Matt Buckley
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GamePressureLatest Reviews
Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy might be the strangest gaming experience I’ve had in a long time. This is a remake of a 1999 first-person point-and-click adventure, and while it vastly improved the visuals of the entire experience, the controls are still stuck in the past.
Sunderfolk is the debut game from Secret Door and Dreamhaven. It expertly facilitates a TTRPG experience for a group of four players, using phones as controllers. It perfectly balances accessibility and depth, making it easy for new players to jump in and tactical veterans to find a challenge. The few weeks I’ve had Sunderfolk for review have been some of the most fun multiplayer experiences I’ve had in years. I look forward to playing a lot more.
The Lunar: Remastered Collection is a victim of its own faithfulness. While its upgraded visuals—the retro pixel art character sprites and environments and the hand-drawn cutscenes—are stunning, they only barely distract from an otherwise outdated RPG experience. Lunar’s stories and character might have felt fresh and original in the 1990s, but today, they come across as cliché and uninspired. There is fun to be had here, but there are plenty of other great modern RPGs, too. I have a hard time imagining anyone choosing to jump into the world of Lunar today if they don’t have pre-existing nostalgia for the series.
Split Fiction is another jewel in Hazelight Studio’s ever-growing crown of co-op adventures. This game constantly introduces new mechanics that keep the gameplay fresh, and each new story feels unique, despite continually returning to the same two genres. There are random difficulty spikes that can easily trip up inexperienced players and lead to frustration, but this was some of the most fast-paced, light-hearted fun I’ve had in a long time.
Avowed is so much more than Obsidian’s take on Skyrim. This game sets the standard for what future Western RPGs should strive for. Nearly every option in combat is worth exploring, the companions are fully fleshed out with backstories that beg to be uncovered, and the anti-imperialist message at the center of the larger narrative is full of thoughtful nuance and intrigue. Obsidian has created a wonderful adventure that I can’t wait to start playing again.
Hyper Light Breaker is ambitious. It’s the first time Heart Machine is creating a multiplayer game and their unique approach to the rogue-lite genre is worth tracking. However, if they waited a little longer, and added more content, this early access launch would not have been so rough.
A tower defense strategy game shouldn’t work as well as this does, even if it’s upgraded with gorgeous graphics and hack-and-slash action. Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is one of the most surprising and unique games of the year so far for good reasons. Every part of this game, from unlocking and upgrading villager roles, to strategically placing them on the battlefield, and then jumping straight into the fight yourself is engaging and exciting. Even if you aren’t a fan of strategy or action games, this is enough of a blend that it still comes highly recommended.
From the audio design right down to the creatures themselves, Flock, from developers Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg is oozing with charm. Learn to leverage your powers of observation to document dozens of strange and vibrant species that call the Uplands home. A bare-bones narrative pushes the player to explore further without getting in the way of a joyful experience. I already know this will be a cozy world to return to again and again over the coming years to see how my flock is doing.
Alan Wake 2 proves to be worth the wait. This sequel is an upgrade in nearly every way, and while player influence on the story can feel limited at times, the engaging narrative more than compensates. From the challenging, tense combat to the excellent environmental storytelling, Alan Wake 2 will have no trouble hooking players from start to finish.
System Shock is a remake years in the making, and Nightdive Studios masterfully reimagines the critically acclaimed classic. From the challenging puzzles, dangerous combat, cyberpunk aesthetic, and the tragic story that serves as the backbone for it all, there’s a lot to love about this game. System Shock’s legacy will live on in this brilliant modern take.