DeVuego BD - Base de Datos del Videojuego Español

Like Aeternum Game Studios' prior work, Eden Genesis made me feel like I was a master of platforming – at least once I had spent enough time in each level patiently trying, trying, and trying again to get that S rank. Its platforming-meets-metroidvania is unique, but I just wish that there was greater effort made into giving each biome a unique set of mechanics to distract from the steep difficulty curve.

Verne: The Shape of Fantasy from developer Gametopia is a fascinating adventure that uses a classic author within their own classic tale to push a good story while supported by beautiful visuals and sounds that harken back to 90s-style gameplay. That gameplay works for the most part, though some more direction with puzzles and a more balanced story could have worked a few more wonders for the overall gaming experience.

Blightstone from developer Unfinished Pixel is a decent, if not good, roguelite tactical turn-based game. It has a solid gameplay skeleton that follows the genre’s perceived structure, while needing some love and care to improve some lacking gameplay elements.

Its exploration, art direction, and worldbuilding are unmatched in a sea of modern Metroidvanias released in 2023.

Call of the Elder Gods pulls from Lovecraftian mythos to create a pulpy puzzler that works to build off of 2020's Call of the Sea. However, its intense head-scratchers with complex solutions can often clash with the pace of a relatively short adventure.

It excels in crafting an emotional tale that hits all the right notes of childishness and the wonders of childhood while also encouraging players forward. It’s not the deepest game, but it is a masterclass in storytelling and worldbuilding.

The Fabulous Fear Machine from developer Fictiorama Studios is a test of skill as much as it is a test of patience. It’s a complicated game that is RISK-like and presents a wickedly good time in classic horror comic book form.

Summum Aeterna is a good, but slightly difficult, roguelike that takes place in the universe of Aeterna Noctis. While it doesn’t fully succeed in its world crawling fantasy of selecting starting biomes with benefits and detriments, it definitely removes much of the roguelike frustrations by giving the player permanent power in many forms. It’s a gorgeous roguelike I can see myself returning to just so I can feel powerful, albeit not as powerful as I felt while playing Aeterna Noctis.

AK-xolotl is a difficult yet highly engaging roguelike that will make you fall in love with its charming woodland creatures while laughing at its absurd violence. Seeing my goofy little AK-xolotl with a giant gun made me grin from ear to ear. It’s the roguelike fever dream I’ve always wanted. Once it gets in the hands of players and additional content is added that can smooth out its presentation of information, I’m confident that folks will enjoy this game.

GYLT from Tequila Works is a heavy game to bear. Its story is overwhelmingly sad, relatable, and impactful. The gameplay is built to complement the story and the devs did a great job of pulling those two pieces together. This game isn’t for the faint of heart and it will certainly get you in the feels, but the journey is worth the emotional risk.

Bleak Sword DX is a gorgeous, nostalgic, and clever game for something built in a simplified structural way. More8Bit did a superb job of creating a fast gameplay environment while also maintaining creativity with its enemies and maps. While it may not seem like much, it has some moxie to it. Be forewarned, though, it also contains a heavy amount of frustration.

Weird Beluga attempted to merge two distinct genres of game with Clid the Snail: top-down shooter and narrative. Although they succeeded on the worldbuilding and narrative front, the gunplay feels unforgiving, repetitive, and frustrating. I can't sleight them for trying something new, as I generally enjoyed Clid's grimy world, but I really did want more. I can't wait to see where Weird Beluga go, as Clid is a good start for hopefully something better in the future.

After Us from developer Piccolo is an interesting title. It tries to create a Journey-like inspiring adventure through gigantic worlds and simplistic controls. Most of what it does works well, especially with its narrative, though the mechanics from its gameplay design sometimes fight against story progression and player engagement. The game can create some frustration with the camera and controls but wins more than it loses.

Yuppie Psycho: Extended Edition places players in a surreal corporate hellscape. A brisk horror adventure crosses grim visuals and dark humor while providing hours of new content and context.

Overall, Metropolis has the bones to be a great game, however, the slow pace, lack of instruction, and lengthy dialogue made it frustrating to play. While the interactions, visuals, and storyline are amazing the gameplay and mechanics were lacking. If there were more instructions or hints this game would have been a home run. If problem-solving is your jam, then this game is perfect for you. However, if you don’t like having to figure out every small detail of a game, then you should probably skip this game for now.

It was nice to play through a new story with new characters, even if the story design was somewhat familiar and the outcome (essentially the same despite which ending you choose) was fairly predictable. Solid voice-acting, good writing, and pretty graphics (nothing show-stopping, but they’re good) make for a nice presentation package on top of an alright game. If you’re looking for a more casual, story and character driven game to play this holiday, Call of the Sea is worth considering.

In the end, Arise: A Simple Story is worth a go and worth your time and attention. It carries a heavy-hearted story that is backed by stunning visuals and few flaws.

They Are Billions' crucible of experimentation and failure molds players into rugged survivalists. The RTS-style resource management and tower defense test the ability to aptly devote time to the bare necessities that will fend off countless hordes of undead. Harder to master console controls may add an extra layer of tension but living another day remains the sweetest of rewards.

In the moments that I played and experienced Gris I believed it was the most dazzling and elegant game I had ever seen. It was the most I’ve been in to a game in the current calendar year. Astonishment is temporary and hyperbole rationally fades into coherence, but I hope the strength and singularity of Gris stays with me forever.

Blasphemous is a delightfully dark game with superb style. This Kickstarter success pairs magnificent world-building with clever combat mechanics. A player must have precision timing, as every hit point is vital. One wrong move could be a fatal error. This intense game feels very much like a 2D platforming version of games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

Aeterna Noctis is a delightfully difficult Metroidvania that pushes the boundaries of difficult platforming and combat in a way that keeps the game fun and exhilarating. This hand-drawn action platformer is perfect for those who wanted just a bit more from similar games in the Metroidvania genre, albeit less charming. If you're looking for a solid indie GOTY that effectively utilizes your PS5, look no further than Aeterna Noctis. Good luck, you'll most definitely need it.

Simply put, Metroid: Samus Returns is an excellent game. It honors the past and adds a lot of great new gameplay elements. The Metroid series strives in 2D, and Samus Returns is another clear demonstration of exactly that.

A really good point and click adventure that's well worth the price of admission, I do hope they continue the storyline with a sequel.

Little Racers STREET strikes a great a balance between depth and accessibility, but squanders its potential as soon as progression starts to favor rote upgrades over applied skill. That being said, it's an eight dollar game in an uncommon genre and loaded with options - and for some that may be an acceptable compromise.

All in all, Murder In the Abbey is a competent and nicely put together adventure. While seasoned adventure gamers could rumble through this title in under twelve hours, it’s still worth a look due to its good story, nice dialogue, well-done mystery element, and straight-forward gameplay.