Inestimate's Reviews

Console:  PS5 , Switch 2, XSX, PC Developer: Capcom Release Date:  April 17, 2026 Pragmata  is a third-person shooter and puzzle-action game hybrid with a focus on improvisation, multitasking, and risk management. Announced all the way back in 2020, when the PS5 was first revealed,  Pragmata  was delayed multiple times due to apparent difficulties with the game's core mechanics. While I was first intrigued by  Pragmata 's reveal, I only became truly interested when it reemerged following its long delays with a trailer that had gorgeous piano music that genuinely made me a bit weepy-eyed. I got the game day 1, and I don't regret it at all. This was one of my most anticipated games of the year, after all!

Console: PS4, PS5 , Switch, PC, XB1, XSX Developer: Sonic Team Release Date:  November 8th, 2022 Sonic Frontiers  is an open world action platformer centered around exploration, collectibles and combat. As a bold new entry in the  Sonic the Hedgehog  series,  Frontiers  is the first time the series earnestly tries to be an open world game, and according to the director, is meant to be the model for future games, similar to how  Sonic Adventure  was when the series first transitioned to 3D. 

Console: PS5, Switch , PC Developer: Experience Release Date:  February 15th 2024 Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II  is a horror visual novel game with mystery and adventure mechanics that centers around exploration, puzzle-solving and its narrative. The third game in the  Spirit Hunter  franchise,  Death Mark II  is the most recent entry in the series and is actually a crowdfunded game. The game takes place four months after  Death Mark , and is thus technically a midquel due to taking place a few years before  NG . It is also a direct sequel to  Death Mark , featuring most of the characters from the game and putting the player in Kazuo Yashiki's shoes once again.

  Console: PC , Switch, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX Developer: Not A Sailor Studios Release Date: February 18, 2021 Buddy Simulator 1984  is a narrative game whose genre evolves over time, based around the relationship between the player and the eponymous Buddy, a computer program who is designed to emulate the feeling of playing games with a "best friend". Not A Sailor Studios is a team of four, and made  Buddy Simulator 1984  with some additional help from about four more people. I'd consider the game to be split into four major parts, and I'll tackle them all without spoiling as much as I can. 

Console: PC, PS4, PS5 , XSX Developer: ILCA Release Date: April 26, 2024 Sand Land  is an open-world action RPG with a large focus on vehicular customisation and combat. The game adaptation of Sand Land: The Series , which is an adaptation of the Sand Land  manga, the Sand Land  game serves as a retelling of the original manga by Akira Toriyama as well as the new sequel story created for Sand Land: The Series. As the manga was only 14 chapters and the anime 13 episodes (with the first 6 being the manga's story), making a 40-60 hour open-world RPG out of it was pretty surprising to me, even before I knew what Sand Land really was. Just how in the world do you even manage that?

       Console: PS4, PS5 , XB1, XSX, PC Developer:  Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Release Date: November 10 2020 Yakuza: Like A Dragon  is a turn-based RPG with a focus on its narrative, character bonds, and variety of gameplay experiences. As the Like A Dragon  series' eighth main title, Yakuza: Like A Dragon  (which I'll refer to as Yakuza 7  to prevent confusion with both of the series' names) is a massive change from the rest of the games in the series by not only changing protagonists fully for the first time, but also switching genres, going from a beat 'em up action RPG to a turn-based RPG. 

Console: PC , Switch, XB1, PS4, PS5, PSVR2, Quest 2, Quest 3 Developer:  Origame Digital Release Date: May 19th 2020 (Macro DLC released November 7th 2020) Umurangi Generation  is a first-person photography game all about artistic expression, exploration, and masterful environmental storytelling. Developed by solo Māori developer Tali Faulkner in 10 months, Umurangi Generation  is visually reminiscent of the PSX-era of games: low-poly, low-res, and blocky with mostly flat textures, but with tons of visual charm anyway. However, it very much plays like a modern FPS game, and the tutorial even says so. Just replace the guns with camera lenses.

Console:  Switch, XSX, XB1, PS4, PS5,  PC Developer: Pixadome Release Date:  September 1st 2022 Chenso Club is a roguelite platform brawler with cute pixel art, charming characters, and a focus on difficulty. The second release by the now-dormant Pixadome, Chenso Club  makes a good first impression, but struggles to keep the momentum going and ends up stifled by its own design choices.

Console: PC , XB1, XSX, PS4, PS5, Switch Developer: Foreign Gnomes Release Date: March 4th 2021 Everhood is a rhythm-based RPG with strong narrative leanings focused around immortality, death, and goofy characters. Created by Chris Nordgren and Jordi Roca, Everhood  takes massive inspirations from multiple indie games, but none are clearer than Undertale  and Yume Nikki. Yet, I think it mostly succeeds at being its own thing.

Console: Switch, XSX, XB1, PS4, PS5,  PC Developer: Froach Club Release Date: April 6th 2023 Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories  is a narrative adventure game made in RPG Maker with a distinct art style reminiscent of a classic Game Boy game, complete with a green monochrome look. This is, as far as I can tell, the first "big" game released by Froach Club, with the rest of their catalog being on itch.io. 

Console: PC , PS4/PS5, XB1/XSX, Switch Developer: Geometric Interactive Release Date: September 29th 2023 Cocoon  is a puzzle game centered around navigating worlds inside worlds. It's the first game by Danish indie studio Geometric Interactive, formed by Playdead ( Limbo , Inside ) alumni Jeppe Carlsen and Jakob Schmid alongside a few others. Cocoon  was nominated for Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2023 and won Best Debut Indie Game at the same event.