The Lamplighters League is an interesting game that falls short due to clunky stealth sequences and repeating level design. Have you played the board game Arkham Horror or Eldritch Horror? The Lampligheters League cribs a lot from the classic board games, throwing in some XCOM-lite tactics combat with the stealth sections of Mutant Year Zero.

The game has a lot of good writing and lore, and it really takes a while for the Lovecraftian horror to actuall manifest which is nice, I dig that. The characters are fun and charming, which goes a long way to creating that scoundrel pulpy adventure that you want. The game has a DOOM meter just like the board games, as you try to keep the various factions at bay while progressing your story.

But the clunky stealth before encounters really doesn't feel good. It's hard to make it work well, and to be honest you really do need to be able to pick enemies off in the shadows if you hope to survive, especially before you start unlocking new abilities and upgrades. That makes those first few hours a slog.

I made it about half-way through a run and decided to bow out. The game uses procedural levels which means I was hitting the same style areas a lot by the 20 hour mark. If the gameplay was top notch that wouldn't bother me, but there were just enough rough edges that I decided to put this down.

If you like tactics games, and want something that feels like Eldritch Horror or Arkham Horror, I would recommend playing it on Gamepass, or getting it in a sale. The Steam reviews are pretty unfair. There is a pretty good and fun B game here, but I have too many other A hits in my backlog to warrant spending more time on this. I actually need to go play XCOM 2!

A series that never appealed to me in the past, I could not get away from the mountain of praise that podcasts were throwing at this game, and living in Japan I see ads for it all the time when catching the train to work. I decided to give it a shot, and I was immediately hooked. Pikmin 4 has such a delightful tone, and the gameplay loop of setting out to explore, fight bugs, and explore the caves really hooked me in. I was really hell bent on getting 100% completion on each area, and I typically never do that in games.

Sure, this is no XCOM, Fire Emblem, or Starcraft when it comes to strategy, but it does have just enough there that will have you spinning plates and looking for the most optimal ways to kill your enemies while rescuing fallen comrades or uncovering ancient treasures.

It took me just over 20 hours to complete, and I have 100% on every region. There is a post-credits sequence that opens up A LOT MORE PIKMIN 4, and that was really awesome. I will continue to pick at that content, but for me even those 20 hours were more than enough to leave a lasting impression.

If you have any interest in a light strategy game and want an addictive loop that really plays well into casual "just one nice session" per day game, I really recommend picking this one up, it will surely have something to delight you with!

Alan Wake II had some pretty big shoes to fill, and in many ways it is the perfect culmination of everything that Remedy has made up until this point. The combination of Saga and Alan's stories was a great narrative treat, however I couldn't full-heartedly recommend this game. The combat is an absolute slog, especially in Alan's segments. That really brings the game down, as you fight with a never ending sea of shadows.

I also can't get over just how much the game is cribbing from Twin Peaks, particularly Twin Peaks: The Return. I understand that the first game was a homage to Twin Peaks and Stephen King, but the visuals, the style of the Koskela Bros. ads, the imagery for switching realities, even down to Scratch's leather coat. It really felt like they have enough of their own great narrative to pull on here, we didn't need to see owls and end every chapter with a song like The Return did.

I will play the DLC. I am a sucker for narrative and I love Alan Wake. But I don't think this is a great game.

Homebody is a time-loop horror narrative that tackles grief, getting older, facing your own mortality, and escaping depression. You arrive at a spooky house filled with all kinds of contraptions, and you set forth on a time loops across a single evening when a killer breaks in, and murders your friends. It is up to you to solve puzzles and unravel the mysteries of the house, intertwined with learning why you are there, and the issues you have with your friend group.

I really love the presentation, but the game just doesn't hit for me. I am not big on puzzles, and the story just was not enough to carry me through to the end. I ended up just using a guide because I wanted to see the ending and find out if it would have that AHA moment for me, and sadly it just didn't. I will say that the ending was good, but not really what I was looking for.

Overall a great concept that just falls flat on the execution for me. If you are into puzzle games though, this is pretty neat!

I am fairly new to the strategy genre, but I know that Relic is one of the most innovative companies in the field. Company of Heroes brings so much to the table, from it's squad-based tactics, garrison commands, and just general cinematic flair for creating a memorable look at the Normandy front. I am no historian, and I am 100% sure that Medal of Honor and Saving Private Ryan had a huge influence on the tale that was woven between missions, but there are so many moments in this campaign that really stood out to me, and taught me the value of learning from failure. I think this game cemented strategy games as a new genre for me to explore.

Blood West is a boomer shooter take on an immersive sim that is dripping with atmosphere and has good writing on the periphery. It’s intense onboarding will be too much for most I feel, and ultimately it’s empty worlds left me wanting for more. But once I did manage to click with its combat powered by a surprisingly diverse and comprehensive perk system, I could see why it has so many fans. I’d love to suit up for a more refined sequel, but if you are looking for an unforgiving stealthy immersive sim that isn’t pulling punches, this might be a sleeper hit for you. Read my full review on pixelsforbreakfast.net

Jusant was like a breath of fresh air after a year of super in-depth games that last forever. It's brief run time of 3-6 hours is the perfect length for such an adventure. Who knew that climbing a mountain could be so fun? While the story itself was a little lacking (something I find with all of DONTNOD's games in fact), the meditative experience of climbing and exploring this abandoned world was enough to pull me through three brief play sessions. Artistically and mechanically, this is a top tier release from any studio, and I think importantly it can help pave the way for more "traditional" studios to release shorter, cheaper, more fulfilling games than 90 hour epics. Well worth playing and just losing yourself for a few hours.

I tried to play The Banner Saga when it initially released. The art and story really intrigued me, but I wasn't into tactics or strategy back then, so it sat in my pile of shame for the longest time. This year I decided to dive back in, and while it maybe hasn't aged the best when it comes to features and variance of encounters, it still captures the dread and sense of being hunted better than almost any other game I have played.

Taking your caravan across the lands, being stopped by an endless list of challenges, surprised, and genuinely shocking moments was great. I am really looking forward to continuing the saga with the sequel next year.

Also if you stick to the main line, you are looking at around 7 hours for completion. That's a pretty decent run time for a tactics game to get a quick taste on what is on offer. I played the entire thing on Steam Deck too, and that was a really nice way to experience it.

I actively have avoided JRPGs in my life. Their slow pace and "kids saving the world" vibes just never gel with me. After all the hype around Sea of Stars from people I know started to hit, I decided to give it a go because it was on Gamepass. I am so glad I did, because Sea of Stars has unexpectedly become one of my favorite games of this year. While it still does have that kids saving the world setup, these Solstice Warriors are so genuine and fun, and the supporting cast of characters really grows on you until the very end of the game. A number of predictable twists and turns arise, but the way that they happen really gives you some memorable moments. I highly recommend checking this one out, even if the genre hasn't been one of your staples.

The Invincible is a passable walking simulator that has a decent story at its core, but doesn't trust you enough to really examine it. It's gorgeous deserts are breathtaking at first, but by the time the credits rolled I was more than happy to leave the surface of Regis III behind. If you are looking for a chill "press the stick forward and listen" game this could be a fun time, especially for sci-fi fans. But for most, this simply isn't worth the asking price or your time, in a year when narrative games are at an all-time high.

Full review on pixelsforbreakfast.net

El Paso Elsewhere is more than just a love letter to the original Max Payne games, it manages to carve out its own diverse lore, that feels wholly unique. The writing is incredible, from the opening cutscene, right until the emotional crescendo at the final moments. The gameplay itself is a little flawed, and there are some levels here that do feel a like a little filler, but the story alone was more than enough to carry me through those parts that were lacking. If you like noir adventures, and want to explore the dynamics of a mentally abusive breakup, this is definitely worth checking out ASAP.