GameCritics

For a series that finally appeared to have found its championship form, this year’s installment feels like a talented team that spent the offseason adding expensive big names without adequately addressing its remaining areas of need.

I’m enjoying my time at Deadlock Station. The innovative combat and massive customization of characters give it a different flavor from most of the other roguelikes out there, and for me, this is easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys the genre but craves something a little different.

For those who are already fans of Sheepo, Islets, or Crypt Custodian, Well Dweller is a premier and autumnal treat. For anybody new to the Thompson metroidvania-verse, this is a great place to start – Islets is probably still my favorite, but I think the additional refinement and scope of Well Dweller makes it the most compelling overall package. While so many lesser metroidvanias grope for the buzz-mechanics – parries, difficulty, po-faced seriousness – Well Dweller proves that, if we peel back the pretension and the anxiety of influence, there is nothing quite like pure search action.

Combolands is an excellent experience that fully pulls off everything it sets out to accomplish. It’s smart, challenging strategy that pushes players to experiment with various mechanics while stacking as many bonuses as possible, and then watching the numbers get bigger. I was kept up far too late at night because of how engaged I was, and I can only say that this is a fantastic first outing for Crux Games, and I look forward to seeing what they make next.

Real-world crime scene investigators don’t have the most glorious job, and I’m sure it must often be emotionally difficult, with the workday being both humdrum mundane and disgustingly gut wrenching. But, they do what they do because there is real science involved in bringing justice to people who deserve it. Unfortunately, not only does Forensics: Crime Scene Detective manage to avoid being entertaining, it also fails at doing what it says it will do — this is far, far from an accurate simulation of the real scientific processes forensic scientists use.

The Incident at Galley House offers an enrapturing plot, haunting environments, and a mystery that will twist and turn players’ minds like never before. Highest possible recommendation.

The Green Light‘s content probably won’t surprise anyone who’s played even a few atmospheric horror titles, and it occasionally makes its (very) short journey feel longer than it needs to be, but the moody environments and excellent audio design give players just enough reason to walk down this otherwise-familiar path.

RUNT offers a terrifying and memorable aesthetic backed by a compelling narrative mystery that doesn’t shy from some of the darkest aspects of the human condition. It’s only held back by a cumbersome gameplay loop that does little to guide players, but will likely reward those with the grit to persevere to its true end.

While I like the basic concept presented here, Desk Space has fundamental issues. Letting it idle in the background made progression feel too slow, but giving it active attention didn’t progress it fast enough, leaving it stuck in a weird middle ground that lacked meaningful things to do while waiting for important upgrades. The upgrades themselves are so incremental or pointless that it takes many, many upgrades for any impact to be felt. In the end, the experience did deliver what was advertised, but felt more empty than others in the genre.

Mortal Shell II’s strong points are what any souls fan is looking for — the combat is fast, fluid, tactical, and visceral, the world is brimming with wacky enemies that are entertaining to square off against, and the bosses are memorable both in toughness and design. It’s a well-paced experience with plenty of thrills along the way to rolling credits, offering a fresh take on the soulslike format that comes highly recommended.