Search Results

This removal includes items that have already been paid for, with users unable to download the content. July 23, 2025 — Digital distribution platform and marketplace itch.io  appears to have removed a massive amount of content from their website, with  users noting  that games and other content with ‘NSFW’, ‘Adult’, or ‘Erotic’ tags are no longer appearing in searches. Additionally, many games rated r18 have been entirely delisted, preventing not only future sales, but the ability to download  the titles whatsoever. Despite this change in policy affecting thousands of items on the platform, itch.io  has yet to release a statement on the matter, leaving creators and consumers alike in the dark about what is happening.  UPDATE: itch.io  has released a statement  regarding the removal of NSFW content on the platform, stating “We have “deindexed” all adult NSFW content from our browse and search pages. We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change.” Additionally, the statement specifically mentions pressure from payment processors, and explicitly names the organization “Collective Shout” as party to the campaign to pressure itch.io .  “Recently, we came under scrutiny from our payment processors regarding the nature of some content hosted on itch.io . Due to a game titled No Mercy, which was temporarily available on itch.io before being banned back in April, the organization Collective Shout launched a campaign against Steam and itch.io , directing concerns to our payment processors about the nature of certain content found on both platforms.” Why itch.io  decided to implement these changes without any warning or press release prior to its implementation remains unknown and unexplained, with itch.io  only noting that the situation developed quickly. The itch.io website is now devoid of NSFW titles on the front page, even with the setting turned on. This change comes on the heels of digital distribution platform Steam delisting huge swaths  of adult games. In their updated rules and guidelines , Steam indicates that “Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content” should not be published on the platform.  Why is this happening now? Following Steam's policy reversal, anti-porn organization “Collective Shout”  claimed responsibility for the removal . As reported by journalist Ana Valens , the organization has been lobbying payment processors to stop facilitating payments for NSFW-adjacent titles for some time, and seems to have finally broken through. In their demand letter  from May 26, 2025, Collective Shout specifically named itch.io  as one of their targets. They don’t plan on stopping there, either, stating “We request that you demonstrate corporate social responsibility and immediately cease processing payments on Steam and Itch.io and any other platforms hosting similar games.” With payment processors like Visa, Paypal, and Mastercard putting the screws to these digital distribution platforms, there’s little choice but to acquiesce to the demands, as the storefronts would be unable to process most monetary transactions without the processors. The distribution platforms themselves would be cut off from any funds, period, spelling doom not only for the platform, but many other developers or companies in the process. “We request that you demonstrate corporate social responsibility and immediately cease processing payments on Steam and Itch.io  and any other platforms hosting similar games.” There are many reasons why this sort of crusade against NSFW titles is both undeserved and unwarranted, but perhaps the most pressing is the relation to the current LGBTQ+ rights crisis we are facing in the US. These events don’t exist in a vacuum. It is no accident that these far-right groups are targeting itch and other LGBTQ+ adjacent platforms — it’s their stated goal. Project 2025 (and by extension the US government) has made it explicit that they  intend to criminalize ‘transgender ideology’  — a term so broad it could even cover the acknowledgement that trans people exist. By first getting platforms to agree to remove NSFW content, they then only need to include groups or ideas they find unsavory under that umbrella to facilitate their erasure. This deliberate attack on the LGBTQ+ community is just another item in a long list of hateful actions that have been enacted since the reinstatement of the Trump administration, but it is still horrifying nonetheless. The gaming community as we know it would not exist without LGBTQ+ peoples, and by continuing to censor and erase them from the world, we not only diminish the artform of video games, but we diminish ourselves. We are losing some of our greatest artistic and scientific minds in service of some of the most hateful people on the planet. We are losing lives and monuments of joy in order to appease those who only seek to cause pain. It is unlikely that itch.io  will be the last site to make changes like this. The efforts of hate groups to make these changes are ongoing, with payment processors seemingly happy to oblige them. I wish there was an easy answer for what comes next and how to stop this from happening, but I don’t have one, at least. For now, here is a petition from the ACLU  directed at the payment processors to end the unjust targeting of adult content. JetsonPlaysGames stands in solidarity with all of our LGBTQ+ family and friends.

When life hands you legal fees... July 22, 2025 — Popular VTuber and streamer Ironmouse has announced their separation from their talent agency, VShojo. In their announcement video regarding the departure, Ironmouse levies some hefty allegations and also indicates that further legal action is being taken. VTuber Ironmouse during their announcement video. Ironmouse is Twitch’s most popular Vtuber, having broken subscription records  on the platform during a 30-day fundraising effort for the Immune Deficiency Foundation just last year. During the subathon, Ironmouse raised $515,000 for the charity, but did not use Twitch’s fundraising platform Tiltify, leaving VShojo to handle the donations on her behalf. This seems to be the inciting event, with Ironmouse claiming that the agency has not made good on that payment, as well as other payments to the VTuber herself. Ironmouse’s Reasoning The specific allegations are pretty dire: “I believe I am owed a significant amount of funds which I have not been paid,” Ironmouse stated “And, most importantly, the thing that hurts me the most is that the Immune Deficiency Foundation, which is the most important charity for me and also the reason I am here today, is owed over half a million dollars from VShojo.” Ironmouse has also indicated that further specifics are being withheld at this time due to ongoing legal proceedings regarding the matter, but it was clear that the situation has been weighing heavily on Ironmouse herself. “I would always be told how important I was for the company. And I was always told that I was needed in order for the company to succeed. Although that was very positive to hear, it put a lot of pressure and a lot of stress on me to the point where I felt guilt-tripped into signing.” She continued, “I felt responsible for everybody. I felt responsible for staff and talent alike. And I felt like, if I didn’t do this and if I didn’t stay, I was hurting everybody and I was destroying everybody’s life. But this didn’t feel right with me and I began to feel extremely uncomfortable. “I felt responsible for everybody. I felt responsible for staff and talent alike. And I felt like, if I didn’t do this and if I didn’t stay, I was hurting everybody and I was destroying everybody’s life." What has happened since Since the split happened, Ironmouse has started another fundraising campaign   for the Immune Deficiency Foundation, which totals over $700,000 at the time of this article — a number that continues to climb rapidly. With Ironmouse’s stated goal of showing that VTubing can be a force for good, it seems she’s making good on the promise of continuing to support the foundation. Between herself and the streamer Connor “CDawgVA” Colquhoun, over $4 million has been raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation, and this latest influx is just another reason to believe in the power of the collective. “The Immune Deficiency Foundation means the world to me,” she says, “Connor and I have both spent a ton of energy, time, and resources raising money for charity and we’re both so proud to say that we’ve raised nearly $4 million for the charity.” What happens next? While the outcome of Ironmouse’s legal challenge is impossible to predict at this stage, VShojo may still be in hot water as many of the agency’s talent members have moved on since the situation with Ironmouse came to light. Kson , AmaLee , Kuro , and Project Melody have announced they are leaving among others.  Kson during their departing announcement video . Despite now being without an agency at the time of this article, there is no indication that any of the listed VTubers have plans to stop streaming, including Ironmouse. “As of right now, I am an independent VTuber,” she says, later adding “Sometime this month, I plan on doing a special livestream in order to raise money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation. I hope to have a ton of friends joining me and hopefully there’ll be a lot of singing and a lot of fun and just a day full of happiness.” If you would like to contribute to the Tiltify campaign, the link can be found here .

Saying Goodbye (For Now) What FFVII Rebirth can teach us about life...and letting go. My first Christmas memory is unwrapping an NES, meant for the entire family, immediately hooking it up to the TV in the room, and playing Ducktales until my family forced me to stop. Our family Christmases were always held in the metro area of our home state - both sides of my family lived there, so it was always convenient to have one big trip for the holidays. The trips were always long, and we relied on family to put us up for the nights we were there, but we always visited everyone we could. After all, this might be the only time we saw our family for the year (or even years). I generally hated these trips (or any other trip to the cities), but there was always at least one bright spot - visiting my uncle. I was really too young to understand the particulars, or even to know my uncle well, but every time we visited it seemed like he had something for me. He was especially supportive of my art, providing me with materials to draw and color as much as I wanted on his table - or his floor, which was my preferred spot. He once gifted us a large box of art supplies that seemed to last forever. A box of crayons, colored pencils, pastels, and paints - it was the go-to whenever I felt like creating something new. It was always there when I needed it. My uncle passed away in 2000, and it was a difficult time for my family. Especially so for my dad. Both my grandfather and grandmother had passed away within the last few years, and he had now lost a brother. To be honest, I don't remember much of the time we spent with family at these funerals or gatherings, but what I do remember was seeing my dad cry for the first time at my grandmother's funeral, and for the second time at my uncle's funeral. I didn't really know how to process anything that was going on. When we arrived back home, a friend lent me Final Fantasy VII for the PSX. We were a few years removed from the massive frenzy surrounding the game, but I had never played it and didn't know much about it at all. I had played Final Fantasy I, IV, and VI, so I was at least somewhat familiar with the series, and since I didn't have to go to school anyway, I figured I'd give it a shot. What I got was a deeply moving, and personal, experience. An absolutely stunning game, in terms of visuals and scope. Aside from being a fun RPG with cool guys, big swords, and killer music, Final Fantasy VII ( FFVII ) is also a game about life, death, grief, and acceptance. Through Final Fantasy, I was able to gain a better understanding of not only these things and how they affect people, but I was also able to contextualize and process the events that I was going through. The most famous event in gaming history is a powerful moment, to be sure, but even beyond that singular bit, much of FFVII 's mid portion deals with the party's previous losses, their grief, and their acceptance of the events past and present that haunt them. It is my favorite part of the game. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second of three installments in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which was announced in 2015. Rebirth , in particular, covers that aforementioned mid portion of the Final Fantasy VII story, and aims to do so in a larger fashion. Much like 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth extends and extrapolates the events to give us a more in-depth look at the world, all with a great new coat of paint. Rebirth has a great balance of new scenes and characters with retelling the old story in both a recognizable and satisfying way...some of the time. In between all of the great character moments, and exciting action of the battles, the game manages to muddle the big moments of the original game, more often than not. Major moments from FFVII are often presented in a tonally inconsistent way with the original, or even move from one tone to the next in the same scene - giving major moments no time to breathe. It is an extremely long game with so many things to collect and see, yet it somehow never makes adequate time for the moments that really matter in the narrative - moving at breakneck speed from somber goodbyes to slapping butts all within the same cutscene. I am not particularly averse to change, or having a new spin on old material. Much like with music covers, I don't think it's worth doing unless you've done something new with the material. So, for me, it's not that things are different - it's how they've deviated that confuses me so frequently. Which, in retrospect, is a shame. I do believe there is a great game in here somewhere . For all the narrative faults, there's so much to love. The soundtrack, with over 400 songs, is a phenomenal blend of arrangements of old songs and new material. The combat is fast, fun, and flashy. The characters, voicework, and cutscenes are some of the best I've ever seen in a game. So why, then, does this feel so hollow in the end? Fun and flashy, the combat absolutely delivers. My major grievances are with just a few elements of the game: Overwhelming side content, and main story presentation. The side-content, in particular, really wore on me as I played through the game. Mountains of filler collectibles and towers litter each map - all of which distract from the actual good and fun things you can do. Unfortunately, you need to complete everything in order to do all of the sidequests and get many of the good moments and content in the game. You need to pick those leaves, and hit those towers, and collect that trash in order to get your best materia, or unlock the character quests. All throughout that, Rebirth throws minigame after minigame at you. There seems to be a bespoke minigame for about 40% of the quests in each area. This sounds like a cool idea in theory, but most are really underdeveloped. Some have bad controls, some are broken mechanically, and most are just plain boring, but you have to do them all. You want to have a moment with Aerith? You better play this boring ass mushroom picking thing we threw in here, buddy. For the story, there's a lot more to love. Great action, voices, characters, and emotional moments throughout the game kept me engaged and wanting to see more. Not just the retreads of the original FFVII, either. The original beats of the story end up being some of the best moments. They give us a deeper understanding and appreciation of the characters and world that just wasn't possible back on the Playstation, but they fumbled the major incidents from the original game in ways that had me asking ' why ' more frequently than I would like. The final moments of the game are especially baffling. I feel like I have a good grasp on what happens, what they're going for, and where they're taking it for the next game, but I do wonder how a new player (one who has not played Final Fantasy VII before) takes all of what is happening in. The individual areas in Rebirth are massive. To me, it's not just that the ending is intentionally confusing/misleading - it's that it takes a major bite out of the events, in general. So much of the messaging is lost in these moments, all so they can save them for the next game in the installment. This was frustrating enough that I began to question whether we really needed 3 parts at all. So much of this game was tedious in terms of the actual gameplay experience - could it have been condensed into a better game? By the end of this project we will have spent 10 years and what we get is a retelling that can realistically only land in one of two places: A fundamental change of the events that took place in the original FFVII , or a significantly worse, bloated, retelling of the original narrative. To be honest, I'm not really sure where I want them to land here. It might be more exciting to have them do something drastically different in terms of outcomes, but I don't really have faith that this team could pull off anything satisfying. Landing on the original plot, would be nice because it's an all-time classic, but then I wonder what the point of all the plot ghosts and rainbow worlds and other nonsense over the last 10 years was for. So when I sat down to review this game, I had to think about how I could possibly score it. It is often a lot of fun, but is maddening to me in so many ways, as well. As I ruminated on the things I liked and didn't like, I quickly realized I couldn't score it at all. It became impossible for me to really take this work on its own merits. Every scene or mechanic was, in one way or another, chasing the ghost of a game that came out in 1997. The story, in particular, was impossible for me to decouple from the original work and the major impact it had on me at a vulnerable point in my life. Rebirth , then, has once again given me a valuable reminder that the cycle of grief can manifest in so many different ways. Only this time, it's dealing with the death of my time with the Final Fantasy VII universe. I will probably not play the next game. My frustration with the game and its errant retelling has really soured me on the project as a whole. I just have to accept that this game, and this trilogy, was not meant for someone like me. There are so many other people who get the chance to play this game (and the others in the trilogy) without their expectations or experiences colored in the way mine are, and I truly hope they enjoy it. In the end, I can take some comfort in the fact that my memories of my original experience will stick with me forever. Final Fantasy VII is a core part of my gaming identity, and even if I don't necessarily count it among my favorite games, it came at the perfect moment in my life. The original Final Fantasy VII , much like that box of art supplies from my uncle, will always be there for me, just waiting to be picked up whenever I need it. Photo credits: Square Enix

This is no Juno, boy! No Juno! My first impressions of Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  were almost entirely predicated on the visuals. The gorgeous pixel art and anime-inspired aesthetic are captivating, awakening a sense of nostalgia for many of the great mecha series of the past. But The Gun-Dog  goes beyond a simple nostalgia trip, forging its own path and telling a story worth exploring. Much like the stories it draws inspiration from, this title never shies away mature themes or heavier subject matter, such as PTSD. Publisher: Astrolabe Games, Meridiem Games Developer:   Space Colony Studios Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability:  Released on February 19, 2025 for Windows PC (Steam), Linux (Steam), PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Invisible and insidious, PTSD lingers within the minds and hearts of many military veterans. The shadows cast by the pain of days gone by scrape and bite, gnawing away at the afflicted’s very being until they become thin in spirit. Some who are unable to find reprieve instead find an escape, preferring an end to their life over the continued suffering they would have to endure. Thankfully, the protagonist in Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  is not one such person. The security officer (whom you name) instead suffers from flashbacks and anxiety, opting to avoid recollection or reminders of the events that take place within the opening scene. PTSD is a hard thing to get right in a game. Presenting it in a way that both communicates the gravity of the subject matter while maintaining playability to the game must be a difficult task. Whether or not Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  handles that delicate balance in the optimal way is hard to say as my understanding of PTSD is all second-hand, but it is clear that there is care put into its portrayal here. Frequent small reminders or nods in dialogue, flashbacks, and even animations pop up throughout the game’s run, allowing you to feel the weight of the opening incidents on your character without ever becoming overbearing or the focal point of the entire game. While the PTSD is not front-and-center of all dialogues or actions you take, there is just a tickle in the back of your mind — a gentle guiding hand that informs the player character's mentality. In many ways, I find that lighter touch is to the game’s benefit. As a visual novel, much of the appeal is in roleplay opportunities and how you as an individual navigate any specific encounter or scene. A more heavy-handed approach may have taken some of that away from the player. Instead, the flashbacks or reminders come either as a consequence of your choices and the routes that they lead you to, or as part of otherwise unavoidable scenes. How much you let PTSD guide your actions is in many ways left to the player. I was pleasantly surprised by the branching dialogue in Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog , and the way those choices lead to entirely different character interactions or outcomes down the line. This is not uncommon in visual novels, of course, but the mix of immediate reactive differences and long-term effects was nice to see, making each of my choices feel like meaningful moments rather than just buttons to press to move on to the next scene. Stories from Sol: The Gun Dog has such an incredible visual flair. Of course, like most games in the genre, the gameplay itself is exceedingly simple and straightforward. There are no complicated button combinations to mess with, difficult puzzles to solve, or intricate mechanics to navigate. Instead, the gameplay entirely revolves around a few simple menu items which you can use to interact with a given scene. It lies firmly within that middle ground between old 80s and 90s graphic adventure games and modern visual novels in that regard. Not quite enough interactivity to call itself a point-and-click adventure, but with enough elements to keep you engaged throughout. Those gameplay elements are not the only thing reminiscent of the titles of yesteryear. Every element from the art style to the music conjures memories of a time long past. There’s an obvious love for mecha anime and manga baked into this thing, with the ships, uniforms, spacesuits, and mobile suits bearing heavy resemblance to something you may see in something like Gundam . The beauty of the pixel art here cannot be overstated, either. Captivating scenery and character portraits litter the game, and you can get a clear sense of a character just by looking at their artwork; different poses, body language, outfits, and expressions effectively communicating what each person is about. While the scenery and style might evoke memories of anime titles such as Getter Robo or Armored Trooper Votoms , I actually see the DNA of Capcom titles like Mega Man and Cyberbots . And that’s just in “Vivid” mode. Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  actually has 3 distinct art styles to choose from: Doujin, Studio, and Vivid. The audio also features chiptunes that wouldn’t feel out of place on an MS-DOS title or other era appropriate games, either. There’s nothing particularly complex about the music here — simple tunes that run on a short loop — but each track fits exceptionally well in the scenes they are used in, helping to set the mood for any given moment. I am fond of many of the songs, but I think some of the more repeated tracks began to wear on me as they saw continued use. The audio and art carry much of the load in terms of eliciting nostalgia or recollection of its inspirations, but I also feel similarities between the more thematic elements, as well. As I wrote this review, I began to watch Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam  (inspired in no small part by Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog ), and the themes of horrors of war come through in many forms in each title. Reluctant participants, PTSD, and loss are all touched upon in The Gun Dog . It would feel a bit reductive to simply say that the game is just like one title or another, as I feel Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog does a great job of carving out its own identity, but it also feels so reverential to those inspirations that I think it would be a mistake not to mention it. Someone without knowledge of those older anime, manga, and video games could certainly still play this game and get a lot out of it, but knowledge of the classics enhanced my appreciation for what the game was doing and the ways in which it deviates from many norms. Captivating scenery and character portraits litter the game, and you can get a clear sense of a character just by looking at their artwork; different poses, body language, outfits, and expressions effectively communicating what each person is about. The ways in which Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog handles its story beats and moment-to-moment dialogue is impressive, and the writing as a whole is a strong point for the title. The Gun-Dog  relies on language to describe each scene beautifully and efficiently without bogging the player down with jargon or technical terminology, barring a few exceptions. For example, in one case, the Chief was explaining how the engines worked and she went into some detail about how the engine uses Higgs boson particles to shift space in a field around the ship; the reaction and over-explanation is used for comedic effect, but you get a real sense of how passionate the Chief is about these systems, and how knowledgeable she is. It’s this character writing, in combination with the excellent art and other elements, that really elevate Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  into a special place. The characters and story are archetypal on their face, but dig a little deeper and the game might just surprise you. The Gun-Dog ’s ability to tell earnest and heartfelt stories while managing to tackle difficult subjects keep this from ever feeling like a derivative work, placing the title squarely in homage territory. Put it all together with branching storylines and player choice, and you have a recipe for an excellent adventure. Verdict Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog  is a brilliant and engaging visual novel with clear inspiration taken from mecha anime, manga, and video games from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Despite the almost overwhelming nostalgia the visuals and music may invoke, the title manages to stay fresh and exciting all the way through. Utilizing the visual novel format to wow the player with its stunning art and clever writing, The Gun-Dog never shies away from its mature subject matter — tackling themes of PTSD, love, and loss — and is all the better for it. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux and Space Colony Studios

The Spire Doesn’t Sleep… It has been nearly eight years since the early access release of Slay the Spire , and five since its full PC release, but I am still finding myself playing it after all this time. Last night, as I lay in bed trying out some new strategy in deckbuilding, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of amazement that the game remains so captivating so far beyond its initial release. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the game that it is widely considered one of the best deck-building video games ever made, if not outright the best. It is certainly the most influential — in recent memory, at least. In the eight years since its first release, I’ve never really managed to put down my thoughts on it. So, what makes Slay the Spire  such a monumental achievement and influential project? Publisher: Mega Crit, Humble Bundle Developer:   Mega Crit Platform:  Played on PC (Steam), Mobile (Android) Availability:  Released on Jan 23, 2019 for Windows PC, MacOS, Linux; May 21, 2019 for PS4; June 6, 2019 for Nintendo Switch; August 14, 2019 for Xbox One; June 13, 2020 for iOS, and February 3, 2021 for Android. Slay the Spire  is best described as a deck-building roguelite dungeon crawler. Using one of four distinctive characters, you’ll make your way through floors of enemies, bosses, and events in order to reach the top of the spire. As you advance, you’ll need to build a deck based around each character's unique properties, facing increasingly difficult enemies along the climb. Managing your health, money, and deck space will be fundamental to finally reaching the top, but each new encounter will bring new trials, giving you valuable experience to learn from — even if you never make it to your final destination on any individual run. Immediately upon starting a run you are given a choice by the game’s narrator and guiding force, Neow. What those exact choices entail vary run-to-run, but they can involve trading health, gold, or even your starting relic for some other boon. From here you must choose a starting path, with your map showing you the sequence of encounters to be had on each trail. The legend on the right-hand side of the screen gives you an idea of what each encounter icon means, but to fully understand, you will need to engage with the various types of rooms you can explore. Enemies are small foes that offer prizes upon defeat, while elites are souped-up monsters that drop an additional relic on top of the normal encounter loot. Merchants offer a way to buy or offload cards and relics, while “Unknown” can be anything and everything under the sun, except for a rest point — including choose-your-own-adventure type events that can confer some sort of benefit or detrimental effect without combat.  Core gameplay revolves around a very simple concept. Your character has a set amount of energy to use per turn (base 3), and each card in your hand (base 5) uses a set amount of that energy as noted on each card. Once you have played your cards and ended your turn, the enemy takes their turn, where they do a single action that is telegraphed above their head. If you win your combat encounter, you will be rewarded with cards that you can choose to add to your deck, money to spend in shops, and other possible goodies.  Everything about this game impresses — there's a clarity and focus that few titles ever achieve. The increasing difficulty of these enemies necessitates some tinkering with your available cards, but other factors go a long way to help, such as relics that bestow innate abilities or effects. The puzzle-like quality of each altercation offers additional lessons, as enemies have mostly set attack patterns that can be learned and worked around. Once an encounter is complete, you’re put back on the map to choose your continued path. That simple conceit belies the absolutely absurd depth of this game. The visual style is a superb, as well. All of the characters and environments have a simple, almost cartoon-like appearance, but every enemy or card is visually striking, with marked differences between each one to keep them easily discernible from one another. Visual indicators for buffs, debuffs, enemy actions, and every other aspect of the game are clear, allowing you to absorb a ton of information at a glance. This helps keep things moving, as having to highlight and read every icon as you play could very quickly become tiresome. Luckily, there’s no limiting timer either way, so you can take your time planning your next move. Each character not only has their own skillset or innate strengths and starting cards, they all have distinct card pools to draw from in the rewards. With 75 distinct cards per character, and a total of 178 relics available to the player (including some character-specific ones), the possibilities for building your deck are endless. Pathway and enemy variance, rotating boss types per floor, and RNG-related encounters all add to the fathomless pool of choice laid bare in front of you. This is even further exacerbated by gameplay settings such as Ascension level, which introduces some additional negative modifier per level, and other game modes like the daily climb, which is a challenge mode with unique run modifiers and score-tracking. All of this is to say that no matter how many times you play, you’ll never have the same run twice (unless you use a set seed and deliberately make the same choices). Pathway and enemy variance, rotating boss types per floor, and RNG-related encounters all add to the fathomless pool of choice laid bare in front of you. For some, the magnitude of depth may be daunting, like an insurmountable wall of stuff  to sift through in order to win, but I think that the volume of choice presented to the player right out of the gate may be among Slay the Spire ’s most compelling aspects. There is always something to be gained from a run, whether it's unlocking new cards or relics to play with, learning enemy movesets, or even just figuring out how everything works together or how best to manage your health and cash. Every loss helps you learn, every choice taken is a thought experiment unto itself. It’s just so damn compelling. I’m at the point now where I am familiar enough with the game to not have to read card text or relic information to know what I’m going to do on any given turn. Having beaten Ascension 20 with each character multiple times, there are no more cards, events, or relics left to discover. For me it's more about experimentation, opening myself up to the possibilities laid before me and diving into trying something new, intentionally.  After such a long time from release, I almost can’t believe that I’m not tired of Slay the Spire.  Every run brings something unique, and I feel like I’m still learning what works and what doesn’t, how best to optimize a run, and how to challenge myself in new and interesting ways. A fantastic mix of simple to understand systems and impossibly deep decision trees makes this one a never-ending joy to engage with. It's not surprising to me that so many titles have looked to this game as an inspiration over those eight years. In fact, I think we may end up looking back on Slay the Spire as the single most influential title since Dark Souls . Verdict Slay the Spire  is simply the best roguelite deck-builder out right now. Easy to understand systems combined with deep and thoughtful gameplay decisions make the game simultaneously easy to play and difficult to master. While it may be a deeply challenging title, especially on higher difficulties, making your way through each floor remains delightfully satisfying. It’s a masterwork that has spawned countless imitators and exactly zero equals. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux and MegaCrit, LLC

The beginning of Quantum Witch  sees your character Ren on a quest to find her missing faer. While the village of hus is quite small, some might struggle to find the locations of all the faer in the area. Here are the locations of the three missing faer in the village of Hus. Faer #1 The first faer can be found at The Crossroads, which is the first zone to your left once leaving your starting home. From the entry point, just head left until the path splits into an upper and lower section. Take the lower road and your faer will be waiting for you. Just interact with it and it will head on home. This little guy is ready to go home. Faer #2 The second faer can be found at the Pool Temple. To reach the temple, take the upward route at The Crossroads and examine the door. This door will lead you to the Thorpsteads, but if you examine the doorway again, you’ll see the option for Pool Temple.  Once you reach the temple, just head right until you see a person standing at a stall. Speak with the vendor here, and your faer will reveal itself. No need for further action — your fuzzy friend will find its way home. They're a troublemaker, but they're your troublemaker. Faer #3 To get the final faer in Hus, Hus Town Square. To reach the square, head back to the crossroads from the way you came. Once you reach The Crossroads, run all the way left and you’ll end up in the square. Here, you’ll need to speak to Princess Nectarine near the shell stall. On the base version of the game, the process is a bit more complex — once you’ve run through her first set of dialogue, talk to her again and she’ll tell you to return to the stall at night. If you follow her instructions, your final faer will be waiting for you — just speak to it and send it home!  In the most recent patches of the game, simply speak to princess Nectarine and ask about your faer. The faer will immediately appear and send itself home. I wonder if the shells are knockoffs, too. Once you have all three of the faer in Hus, you can go ahead and move onto other parts of the game. There are quite a few smaller interactions in the village to get through, but if you’re looking to move on in the story, you’ll need to find Helgrind path. If you’re having trouble, here’s a small guide to help direct you.

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.