There isn't necessarily anything new or groundbreaking about the combat but all of the elements from familiar titles come together to make a complex system with lots of factors to weigh together that really get you thinking.
Spiritfarer Actually Satisfied My Desire for a Melancholy Farming Sim
When I wrote that article and described my ideal farming sim as "Harvest Moon but Depressed," I never imagined that a day would come when I would play the game that scratched that itch. Yet in 2020's (after)life sim Spiritfarer, I found the melancholy I sought - plus a little hope to go along with it.
Spiritfarer’s Platforming Sets it Apart from Other Simulation Games
Spiritfarer is not just a life sim or farming sim - it is a platformer, and the satisfaction of movement that comes from that genre adds so much to what Spiritfarer accomplishes.
Age of Calamity is an Excellent Warriors Game but Not the Breath of the Wild Prequel I Wanted
Age of Calamity fails to deliver on its promise of telling the story of the events that lead up to Breath of the Wild, but if you know that going in there's still a pretty fun game to be found underneath.
I’m One of Those Weirdos Who Tells Everyone to Play Hades Now
I don't think anyone out there has been proselytizing Hades as the perfect game; rather, it simply seems clear that what works about the game is so strong that the issues are easy to bear.
In Which I Stare Longingly at Zombie World While My RPG Friends are in Quarantine
Because I don't have a large enough group in my nuclear family to play a session of Zombie World, today I'll be settling for looking at the cards and thinking about how cool they are.
First Impressions of Slay the Spire, from a Guy Who Sucks at One Step From Eden
Slay the Spire promised an experience where I could take my time to think but still be challenged.
I Finally Filled the XCOM-Shaped Hole in My Strategy Game Library (XCOM2 Switch Review)
Base management strategy is key to this game and the interplay between these activities and the missions themselves is the core gameplay loop of XCOM2.
A Pirate’s Life For Me? Nah! – First and Last Impressions of 7th Sea
The weird contradiction of 7th Sea is a game that in its attempt to give you more freedom instead creates structures that restrict your creative freedom.
Bug Fables May Just Be the Pinnacle of Classic Paper Mario Combat
While the proper Paper Mario series moves off in a new direction, Bug Fables is the love letter to the combat that the old guard fondly remembers.