DeVuego ES_COR

The Stone of Madness isn’t perfect by any means, but its successes readily outweigh its missteps. Its emphasis on real-time stealth and simultaneous control over three distinct characters at a time work to create some very hectic gameplay situations, naturally encouraging the player to learn and improve. Infusing this rewarding gameplay with a striking art style and a tinge of dark humor makes for a unique experience worth looking into, even if the controls can be clunky and the guards can be a little too good at catching up with you when you make a mistake.

For better or worse, enjoyment of Astronite hinges heavily on how much you appreciate an old school approach to difficulty. From boss fights to simple exploration, the title will consistently put your execution to the test, while the means to counteract the degree of challenge are difficult to obtain and only marginal in impact. This difficulty causes the boss fights to be a highlight of the playthrough, but it severely dampens the quality of the metroidvania elements surrounding them in the same stroke.

Endling – Extinction is Forever is a bold, unique, slow burn of a game that excellently conveys its ecologically conscious message and paints a dire image of rampant industrialization on a personal, microcosmic level. Because of this success, the game manages to garner an amount of player investment that belies its short runtime, but that runtime is also one of the game’s biggest hurdles when contrasted with its relatively high price tag.

Scarf is an endearing experience. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve and doesn’t shatter the genre’s conventions with innovative ideas, but still finds enough sure footing to set itself apart from its contemporaries. Moreover, an unsurprising story and a few instances of intentional time-wasters in puzzles aren’t enough to lessen the benefits of its brisk pace and variety of gorgeous environments. It may not hit the highest highs of the genre, but if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric puzzle platformer, you could do much worse.