SteamWorld Heist II (Steam, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch)
Like its predecessor, it’s basically “2D XCOM with skill shots instead of randomness”. Highly recommended, perfect for gaming on the go with a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.
IDK. I skipped horse archers in my latest dark elves playthrough of total war warhammer 3, because they are so trash. No shields + large targets means they die really easy to missile fire, And since you can’t use a longbow on horseback they lack the range to engage other archer units without taking a few volleys first.
Basically they are only good for fighting factions like undead that that have no ranged units.
Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam, PS5, Switch, Xbox X/S)
Penny’s Big Breakaway is a 3D platformer somewhere between Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario 3D Land, I suppose, though that’s not a perfectly accurate picture of it either, and it’s also got a lot of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater DNA. You’ve got a yo-yo that you can use to attack, swing, or ride for mobility and speed. It’s very close to being one of my favorite platformers ever, but there’s just a bit too much jank around how the game handles certain edge cases with its physics system, and it can break the flow of an otherwise very good game. If you’re anything like me though, that won’t stop you from having a lot of fun with it.
Indika is, at its core, a story-driven game about a woman and her troubled relationship with her religion. There are some light puzzles to be found here, but it is primarily about using interactivity in new ways to tell a story, and I think for those reasons, it’s very worth seeing. In the opening moments, it clearly conveys that it’s got some ideas. On top of that, it’s a looker. It’s using most of the benefit that Unreal Engine 5 offers, and someone on the development team really understands cinematic framing, at times resulting in some of the best real-time images my PC has ever rendered.
Thank you for pointing that out! I always thought it looked interesting, but somehow thought that it was only available on Steam - and my PC is not up to the task. Just bought it for the PS5.
Since my personal GOTY is already taken (Animal Well), let’s just add a lot of peoples’ here — it’s also my second favorite game of the year.
Do you like 3D platforming? Why not try the best platformer since Mario Odyssey‽ Help save your friend bots with a dozen or so hours of the purest platforming fun in…a long time, honestly. People have really hyped this game, and they really aren’t wrong. It’s pure fun the entire time. Everything is beautiful and interesting. No notes, really. Good job Team Asobi.
Horse archers are amazing lmao. If you’re throwing them directly into the front lines they will be fucked several times over. Understand: they are merely archers that can quickly reposition. This makes them one of the best units in the game.
Deploy them to the far flank and reposition them frequently. They are excellent at drawing out the enemy cavalry so you can harass them, hit them with your own cav, etc. Big block of infanty? Harassing fire. Other horse archers? Wait for them to engage your footed archers and then deploy your horse archers to double up on them.
Their weakness, as you’ve noticed, is large blocks of powerful foot archers. That is what your cavalry or heavy infantry is for. Once your other forces engage, then deploy your horse archers. They’re a reserve force and a force multiplier.
It’s chess where I find they’re super op - I mean seriously, the ability to no scope bishops from across the map while moving like a knight is totally unbalanced and the Devs need to too back the update.
I’m going to start with my most played game and work backwards from there. So… K for Kerbal Space Program.
Maybe not the best choice in terms of number of games but I’d still get stuff like
Knights of the Old Republic
King’s Quest
Killer Instinct
Katamari
Kingdom Hearts
Killzone
Kirby
Probably others, but obviously not as extensive as a letter like S or T. Still I would probably opt to pick the letter with my favorite game of all time in there than one that just gives more options.
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox X/S)
Arzette is a very specific joke for nerds like me who know too much about the history of video games. It’s designed to look and sound just like a Phillips CD-i Legend of Zelda game; a cursory glance at the credits seems to indicate that someone from Digital Foundry may have consulted on it to get it right. A friend of mine has a CD-i that he allowed me to play some time ago, and you have no idea how badly games like those play, especially on that awful controller. Fortunately, this game plays totally acceptably while still having a slight metroidvania angle to its 2D action platforming levels. It’s got a bit of a slow start, but after that, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, so if you’re in on the joke, you’ll likely have a good time.
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami (Steam, GOG, Switch)
If you liked The Case of the Golden Idol and want more of it ahead of the launch of its sequel, Duck Detective is a miniature version of that that’s suitable for children and still fun for adults. I won’t say it’s quite as good as Golden Idol, and it’s definitely not as long, but it’s priced accordingly, and it’s a good way to spend a weekend afternoon.
Do you like escape rooms or the first Resident Evil? This is that, but unlike Resident Evil, there are no zombies, and to say it has combat would be misleading. It’s a very strange game, but it will test your puzzle solving abilities. I played through it with my wife, and we love escape rooms, but this game would have been much more challenging without the second person offering their perspective on things you might not have noticed, might have forgotten, or thinking about a puzzle a different way than you did. Give or take a few rare instances, the solutions are very rewarding, too. If you’ve got that other puzzle-solving person in your life to play with, I’d highly recommend it (and would probably still recommend it if you don’t).
bin.pol.social
Aktywne