DeVuego

Elder Gods is crammed with gorgeous set pieces, clever puzzles, and engrossing writing.

Worldbuilding is pretty important when making games. A rich world full of cool characters and adorable wildlife goes a long way towards a good game. On the other hand, worldbuilding only gets you so far. At least for me, the core gameplay loop has to be equally engaging. Creatures of Ava presents a vibrant world, but I struggled to stay in it. Something about that essential loop couldn’t keep me hooked. Not the way I was hoping for.

I loved this game. The story is engrossing, the art is terrific, and the emotional impact is undeniable. I was a little bored by the election arc, but it still had me engaged. Card crafting is somewhat nebulous at times, but this is likely for the best. After all, if it was laid out nice and clean, it wouldn’t feel as mystical. You’re making a brand new form of divination. It’s normal for some elements to feel distant and strange. The game is touching, it hooked me, and creatively energized me. If you’re looking for more magic and mystery in your life, check out The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. You won’t regret it.

For a game composed of familiar elements, Souldiers still managed to surprise me. If nothing else, the game’s execution is exemplary. Even if you’ve played a ton of pixel art, soulsborne, and Metroidvania titles, this particular blend is a satisfying one. The art direction is beautiful, the controls are tight, and design is rock solid. If you’re looking for a new 2D adventure, Souldiers will easily scratch that itch.

Metroid games have always had trace elements of sci-fi horror in them, and Metroid Dread is no different. Rather than inject the series with new levels of fear and tension, Dread seeks to highlight the latent spookiness already present. To that end, it works! That familiar sense of powerlessness and fear is given new life in this game. Suddenly your initial state of weakness has greater narrative weight. Furthermore, the lateral expansion of your move set feels like a natural conclusion. Every victory is one you clawed and fought for with all your might. Each new stage is filled with fresh dangers to keep you moving with an abundance of caution and care. Even the complex controls and the punishing boss fights are in service to this vision. Metroid Dread takes small, but significant, steps to expand and innovate upon the established series formula. Metroid and Metroidvania fans alike won’t want to miss this entry.

Horror games need a little inconvenience to survive. If you’re not stressed out and pushed into a corner, you’re not able to get quite scared or tense enough for the full experience. To that end, this game’s more egregious mechanics are an acceptable sacrifice. The only downer for me was when that extra tension regressed into something more like annoyance. I don’t mind being sacred, I’m less into being frustrated. Don’t get me wrong, my times with this game were a spooky delight overall. The occasional dip in my enjoyment was a fair trade for the unsettling atmosphere, the fascinating narrative, and the clever premise. If you’re in the market for an unconventional horror game, I can easily recommend Yuppie Psycho.