Hey Poor Player

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a visually stunning revival that successfully brings Capcom’s classic franchise into the modern era using the RE Engine. Musashi injects a refreshing sense of personality into dark fantasy Kyoto, especially during the game’s intense and cinematic boss fights. This is definitely an action adventure game of the year contender.

If you’ve played most of the other great games in the genre in recent years and still want more, Mexican Ninja offers a very solid experience. The more I played it, the more I was impressed by how many things are well done, even if I never entirely got past the fact that it doesn’t quite live up to the best of its competition. If I’d connected with its world, if it offered multiplayer, or if it had a few more elements that set it apart from the pack, I might have fallen in love with it, but it’s ultimately a good game worth considering.

While it gets off to a slightly slow start, Star Wars Zero Company eventually becomes one of the more thrilling tactical games in recent memory. The second half of the game in particular moves from strength to strength, never letting characters grow complacent. If you’re remotely open to this style of game and have any love for Star Wars, this is a must-play.

Resonance: A Plague Tale – Legacy does a good job of taking players back in time to explore this world further while also providing a welcome twist on the formula from previous games. While still definitely feeling like a part of the Plague Tale series, its new focus on combat gives it an identity all its own.

Theropods is ultimately an interesting experiment. It stands apart more than anything else because of its complete lack of dialogue, but the traditional point-and-click elements, while solid enough, don’t do much we haven’t seen before. Fans of point-and-click games who need a breath of fresh air should give it a look for its fascinating use of visual storytelling, but it won’t do much to pull in those who aren’t as engaged with the genre.

Even though The Sinking City 2 is mechanically a much better game than its predecessor, it ultimately loses sense of what made the original so special in the first place. What used to be a Lovecraftian detective investigation game has turned into a generic survival horror experience that is a bit too derivative of its inspirations. Still a fun romp, though.

Truxton Extreme is an absolute blast from the past, bringing back a decades-old franchise with an excellent new coat of paint and a killer level of challenge that will push you but isn’t unmanageable. No, this probably isn’t a great SHMUP for those who are totally new to the genre, as its unforgiving nature might put you off these games entirely, but for fans of the original or those who have enjoyed similar games in the past, this is a must-play.

LEGO Party! is an absolute blast with friends, and while it could have used a few more boards, and I hope that an eventual sequel gives us just that, there’s enough here to keep you and a friend group or family having a blast for a very long time. I know I’ll be breaking this out at holiday events to play with my nieces and nephews for years to come. Some satisfying single-player experience could have taken this package to the next level, but if you thought you were done with party games, this might just be the one to pull you back in.

While of course I was hoping for a perfect experience, I’m not upset that Montabi has some minor blemishes. Because this is a very successful hybrid monster catcher, which is a rare feat, it’s also a game I’ve been utterly unable to put down for a couple of weeks now, even when I know I should be playing other games. If you’re a fan of the genre and want to try something fresh and engaging, look no further.

I do hope Project Neon finds an audience. It’s well made and doesn’t have any real problems; it just isn’t doing anything particularly new and interesting. If it were a bit more involved or offered more stages, it would be easier to recommend to a wider audience, but fans of the genre who have already checked out some of the best recent SHMUPs will have a good time.