Roguelite meets poker meets... the mad urge to try one's luck against the mercilessness of mathematical probabilities. To the wrong players, Balatro may become an addiction - to the right players, it certainly will.

Pros:
+ the simple presentation is perfectly realized
+ the gameplay loop is simple but addicting
+ no knowledge of card games or poker is necessary
+ gameplay is designed to offer various playstyles
+ joker system is a constant battle of risk and reward
+ huge number of jokers allows for plenty of experimentation
+ jokers and consumables can be sold and
+ option to skip fights extends the playstyle choices
+ unlocking new cards is a great motivator
+ challenge mode is a nice palatee cleanser between runs
+ the sole music track somehow manages to never get annoying

Cons:
- the tutorial is barebones and skips important aspects of the game
- joker and boss descriptions are often uninformative
- joker interactions cannot be inferred without trying them out
- higher difficulties are unbeatable without the right jokers
- boss blinds seem to be randomized, leading to unwinnable situations
- some of the bosses are not balanced and can damage a run beyond repair
- not all hands are equally viable for a winning run (straights are not worth it)
- some bugs and technical issue still have to be ironed out

Playtime: 48 hours with almost all decks unlocked but still quite a few difficulty levels to overcome.

Magic Moment: Getting the Egg joker, which periodically increases in sell price, and the Joker that adds the sell value of your jokers to your multiplayer in the first ante. Edging out a win on the final ante with a hail mary discard.

Verdict:
Balatro's deceptively simple look belies a surprisingly complex, satisfying riff on Texas hold 'em poker, combined with the usual rogue-lite chorus of "just one more run". The game constantly calls for meaningful choices that can turn a run on its head, even if the number of viable combinations of poker hands and jokers gets smaller and smaller as the difficulties increase. The challenge mode, however, is a nice addition that extends the possible playstyles even more, at least for players willing to really grind their teeth on the game's inherently frustrating randomness factor and often unclear joker interactions.

In any case, Balatro is a must play for roguelike and card game fans alike, and more proof that simple ideas can make for the best games. Play it, but know what you are getting into.

I'm a sucker for a tough game, and Wo-Long's reputation as a real ass-kicker echoed throughout my Internet echo chamber. After beating it, I can safely say: this reputation is overblown, and thankfully so.

Pros:
+ the audio-visual presentation is good enough
+ the general difficulty is lower than in other Team Ninja games
+ overleveling is easy and encouraged by the mission-based structure
+ stages are usually small but hide a lot of secrets and hidden loot
+ combat system is daftly designed and carries a lot of weight
+ deflect system is lenient and very fun to use
+ spirit gauge is a unique spin on the classic stamina system
+ ranged and stealth attacks are viable combat tactic options
+ flag and moral point system are unique in the ARPG genre...
+ ...and reward thorough investigation of each stage
+ once understood, the five elemental phases can make all the difference
+ equipment can be easily upgraded and personalized
+ main menu indicates missing trinkets in each level

Cons:
- the game is only saved at battle flags
- enemies and allies are dumb as rocks
- the hub are is needlessly expansive and difficult to traverse
- even with the help of videos, the tutorial is mostly useless
- the amount of loot dropped by enemies is far too high...
- ...rendering item management extremely time consuming
- elemental attacks feel underpowered compared to weapon attacks...
- ...and are tied to moral ranks for no apparent reason
- jump mechanic is unintuitive and leads to cheap deaths
- enemies can use their fury attacks frequently and in sequence
- bosses can reset their spirit damage at a whim
- the story is impenetrable to anyone not familiar with the Three Kingdoms
- technical performance and load times on PS4 are pretty wonky

Playtime: 60 hours with all DLC finished. All flags acquired and all optional battlefields beaten. I didn't bother to pick up all of the trinkets in each level, though.

Best weapon: My trusty 4-star mace of Polaris that I found at the beginning and which carried me to the final boss.

Magic Moment: Fighting the famous Li Bu for long enough to understand all of his movements and attacks, only to beat him decisively with the help of the deflect move at the end. Reaching a snowy battlefield and using the stealth mode effectively for the first time. Beating the final DLC boss after literally days of trying.

Verdict:
Contrary to popular belief, Wo-Long is not a soulslike, but instead a classic action RPG more similar to the modern Ninja Gaiden and Nioh games, and is all the better off for it. The mission-based structure, morality rank system, lenient deflect windows, and frequent help from friendly allies renders the entire experience much more forgiving than what you have come to expect from games in the soulslike genre. Combined with the powerful five phases system, which can be used to completely cancel enemy attacks, and the mission-based system that usually offers various options, Wo-Long is always engaging and rarely frustrating.

So play this if you want to play a really fun ARPG with unique mechanics are satisfying combat.

At least since the release of the impeccable Return of the Obra Dinn, logical deduction games are appearing more and more in the puzzle game landscape. Chants of Sennaar continues that trend with aplomb.

Pros:
+ beautiful and distinct visuals in the style of Mobius comics
+ music and sound design always fit the given situation
+ outside and indoor areas follow a clear and distinct architecture
+ translation puzzles are one of a kind in the genre
+ the different languages all work and look distinct from each other
+ main translation interface is quick and easy to navigate
+ translation validation system is directly lifted from Obra Dinn
+ optional puzzles serve as skill checks for later levels
+ technical performance and load times are impeccable on Switch
+ you can pet the cats

Cons:
- the story is too vague for my taste
- manual input of words can get a bit tedious over time
- except for the final stage, words are always taught in similar ways
- stealth section interface is a bit cumbersome
- walking speed could be a bit higher
- even the perfect ending feels far too abrupt

Playtime: 12 hours, perfect ending included.

Magic Moment: Finding the first teleporter and understanding the size of the tower. Differentiating between languages from word order and syntax alone for the first time.

Verdict:
Chants of Sennaar is remarkable in more ways than one. Not only did the creative team at XXX manage to invent a unique kind of translation puzzle gameplay, they also opted to present it in the bright and colorful art style of a Mobius comic, thereby creating an immersive combination of form and function. Even though the general gameplay loop stays the same in each stage, understanding the relations of different terms and their meanings between different inhabitants of the tower stays engaging throughout the short but perfectly tailored runtime. Only the lack of a clearly comprehensible narrative feels like a missed oppurtunity, but I'm sure someone on Youtube will be happy do divulge it further.

If you liked Obra Dinn or feel yourself drawn to the look and feel of Chants of Sennaar, this is a must play.

...this was recommended late last year by IGN's Rebekah Valentine on the Axe of the Blood God podcast. Me being the sucker for time loop games that I am, I simply had to take a look at it.

Pros:
+ makes the most of its Game Maker origins
+ monochrome art style is unique and memorable
+ rock-paper-scissors combat system is easy to learn
+ enemy designs are memorable and change over time
+ optional equipment heavily affects the combat tactics
+ time loop mechanic is implemented mostly hassle-free
+ some of the music themes are really good
+ the characters are engaging and grow on you
+ different playstyles lead to differing story paths
+ gameplay and storytelling get closely intertwined towards the end
+ the story does become more intriguing as it goes on...

Cons:
- ...but lacks subtext, and any ambiguity is smothered by the verbose writing style
- even meaningless objects get two screens of meaningless text
- text font and animation shenanigans feel juvenile
- 4:3 aspect ratio feels weird...
- ...and the painted bezels impact the quiter, darker moments
- even at the fastest setting, dialog still requires constant button inputs..
- ...and are frequently interrupted by meaningless dialog options
- culture war aspects are too obvious and blatant for my taste
- combat can only be skipped after it has started
- the reasons for further loops get really flimsy towards the end
- requirements for progress are not always clearly indicated
- even with an optional item, the final fight seriously drags
- playing for longer leads to serious, repeatable visual glitches
- the internal gametime clock continues when the Switch is on standby

Playtime: 18 hours, with a lot of optional content and dialog explored, but still a lot of paths untaken. A complete playthrough requires at least two playthroughs as far as I know.

Magic Moment: Meeting Loop for the first time. Winning the last fight and not knowing where it would lead to.

Blagic Moment: Searching for specific documents in the castle without being given clear instructions where they are. Using an optional item against the final boss and seeing it land like a dud.

Favorite Character: My girl Mirabelle. Please never grow up.

Verdict:
It's clear that In Stars and Time was created with great care and an eye for character and storytelling. However, with the creative team clearly being influenced by games like Earthbound, they somehow refused to implement the anti-frustration features of those games. Avoiding combat is tedious, the later loops send you back to the beginning for miniscule reasons, and having to fight enemies to loop forward in time is a deliberate but time-consuming design decision that really becomes a problem the longer the game goes on. The writing was also really not my style, but your milage may very much vary on that. Still, the technical aspects are troubling, and the gamebreaking glitches during longer play sessions are verboten for a finished product.

I believe this would have worked better as a straight visual novel instead, and if you are a fan of those, In Stars and Time could well be worth your time. Fans of RPGs however will not find much to enjoy here.

But then again...

Rarely has the difference between two games in one collection been more obvious than in the case of Valfaris and Slain. While the latter was a clear lead balloon, Valfaris is the real deal.

Pros:
+ believable sci-fi setting and detailed pixel art
+ action feels meaty and the controls are tight
+ close combat is beafy enough to be a viable option
+ resurrection idol swap system is a smart idea
+ weapon upgrade system is simple but effective
+ secrets are surprisingly well-hidden
+ optional weapons are actually worth it
+ the skull mech sections really add to the gameplay
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ boss fights are creative and tough but fair...

Cons:
- ...even if they have swansong attacks that can kill you without warning
- some platforming mechanics in the second half feel undercooked
- health items drop randomly and a bit too rarely
- some of the instant death sitations can get frustrating
- technical performance on Switch is not without hickups

Playtime: 8,5 hours with over 300 deaths and one weapon missed. I guess I'm not really good at this game.

Favourite Weapon: Starting weapon with the spread shot upgrade and the tentacle for its increased reach.

Magic Moment: Entering the skull mech for the first time and just leveling everything left and right.

Verdict:
Valfaris is exactly what it promises to be: A kick-ass sidescrolling action game without unnecessary fluff. The combat feels satisfying and impactful, while the weapon upgrades have plenty of impact and offer various builds for each given situation. If you can get past the sometimes rough platforming sections and boss fights, Valfaris offers a lot of old-school fun with a tight visual presentation.

So play it if it seems like your thing.

I was drawn to this game for because of its aesthetic and the generally positive feedback it has seemed to received since release. Turns out this is the worst game I have completed in recent memory - sad but true.

Pros:
+ heavy metal setting is unique
+ backgrounds are pretty and detailed
+ counter attack mechanic is fair and powerful
+ checkpoints are frequent
+ dialog can be quickly skipped
+ the final boss is sufficiently epic

Cons:
- try-and-die gameplay loop is archaic and frustrating
- combat is boring and repetitive
- weapon upgrades have no bearing on gameplay
- overworld level select is pointless
- lever hunt quickly becomes tedious
- platforming sections are uninspired and simplistic
- boss fights require rote memorization
- enemy drops are randomized and far too rare
- knockback on hit leads to a lot of frustration
- death traps and bottomless pits lead to cheap deaths
- the bland metal soundtrack gets grating after a short while
- the writing is full of typos and syntax errors

Playtime: 7,5 hours as part of the "Valfaris/Slain" double pack. With some secrets discovered and a lot of repeated attempts at boss encounters suffered.

Blagic Moments: Transforming into a wolf, only to play even worse platforming sections and not gaining any new ability. Skippping most combat situations at some point, because it saves time, and because they don't even matter.


Verdict:
In many ways, Slain is the complete opposite of modern Heavy Metal: bland and uninteresting, repetitive and unpolished, lacking fresh ideas and stuck in archaic gameplay loops that weren't even fun when they were first introduced.

Skip this if you value your time or play any side-scrolling 16-bit game instead. At least they let you use save states.

A cute little indie game starring a girl playing a Flying V electric guitar so obscure that it does not even have an entry on howlongtobeat? Talk about my jam!

Pros:
+ the world is colourful and lovingly created
+ the female main character kills with a Flying V
+ except for the balloon upgrade, the controls are tight
+ the ingame currency is found plentiful in each level
+ health can be easily replenished
+ level design does a lot with very few elements
+ upgrades feel meaningful and liven up the combat

Cons:
- the heavy metal tracks feel misplaced
- boss designs are a bit broken and simplistic
- one-hit traps are frustrating
- levels do not hide collectables well
- there is no final boss that requires the entire toolset

Playtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes with 101% completion.

Magic Moment: Getting the spread shot and spreading sick riffs throughout the land.

Verdict:
Amabilly does exactly what the team at were likely aiming for: it provides a, quick, snappy side-scrolling action game without bells and whistles, that is plain fun for what it is. Still, it is disappointing that despite the premise, the music plays only a tiny role and really has no bearing on the core design.

However, if you like the art style or feel a knack for a tinge of nostalgia for the 8 and 16-bit era of these kinds of games, you can do much worse than with Amabilly.

On paper, Risk of Rain has all the ingredients I love in my indie games: a rogue-like action side-scroller with unlockable upgrades and snappy combat. And yet, after having tried to get into this one for the third time, I can savely say: no sir, this is just not for me.

Pros:
+ combat feels responsive and snappy
+ the timer for using the special weapons feels fair enough
+ large amount of upgrades to find and combine
+ the teleporter hunt is a unique element to the core design
+ levels hide some upgrades and secrets in plain sight
+ plenty of difficulty options available
+ this new update brings a lot of optional elements to the game

Cons:
- the standard difficulty scaling is pure frustration
- the player character is far too small for the large environments
- initial movement speed is far too low
- fall damage is a terrible design decision
- there is no (mini-)map available for no apparent reason
- damage taken is not perceptably indicated
- graphic style is dark, muddy, and undetailed
- environments feel uninspired and their architecture unintuitive
- timed difficulty system is at odds with the vast level sizes
- money does not carry over between levels...
- ...and the scaling cost for items is absurd by the third level
- item names are not indicated anywhere outside of the menu
- bosses are brick walls that can easily overpower players
- music is bland and forgettabble

Playtime: Roughly 1 hour with this new version. At least 10 hours combined since the game first came out.

Blagic Moments: The first attempt ending with a quick and painless death after roughly 20 seconds. Feeling the stressful core design again after all these years. Running to one end of the map only to find that I wasted my precious time.

Magic Moment: Scrolling through the endless list of unlockables and realizing that I am finally giving up on this game for good.

Verdict:
Risk of Rain Returns, and so does my dislike of this game. Even after all these years and plenty of upgrades to the game, the main issues have still not been adressed. The characters and most enemies are far too small on the screen and frequently get lost in the action. Navigating around the mostly ugly but vast biomes is tedious and unfun, and having to frantically search for the teleporter is at odds with searching for necessary but expensive upgrades around the map. Enemies spawn out of nowhere and become bullet sponges after a few minutes, and even upgrades like flying turrets never feel like appropriate answers to their unrelenting attacks and movement speeds. Losing all the hard-earned money after each level just feels like a unnecessary fuck you to thrifty players that precludes tactical decisions. The list goes on and on.

In short, no design decision here really adds up, and it's a complete mystery to me why this has amassed so many fans over the years and even produced a sequel. But I am willing to admit that this might just be one of those cases where I "just don't get it", and maybe, that's fine.

Still, I think even fans of the genre can savely skip this.

As the original Super Mario RPG was never released in Europe, I was one of those unhappy few who only learned about this game in the pages of the German Club Nintendo magazine. Now, almost 30 years later, my story with this game has finally come full circle.

Pros:
+ the graphic presentation has been faithfully and beautifully updated
+ characters are animated with lots of lovingly detail
+ newly added cutscenes are creative and charming
+ the writing is funny and irreverant throughout
+ the premise does not follow the usual chlichés of Mario games
+ the action combat system is timeless
+ every weapon type and special attack has its own action window
+ RPG elements are straight to the point and newcomer-friendly
+ party members can be swapped on the fly during battles
+ available party roster is singular in Mario games
+ enemies are visible on the map and can be avoided
+ items are actually useful and can greatly affect battles
+ fast travel is extensive and available from the menu
+ a lot of secret areas, items and gameplay features to uncover
+ post-game bosses are tough and require unique strategies
+ the music tracks have been caringly remastered...

Cons:
- ... but there are not specific boss or enemy themes
- the general difficulty is far too low
- not all party members meaningfully take part in the story
- how to progress is not always apparent, even with a hint character available
- characters will have learned all their special moves by the mid-way point
- not all characters have a full range of special attacks
- flaws in the combat logic: sleeping characters can defend...
- ...and splash damage seems to be randomized
- the combo counter is reset even while using the defend move
- items cannot be used from the options menu
- mini games are a bit too frequent and differ widely in quality
- dialogue scenes tend to drag on a bit
- even with the appropriate accessoir, finding hidden treasure is tedious
- the antagonist is mostly absent from the story...
- ...and the final fight is a real disappointment
- the technical performance takes a toll in more populated areas

Playtime: 20 hours with 99% completion, all optional bosses beaten and items acquired. That one percent is missing because I have zero interest in collecting the entire bestiary for a meaningless statistic.

Magic Moments: The "make Mario jump" running gag. Finding the Yoshi island and various easter eggs. The musical references to that one Square franchise in one specific boss fight.

Blagic Moment: Having to redo one of the complex, optional boss fights because of a few missed action commands towards the end.

Verdict:
Super Mario RPG is a strange yet fascinating RPG that, while having been updated in various ways for its current release, still feels idiosynchratic in lots of different ways. The non-existent storyline puts together an unlikely character roster that has Bowser and Mario fighting on the same side. The action combat system, while intuitive and engaging, renders most of the early, more difficult fights hectic and the uneven difficulty curve turns the later halve into a cake walk. The mini-games oscilate between tedious and simply unfun, and the pacing suffers as a consequence.

But despite these criticisms, the series' usual charm is all here, with a script that is frequently self-effacing and a beatifully presented world that holds many secrets to explore, and finally experiencing the roots of this particular genre of Mario games is a worthwhile endeavor that I would recommend.

When two designers behind Limbo and Inside are doing a new project, fans of puzzle games are waiting with bated breath. Now that Cocoon is out, I can safely say: the wait was worth it, and the finished project will satisfy genre aficionados and newcomers alike.

Pros:
+ minimalist world design meets 4-dimensional puzzle gameplay
+ the puzzle designs are self-explanatory and require only one button
+ interactions with puzzle elements are logical and trouble-free
+ new elements are slowly introduced at regular intervals
+ old puzzle elements are re-integrated over time in surprisingly smart ways
+ fail states are integrated into the logic of the game world
+ the boss fights are creative and unique
+ ending sequence is very memorable
+ a full playthrough is short and sweet at only a few hours

Cons:
- the narrative, if there even is one, is incomprehensible
- glyph sequence puzzles are not always transparent
- the optional ending elucidates nothing about the narrative
- performance on Switch is pretty shoddy

Playtime: 6 hours and some change. I had to look up the solution for the last glyph puzzle and I still have no idea what exactly the reasoning behind it was.

Magic Moments: Understanding the worlds-within-worlds design for the first time. Using a cannon to shoot trough multiple worlds at the same time.

Verdict:
The minimalist look of Cocoon belies a four-dimensional core puzzle design that is unique in its simplicity and concurrent complexity. While new elements get introduced at regular intervals, the difficulty of the puzzles scales naturally and new elements explain themselves without the use of of tutorials or any other outside help. This feeling of being guided through the game by an invisible hand is quite unique in the genre, and renders Cocoon a worthy successor to the previous games produced by its creative heads.

Even though I would have liked more of a narrative thrust, Cocoon is another must play title in a packed year full of them, and well worth your time.

Upon watching the first trailer that people were hyping like there's no tomorrow, I was unsure whether a new Mario game would actually hold my attention these days, especially in a world full of independent games that regularly introduce new ideas and movement options to the genre. Luckily, my hesitation was unfounded.

Pros:
+ general audio-visual impression is of the highest caliber
+ movement feels satisfying and tightly designed
+ open world design is a fresh approach
+ the time limit has finally been abandoned
+ Wonder Flowers are a distinct hook that feel like a true innovation
+ new level types like time trials and coin hunts freshen up the gameplay
+ levels that play with perspective and shadows are particularly clever
+ the general sound design is top notch
+ sensor batch makes the coin hunt less frustrating than ever
+ the final levels are hard to throw-the-controller hard, as is tradition
+ the final boss is a welcome break with tradition
+ a complete playthrough clocks in at at least 20 hours
+ the new transformations like the bubble suit offer new, useful actions...

Cons:
- ...but the elephant transformation is a letdown and adds little to Mario's repertoire
- the life system still makes no sense and is anachronistic
- the new music tracks are pretty disappointing and forgettable...
- and the music levels are directly lifted from the 2D Rayman games
- except for the easy mode characters, characters have no unique features
- badges feel like afterthoughts and are not integral to the gameplay
- most levels feel too short and hide very few secret exits
- the general difficulty is too low for my liking
- Wonder Flower use sometimes makes backtracking through levels necessary
- the reward for 100% completion is the usual Nintendo bullshit

Playtime: 23 hours with 100% completion, with at least 3-4 hours of those devoted to only the final level. Single player only, 80% of time spent with Mario because it doesn't matter anyway.

Magic Moments: Changing from the foreground to the background for the first time. Searching for hidden coins in a break level and finally finding one after much deliberation. Getting the right rhythm down in the final boss fight and overcoming the seriously difficult final-final level.

Verdict:
It's been 11 years since the last original 2D Mario title, and the team behind Wonder have clearly spent more than enough time with brainstorming unique ideas. The amount of creative approaches found in each level exemplify a developing team firing on all cylinders, and except for the age-old coin hunt, there is rarely a dull moment to be found. However, Wonder is not a revolution to the series - you are still running rom left to right, collecting coins and jumping on the heads of enemies to reach a definitve end goal and being rewarded for it, like you have been doing since the 80s. In that sense, Wonder is an evolutionary step instead of a real reinvention, and the new badge system, which actually changes how Mario moves and approaches challenges, are merely optional instead of being integral to the gameplay.

Still, this is a fun collection of levels full of wonder that adds to the great Nintendo releases of this year and you cannot really afford to miss if you own a Switch.

Pros:
+ combining Mega Man with roguelike design is still a great idea
+ builds on its predecessor in plenty of ways
+ art style is more refined and detailed
+ background art has been much improved
+ controls are tight and dash move feels great to use
+ character hit box is lenient
+ CP equipment system is a smart addition and mostly well-implemented
+ core upgrades allow for divers builds
+ difficulty smartly scales over the course of a run
+ challenges and bonuses are no longer timed
+ plenty of optional challenges in each level with managable difficulty
+ meta-upgrades feel empowering and rewarding
+ technical performance on Switch is rock-solid
+ auto-charging can be toggled on and off
+ bosses are diverse and colorful...

Cons:
- ...but have to be beaten in full in each run
- hub area is badly designed and needlessly confusing
- even with procedural generation, areas mostly feel alike
- mini bosses do not have a visible health bar
- no health loss indicator on hit
- successful runs clock in at around 1,5 hours
- only two playable characters from the first game
- refilling health without proper items is very difficult
- Save Laboratory upgrades are as useless as in the first game
- auto charge does not trigger the core updates related to charging
- Scrap Dealer and shop items tend to be too expensive
- final boss gauntlet is basically impossible without the right equipment

Playtime: 22 hours with one complete run with both characters.

Magic Moment: Combining various core upgrades that seem to have nothing in common to find suprising synergies.

Blagic Moment: Dying to the final boss and realizing you just lost over 90 minutes and can only afford two meta-upgrades.

Verdict:
To be honest, it is no apparent to me why 30xx spent so many years in early access. The base design is directly lifted from its predecessor, the two protagonists have the same move set, the level creation algorithm seems to be not overly complex and the story is barebones. That being said, the core gameplay loop and controls are as motivating and tight as ever, and the moment-to-moment action is still satysfying enough to go for that "one more run".

Anyone who liked 20xx will have plenty of fun with this one as well, but anyone craving new impulses and surprises is bound to be a bit disappointed.

A mostly unknown South Korean studio with very little experience in creating single player games adapting the classic children's story of Pinoccio as a hardcore Soulslike? What sounded like a hodgepodge of arbitrary ingredients turns out to be a major surprise in a packed year and as a contender for the best game of its genre since the original Dark Souls.

Playtime: Finished playthrough at 50 hours hours, with most optional quests finished and roughly three quarters of the collectibles, weapons etc acquired. Finished with the "Real Boy" ending. Played on version 1.01 before the most recent update.

Pros:
+ Cool steampunk setting with fitting architecture and character designs
+ Level design is mostly linear but always smart and full of surprises
+ Biomes and buildings are distinguishable and believably designed
+ Some of the vistas in the later half are truly impressive
+ Interfaces and UI are uncluttered and quick to navigate
+ Huge amount of customization options allow for varied playstyle
+ Weapon pieces can be mixed and matched for up to 100 different combinations without penalty
+ Legion arms can be upgraded and offer ranged attacks
+ P-upgrades and cube system are complex and push the optimization to its limit
+ The hub area is one of the best ever designed for a Soulslike...
+ ...and offers an area to freely experiment with weapons and their special attacks
+ Plenty of QOL improvements: quest markers, number of dropped souls is always visible etc.
+ Not all bosses and mini-bosses have to be beaten to progress
+ Boss introduction sequences are extremely witty and the best in the genre
+ The comprehensive storytelling and writing style are a welcome fresh of air in the genre
+ High quality voice acting and memorable NPC designs
+ Great soundtrack and incredible songs you can find and play in the hub

Cons:
- Poorly optimised on PS4 Pro, with frequent texture pop-ins and FPS issues
- Loading into and out of the hub era in particular takes ages
- The linear design leads to bosses possibly becoming frustrating brick walls
- Bosses with more than one phase tend to become grating towards the end
- Lack of a poise stat leads to frequent moments frustration in combat
- There is no indicator for enemies' stagger level
- The timing window for perfect guards is extremely small
- Little enemy variety and their health varies inexplicably
- Souls dropped by enemies do not scale properly towards the last third
- Throwable items are extremely overpowered
- Negative status effects are usually lethal and tough to avoid
- Routes in the story are tied to player decisions that are not always transparent
- Final boss is tied to one specific playstyle and ending choice
- Some collectibles are hidden behind New Game+

Magic Moments: Combining two weapons for the first time and understanding how complex the assembly options are. Watching the boss introduction for the Brotherhood boss and actually laughing at the intricacy and wittiness of its design. Hearing the song "Quixotic" on the gramophone for the first time and marveling at the singer. Entering the final are and watching the play of dark and light from afar.

Best Weapon: Salamander Blade with a long handle. Adds additional fire damage until completely burning enemies and does a reliable amount of damage until the end.

Best Legion Arm: Eagly Eye. Combining it with the option to gain ammunition from enemies turns this game into a different beast and really deepens the combat options.

Verdict:
Talk about a welcome surprise! Lies of P is a Soulslike of the highest caliber and a joy for anyone interested in witnessing the genre evolve into a more sophisticated, more complex version of itself, and stands shoulder to shoulder with the best games of the year and its genre. What the South Korean team has produced here is much more than just a soulless clone of now classic Fromsoft games. Instead, aspects like the complexity of the combat options or the small but extremely smart quality of life improvements like showing quest markers on the teleport menu and the number of dropped souls on the HUD or streamlining the upgrade processes are proof that the team were not relying on mimicry but actively understanding the issues and boundaries of the genre.

The most recent update even seems to adress some of my criticisms like the distribution of souls gained from enemies over the course of the game (while also nerfing some of the bosses). But considering the depth of the different systems and large number of approaches to beating each chapter, both newcomers to the genre as well as old hats like me who have thrown a controller here and there over the years absolutely find plenty to enjoy here.

So cross my heart and utter no lie: You need to play this if it all looks interesting to you and have a decent amount of skill and patience to overcome some frustrating challenges here and there. I cannot wait to see what the studio does next - and if the ending is any indication, I have plenty to look forward to.

After following this game for quite some time and being interested in the fresh idea of using an umbrella for defence, I was really looking forward to playing this one and came into it with the best of intentions. However, the finished game leaves much to be desired.

Playtime: Finished playthrough at almost 7 hours, with all optional quests finished as far as I can tell.

Pros:
+ Cool Gunbrella movement and combat options
+ Neo-Noir setting is a fresh take
+ Quest book is detailed enough to not get stuck
+ Progression is generally quick and the pacing is fine
+ Decisions in dialogue scenes actively affect the plot
+ Bosses are tightly designed and not too difficult
+ Wraith hunting is pretty fun in the endgame
+ Soundtrack is okay for what it is

Cons:
- The game in general feels unfinished and unpolished...
- ...and there are still placeholders in the ending credits!
- Controlling the Gunbrella in mid-air is far too difficult
- Dark art style makes identifying important objects difficult
- Level design is barebones and mostly without surprises
- Most screens have invisible borders
- Enemy design makes no sense and does not fit the setting (frogs?)
- The economy of the world is pretty busted...
- ...and extra ammunition in particular is far too expensive
- Items for upgrading are far too rare (which can be exploited with honeycombs)
- Extra weapons are unnecessary for progress
- Dialog cannot be skipped or fast-forwarded
- Technical performance on Switch is pretty bad
- The fridging of the protagonist's wife is pretty anachronistic
- The story ends on a weird sequence and an unearned downbeat

Blagic Moments: Suffering a hard crash during a boss fight. Re-entering an old stage and not understanding why the literal geography of the place has changed. The final sequence and credits scene with placeholders instead of actual names of the voice actors.

Verdict:
Yes, the setting and central mechanic are as fun as the trailers made them look. But apart from the Gunbrella itself and the Mary Poppins movement and attacks it allows, there are plenty of elements in this game that feel unfinished, unpolished, or simply poorly thought out. From the lack of lighting in most areas and the difficulty or identifying important areas to the weird enemy designs that make no sense in this world and the lack of viable or cheap enough combat options, the team made a lot of weird design decision that keep the finished product from making much of an impact.

In a month - and year - as packed as this, you can safely skip this.

On paper, a sequel to Evoland, which was itself a condensed, tight manifestation of the idea of paying tribute to the RPG genre, sounded pretty unnecessary to me. However, after taking what was supposed to be a short look at this game as part of the Legendary edition, my surprise could not have been greater.

Playtime: 24 hours, with 2/3rds of all collectable stars, equipment upgrades and special attacks acquired. All cards and opponents fought and beaten. Played as part of the Evoland Legendary Edition.

Pros:
+ a further development of its sequel central idea
+ the many genres and styles never stop being surprising...
+ ...and are competently implemented into a larger whole
+ gameplay gets more and more diverse towards the second halve
+ the more open structure of the second halve is
+ smart usage of the time travel concept
+ world maps are smartly designed and look great
+ the 16-bit action sequences are pretty great
+ puzzles are plentiful and rarely get frustrating
+ card game is engaging and a good motivation for exploration
+ the central quintet of heroes is engaging and sweetly written
+ the story holds more surprises than is apparent at first
+ the final boss is a real highlight and celebration of gaming as a whole

Cons:
- there is no run button!
- seriously, the movement speed is dreadfully slow and really drags down the action
- the pacing in the beginning is slow and the first dungeon feels unfinished
- team members' special attacks are too slow to regenerate
- the 3D gameplay sections extremely rough and unpolished
- level design and object placement often seems random and unclear
- technical performance on Switch is all over the place and buggy
- 2D pixel portraits look washed out and lack detail, especially docked
- jump physics in 2D feel weird and lead to frequent deaths
- instant-death spikes are pure frustration and unnecessary
- Sylph Forest dungeon is undeniably tedious
- genre tropes are overused and rarely parodied
- players unfamiliar with some of genres presented may have a tough time

Magic Moments: Playing a 2D vertical shooter out of nowhere and changing into a fighting game - Street Fighter special moves included - shortly after. Recognizing a certain laboratory as a direct reference to Chrono Trigger and having a great time with the combat system. Entering an awe-inspiring zone with curved space-time and solving puzzles in two different dimensions.

Verdict:
This game might be one of the biggest surprises in my gaming life. After the rough beginning hours and the badly designed first 3D dungeon, my finger was literally hovering over the "delete" button. Shortly after, however, I stumbled upon the card game and had a huge "Inscryption" flashback that motivated me enough to take a second look at the game and give it a chance. As a result, Evoland 2 slowly but surely evolved into a cornucupia of surprises that handles not only a sizable amount of genres and playstyles in remarkable fashion, but also tells a rather sweet story with sweet characters and a great final stretch.

The amount of surprises and fresh ideas are enough to get over the initial hump and the technical issues, and the less you know before playing, the better. So go and play it!