LONESTAR
If you told me that LONESTAR was designed to appeal to me specifically, I’d believe you.
Pokémon Champions
The emphasis in Pokémon Champions is absolutely on the official competitive format.
LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias
The main thing holding back Winter of the Melodias is that it’s very clearly the second installment of a series that was intended to be treated episodically.
Oxenfree
There’s a perfectly serviceable narrative experience within Oxenfree, but in its current state, the emotions it evokes are all tempered by a sense of bewilderment.
Cassette Beasts
It’s both somewhat unfair and completely accurate to call Cassette Beasts a Pokémon clone.
Electrician Simulator
The decision to heavily restrict player actions in what could have been an open-ended environment for consequence-free experimentation is mystifying to me.
Loop Hero
Roguelikes can lay claim to some of the most creative titles of the last 15 years, including Loop Hero.
SOMA
SOMA isn’t as frightening as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but that metric isn’t measured on a linear scale.
Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide
Rising Tide is the first Civ expansion I’ve played that makes its host game worse overall.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Arkham Origins is a version of Arkham City that’s just slightly worse at everything.