PCInvasion

It jumps between gameplay styles more than I expected and doesn't scratch the same itch as its predecessor, but this is a damn good game that every fan of the series needs to play.

I was genuinely shocked to see how comprehensive the simulation experience was in Farm Manager 2021. The level of thought and detail that's went into all of the interweaving mechanics, is readily apparently and genuinely impressive. Anyone looking for a new sim to sink their teeth into should look no further.

The Invisible Hand does have some laughs and the dialogue can be entertaining, but it just doesn’t quite do it as a narrative experience. Anyone trying to play it solely for the narrative will be bored by all the time it wastes, while anyone trying to play it for the gameplay will be annoyed by how pointless everything is.

Though admittedly basic, Skate City has brought a bit of the "pick-up-and-play" mechanics of mobile to PC, with mixed results. The basic visuals are countered by fairly complex controls, that are a fairly substantial time-suck to perfect. Some may not find this to be their cup of tea, but if your willing to invest the time and effort to 'git gud,' there's plenty of fun, just waiting to be uncovered.

Nier Replicant is very much a game that’s not for everybody. It revels in tedium and has more fetch quests than you can charge a boar at, but it makes up for its deficits with a compelling narrative and unique design elements. Game design may have moved on some compared to where the game resides, but it’s still very much worth playing, for old fans and newcomers alike.

While Star Wars Pinball VR has all of the fan service necessary to please any diehard fan, it runs up against a handful of minor technical and polish issues that prevent it from living up to its full potential. That said, it still outclasses every other pinball experience on the platform, so feel free to indulge your inner Jedi.

Legend of Keepers is a game that’s a lot smoother than its title. Seriously, I had written the whole review for “Legend of Keeper” before catching my mistake in editing. The art is fantastic, the writing is fitting, and the repetition might be repetitive, but not too much so.

Cerebral and engrossing, Insurmountable succeeds at making a tactical mountain-climbing rogue-lite. No frostbite required.

A satisfying combination of action platformer and strategy game. The former might be notably better here than the latter, but Smelter is a decently long game with great visuals and gameplay.

A city-building/management sim that's more akin to a side-scroller where you attempt to help out and upgrade other establishments. With multiple game-breaking bugs and hotfixes that either don't resolve the issues or come a little too late, Buildings Have Feelings Too is an awful mess that needs to be avoided.

Although certainly not extraordinary, MotoGP 21 is a decent enough racing game. Some more innovation would have been nice but given the complications caused by COVID, I can understand the limitations in place. Series veterans will most likely enjoy this but I can't see it attracting many newcomers with so many great racing options already on the market.

Golden Force doesn't quite have what it takes to be as good as the classics, but it's still a fairly fun time in its own right. It has some issues that make it a bit of an annoyance in some spots, but it still mostly does what it aims to.

Imaginative mechanics and puzzle design at war with finicky, picky gameplay mechanics. Add in a borderline useless player character and you've got the recipe for a good puzzle game damaged by various annoyances.

Although it would have been nice to see a little more innovation from Cold Steel III, this finale to the Erebonia arc is still one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The world-building and character development are as exquisite as ever, while the gameplay mechanics are still well above average, albeit unextraordinary. Regardless, assuming you have played at least Cold Steel III and know enough about the Trails lore, this latest addition is well worth your time.

A colorful throwback to '80s action-arcade titles that looks and feels like the real deal. Challenging and enjoyable, it's worth a look for anyone who wants a new old game to rip through.

Ashwalkers flaunts a system of choices, which only matter as a means to an end. The gameplay tends to be repetitive, and the story rarely strays from being formulaic and familiar. Despite all this, the environments are fairly unique and the run time is mercifully short.

While it's easy to call a game, "too hard," Godstrike goes above and beyond to savage you. Unless you're willing to put in the time and pain, this will not be an enjoyable experience. However, if you can ride the crest of the difficulty curve, this bullet hell bonanza will keep you coming back for even more brutality.

Unambitious, easy, and rather brief, Tasomachi still does an admirable job of succeeding at what it sets out to do. With lovely visuals, tight controls, and plenty of relaxing exploration, it's hard to walk away as anything but charmed.

Oddworld: Soulstorm offers a refreshing take as a reimagining of an old classic. It provides platforming goodness, a bit of trial-and-error with situations, lots of secrets to find, and thousands of Mudokons to save. Sadly, it does have some noticeable shortcomings related to its controls, friendly AI movement, and save system.

Look, it's more of an experimental comedy movie than anything else. Unless you just want to mess around and interrupt digital co-workers with laughter for however long you feel like.

It might look unassuming, but In My Shadow is a deeply enjoyable puzzle-platforming with great shadow mechanics. The difficulty curve is just right, the puzzles themselves are varied and fun to solve, and I just like positioning armchairs for maximum verticality.

There's a lot to love about 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure, from its ease of platforming to exciting and varied combat. But the obnoxious boss battles eat away at any good feelings you have toward the game.

The 3 Out of 10 series clearly has a lot of heart and loves all the quirks and craziness video game culture is prone to. But while it excels at creating hilarious moments, it’s not quite as good at tying all these moments together into an ongoing narrative.

While familiar and somewhat basic, Outriders has a lot of riveting action and a compelling gameplay loop that will satisfy people looking for their next looter shooter fix.

Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace suffers from a bland and unspectacular combat system, a questionable sanity gimmick, and a litany of technical issues that are too glaring to ignore. Although it's an adaptation of a board game, you might as well call it a "bored game" due to the tedium and frustration you'll experience.