John

The first LEGO game ever made is a comical open world that embraces the creativity of its inspiration, albeit perhaps one that is fairly small and simplistic by today's standards. This game came out in the 90's so there were limits to what the team could do.

The basic format of LEGO Island is simple: players arrive on the island and pick from five playable LEGO characters. They can then freely move around the island and visit locations with different activities. These include racing, building, and getting from one place to another. By today's standards, the map might seem small and the activities might seem extremely limited, even buggy at times.

However, LEGO Island makes up for its limitations with a lively world populated by memorable characters. Every major character feels unique, and even the background cast still get to partake in fun and wacky encounters. This was a big part of what made the game so memorable, especially compared to the less successful sequels.

Clair Obscure Expedition 33 is an interesting experience. It's greatest strength is undoubtedly its story and characters. This game is great at producing a really immersive world that draws the player in and getting them invested in the stories of its heroes. The experiment of mixing real-time with turn-based combat also works to great effect, even if muscle memory can sometimes get in the way.

My biggest criticism would be how the game caps the party at 3 people. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that, with some exceptions, the people not in your party are supposed to be present. So no matter which three you have, the others will almost always appear in cutscenes and be clearly shown getting ready when a boss appears, only to inexplicably disappear as soon as it starts. This has a really jarring effect and makes me wonder if it would have been better to not include a limit at all. There's only a maximum of five playable characters at any given time anyway so you'd think it would make sense.

My other big criticism would be the lack of objective markers. A map is only available in the overworld portions and a lot of the game's settings are mazelike, so it is easy to end up getting stuck wandering around in circles trying to find one objective. Having a marker, or at least a map, would be a good way to address that issue.

That said, the game does a really good job at pacing and moving you forward. Some of the turn-based mechanics can be hard to understand, but you don't necessarily need to. Getting the basics is usually enough. The ability to react to enemy attacks does add an interesting twist to the format, though timing a parry, dodge, or jump can be really difficult.

Overall, I don't think the shortcomings of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 are enough to dismiss it outright. Sure, it's not perfect, but it is an engaging story-driven RPG that makes for a very unique experience.

You ever played Space Marine 2 and thought "You know what this game needs? What if we took out your backup and made your enemies a lot tougher, then threw them at you in overwhelming numbers?" You didn't? Well, too bad! Because that's what you get with Warhammer 40k: Boltgun.

Boltgun is an interesting homage to old-school shooters, particularly from the days of Wolfenstein 3D. And it absolutely nails the look of those games. All the hallmarks are there, right down to the 2D sprites that always turn to face the camera. Granted, movement is a bit more fluid in this one. The player can actually look up and down unlike the original Wolfenstein 3D.

Like Space Marine II, Boltgun is a straightforward game about playing as a Space Marine and purging heretics in the name of the Emperor. The basic mechanics are pretty easy to learn. You have access to different types of weapons and three main attacks (melee, ranged, and throwables), and go through waves of enemies. It's nice to get a 40k game that can immerse you in the world without bogging you down with a bunch of convoluted rules.

However, in addition to replicating the look of old-school shooters, Boltgun also replicates their difficulty. This means it's a bit more challenging than Space Marine II. For one thing, you're working alone and don't have Chairon or Gadriel providing support. This can make it a lot more daunting when the forces of Chaos come out in overwhelming numbers.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but players should be ready to die a lot. It's very easy to lose health while also being taken by surprise. Of course as they move forward, the player character can get access to better weapons, but obviously, some enemies are difficult no matter what you come equipped with.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Dredge, but once I started it was hard to put down. There's something strangely compelling about the game's simplicity. The basic mechanics are easy to learn. The actual fishing is straightforward, and yet the game offers more challenge than it initially appears.

It's surprisingly easy to get into trouble or end up sinking your boat, thanks to the various hazards. The sea monsters are a big part of it, but even just crashing into rocks can be a problem. They do a really good job adding to the tension of driving at night. Rocks can be almost impossible to see without lights, and you're never completely sure what you're going to run into.

The map may be small, but it never feels too small. There are five main areas to explore, each of which offers a very different environment that feels unique, as well as different types of fish. Traveling between regions to get the right catch is often needed for quests. There is DLC that can add a little more, but the base game never feels like anything's missing.

The biggest strength of Kingdom Come: Deliverence II is undoubtedly its story and worldbuilding. It does a great job bringing Medieval Bohemia to life and it's really good at getting players invested in its characters. Every NPC feels like they have a unique personality.

Unfortunately, the downside is its steep learning curve. I appreciate what you're trying to do Warhorse, but did you really have to make it so complicated? The combat system is really confusing no matter how much practice you give it, and there's so many different leveling options and statblocks to keep track of that it gets very easy to miss important details. Like forgetting to eat or wash. Plus there's a whole bunch of minigames that also take time to learn.

A tip for new players: blacksmithing is the most straightforward activity you can do. It's the one thing that's easy to learn and it's a good way to make money in the first act.

Kingdom Come: Deliverence is great for hardcore RPG gamers who enjoy super complicated game mechanics. Those up for the challenge are in for a great immersive adventure through Medieval history. Unfortunately, it also suffers from lacking accessibility to more casual players who might want the story without having to keep track of a million different things.

Of course, the thing that makes Harold Halibut stand out is its unique art style. The claymation-based aesthetic gives the game a look you don't see very often. Even more amazing when you realize they did it by actually hand-making and then scanning all their models. The fact that it extends to the wider setpieces as well adds to this aesthetic. The claymation figures interacting with an isometric space gives the world a dollhouse-like appearance that only enhances the atmosphere.

But of course aesthetics aren't everything. Harold Halibut is also a game that balances simplicity with an engaging story and characters. The basic gameplay is pretty straightforward. There's no combat or even an in-game currency. Just walking around the station and interacting with people, mixed with the occasional puzzle. But that's what makes the game work so well.

There's no complicated mechanics to learn, and players can focus on the story. Every character feels unique, and they all have their own plotlines. The story is straightforward and easy to follow, but also full of twists and turns that go in unexpected places and veer the line between comedy and drama. I'm not normally a fan of isometric games but Harold Halibut did such a good job at storytelling it had me at every second.

Atomfall is a fun experience involving a very distinct post-apocalyptic world. You can definitely see some influence from Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. but it feels like more than just a British version of those games.

The open world is fun to explore and there's a lot of fun characters to encounter. I quite like Molly the trader. Players can interact with the world any way they see fit. Interacting with people and trying to avoid conflict when possible might be the more practical option, but if you'd rather just start firing on people for no reason, that's an option too. You want to take on that giant robot in the middle of the village? Probably not the greatest idea, since you'll have to deal with it and the PROTOCOL soldiers, but the game won't stop you.

The use of a barter system is an interesting choice. Instead of having an in-game currency like Fallout or S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Atomfall requires you to trade items with merchants. This can make things a bit more challenging, since it can be hard to gauge the value of specific things, but it can be a great way to offload excess materials and come out with something useful. So, for instance, if you have rifle ammunition but no rifle, you could trade it and get some bandages for the next time you get hurt.

Atomfall is a fun romp through a creative post-apocalyptic world and a great way to experiment with an old format.

An imperfect but ultimately quite engaging experience. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage does have some limitations and it can get frustrating when it keeps stopping to make the player record random things, but it makes up for that with an engaging story, fun characters, and a few twists and turns. It's definitely worth looking at if you have PS+ or find it on sale.