Mark Steighner
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COGConnectedLatest Reviews
Playing Dune: Awakening is an uneven experience. The survival and building loops start strong, then eventually bog down, but experiencing the Dune universe and Arrakis is always engaging. If the game’s combat could reach the heights of its stellar world-building, Dune: Awakening would be very hard to put down. As it is, the game’s crafting/survival loops are just strong enough to keep me playing when its combat tempts me to stop.
All games build on or look back at what’s come before. The Alters makes a delicious stew out of familiar ingredients, both from other 11 bit studios games and popular genres. Taking survival and building mechanics and adding a complex layer of social simulation isn’t entirely foreign to this developer, but The Alters feels genuinely original, and that’s a bit miraculous in an industry full of sequels and remakes. Ironically, while the game might be about clones, The Alters is anything but a copy of something else.
Overture offers a significant amount of new content that visually, narratively, and mechanically slots easily into the base game. It doesn’t push the franchise forward, but that’s not its mission. Instead, its job is to provide fans with more of what they loved about Lies of P. In that regard, Overture is an unqualified success. New difficulty options mean that even more gamers will be able to experience Overture’s evocative world and engaging combat. Overture might not be a proper sequel, but it is a great reminder about what makes Lies of P such a fantastic Soulslike.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die isn’t literally a sequel, of course. It’s an interesting switch to a new genre, and a gamble that pays off. With its fast, challenging, colorful action and a unique setting, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die puts a compelling spin on familiar roguelike mechanics. Both fans of the genre and the first Lost in Random game should find plenty to enjoy.
South of Midnight pares a refreshingly different narrative and setting with artistic visuals that bring to life folklore from the American Deep South. It’s captivating, and there’s almost nothing like it. Unfortunately, South of Midnight is saddled with frustrating, unpolished combat and action sequences that become repetitive long before the game’s midpoint. Even with its glaring faults, South of Midnight is mostly worth playing just for the orc-free story and uniquely American characters.
Koira is a heartfelt and inspiring journey that explores the deep emotional bonds between people and animals, bonds that are dynamic and fulfilling for both. With expressive art and music, some interesting puzzles, and a bit of tension and excitement, Koira is less one dimensional than it might appear. As a game, it’s probably a one-and-done experience, but it leaves behind a warm glow and a bit of renewed appreciation for empathy, connection, and communication.
In the absence of other and more impressive Soulslikes, AI Limit could definitely step in and fill a void. It gets the basics right and even iterates in some enjoyable ways. Fans of sci-fi anime and those bored with gothic fantasy will appreciate AI Limit’s setting and theme. While the combat is nothing special, it’s still undeniably fun, if awfully familiar. In a genre absolutely brimming with better choices, it’s hard to recommend AI Limit, but players coming to it with reasonable expectations will have a good time.
Derivative though it most certainly is, The First Berserker: Khazan is still incredibly fun to play because combat is so satisfying. The gothic anime visuals look great, and the game manages to sneak a few new and smart mechanics into the formula. The First Berserker: Khazan may be a familiar experience, but it’s probably a must-play for fans of hardcore action games and Soulslikes.
A few weeks ago I went hands-on with a few, curated hours of Atomfall. I felt then the same as I feel now after playing the full game. The world is beautiful and thoroughly convincing, the characters are interesting but the combat lacks polish and finesse. I probably missed a lot of secrets or mishandled some leads, but given the game’s mechanics I’m not enthusiastic about filling in the gaps. Atomfall is one of those rare games that excited and disappointed me in equal measure.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows does not revolutionize the formula that has both served and undermined the franchise for a very long time. It does shake things up a bit by bringing back the twin protagonist mechanic in a new way and making some tentative progress with mission design, stealth, and combat. Shadows’ world and attention to Japanese history and culture are genuinely impressive. Naoe is not the ultimate assassin and Yesuke is not the most refined ARPG hero. However, their different strengths add creativity to combat and narrative complexity. I don’t think Assassin’s Creed Shadows will disappoint many fans, nor pull in the uninitiated in great numbers. It’s a solid AC game with just enough new ideas to make it stand apart from the recent titles.