GameSpace

Pragmata is not a game about robots. It’s a game about you. About me. About remembering that inside each of us there's a child who sometimes just needs a warm down jacket (even if it's the wrong size) and the right to go barefoot.

Tides of Tomorrow builds gameplay around a bold new feature, the asynchronous multiplayer, that will affect both your game and the game of the Tidewalkers to follow. Between the choices of your forerunner and your own decisions, no two playthroughs will be alike. And some decisions of your decisions will raise interesting questions from the very beginning of the game: environmental, ethical, moral, sociopolitical, and even existential.

Reclaim! Azhe-giiwewining is a great example of a game that tends to teach, preserve, and advocate for the culture of the Native people. It shows the world that ancient people believed in and passed the knowledge down to our generations. The game immerses players in an Ojibwe worldview where nature and spirits are deeply respected and makes them question their own relationships with nature.

If I were to describe OPUS: Prism Peak in one word, it would be “profound”. The combination of aesthetics, gameplay and narrative feels like you have been sent into a Studio Ghibli or Makoto Shinkai movie, but one that lasts for a dozen hours and closely follows your own choices. The game explores very real and mundane challenges that every adult likely came across in their life, but does so through the prism of a fantastical, vivid world, full of magic and wonder even in the darker parts.

Returnal is the first game in a long time to bring back that sense of excitement for gaming for me. When you wake up in the morning, you can't wait to jump into the game for a couple of hours. The ability to pause a run and save your progress at any moment intensifies that feeling threefold. After all, whenever you get the chance, you can fire up Returnal again and enjoy the shooting and exploring the world for an hour, two hours, or even the whole evening, all while burning with frustration over yet another ridiculous defeat. I’m even a little upset that I didn’t play it sooner.

Hozy is a laid-back and cozy game that’s a great way to pass the time. It strikes the perfect balance between freedom of self-expression and thoughtful, unobtrusive guidance, making it an excellent digital sanctuary in which to recharge your batteries.

Resident Evil: Requiem combines survival and combat elements, offering players atmospheric locations, interesting new characters, and new monsters. At the same time, the new installment brings back old characters, monsters, and mechanics that are now even more refined and get a second life.

The Alters makes you think about the value of every life, even the "fake" ones, the burden of choice, and the fact that within each of us there are many unrealized selves. It's a powerful, emotional, and philosophical statement, packaged within complex, multi-layered gameplay.

Those willing to tolerate a dull beginning and archaic exploration for the sake of a stunning ending and deep (if imperfect) lore will have a blast in Arknights: Endfield. This is a game for fans of the Arknights universe and for those who seek narrative in gacha games, not just action. But those short on time, who aren't ready to spend time with a map on their phone and who want an engaging, advanced combat might not find what they seek. This is a game of contrasts: in some places it's brilliant, in others it falls into the abyss, but it has colossal potential. It’s worth waiting to see where it goes in the future.

REANIMAL is definitely one of the best games of the year. Of course, many hits are still to come, but this game is dark, exciting, and cooperative. It will make you cower on the couch in fear and leave you with food for thought. My partner and I, for example, discussed what was happening for a long time and came up with all sorts of theories. Despite a few drawbacks, the Swedish developers have created a genuinely frightening game. They achieved this not with jump scares, but with an oppressive atmosphere and terrifying imagery.