Reviews

Though the game gets lost from its core story and themes at times, that core story and those themes are so powerful that it is more than made up for. In combination with stellar art, music, and writing, Until Then is a must-play for patient gamers in the mood for something emotionally gutting. Though, you will have to put up with some boring distractions.

Riven is still one of the best puzzle games of all time, with challenging puzzles, an intricate plot, and a gorgeous world that all fold into each other in great ways. It's a wonderful experience, except for how slow it can be at points. As a remake, the full 3d movement and stunning new graphics add a lot, though replacing the FMV cutscenes with in-game cutscenes does pull away some of the game's original charm.

The Final Shape campaign is possibly the magnum opus of the franchise. It's obvious that the pacing of the story and gameplay were given an abundance of care, which elevates the entire experience. The story provides longtime fans massive payoffs, while also keeping players in intense anticipation for the true conclusion that will come with the raid. Lastly, the new additions of the Dread enemy faction and Prismatic subclass made playing through the campaign a delight. The only thing holding back this campaign is the story's climax, and that could very easily change with the true conclusion of the raid.

A fantastic (not to mention free) game, the WereCleaner is not only fantastic for a free game, but also one of the best stealth titles in a long time. Made by students, the game truly shines thanks to its charming art, simple and sweet game design, and the whole lot of passion that went into it. You should play it as soon as you can; you've got nothing to lose.

Helldivers 2 is a very strong co-op extraction shooter with some excellent gameplay and mechanics. Unfortunately, a lack of endgame content or a reason to keep progressing keep the game from being the live service darling that many thought it would be at launch.

Dread Delusion is a visual feast (at least from a distance), but its philosophical dilemmas and wickedly cool world do not make up for its total lack of depth in combat, exploration, and questing that make the otherwise-beautiful game a chore.

Short and sweet, INDIKA uses the third-person adventure game medium to tell a compelling story of a young nun struggling with life, good and evil, and the voice of the devil in her head. The influence of both serious cinema and Russian philosophical novels come together to form the most compelling game I've played so far this year. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel weird, and you'll wonder what the word "evil" really means anyway.

A worthy and apt addition to War Tales. This mini-game-like DLC not only provides practical support to your mercenary group, but also gives players a pleasurable reprieve from their usual gallivanting. Players will also be happy to find a substantial amount of customization, and find that the progression balance of the tavern in parallel with your troop feels spot on. It's certainly worth the purchase.

Somehow, despite everything, Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is monumentally above its predecessor and is elevated far beyond its premise. What should be a schlock romance/horror/comedy game that struggles to mean anything instead becomes shockingly poignant and effective at those three genres and more. This game's story, bolstered by great art, fantastic voice acting, and surprising writing, should not be as good as it is. But, believe it or not, it is worth your time.

Largely more of the same, SoLA is elevated to be the new "best part of the game" thanks to great set pieces, a pulpy plot, and an extremely fun, psychedelic new region to play around in. Dead Island should run the festival circuit more often.