone who grew up without a NES, this is one of those classic games that seems to have become synonymous with the success of Nintendo's first console. From a contemporary perspective, that fascination is easily understood: the controls are tight, the action is difficult without ever becoming unfair, the overworld traversal is engaging and the progression through a complex overworld in search of permanent upgrades predated the modern codification of Metroidvanias. At the same time, the lack of a save feature and the severe punishment of being hit by an enemy leads to a lot of frustration and requires memorisation of level layouts and enemy behaviors (at least when playing this without save states). Despite this criticism, playing Blaster Master still holds a lot of entertainment and gives insights into the origin of what would become an entire series of action games that is till going strong to this day.

Play this once if you want to know what the fuss is about, but an emulator is mandatory.

Pros:
+ a tight, consciously designed experience
+ architecture feels eldritch and otherworldy
+ sceneries display incredible light/shadow design
+ environmental puzzles are varied and smartly designed
+ movement and animation systems are highly complex
+ sound design is one for the ages
+ ending sequence is a truely memorable WTF moment

Cons:
- how to progress is sometimes not obvious
- some cheap deaths cannot be avoided
- the story could have used a more definitive ending
- some of the plot elements do not seem to add up with the ending

Playtime: 2,5 hours with the standard ending and some hidden artifacts found.

Magic Moment: The final stretch and realizing how much work it must have taken to build that singular physics engine.

Verdict:
I have no idea what they put in the water at Playdate studios, but somehow, the managed to make lightning strike twice. After Limbo, which was a tightly constructed game in its own right, Inside doubles down on all the strengths of its predecessor: it combines the fluidity and simplicity of a 2D puzzle game with an assured audio-visual presentation of the highest order and offers it in the form of a tigh package that never overstays its welcome and surprises and vows at every new turn.

Even though one playthrough will be enough for most including me, one playthrough of Inside is mandatory for ever fan of the medium.

Pros:
+ the open world is handcrafted and intriguing from start to end
+ the map is large and much more intricate than expected at first
+ the sky box and day/night cycle are one of the best in gaming
+ feelings of discovery are persistent throughout the game
+ three different modes with plenty of anti-frustration features
+ PDAs are smartly used for creating story crumbs and guiding the player
+ incredible sound design that fits each situation perfectly
+ the visual design of the biomes is distinct and creative
+ great voice acting and good writing
+ movement in water feels smooth and responsive
+ the "gasping for air" mechanic when close to the surface is a great idea
+ scanning mechanic just works and rewards curiosity
+ discovery of new technologies always feels like a step forward
+ lack of lethal violence is a bold but compelling design decision
+ build sequences are mostly transparent and logical
+ not all technologies have to be found or created to finish the game
+ the final sequence of events feels like a true finale to the story

Cons:
- game is buggy: items get lost in the scenery, assets won't load etc.
- quitting and reloading from menu leads to a persistent game-breaking bug
- technical performance is choppy throughout
- enemy AI and animation are generally wonky
- no quick save or auto save option
- no quick reload option from the options menu
- walking on land is tediously slow and janky
- combat is unresponsive and lacks hit feedback
- dying deletes items from the inventory without notice
- reloading a game is usually preferable to dying and losing equipment
- item management is time consuming and generally cumbersome
- new equipment cannot be created with ingredients from storage
- base building is tedious and construction issues are not transparent
- finding blueprints for new items can get annoying
- endgame progression is not always clear

Magic Moments: Too many to count.
Seeing the double moons circling the planet at night for the first time. Following a certain signal to dry land and realising there is so much more to the story than is apparent at first. Entering a mech suit and punching space eels in the face.

Playtime: 30 hours in Freedom mode (without ever using the Cyclops). Platinum trophy unlocked.


Verdict:
Subnautica is more than just a great game: it is an important step in the history of its genre (and a perfect companion piece to one of the greatest games of its generation, Outer Wilds). It offers a unique setting, a rich atmosphere, and most importantly, a constant sense of discovery in a dangerous but beautiful world full of secrets and surprises. In addition to its satisfying gameplay loop and its great audio-visual design, it also tells a surprisingly complex story that slowly but effectively guides players throughout their journey, thereby vastly improving on the mostly bland and generic crop of similar survival games. Moreover, the option to eliminate tedious survival elements like gathering food and water is a welcome one, as is the bold design decision to eschew lethal violence against the animal population. Even though the technical limitations and issues are plentiful and tough to ignore, they are never grievious enough to give up the quest of surviving and ultimately overcoming the trials and tribulations of your temporary home.

So buy the game, strap in and get ready to crash on Planet 4546B, guided only by your own sense of discovery and willingness to explore. The depths are waiting.