Sanctum is an unassuming game. It is clunky from the visual perspective and tutorialization. It isn't particularly satisfying or creative in its towers or weapons. There isn't a strong sense of style or music. But this game does scratch that 3D tower defense itch really well, criminally well for how underplayed it is (Less than 2% of players have beaten the final level despite it being quite satisfying). The maze building offers the most freedom in the genre I have seen, the experimentation and min-maxing is an option for players, and you get a hefty amount of money every level to keep your decision making involved.

If you want more Orcs Must Die, this game is fantastic. If you bounced off Orcs Must Die for the sappers and fantasy aesthetic, this is the game for you. Otherwise, this game is just gonna awkwardly stand behind Orcs Must Die.

Dead by Daylight is best summarized as the best in a genre with no competition. When you are fresh to the game the killer is thoroughly terrifying and hard to fight against. As you get any level of experience as a survivor the killer becomes comically easy to avoid unless the killer has many hundreds of hours on killer and grinded + paid to have the most meta build at the moment. All the while the Killer who has much more interesting gameplay in my opinion is an odd balancing nightmare where the survivors are perpetually more powerful and the only way you get kills or can succeed is if they make mistakes (unless the Killer is on Nurse, the only pro-active character they can play.) I did enjoy a lot of my time while I played this game but at the point I didn't buy and grind the right killers while the survivors were running infinites around me I just lost my ability to enjoy the game. It is definitely something better to watch than to play.

Granted I last played in early 2021 but I have continued to watch videos since. My stance has stayed consistent, this is a game/genre with a lot of potential and can be a lot of fun and DBD is the best at what it does currently. But it is still really bad at that.

Split Second is exciting. It is exciting in the way that you truly feel the speed of your car as you slam the gas pedal after blowing up an opponent. Exhilarating in the bad*ss image you have of yourself for barely dodging an explosion. Intoxicating when you realize you have the power to change the layout of the course itself while knocking out competition.

But the game falls from its potential height. Because no matter what car you pick or how hard you press the pedal to the metal, other cars just rubberband ahead of you beyond your ability to activate traps. I sincerely look forward to the day a Kart Racer sees the potential of this game's systems and borrows some gas.

Cal Kestis returns with the sequel to Jedi Fallen Order, and while this game has had its fair share of criticisms (particularly with the poorly ported PC version), on PS5 I didn't have any issues. For me this smoothed out a lot of the issues I had with the first game and built on what made that one enjoyable.

While this game starts off on Coruscant for its opening, I can still appreciate how these Star Wars Jedi games aren't leaning too heavily into previously established characters and coming up with their own lore. You'll see all of Cal's surviving friends return like Greez, Merrin, and Cere along with some new ones like the mercenary buddy Bode Akuna. The story of the first game sort of slipped out of mind over the last few years but whenever a familiar face popped up I'd go "oh yeahhhhh I remember you".

Gameplay is that familiar mix of From Software-lite inspired open areas where you'll be coming across random enemies to spar off with along with the more cinematic set piece moments right out of a modern Sony game. It all blends together to make for a fun AAA experience. I especially liked the world design this time around, and it was so much easier for me to get my bearings and not get totally lost just trying to find my way forward. The planets and various areas on them are just better designed this time out.

Jedi Survivor can still be pretty challenging which I can appreciate as the combat will keep you on your toes all the way through. In the end I had a really good time with this game and I look forward to playing the next one a few years down the line- it's good to see Star Wars finally being treated with respect and care in the video game space after a rough era.

The Switch seems to be nearing the end of its console cycle, but that didn't stop Nintendo from putting out a buzzy proper 2D Mario title for this holiday season. I've enjoyed all of the New Super Mario Bros. games to some extent. The DS and Wii games are nostalgic classics for me and I replayed a bunch of the Wii U one a couple of months ago with my friend Jack and it was better than I remembered. I can't believe it's been a decade since the last title, and Wonder does a good job of freshening up the formula with some fun new additions.

Right off the bat, I enjoyed the expanded roster. Finally you can play as Daisy in a Super Mario Bros. game- that's pretty fun (especially after she got shafted from the initial Mario Strikers roster last year hmph). Several of the characters make the game a bit easier for younger players which is a fun idea.

There are a couple of new power-ups, most notably the silly elephant suit, but the big twist on the classic platforming fun are the wonder flowers in every level. If you find them, the level will somehow transform into something entirely different. You might change forms into a different character entirely, or the landscape around you can change. You never really know what to expect from a wonder flower and they keep every level feeling fresh and exciting.

Mario Wonder also adds badges which are special abilities that you can equip for each level. I liked trying each of them in the special stage, but you get the glider very early on and it was nearly impossible for me to go without this badge for the rest of the game because it just felt so great to use. It might make the game a little easier than need be but it made platforming fun and fast which is what I was looking for.

Mario Wonder doesn't take too long to complete, but there are special levels to unlock as well which I haven't tackled yet but I hear offer up a respectable challenge. These should be fun to try out and make for good post-game offerings.

I played this game in local co-op with my sister and we had some trouble getting used to the camera. They've implemented a system where someone gets crowned at the end of a level and then they are the leader in the next level. That's a smart balance because it's frustrating to not have control of the camera. I am at least happy that you aren't actively running into your friend, bouncing on their head by accident and whatnot like in the previous games. That's definitely an improvement. The ghost multiplayer mode is an interesting implementation, too.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a respectable entry in the franchise for Mario. I think it might be getting a bit overhyped, but it's definitely some decent platforming fun and feels more exciting and fresh than previous 2D Mario games.