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Despite complaints, the core of Blades of Fire remains hot, with enough individuality and fun in its boss fights to prevent it needing to be reforged. However, it's hard to shake the feeling that if a bit more focus was put on any element of the game, it could have been very good. Its hodgepodge mix of being a combat-focused, story-heavy Soulslike that relies on breaking and making weapons feels like it was an attempt to get as many keywords in as possible without polishing them enough to shine.

But still, I wouldn't say the game is all that bad. It may be rather thin and far too light, but when the world is so beautiful and overflowing with Easter eggs and homages to other cyberpunk classics, it still makes for a rather enjoyable journey. Neon Blood's short running time is an advantage because there is not enough content and ideas to fill more hours of entertainment. However, I wish Chaotic Brain had chosen to give the story more weight and a darker tone. They never managed to capture me and it feels like they themselves were lost and didn't really know in which direction they wanted to take the adventure.

All in all, American Arcadia is a fun and engaging game. Out of the Blue is clearly talented at storytelling and has a knack for creating interesting puzzles, but I can't help but feel like this game is playing it a bit too safe at times with how basic many of its mechanics and gameplay systems are. It's not hands-on enough like Call of the Sea to let its puzzles carry the experience to new heights, and in particular the side-scrolling 2D platforming parts can frustrate more than they entertain. But, if you've been looking for a new adventure game to fill your evenings now that the rush and hubbub of 2023 is slowing down, American Arcadia is definitely worth checking out.

But this doesn't detract from the fact that Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is the next interesting step forward by Riot in expanding and continuing to tell stories in the League of Legends universe beyond the MOBA. For anyone interested in the fantasy realm, this is a fun way to learn more about several key Champions, without needing to learn the ropes of the popular competitive title. And for younger players, there's a huge amount to enjoy here too. It's simple to pick up and understand, has interesting mechanics and systems, and a vibrant and colourful world. Just don't expect to be blown away by what Tequila Works has built here, because it's, all in all, a very predictable and familiar title buffed with a League of Legends polish.

But, as I said, some of the time, if not much of the time, it works, and when it works, Laika: Aged Through Blood is top-notch entertainment in prime time, and proof that suddenly there is pure innovation on the indie scene worthy of mainstream attention. It didn't succeed all the way through, which is a shame, because with more fine-tuning of difficulty, enemy placements and perhaps giving the player more life points or "chances" from the start, the whole experience would have been more dynamic. But that shouldn't distract from the fact that Laika: Aged Through Blood is a bloody odyssey of timed and organised action. Well done.

Lords of the Fallen is a solid Souls-like that goes beyond being just another genre copycat. Its combat feels fluid and has plenty of depth due to its nine starting classes and its dual-world concept literally helps to add another dimension to its combat and exploration. Let's just hope that the game's performance woes are patched out ahead of release, as they currently provide an extra element of frustration in a game designed to test your patience.

Still, even though it does have its dull moments, for the most part, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an absolutely wonderful interactive fiction adventure game. It's compelling, features genuine humour and emotion, has unique and ingenious mechanics, and importantly, is beautifully animated. Deconstructeam has an affinity for pixel-based artwork and that is shown once again here in this title. So, while witches and tarot reading might not be everyone's forte, if you're looking for a relaxing, charming, and fun indie title to play on PC or Nintendo Switch, you won't go wrong with The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

Even though it isn't perfect, the basic collectibles being one of the flaws, Scarf is a game that I find hard to see as anything less than charming. It's around 5-6 hours long, meaning it doesn't overstay its welcome, and it will make you want to keep playing until you reach the conclusion. Sure, the narrative isn't the easiest to make sense of, but that is made up for with the engaging puzzles and the fun gameplay mechanics. This isn't a title that is designed to challenge you, but it will leave you feeling contempt, and considering Scarf is launching just ahead of the holiday period, it's hard to see this game as anything less than a prime way to relax over the next couple of weeks.

With all of this being said, I did really enjoy my time with Epic Chef. This is a title that is largely fun and unique and will likely resonate with the life-sim fanbase. It isn't perfect, but it has plenty of depth and variety that keeps it fresh, even if it can be a little monotonous to play at times. But, if you're looking for a title to drop a few hours into here and there, to have a relaxed and stress free gaming session, then it's hard to say you'd go wrong with what Infinigon Games has created, because Epic Chef ticks a lot of those boxes.