DeVuego

IO Interactive's 007 First Light is easily the best Bond game we've seen. Rare's GoldenEye 007 was momentous when it launched, and it's stuck around the zeitgeist because it was a portal into Ian Fleming's world of shaken martinis and spy thrills we'd never seen before. What 007 First Light feels like is a playable, limited spy series that transports the player into a gripping and memorable espionage story.

Call of the Elder Gods delivers a worldwide adventure with a tinge of mystery, crafting an experience which exceeds its predecessor. Aside from some pacing issues, the puzzles, the characters, and the story are elegantly pieced together. I came away satisfied by all accounts. The attention to detail, the excellent puzzles, and strong performances elevate this Lovecraftian adventure.

Crisol: Theatre of Idols is a steadfast horror survival game. While its inherent inspirations are worn proudly on its sleeve, Crisol rarely steps outside of its comfort zone. I like the idea of sacrificing health for ammo, but it needs substance to really sell the idea. Enemies might hit hard, but enemies rarely outpace themselves, and it becomes easy to guess where enemies will come from and how fast they'll lunge at you. The sense of tension in the world's empty streets and earlier sections is genuinely impressive, though.

A great indicator of a great game is where it is tough to put the game down. One where you want to keep on coming back to the game’s world the moment you stop playing. Metroid Samus Returns has that feeling and I couldn’t help but play it longer than I wanted to and pick it up the next day sooner than I should have. The game does everything so well and finally ends the long wait for another 2D Metroid game. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 13 years for another Metroid game.

Worldless is a fun little Metroidvania title with tons of confidence in what it does.

Lords of the Fallen shows promise and delivers an exciting adventure but falls short of providing a consistently engaging Souls-like experience.

Filled with memorable and exciting puzzles, Ugly tells a foreboding story about a royal who faces his family and their delusions of beauty.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is deep and filled with memorable moments. It also has a lot of heart and deals with some heavy themes with grace, which I’m confident many will resonate with. With that said, I came into this game with no expectations. I’m saving Deconstructeam’s library into my wishlist as I plan to explore their previous games to see how I missed them. From the world-building to the music, writing, and characters, I’m floored by how great this experience is.