I have played more wholesome games than someone like me would have expected, especially in the past year. Of them, Collector's Cove is one of the more unique concepts. While simple on the surface, I love the setting and the focus on just vibing with your animal friend while filling out a codex from the world. With its comfortable charms and focus on exploration, there is more than enough in Collector's Cove for fans of the genre who want something a little different.
John Carpenter's Toxic Commando surprised me. I expected it to be an enjoyable co-op shooter based on my previous experiences with it, but it ended up becoming my go-to game to play with friends. The gunplay is tight and extremely satisfying, and the decision to use contained maps with easy-to-find points of interest means there's action around almost every corner. There's also so much to upgrade, with gun customization being a very high point, and skill trees for the four character classes improving our abilities further. Even though there could be a little more variety, especially with character skins, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is one of the best co-op experiences I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake does so many things right, and even the mechanics that give me nightmares turned out to be high points in my experience. The atmosphere and setting are creepy, and the great use of jump scares, camera angles, and an engaging story heightened the horror I felt deep within. The use of the Camera Obscura to interact with the world is great, and it ups the horror factor more than I expected, but the combat can be extremely frustrating to the point that I had to take breaks. Still, I always felt compelled to come back, and I am glad I did.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 keeps the good parts of its predecessors, the solid battle system, the vibrant art style, and the creature collecting, then backs it up with the best storyline in the series yet. This, combined with the new habitat restoration feature and a beautiful new world, makes it my favorite entry into the series yet.
Reigns: The Witcher is another solid entry in the series that fans of the signature gameplay of Reigns and The Witcher lore will enjoy. The dark humor and dedication to the lore are a step above the rest, while the addition of “quests” to guide how you interact with the story is wonderful. However, it still feels a little stale.
Planet of Lana 2 is a worthwhile continuation that shows how emotional a beautiful story could be, even without words. The incredible art style remains unchanged from the previous game, and I felt the story held up as a sequel. The puzzles are a little bit on the easy side, but not enough to make it feel unenjoyable. The gameplay is very safe, not straying too far from what defined the original, which is both good and bad.
Docked presents a unique opportunity to manage your own shipping company; unfortunately, it ends up being more focused on moving containers than actual management, and a more balanced approach would have opened the way for a deeper gameplay experience. Unless you get a thrill out of moving container after container around the same dock area, this one may not be for you.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a great beat 'em up that gets almost everything right. The combat is dynamic and exciting, the world is gorgeous and filled with references to other video games, and light RPG systems that made progression more enjoyable than I expected. It can feel a little too simple at times overall, and I had some trouble lining up my attacks, but it never detracts from the gameplay and is still fun, especially when you have another friend to play with.
Esoteric Ebb is a tough game to pin down, but the closest I could describe it as is a CRPG with Visual Novel elements. A lot of burden is placed on the writing, and fortunately, the writing is really good. Almost all action is handled through the dialogue system, and the traditional CRPG mechanics work really well for conversations. As long as you can cope with the somewhat irritating combat mechanics and RNG, Esoteric Ebb is a fun time.
Resident Evil Requiem finds a way to bring the newer and older gameplay styles that have defined the franchise into an exceptionally enjoyable experience that is perfect for fans of the series. The meshing of Grace's slower, stealthier gameplay with Leon's action-packed killing works wonderfully, giving us the best of both worlds. Combined with an exciting story with some fantastic twists and turns and a gorgeous setting with recognizable locations, Requiem stands above its minor issues to become one of my favorite survival horror experiences I’ve played.
