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Quantum Witch is a fun, short indie RPG by NikkiJay. While the game starts you off looking for your faer , there's a lot more to be seen beyond the opening village of Hus. In order to advance the story and really kick things into motion, you'll need to access a semi-hidden area, known as Helgrind Path — here's how to get there. First point of order is to head to the Hus Town Square and take the combat trials to unlock the ability to attack. To reach the town square, just head left from your home to the crossroads, and all the way left again to the town square. Here, speak to the person with the blue hair in front of the building and start the trials. They'll give you some hints on were to go from here, but if you missed it, head to Pool Temple. The order of navigation can be seen in the image slider above. Reaching pool temple from the square is quite simple, as well. First head right back to the crossroads. This time take the path leading up until you reach a doorway, which you need to interact with to reach The Thorpsteads. From here, just interact witht he same doorway you walked through and the option for "Pool Temple" will appear. If you've done the trial, Ren will mention the crates on your left. Just punch them to eliminate the obstacle and continue left onto Helgrind Path. Now that you've made it here, you're real adventure begins. Good luck on the path!

Resist, Rebel, Repeat. All of us have some trauma to work through, in some way or another. Major events that shape the course of our lives or even micro-trauma that seeps into our souls, accumulating over time to poison our well-being — all valid experiences that mold us into the people we are today. For many, those traumas can be debilitating — a specter that looms over every action and inaction, haunting and taunting those afflicted. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Some are able to use these traumas or experiences to build something personal and beautiful. To draw from the wellspring of life and say, ‘this is not everything I am.’ Working though those monuments of cruelty and creating art is a triumph unto itself.  That’s what developer Nikki Jay has done with Quantum Witch , a pixel art adventure game set in the land of Hus. Leaning on her past experience of growing up in a religious cult, Quantum Witch  puts you in the shoes of Ren, a lesbian woman living an idyllic life with her bonded partner Tyra. The story starts out simple, with your faer (sheep-like creatures) having gone missing — leaving you to find them through simple platforming and puzzle-solving. Things quickly turn when Ren finds herself caught up in dark, mysterious, and magical happenings that threaten to turn her world upside out and inside out.  Publisher: NikkiJay Developer:  NikkiJay Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability:  Released on June 24, 2025 for Windows PC (Steam) It is very quickly apparent that Quantum Witch is more than just a silly pixel adventure game — it's a tale of emancipation and autonomy; A proclamation that we are not our circumstances, that we can make a better life or, at the very least, there is hope enough to try . This is borne out in the gameplay, as well, with many branching decisions and outcomes available to the player. In fact, I was quite surprised at both the breadth and depth of the effects of decisions I had made throughout the course of the game. There are an untold number of “choice and consequence” games out on the market, but this may be the first time I have been surprised by what matters (or doesn’t matter) in terms of those choices and their effects. While many of the game’s dialogue options feel like they may be inconsequential, they can have massive ramifications on the outcome of a quest later down the line, ensuring your failure or success. Everything you do matters. All of your decisions have led you to your end point, and that’s a true rarity. Naturally, the game is quite short to compensate for this, running only a few hours on any individual playthrough. Even still, having done three full playthroughs trying to make different choices along the way, I’m still missing some waveforms (the game’s checklist of events to see), and there are bits of the narrative that I feel like I’m missing.  That last bit feels intentional, however, with obtuse threads for the player to pull on just to see what happens. After all, we rarely have all of the information ourselves in our day-to-day decisions; we simply act according to the information we have on-hand. Ren, ever the skeptic, is all about pulling on those threads, using what she knows to guide her decisions and actions. The metatextual nature of all of this is not lost on me or the game itself. On repeated playthroughs we obviously retain the knowledge we gained on prior runs, and the characters themselves are aware of their digitized limitations. There are even bootleg versions of massively popular characters from other franchises, such as a Princess Peach look-alike and a Lara Croft stand-in. Quantum Witch features a large number of branching paths to take, but remains mechanically simple. Those references aren’t just cheeky little Easter eggs — they mean something to so many of us, including NikkiJay. Whether it's an escape from real-world problems or something to pass the time, gaming takes many shapes and shapes us in return. There’s a real love of video games and their power to shape our hearts and minds, and by extension the world, in the title that is hard to describe, but is immediately felt. Beyond the character cameos, the old-school graphics and gameplay are reminiscent of NES adventure titles. Simple controls, a distinct lack of explicit guidance or quest markers, and minimalist HUD all evoke pleasant memories of a shared past — the ties that bind those of us from this specific time period. While the overarching narrative may deal with serious themes, the text of the dialogue is often quite light-hearted, with some of the characters simply acting as vehicles of simple quips or one-liners to flesh out the world or bounce off of Ren. Keeping the text humorous even through the face of the adversity the characters are put through does more than just keep the game moving, it says something about characters like Ren, whose ability to stay joyful through traumatic circumstances means she never breaks under the weight of her choices. I can’t help but see some of myself there, too. Humor works wonders in terms of weathering the blows of life, allowing us to keep moving forward or put things into perspective. It can also act as a shield, deflecting away from and safeguarding old wounds. Q uantum Witch  is an undeniably queer tale, with the cast and imagery running the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ representation. Perhaps hearing about it from me — a cis, white, male from midwest U.S.A. — is not what’s needed to adequately represent what lies here in the game. Maybe there’s just some things I will never understand, having never had the requisite personal experiences to fully relate to those within that community. But I think it is a testament to Quantum Witch , to both its writing and the sincerity with which it has been made, that it has reached me all the same — to reveal a piece of my own heart and see myself and my experiences in these characters.  Verdict Quantum Witch  might be a simple and short adventure upon first glance, but that brevity belies the depth of the narrative and messaging. Part manifesto and part meditation, it is a monument to both NikkiJay’s personal experiences and to our shared understanding and navigation of life — and all of the trials and tribulations we face along the way. The gameplay mechanics may be simple, but the number of truly impactful, consequential choices offer a lot to engage with and think about. Image Credits: NikkiJay Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.

The visuals and combat left us starry-eyed, but not much else was quite aligned. After more than a year of being exclusively available on the PS5, Stellar Blade  finally makes its way to Windows PC. An internet sensation immediately upon its release, Stellar Blade has captured the attention of anyone who has come into contact with it, perhaps in part to the large, strange culture war that has chosen this particular title as its digital messiah — the ark that will once again lead us to the mystical land of games devoid of “Woke.” In a just world, we could discuss Stellar Blade without mentioning the place in gaming culture it held for a few weeks, but the unfortunate reality is that the two have become inseparable. By virtue of having an attractive lead in minimal clothing, it became the avatar of every insipid argument and trite grievance you could imagine. An unfortunate fate for such a well-made game. Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment. Developer:   Shift Up Corporation Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability:  Released on June 11, 2025 for Windows PC, and April 26, 2024 for PS5 . Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, our protagonist EVE finds herself in the midst of a long-running conflict between humans and the monstrous Naytibas. Your job as EVE is to put an end to the destruction the Naytibas are causing, and to do so you must collect hyper cells to power up the human stronghold of Xion, as well as defeat the Alpha Naytibas that guard them. While you search for these relics and power sources, the truth of the Naytibas and humanity’s circumstances will be laid bare.  In truth, the narrative itself is likely Stellar Blade ’s least impressive aspect. Both in terms of the actual plot of events that transpire and their delivery, everything comes off a bit drab. The plot is not only predictable, but its direction is incessantly telegraphed if you explore the world in any capacity. Somehow, as the revelations come rolling in during the cutscenes, each character begins to act distraught and overwhelmed by the information, despite many of the logs and memories you acquire in the word telling you exactly what is going on. Even without the side content, the plot is familiar ground and exposing itself from the opening moments.  Additionally, the presentation of the story leaves a lot to be desired. Characters are devoid of any personality, and most of the dialogue is flatly meant to communicate the events of the game. Who EVE is as a character — her dreams, ideals, sense of humor, etc. — is never explored in any meaningful capacity; a fact that holds true for nearly every other character in the game, save Adam. The droll writing and charmless characters are problem enough, but the game also suffers from its delivery. Camera work in dialogue-heavy scenes is uninteresting and often confusing, opting for closeups on the speaking character’s face. There are times where a never-before-introduced character will appear and speak to you, but the close-up view means you have no way to know where in the space they currently are. Are they standing next to you, across from you, above you, or perhaps behind you? Impossible to say for certain, as the view of the characters remains the same regardless of their relative position. These issues are further exacerbated by the dry delivery of the voicework. Stellar Blade is an absolute treat, visually. The other visual components stand in contrast to this, as the character and enemy models, designs, and animations are all phenomenal. There is something a bit funny about the fact all of the women look so doll-like — sporting porcelain skin, small noses, and pouty lips (and simultaneously wearing little clothing, of course) — while the men just look like regular dudes (if they have faces at all). Visually, the game looks stunning, utilizing great particle effects and dynamic animations to really get you in on the action. Shockingly, the cutscenes and animation work during the fights and action sequences in battle are phenomenal, with EVE and the enemies putting on a show of impressively acrobatic displays of violence. The difference in quality between the exposition scenes and action scenes could be a bit jarring if the former were more prevalent. Luckily, Stellar Blade  mostly leans into the action, taking most of its runtime up in battles and exploration while sprinkling in those stunning set pieces. This is the point in which it becomes impossible to speak about the presentation without addressing the elephant in the room — the overt sexualization of its characters. The topic has become a point of conflict for online discourse that is somehow meant to represent a sort of cultural shift in values. Bluntly, Stellar Blade  does feature a large number of camera shots directly pointed at asses and cleavage throughout its runtime. It also contains a vast number of characters in attire that may best be described as either ill-fitting or non-existent. Going into an encounter haphazardly mashing square or cross won’t get you far; timing your parries, dodges, and interrupting attacks becomes a vital part of the dance. Stellar Blade , to its credit, does also have a large number of gameplay systems and activities to make use of. While I don’t love how long it takes to unlock the entirety of the combat system, it is at least defensible in the sense that there are a large number of moves and nuances to keep track of, so putting it all out there up front may have been overwhelming. The game starts it off simple, with basic attacks, strong attacks, and beta attacks. Sounds straightforward enough, but you’re quickly introduced to beta chaining (powering up the final attack in a combo) and different combo structures as well. Next comes Burst skills, which use a different meter than your Beta skills, along with evade and parry chain attacks. Even further still, you get a super-powered mode (again with its own meter) that has its own skills and nuances. All of this is only on the offensive end for the player. There’s still the usual parry timings and dodging mechanics to contend with. That depth of combat is staggering, but in a good way. Stellar Blade  allows for a lot of player expression in both the combo structure and the abilities you use. It also allows a lot of freedom in how you approach any given fight — do you try and parry everything you can, dodge many of the blows, or keep your distance as much as possible with ranged attacks? The combat is an exceptional high point for the title, and it is a lot more measured than I was anticipating going in. Going into an encounter haphazardly mashing square or cross won’t get you far; timing your parries, dodges, and interrupting attacks becomes a vital part of the dance. The exploration is also quite involved, but not nearly as mechanically complex or demanding. You have a double jump, an aerial dodge, wall-running, and climbable ledges. There’s not a lot of variety in how you approach any given section — the intended method is usually telegraphed and necessary for advancement — but there are the occasional areas where creative solutions to platforming are doable. There aren’t many puzzles or anything of that nature around the open zones or within the smaller, self-contained areas, but the game does force you to make use of all of your available tools at some point or another. Visually, these zones are mostly uninteresting, with the two prevailing aesthetic themes being “Desert” and “Dilapidated techno-building” and not much else in between aside from a last-minute scenery change near the game’s conclusion — a damn shame considering the absolute mountain of side-quests the game throws at you to complete. Stellar Blade offers plenty of things to do and fiddle with. Beyond the platforming and combat, there are other activities to enjoy in Stellar Blade . There exists a somewhat rudimentary fishing mini-game that can be played in many of the game's zones, as well as a shooting mini-game reminiscent of Goddess of Victory: Nikke , introduced as part of a collaboration with Shift Up’s aforementioned TPS gacha. You can collect cans and other items, as well as take pictures with your selfie camera as part of a collect-a-thon (if filling out your checklists is imperative to your enjoyment). I do think it is worth mentioning that the game offers a decent suite of accessibility options to assist any who need or want them. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but Stellar Blade  has some menu options for color-blindness, QTE completion, mini-game adjustments, and many other audio and visual assistance features.  The PC version is my first foray into Stellar Blade , so while I do not know the depth of differences or adjustments between the two versions, I came away quite happy with this port. It runs exceptionally well on PC, with my only hiccups being minor framerate stutters that were likely the result of my computer running other programs in the background. Innate controller support and a plethora of display and graphical options go a long way in keeping me happy, and this game has both. In truth, the more time I spent with Stellar Blade,  the more I appreciated it for the things it does well. I just kept learning more and more about how the game works in a very organic way through play. The nuances of combat, such as what combos to use and when, kept revealing themselves to me up until the end of the game. For every fault I might find with  Stellar Blade , I keep coming back to its strengths. So, while those less-than-stellar aspects are very real, the combat cuts through all of that in my memory. Verdict For a studio with such a limited repertoire of games, Shift Up has certainly left their mark on the space with Stellar Blade . While nothing could ever live up to the lofty aspirations set by internet culture-vultures, Stellar   Blade  carves out its own space with grace and precision. Measured and flashy combat is the highlight of the experience, but there’s a little bit of something for everyone here. It carries on a bit too long—bloated by the number of fetch quests that litter the optional content—but still remains a fun play on the back of the exhilarating battles alone. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux and Shift Up Corporation Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.

Growing up in the 90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were my everything. I collected all the toys we could afford, wore shirts, and read books and comics that featured the shelled heroes. My love of the turtles became almost a running joke among my family, with many of the more unkind  members using that to belittle or demean me in one way or another. But it didn’t really matter to me so long as I got to spend my time with the four brothers.  Publisher: Super Evil Megacorp Developer: Super Evil Megacorp Platform:  Played on Windows PC (Steam) Availability: Released on May 4, 2023 for Mac and iOS, July 17, 2024 on Nintendo Switch, November 6, 2024 for Windows, May 20, 2025 for PS4/5, and June 24, 2025 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Perhaps my two greatest obsessions within the TMNT universe were the 1990 film (where I learned my first swear word, gleefully screaming “Damn!” to any and all who would listen), and the NES games. For me, it wasn’t just that I thought the games were good — it was a bonding experience between myself and my father. My father is an outdoorsman; he’s the type of man that would much rather feel blades of grass entwined between his toes than hold a controller in his hand. Me? Not so much. Where his favorite activities were fishing and hunting, I spent my days on the floor drawing pictures or playing video games. But dad always made time to do things that I liked, and he would seat himself next to me in front of that old, knobbed CRTV and join me in defeating the foot clan. Of course, most of those attempts ended in failure. I was a young child and my dad was not a gamer, but just being there with him and trying to work through it together meant the world to me. I still remember the first time we beat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project . I had lost all of my lives just before the final fight with Super Shredder, and my dad was on his last legs, but through sheer force of will (or perhaps divine providence) he came through and beat him. Crying from joy, I leapt into the air and hugged my dad, his prickly stubble poking me as I squeezed him. Those are the type of moments I’ll always remember with my father — spending time together (doing things perhaps one of us didn’t necessarily love) just to feel joy and closeness, to make one another happy and whole. The art design is stellar and there are a ton of different systems to play around with. While a title like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge  may better replicate or advance the specific gameplay elements that those older titles developed, in many respects I feel more at home in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate . This title could best be described as a Hades -like, a roguelike action game with quick, reflexive combat, varied areas that culminate in large boss battles, and all of the power-ups and progression systems that come along with the type of game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate  is attempting to replicate — something it does perhaps better than any other Hades -like I've ever played. I have no real issue with the closeness of this game to its inspiration, as I find it hard to fault a game for doing something that works really well and making it their own. Though the counter-argument that it is not  its own could be made in this case, I find it does enough to mechanically differentiate itself. It’s true that many titles have attempted to mimic or cash-in on the success of Hades , but few have managed to actually nail the non-combat aspects that made it great. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate  fulfills this by leaning into the bonds of the family throughout the story, and to some extent in the gameplay as well, with the turtles being able to take inspiration from their brothers in the form of abilities or tools. The story begins by seeing your father, the rat-ninja Master Splinter, abducted by the Foot Clan. As the titular reptilian brothers, your goal is to get him back through a series of combat trials. What stuck with me most throughout all of the game was not so much the combat, but how well they nailed that familial aspect of the core group. Throughout the game, the turtles express fear, worry, and sorrow for their missing father; they doubt that they’ll be able to save him. And while you get glimpses of Splinter as you finish a run, he is frequently torn away from the turtles again and again by a mysterious man in a portal, who only presents the ninjas with keepsakes of their father upon a victory. It is in these moments that you are shown what each member means to their family. With every keepsake, the boys are reminded of how their father loved to spend his time — what his favorite foods are, and what he does for them. Their love is expressed through these bursts of dialogue with one another, supporting and uplifting one another throughout the process. Super Evil Megacorp has done such a phenomenal job of faithfully representing the characters in this title, with each not only retaining their notable personality quirks, but translating how special they are together. All of which is supported by stellar character portraits and voice acting throughout. Super Evil Megacorp has done such a phenomenal job of faithfully representing the characters in this title, with each not only retaining their notable personality quirks, but translating how special they are together. A mirror to my own family, the brothers may not always get along and they may squabble, but there is a deep love between them. The turtles’ desire to help their father at any cost speaks to me, and while the exact scenario is never one I could experience in real life, the pain of that loss resonates within me all the same. Every scene with Splinter and the TMNT left me thinking about my own father, and just how much I love him. How every time I fell down he was there for me — a man who did his best to prepare me for a world that is often unforgiving, but made sure I knew that I was loved and appreciated. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Verdict Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate manages to not only be a fantastic action roguelike, but also an excellent vignette of what makes these characters so special to millions of people worldwide. The beautiful artwork, great voice acting, and excellent sound design do the game a great service in creating the atmosphere necessary to tell a tale like this one — one that is both light-hearted at times, and at others a powerful portrayal of what it means to be family. Image credits: Taylor Rioux

A dating simulator unlike any I have ever seen, Date Everything!  brings any dreams you have about dating inanimate objects to life. Set within your own home, Date Everything! allows you to date over 100 objects and concepts with the help of a pair of aviators cleverly dubbed Dateviators. Equal parts absurd, unhinged, hilarious, and somewhat touching, Date Everything!  delivers a unique experience that you won’t want to miss.  Publisher: Team17 Developer:   Sassy Chap Games Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability:  Releases on June 17, 2025 for Xbox X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC. The story begins with your new job being made redundant with the introduction of AI, a reality many in the workforce face today. You receive a package delivered by drone straight to your front door. Upon opening the package, you discover you have been sent a pair of aviators. Although you are unsure of the gift’s origin, you don the aviators. The environment takes on a rose-coloured hue and that’s how you meet the very first Dateable, Skylar Specs. Voiced by Felicia Day, Skylar tells you that your new purpose — as someone chronically alone and lonely — is to use the Dateviators to interact with the objects in your home to find something to date. Though called Dateables, you have the option to date, befriend, or become enemies with any of the 100 characters. You are free to interact with a maximum of 5 objects a day, at which point you run out of Dateviator charges. Sleeping restores your charges and you are free to romance each character again. Date Everything!  is fully voice acted with recognizable voice actors like Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, and literally almost 100 more. Each of the Dateables has a unique character design and personality and all of them have their own back story, which you will learn as you speak with them. You can even help them with their unfinished business (referred to as unfurnished business within the game), if you so desire. As you complete an ending, you fill up your S.P.E.C.S meter, which stands for Smarts, Poise, Empathy, Charm, and Sass. Filling these stats unlock special dialogue you can select when interacting with a Dateable. You receive the same S.P.E.C.S points regardless of your ending, so there’s really no downside to accidentally (or intentionally) making a character hate you. ...your new purpose — as someone chronically alone and lonely — is to use the Dateviators to interact with the objects in your home to find something to date. As a people pleaser at heart, I made it my mission to either befriend or date each object. Despite my best efforts, my stairs have decided that they hate me for putting an end to their multi-level marketing scheme. Unfortunately, my sink also hates me for telling him that he is, in fact, a sink and not an insurance adjuster cursed to become a sink. However, I am proud to say that I have successfully romanced (and slept with) my breaker box, my bed, and my vacuum cleaner. Luckily, there appears to be no limit to how many characters you can date concurrently, at the very least, none of the objects expressed concern at my many relationships. On top of my many in-game successful relationships, I was also able to woo my silverware: an overworked man named Daisuke. Daisuke’s storyline revolves around you accidentally hurting him and forcing him to take a step back from work. He learns to rely on those around him and realizes it is ok to ask for help. While most Dateables appear to be fairly humanoid, you do have a few oddballs here and there, like Dishy, your dishwasher, who is shaped more like the real appliance rather than a human person.  The Bright, poppy artstyle gives everything a fresh look. There is a main storyline which is generally not something you can directly guide along. As far as I could tell, the events do not happen due to your input, happening instead at either random intervals or set days (unknown which). To avoid spoilers, I will omit the specifics of the plot from this review. However, there is no quest log in the traditional sense, as your smartphone, named Phoenicia, contains only a few apps which expand when you interact with it while wearing the Dateviators. There is an app that allows you to view what the game calls Roomers, which gives you hints or clues as to where you can find Dateables, while another app, the Date-A-Dex, gives you an index of every Dateable you have met and have yet to meet — along with your relationship status with each.  Since each Dateable has a unique storyline, it can be difficult to follow through with each character’s requests, especially when you are first starting out — It is very easy to get lost in the excitement of meeting new characters and seeing what the game has in store for you. If you’re the type of player that prefers structure and a little more guidance, you may struggle to find a good starting point. However, if you enjoy games with non-consequential actions, general shenanigans, and overall tomfoolery, you’d likely enjoy Date Everything  as much as I did. Dishy does not like being disconnected from the internet. Verdict Date Everything! is a hilarious and endearing dating sim that’s packed full of great performances and memorable character designs. Sporting 100 romanceable objects, you’re never short on Dateables to fall in love (or hate) with. The loose story structure offers a lot of freedom in how you approach each day, placing the player in the driver’s seat in advancing each individual plotline, but also means players looking for a bit of guidance may be put off. If you’re looking for a light-hearted take on the genre, Date Everything! could be just what you need. Image Credits: Eloise Crawford and Sassy Chap Games Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.

Smoldering embers, but no true flame. Following up the massive success of Metroid Dread , MercurySteam looks to be going in another direction, opting for an unexpected turn by creating a more action-oriented title that is reminiscent of their Xbox 360 era Castlevania titles. In fact, Blades of Fire is somewhat a game out of time — It does not rely upon more modern quality of life design trappings like mini-maps or objective markers to guide the player from point to point — but that doesn't necessarily mean the game is dated. Rather, the intent is to make you more mindful of your actions and discovery. How successfully the game does so is a bit up in the air. Publisher: 505 Games Developer:   MercurySteam Platform:  Played on PC (Epic Games Store) Availability: Released on May 22, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S The real star of this show is its primary focus — the weapon crafting system. While weapon degradation or crafting mechanics are not novel, the way Blades of Fire  has implemented it is at least interesting. For starters, your weapon degrades in durability after use, but this also decreases its effectiveness as it loses some armor penetration properties. Eventually you will need to repair the weapons you use, and ultimately, as you run out of repairs, you will need to replace them. Naturally, as you advance through the story, more crafting materials for upgrading your weaponry are unlocked. The really interesting part is that you have a lot of input on how those weapons are made. As a blacksmith, Aran must forge the weapons himself, with the player doing so through him in a mini-game where you mold the steel to the weapon shape. Additionally, the number of unique weapon designs and crafting materials at your disposal opens up a lot in the way of customizability of each weapon type, making each blade or hammer feel unique. Unfortunately, beyond this crafting, the game lacks any real bright spots, especially in the opening hours of the game. While there is a complete and competent story, it's quite rushed early on, with the character Aran vowing to kill the queen with no real indication of who that is or why she, specifically, must die. The soldiers you fight are hers, of course, and they are killing people, but there's no introduction into the overarching ‘why’ of anything going on. And that’s mostly fine — not every story needs to be something deeper, I suppose. But the game does examine these things later, diving into character backstories and relationships. Which brings me back to wondering why a small blurb or line of dialogue couldn’t have been placed somewhere in the first thirty hours to help set the scene for those later, more impactful moments.  This is doubly frustrating because the performances from the voice cast are excellent, and the animation work in the scenes you do get are stellar. But in the first half of the game, the areas and exploration just smother everything else, so those scenes are few and far between. The back half of the game sees this flipped on its head, with more story and cutscenes making their way up and the areas becoming a bit more easily navigable.  Bright spots such as the story and weapon crafting are often bogged down by the lackluster combat and exploration. The lack of mini-map, layered large map, or objective markers is a detriment to the overall game, due to the overall verticality and interconnectedness of the zones you explore. The first few areas especially are massive, winding zones, with many paths crossing back and forth. It becomes quite easy to get lost. While in the beginning I was content to explore every nook and cranny to gather collectibles and upgrades, doing so comes at the cost of any interesting gameplay. Enemies are all over, and respawn when you rest or die, which forces you to face them ad nauseum unless you opt to try and escape. However, due to the mechanics necessary to advance through many puzzles or rooms, this is not always possible. Many enemies are also present throughout the entire game, and their movesets never change. It's not as if you can just mash your way through the encounters, either, as the combat actively punishes doing so with the stamina and counter systems in play.  If the combat were more compelling, this would probably not feel like such a sin. Unfortunately, the battles are so simple it's deleterious to the experience. Face buttons target specific parts of your foe’s body, and you need to target weaker areas on each mook to do any real damage. You can also tap those face buttons for a light attack, or hold them for heavy attacks. There’s a block button, which can parry with timing, and a dash, which helps you avoid some blows — and that’s it. There’s no interesting combo system, situational movesets, or special attacks. Again, all of these middling aspects are not off-putting enough to deter me on their own. Many of my favorite games have parts that are just “ok.” However, it is unfortunate that so many core tenets of the game are melding together in ways that drag all of them down. It’s a true spiritual successor to the prosaic action-oriented 360 game that your cousin never shuts up about, but nobody else cares to play. Which is why the game became so much more enjoyable when I stopped caring about any of that anymore. There was a point near the end of the second large zone where I decided to not engage with the collectibles, random enemies, or exploration. And all of that made it immensely more satisfying to engage in the big fights when I needed to. It made the pacing of the story feel so much better. It made the game fun. I was invested in these characters and the story, I was all in on the slower-paced fights and meticulous weapon crafting — until the credits rolled and then I was hit with a joyless collect-a-thon to unlock the true ending. I did not do that, by the way. I tried, got maybe a third of the way through and then resolved to wash my hands of this entirely.  I couldn’t help but feel a real familiarity with this type of game. One that is certainly doing things well enough to be enjoyable on some level, but bloated in all the wrong ways — all without interesting support systems to keep that engaging over long periods of time. Which is when I remembered Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.  Now, I won’t say unequivocally that Blades of Fire  is a modern day Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, but I’m not not  saying that, either. It’s a true spiritual successor to the prosaic action-oriented 360 game that your cousin never shuts up about, but nobody else cares to play. If that type of thing sounds appealing to you, you may want to give this a look. As for me, I’ll stand happily off in the distance, finally free of the chains this game laid upon me. Verdict Blades of Fire  is a fundamentally enjoyable game bogged down by a large number of truly uninspired aspects. Spiritless combat and exploration don’t mix well with a slow-paced story. Thankfully, there are enough bright spots to bridge the gap between early plodding moments and the endgame, such as the excellent voice performances and animation work. The weapon crafting system is actually a lot of fun on its own, as well. Leaning heavily into customizability, smithing offers some of the only means in which you have a say in the way the game plays, but it suffers under the weight of the other systems. It is the type of game that does just enough to keep you around, but never reaches the type of highs that seem within its grasp. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.

A brand new phone and a 3-month-trial of Apple Arcade introduced me to the cozy world of Japanese Rural Life Adventure . From the creators of Food Truck Pup, Tiny Pixel Farm, and Tiny Island Survival, this game continues their signature style of relaxing pixel art gameplay. Publisher: Game Start LLC Developer: Game Start LLC Platform:  Played on iPhone Availability: Released on September 15, 2023 for Apple Arcade. Your journey begins with a simple character creator, followed by a scenic train ride to your new home in a mountain-side village. While your first major quest involves renovating your old, abandoned house, the game offers complete freedom in how you progress by letting you set your own pace and choose your activities. The main storyline revolves around bringing life back into your new village home, with various NPCs to meet and help along the way. To that end, completing a quest for these villagers brings in new tourists to the town, helping that revival. The mechanics of the tasks are straightforward: completing tasks consumes energy, which you can restore through eating or napping.  Navigation is intuitive, with exclamation points marking tasks and interactive items highlighted by matching bubble icons. The gameplay itself also matches that simplicity, with most activities using only tapping or light interaction to complete. Despite that, Japanese Rural Life Adventure  offers a large number of systems to engage with. Farming, fishing, cooking, and crafting are all here to toy with to varying degrees — the game is simple, not shallow. What truly captivated me was the game's charming pixel-based art style and soothing soundtrack. Japanese Rural Life Adventure  is full of Japanese architecture and cultural style, as the name would suggest. Shops, homes, and shrines all carry that visual style to great effect, granting an authenticity to the experience. The perfect blend of peaceful atmosphere and engaging content kept me playing for hours, and while it may no longer be my primary gaming focus, it will remain my go-to choice for relaxation and peaceful gaming sessions for some time.

Even growth unchecked is finite. Welcome to Rise of Industry 2 , where success is guaranteed with only 3 things: production, influence, and money. Six years after the first Rise of Industry , SomaSim has taken their bite of the industrial apple with Kasedo Games returning from the original to publish this as well. The 1980's USA is a perfect time and place for rampant industrial expansion, something you will be doing as fast as your cash flow allows in this retro industrialist paradise. Get out some spreadsheets and get ready to shift paradigms, build value chains, and globalize! Publisher: Kasedo Games Developer: SomaSim Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability: Releases on June 3, 2025 for Windows PC (Steam). Expand, expand, expand, the only goal in this game is ever present. With no timed objectives, the pace is left to the player to exchange imports for self-sufficiency — while expanding and diversifying exports on any of the fifteen expansive maps. Each map starts with a Headquarters Complex that acts as a pivotal thoroughfare for all of the company’s imports and exports. Complexes are the main building blocks of expansion, whether it be mining, manufacturing, generating power, or disposing of waste. Plotting out space for these will be the first step for any new complex. Having a limited space for any single complex forces some planning for logistics, but as long as every building is connected by a continuous access road, the complex will work without issue — leaving the main focus on road and utility access, space optimization, and future growth.  Once an initial supply chain of materials and finished products to sell are in motion, the game can be hard to outright fail, unless expenses are not managed and the utilities are shut off as a result of not being able to pay for basic running costs. After only a few hours of company growth, the expansive graphs and charts the game provides are invaluable. Tracking what opportunities the current infrastructure can support or where you might need more foundries to take advantage of a new mine’s output is key to increasing income to diversify your exports. Hire and direct a team of executives to fast-track research, acquire land, manage unions, and leverage influence to schmooze your way through anything without spending a dime. Rise of Industry 2 has a distinct and interesting aesthetic, replicating a distinctly 80's vibe. The live action cutscenes are funny and charming, blending the right amount of 80’s corporate sleaze with a profit at all cost mindset. Having a great actor deliver comically honest directives for the next scenario from a controllable tube television really hits the mark. Now go ahead and cut down the forest to sell paper — at least the company turns a profit when the fine for deforestation gets printed on it. Apart from the menu and HUD’s retro futurism stylings, the gameplay map’s graphics are detailed without feeling busy. Buildings are easily identifiable with customizable colors and persistent labels to always keep track of where any complex is. While camera controls are standard and easy to use, the lack of being able to zoom out very far or a map can make it harder to organize at a larger scale. The expansive gameplay is straightforward and simple to manage although some UI choices hold it back somewhat. Taking just under an hour, the tutorial is long due to having to read and manually click through every step, with no automated tracking implemented; it would be even longer if every system and mechanic was explained to the player. Although discovering and exploring the menus is part of the fun, not being able to search through the glossary for help with a specific roadblock does add an unnecessary headache when trying to find which part of what broad section the specific solution to your problem is detailed in (I still don’t know how to join a country club. I need to up my networking game and the greyed out option taunts me). Some menus become cumbersome after even moderate company expansion — for example, selecting a specific complex from a long, scrollable list is frustrating. Similar complexes share identical icons, forcing you to mouse over each one to determine which mine is for coal or slowly searching for and clicking the complex on the map. Building is very easy to use, although not being able to build a road parallel under a powerline or having to delete both power and water utilities due to their ability to occupy the same space without the option to pick only one can be frustrating. Although discovering and exploring the menus is part of the fun, not being able to search through the glossary for help with a specific roadblock does add an unnecessary headache when trying to find which part of what broad section the specific solution to your problem is detailed in. Rise of Industry 2 sits comfortably in the cozy niche of the city building and management game genre. With no timer or impending doom, the player is free to take everything at their own pace to avoid problems or plan for the future. With expansive maps and endless potential for optimization at every step in production, any scenario could easily last over 100 hours before any real constraints are met. So grab your power suit, suspenders, and freshly shined shoes and get ready to navigate the corporate landscape. Verdict Rise of Industry 2 is an unexpected sequel that captures the ambition of industrial expansionism — though it occasionally bends under the weight of that same goal. The map’s design is clean and readable, with a retro UI that feels intentionally stylized rather than outdated. With no enforced deadlines, the gameplay encourages a relaxed, player-driven pace. If you enjoy management sims and just want the time and space to grow your perfect company, this game is for you. Image Credits: Kasedo Games and Joe 'Nid' Kaiser. Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.

TRON: Identity is a short, but engaging, visual novel set within Disney's TRON universe. Taking on the role of Query, your task is to uncover the mystery surrounding an explosion at the Repository. Branching dialogue and an intriguing story keep things interesting, even if the puzzle sections are quite a bore. While an individual run may take no more than an hour or two, the variability of each playthrough means there's a lot of room for discovery. Pros Really captures the TRON vibes and aesthetic. Choices in the dialogue matter. High replayability due to multiple endings and story outcomes. Cons Game ends on a big cliff-hanger. Puzzles are underwhelming. Verdict Publisher: Bithell Games Developer:   Bithell Games Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability: Released on April 11, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, MacOS, and Windows PC.

Disclaimer: While there are no direct spoilers beyond the prologue, this review discusses some of the themes or ideas present within the entirety of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 . If such discussion would constitute a spoiler for you, or you feel like it may clue you into the direction of the game’s story, this content should be avoided.  The opening moments of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  are a powerful reminder of the realities of death for those of us left behind. Playing as Gustave, a brilliant inventor and mentor to many within the world, you must find your lost love Sophie and escort her to the docks of Lumière (a twisted, Belle Époque era version of Paris), where Sophie and the other 33 year-old (or older) citizens will face their final day. Across the water, in view from those same docks, sits The Paintress, a giant figure seated beneath a monolith with a large number 34 emblazoned upon the rockface. Once a year, The Paintress rises from her rest and carves a new number upon the monolith, killing everyone of or above that age. Publisher: Kepler Interactive Developer: Sandfall Interactive Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability: Released on April 24, 2025 for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC. The presentation of this event in game is absolutely stunning, with the characters fading away into ash and petals, all while a beautiful score punctuates the moment. The citizens of Lumière gather together to celebrate their final moments with loved ones, saying their goodbyes while adorned with roses. It is at once beautiful and horrifying. Despite this aesthetic beauty, the moment was a bit too familiar for me. My mother died earlier this year after a short battle with terminal cancer, and much like everyone within Clair Obscur , she knew her final moments were approaching in the days leading up to her passing. We all did, really. And so, she spent her last hours on this earth among family and friends, saying goodbyes, and making sure everyone around her knew how much she loved them — just as we spent those moments telling her how much we loved her. No matter how much any of us wanted her to stay, it was her time to go.  Of course, much like in real life, the game leaves us contemplating what we would do in the face of such a certain death. Do we spend our time relaxing among friends and family, do we look for a way out, or can we balance both in a way that is both fulfilling and productive? For me, the thoughts about those questions would have to wait a bit longer. When the Gommage scene ended, I could not bear to do more than sit at my desk and cry. And cry. And cry some more. I do not know how long I cried for, but every ache of my mother’s passing and every fear of my own mortality came to a head during those opening moments. Once I collected myself again, I knew I had to fully immerse myself in Clair Obscur . I had to see it through to the end. Thankfully, Clair Obscur  doesn’t just rest on its opening moments — it never shies away from tackling (or at least touching upon) death, love, and grief through the entire experience.  Combat has so many options and abilities to work with, but the art direction elevates all facets to new heights. This title is built on homages. In the narrative, we can see how each character is reverential to those who have come before and those they have lost; how they dedicate their lives to the cause so that they may honor their sacrifice and build a better future for the ones left in Lumiere. The world itself is full of love for its real world inspirations, as well. Beyond landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe, every facet of the art direction and music leans into that French culture inspiration, including enemies dressed like mimes, stereotypically French costumes for your characters, and the occasional French phrase spoken within the English dialogue.  Likewise, the gameplay itself hits on a lot of classic notes for the “JRPG” genre. The combat uses a turn-based system that sees you navigate the encounters using menus, but adds its own twist by including real-time elements such as dodging and parrying. There is a world map that is traversable by the party akin to the older Final Fantasy titles. And so on. Many of the individual elements that make up Clair Obscur  are not necessarily unique to the title, no, but it does not feel lifted from those that came before. Instead, it comes across as reverential. By paying respect to and taking ideas from those titans of the genre, Clair Obscur  can work its own magic and paint its own picture with the materials. “ Painting isn’t about verisimilitude. It’s about essence. The truth of who they are. ” Of course, there is always a risk in formulating your game in such a way. Reverence and homage can often lead to blind worship. Rather than blazing a path forward with the work laid by predecessors, it can be all too easy to find oneself stuck in a mire, unwilling to go beyond the bounds of those creations. By avoiding the pitfalls of blind adherence to the norm, Sandfall Interactive has successfully navigated this in a way that many contemporaries do not, and they manage to do so by tying these ideas and themes to the narrative as well. It is not a mistake that the Belle Époque era aesthetic was chosen specifically for this story, and it’s not happenstance that everything within seems so eager to tickle nostalgia in our minds. The way the game has managed to tie these ideas and tackle them through the story, gameplay, and development in tandem is mesmerizing to me.  While the prologue was deeply affecting for me on a personal level, I do find myself thinking more about many of the events that transpire later in the game, and the ideas or themes surrounding those moments. What does it mean to honor someone who has been lost? How do we move on from our pain, but still respect the memories we have? I don’t know the answer to those questions, necessarily. I’m still struggling with several recent losses of my own. Perhaps it would be easier to look back and lament the days gone by. To sit and think about how good we had it in the past. That is fiction, of course. Life is never easy, and each step forward in society comes at great cost — often by those least positioned to bear it. Verso has a great quote in the later stages of the story that cuts at the heart of the game’s messaging: “Painting isn’t about verisimilitude. It’s about essence. The truth of who they are.” When we honor someone or something, it is not enough to blindly copy it. Instead, we must understand the underlying essence of the events or parties involved in order to move forward in our own ways. It can be difficult to face, but the past is gone. Instead, we must move forward with dignity of our own, trying to do right by those who paved the way. For those who come after, we continue. Verdict Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a breathtakingly beautiful examination of death, grief, loss, and love. With an obvious deep respect and reverence for the cultures, people, and video games that came before it, Clair Obscur  strikes the balance between pastiche and derivative work. While the main story is not particularly long, there is quite a bit of side content available to further explore the various characters and the world itself. Despite all of the positives, the repetitive nature of the combat did wear on me, and I found myself longing for the end. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux

Wizard of Legend  is a frantic and flashy take on the dungeon crawler genre. Tight controls and a dynamic spell system keep things interesting on subsequent runs, with outfits and relics spicing things up a little bit further. There are so many options in terms of spell selection and playstyle that it can feel a bit overwhelming at times, but the dungeons themselves are a bit lacking, with only a few permutations in each zone. While the game reaches exceptional highs at points, the repetitive nature of the dungeon crawling creates some wear and tear.  Pros Fast and flashy combat is a blast to play. Varied arcana (spells) and relics give you a staggering number of options. Gorgeous pixel art style with a unique flair. Cons Lack of enemy variety. A small number of permutations for room layout in each zone.

Not pur-fection, but I'm feline fine. As I lay on a pillow, curled up into a ball, a robot strums an incomprehensibly horrid tune next to me. But this stray is comfortable all the same. I arise from my rest, stretching and then making my way to a nearby doorway to sharpen my claws. Next thing you know, I am climbing conspicuously arranged air conditioners and building fans all the way to the top of a nearby abode, where I then sit neatly within a bucket on a long zipline. Suddenly, I am in a sludge-filled arena with dozens of strange creatures who are scrambling to devour me. Sprinting and weaving between dividers, jumping over railings, and scrambling beneath the pipes, I make my escape — just in time to pull a nearby lever and complete my mission. Such is the life of a stray cat in this world. Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Developer: BlueTwelve Studio Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability: Released on July 19, 2022 for PS4, PS5, and Windows PC ; August 10, 2023 for Xbox one and Series X/S; November 19, 2024 for Nintendo Switch. Stray is ostensibly a game about being a cat. Just a regular cat, though — no powers or special abilities; only carrying a little bot who assists you. Slinking and pawing your way through the world as you climb through the neon-lit streets of Dead City, the game nails all of the mannerisms, sounds, and animations of a typical cat. Purrs and meows are cute as heck, while ear twitches and sleeping animations feel so familiar I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to my own orange cat, Cheddar. Each little quirk and tic from the unnamed cat drew a smile from me, and I ended up calling the game a “Cheddar Simulator” when talking to my wife. I often imagined the little demon resting in my lap scurrying about a city and causing trouble in a similar way. The camera is a big part of making that work well. In keeping low and close, you see the world from the perspective of a cat, even if the actual view is not first person. The robots and environs tower over you, creating a daunting landscape that you must navigate as such a small creature. There are some issues that come with such a tight camera, of course. Narrow rooms or pathways make viewing the scenery with any sort of clarity a major struggle, and in really cramped spaces, the camera can move erratically. Most of the time, it’s not much of an issue, but those who struggle with motion sickness may find themselves grappling with it — I know I did. That perspective helps frame the narrative, as well. As you follow the story, the events become much bigger than yourself or any one character, crafting a heartwarming and moving tale in a bleak world. Gameplay revolves around exploring the walled cyberpunk city via platforming elements, and solving puzzles to enter new areas or unlock secrets. The puzzles are far too easy to call this a puzzle game by any metric, but they are engaging enough to keep things moving. Those light puzzles do serve as another reminder of just how cute your cat is, though. Mischievously knocking paint cans down onto unsuspecting citizens or carrying objects in your mouth as you trot away from your unsuspecting victims, this curious cat is just a joy to play. You can also talk to the robot citizens to learn more about them and the world, and there are a small number of collectibles to gather in your time here. Those small activities can really help flesh out the world around you, which then deepens your connection to both the world and those same characters. Neon-lit streets give way to desolate landscapes for your little orange avatar to navigate. Those characters are the heart of the story, in many ways. Each robot wears their emotions in quite an explicit way by showing their feelings through emoticons on their faces (screens, really). The animation work here is excellent, as well. The bots have very expressive movements and distinct body language that help the player understand the vibe of the text during the conversations. They’ve also built a living society full of love, fear, loneliness, and hope — much like our own hellscape. While I’m not sure the rabbit hole goes particularly far down, the game uses these moments to explore themes about the relationships we have with each other and our environment, and calls into question what we would do to build a better world for those who come after, even if we don’t live to see the fruits of our labors. While the moment to moment gameplay of solving puzzles and running through the streets is serviceable, I find Stray ’s biggest strengths to be the way it uses every element of its gameplay to elevate the basic premise of playing as a cat. From the way the world is put together to the camera angles and minor activities — each aspect serves a purpose. Stray never overstays its welcome, either. With chapters moving at a brisk pace, and collectibles being kept to a very manageable number, I never got the sense that I was stuck in one place for too long. After all, we know orange cats aren’t very good at sitting still. Verdict Stray  is a lovely platforming adventure game that sees you playing as a cat in a somewhat dark, but ultimately hopeful world. Much of the gameplay revolves around exploring your surroundings or solving puzzles, but the real highlight is just how well it nails its animations and tone. Playing as a cat is such a joy thanks to all of the little inconsequential ways the game lets you do it, like scratching up carpets or knocking objects down from counters. I was fond of the story, as well, and would love to see more from this team in the future. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux