Erik Hodges is a hobby writer and a professional gamer, at least if you asked him. He has been writing fiction for over 12 years and gaming practically since birth, so he knows exactly what to nitpick when dissecting a game's story. When he isn't reviewing games, he's probably playing them.
Collector's Cove combines an exploration mechanic with a clever take on farming, fishing, and collection, creating a uniquely satisfying take on some of our favorite genre gameplay loops.
Timberborn is a colony simulator with a fantastic core identity and some genuinely unique systems driving it, particularly when it comes to water management.
Best enjoyed with friends, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando has some solid, if not amazing or transformative gunplay, throwing in some fun class abilities and an open-world approach to the typical genre level design.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection uses the incredible storytelling potential of the Monster Hunter universe to tell a unique tale with great animation and gorgeous music.
Though the pacing can feel like it is padding for time, Homura Hime really picks up in its exciting boss fights, with cinematic moments and bullet-hell elements that challenge your mastery of the mechanics.
The Legend of Khiimori captures Mongolian culture beautifully in a well crafted exploration game, with a lot more to come in its Early Access timeline.
The work done on Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is simply not as impressive as the remaster of 1999's Soul Reaver, but it's still far from a poorly made modernization.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse expertly combines Metroidvania gameplay with a roguelike loop and presents it all with gorgeous art and beautiful music.
Welcome to Doll Town is short, awkward to play, full of translation errors, and shows a strange cognitive dissonance between its heavy subject matter and its awkward humor.