DeVuego

Candy Rangers falls solidly in the middle when it comes to on rails shooters. It’s got plenty to do and it’s inventive in the execution, which kept me locked in for exciting fights and the arcade mode. But needing to repeat myself simply to justify the lack of margins of error was exhausting and, frankly, unfun. I’d much rather do a level again because it was thrilling or because I want to challenge myself, not because the game won’t let me go out to play until I clean my plate.

Still, it’s an engaging and interesting play. One Last Breath will test your reflexes and your fortitude, and potentially your own constitution for bearing the weight of guilt. This unapologetic and direct accusation of the pollution that plagues this world may not have a solution, but it certainly has a memorable presentation, and it compels me to keep playing all the way to the bittersweet end. Give an indie title a chance to hit you in the heart instead of your mind. While the horror titles of the year slowly roll out, why not take a moment to pick up something that may scare you in a different way?

When I reflect on my initial engagement with Lords of Exile, I was so excited and genuinely thrilled to be playing a retro metroidvania that both captured the feel and the thrill of being in that classic headspace, and that’s the position I want to remember. While I can’t recommend stopping and starting this game, it’s best to approach it as you would any NES game. Get fully immersed in the darkness and the frustration and just enjoy that momentum that comes from singularly reliving a time where gaming was simpler. Just rock out to the violence and know that not every game has to be a sixty hour long campaign. For just a handful of hours, be Vengeance, and then go back to your spreadsheets. It’s worth it.

Yet it all coalesces into something truly magnificent, and that cannot be understated about Worldless. I was drawn in by the visuals and utterly hooked by the musical scoring, the expansive areas and the implied lore that was further cemented by my own character’s evolution. The combat, when it was good, was SO GOOD and the reason I kept coming back is because I wanted to be as precise and murderous as the game thought I could be. There is no death, no save points, no turning back and no way out but through. You find more, you see more, you fight more and all you want is more. It is a hunger that spawns from the epoch of creation. Worldless transforms your notion of what a metroidvania could be into something new, exciting and tense beyond comparison. In short, it truly is the birth of a new world.

Bleak Sword DX wants you to hate it and hate yourself, and it’s gotten an online degree in loathing from the University of Phoenix. It’s the embittered spirit of a Dickensian orphan crammed into a child’s puzzle manufactured in a Soviet-era toy factory. It’s a Soulslike without soul, just pain and the word “progress” spray painted and misspelled on a truck coming to run you over. It’s an Apple Arcade game that lets iPhone users find even more reasons to be angry, and it came to the world to inspire everyone to just give up. It’s tight in execution, just like a noose, but without the satisfying release after you say the safe word. It’s as grim as it should be and unapologetic, and that’s admirable. Just walk into Bleak Sword DX and accept your punishment.

Yet it’s the quality of the product overall that kept me coming back to Hunt the Night time after time, even in moments of absolute rage. The world-building is excellent. It somehow takes a well trodden path – the supernatural outsider fighting against evil – and makes it fresh with weapon customization, powerful special attacks, and a very unique relationship between Vesper and Umbra. The moments of irritation or lesser excitement are fully counterbalanced by liquid combat and impressive artwork. While it’s only on PC for now, console players should fully prepare for a dive into Hunt the Night later this year as a serious contender for a 2D soulslike that brings the ambience, the horror, and the satisfaction that can only come from an excellent experience.

Yet it’s the quality of the product overall that kept me coming back to Hunt the Night time after time, even in moments of absolute rage.