The Tartarus Key is a tribute to the PS1 era, taking the classic look and approach that was present in a great deal of its releases. While the title itself is not true survival horror, it does feature many of the genre staples of having a mystery to unravel, a gloomy mansion to explore, and puzzles to see you through.
Dave the Diver combines the unpredictable nature of a rogue-lite with the hustle and bustle of working a sushi bar, complete with your own staff and dishes prepared from the ingredients you catch. This fusion works as well as its menu, a mixture of tastes and flavors as you also uncover a secret brewing at the bottom of the sea.
Trails into Reverie is the culmination of three individual sagas spanning nearly 20 years. While it certainly feels like a third entry in the Crossbell Saga, it certainly follows in the footsteps of Trails of Cold Steel, bookending various story and character arcs. It may retread some story ideas and falter in its narrative, but Reverie is still an impressive conclusion worthy of your time.
The latest evolution in professional wrestling has been the AEW, the first real avenue of competition to the WWE, since the buyout of WCW some years past. In doing so, AEW has reached out to a market that the WWE has dominated for years, video games. AEW: Fight Forever, while a release in 2023, looks to the past for inspiration.
Aliens: Dark Descent captures the appeal and tone of the 1986 film in ways few have. The tactical squad-based gameplay is incredibly engaging, with a fantastic character progression system and a great story to wrap it all in. While Dark Descent excels in most areas, a host of technical issues can certainly get in its way.
Diablo IV was, in a lot of ways, under a great of pressure to perform, especially given that modern Blizzard Entertainment hasn’t had a much-needed win for years, especially given the reception of Diablo Immortal. Nonetheless, Diablo IV succeeds in providing a captivating story and enthralling gameplay, all designed around a long-awaited return to its bloody and gothic aesthetic.
Redfall, developed by Arkane Austin, is the developer’s follow-up to 2017’s Prey. However, with development troubles and an unclear vision, Redfall is a game that not only fractured the studio, but shipped with a host of technical issues, bland design, and a lack of understanding of what it wants to be.
Layers of Fear is a reimagining of 2016's Layers of Fear, its Inheritance DLC, as well as 2019's Layers of Fear 2. It also contains two new additions in the "Writer's Story" which ties the events of each game together via a brand new character and the "Final Note" chapter which bookends the events of the first game.
Releasing day and date on Xbox Game Pass, Ravenlok is a charming and voxel-based adventure game, taking the titular character through an Alice in Wonderland-inspired outing. Despite its short 4-hour length, Ravenlok offers fantastic boss encounters, enjoyable combat, and is absolutely gorgeous to boot.
