DeVuego

Play it for the aesthetics, the story, or to experience a world without Live Service Games.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an absolute blast through-and-through. The visual style is top-notch, the gameplay is tight and exciting, and the game is perfectly paced with plenty to do for those who wish to push themselves. Outside of a couple of minor bugs, this is one of the sharpest games of the year, and worth playing whether you’ve got any experience with the Ninja Gaiden series or not.

Blades of Fire is a misfire, attempting to mix elements of soulslike games with its own action ideas in an oil and water result. The story is bland, and the characters are deeply unfunny despite constantly trying to be, resulting in a tone that matches the worst of the Xbox 360 era. Obtuse and confusing level designs combined with the choice not to have objective markers create a frustrating experience, which is only furthered by the unique combat system feeling out of sync with the hardcore third-person combat games it wants to emulate.

Many Nights a Whisper offers a contemplative experience that acts as a meditation that might help you in your own life. Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbor have worked together to forge a masterpiece that can be experienced in a single sitting. Don’t pass this up.

Many Nights a Whisper offers a contemplative experience that acts as a meditation that might help you in your own life. Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbor have worked together to forge a masterpiece that can be experienced in a single sitting. Don’t pass this up.

The Stone of Madness offers a unique blend of tactical stealth and psychological survival, set in an eerie Spanish monastery. While its mechanics create engaging tension, the game’s difficulty, trial-and-error structure, and technical issues might frustrate some players.

Unsurprisingly, I dove back in. Because I wasn’t ready to be done with The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, I hadn’t uncovered all of its secrets yet. And as I continued to craft new cards, forge new relationships, and learn more about the cosmos, I felt even more connected. Not just connected to the game, but to the world around me.

I wish I could recommend Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, but it’s just not a lot of fun to play. The visuals and music are beautifully redone, and the world is quite unique. It’s just that the game itself is frustrating ,repetitive, and a bit buggy. Kudos to the devs for doing such a strong remaster, I just wish the game being remastered was better.

For a developer that focuses on narrative design, structure, and experimentation, Deconstructeam got off to a bit of a rocky start but my favorite thing about Essays on Empathy is that there’s a narrative thread that goes through the product as a whole. Though each game is different, has its own story and experiences attached to it, the through thread seems to be a team of people that create art and allow their creative vision to make them better people. Likewise, I feel like I’ve become a better person just in the past week of experiencing these games.

Arise offers a beautifully crafted narrative in the skin of a 3D puzzle platformer. Though it’s not a game-changer, Arise manages to excel in everything it offers to the player providing a well-refined experience.

Crossing Souls is a love letter to the 80’s with a charming cast of characters that’s unfortunately held back by weak combat mechanics.

Which is a long-winded way of saying The Red Strings Club is really just an experience to soak in. Enjoy the music, consider the writing, mix a few drinks, and talk. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you dig cyberpunk, philosophical discussion, and the warm, loving arms of Patrick Swayze around you as you shape biomass into implants to sever any emotional ties to this world, give it a try. Great music, pixel-style art, a cyberpunk aesthetic, and the mellow feeling of shooting the shit at the bar. What’s not to love?

The River of Alice Extended Version is a thoroughly mixed bag. Though some of the puzzles, the visuals, and the sound are pleasant and relaxingly surreal, the slow pace and sometimes nonsensical puzzles make the game more akin to a dream you’ll forget in the morning.