Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — Viktor Zaitsev
At the beginning of 2025, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II looked like an unconditional contender for Game of the Year. It is all the more disappointing that by December it turned out to be undeservedly deprived of attention — at The Game Awards 2025, the project didn't even receive the title of Best RPG! Although, thanks to its systematic nature, scale, and design integrity, the work of Daniel Vavra and Warhorse Studios deserved it more than any other release since Baldur’s Gate 3.
However, the significance of KCDII has long gone beyond "award races." This is a rare example of a large, complex role-playing game. A systemic project built around the simulation of everyday life, historical context, and cause-and-effect relationships — rather than the usual content funnel. The sequel eliminated the key rough edges of the first part, became more accessible to new players, and at the same time maintained its methodical nature, slow pace, and high threshold for involvement.
KCDII offers not "content," but life in medieval Bohemia — with its routine, moral ambiguity, and authentic human stories. In the modern industry, such a cohesive immersive experience is increasingly rare. Such games do not age — they settle in the memory and in the heart, and years later, both players and developers return to them.
I returned to this game all year like coming home — and every time I caught myself not wanting to leave. This is perhaps the best compliment one can give to a role-playing game. And as for Daniel Vavra, one can only wish him restraint in the public sphere. It is possible that the jury's demonstrative indifference to KCDII is related not to the quality of the game, but to the reputation of its creator.
Hollow Knight: Silksong — Maksim Ivanov
Silksong managed to hold everyone's attention long before its release. The first part so deeply touched players that loyal fans put on clown noses every year in anticipation of the release. The long production cycle only strengthened Team Cherry's faith in their project, and the bet on accessibility and quality worked perfectly.
Such confidence proved justified! The player was met with a magnificent, colorful world of a new bug kingdom, the exploration of which will take dozens of hours. Excellent optimization, polished mechanics, many charismatic characters, beautiful music, and a variety of playstyles help to enjoy every minute of the walkthrough. Every encounter with the numerous bosses is memorable, and battles with some are true works of art.
But here too, Team Cherry remained true to themselves! They were not afraid to test players and forced them to show creativity during the walkthrough. Every section of Hollow Knight: Silksong is designed to cause pain, and only after getting some bumps will the player be able to move confidently through the locations. At the same time, there are so many more positive elements that even after all the suffering endured, you want to return and test your strength again.
Battlefield 6 — run.code
After the far from successful Battlefield 2042, many fans of the shooter series from EA finally lost faith that they would ever get a game they could be proud of and brag about in arguments with Call of Duty fans.
But then came Vince Zampella, who pulled the series out of the pit EA had driven it into. The legendary developer not only got BF2042 back on its feet by canceling a bunch of idiotic decisions that made players spit at its release, but also released the truly phenomenal Battlefield 6.
The sixth installment not only eclipsed Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 but also gave Call of Duty a gut punch, forcing Activision to urgently try to fix numerous problems accumulated over years of ignoring community requests.
From a rich arsenal where every pistol and every rifle behaves uniquely to excellently designed maps — Battlefield 6 gives the feeling of participating in a real armed conflict. Something is constantly exploding around you, command is shouting in your ear that we are losing another sector, bullets whistle overhead and fighters zoom past, tanks break through defenses, teammates scream, and there is dirt and soot of the battlefield everywhere. Battlefield 6 is a gritty and grounded shooter, which is why I loved it.
But the tragic death of Zampella at the end of the year raised a sharp question: will DICE be able to maintain this bar without its leader? I want to believe so. We will find out how it really turns out in 2026.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — Maksim Dragan
For those who expected a sharp change of genre from the sequel to Death Stranding — I must disappoint you. Sorry, but this is still a game about delivering cargo — its core has remained unchanged since the first part. Kojima Productions only developed the existing mechanics and added a couple of new ones, and fans got a sequel that became better in everything.
However, Death Stranding 2 creates dissonance. In terms of the tone of the surrounding world, the soundtrack, the characters, and everything that happens — it is much brighter and more cheerful than the first game. At the same time, the main theme of the project is terribly oppressive — the bitterness and realization of loss, the unwillingness to live without loved and close people.
This contrast conveys one main thought — life goes on. After all, there is a goal — to save Australia — and you need to go further, not stop. And with every connected network node, delivered cargo, and kilometer traveled, you see that Sam is actually getting better. And then it hits you that this was the intention — the main character grieves, but the world around him does not. And you have to help him realize this.
Remember what Hideo Kojima said before the release? "I want people to eventually like what they didn't like when they first encountered it" — and he did everything so that love for Death Stranding 2 eventually came to me. Closer to the finale, I managed to get close to Sam again, as well as the crew of the Magellan crawler. Needless to say, I still miss these guys and will never forget this adventure?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a wonderful sequel, improved on all fronts. It is a remarkable experience of community interaction and mutual aid between players. It is the most beautiful PlayStation 5 exclusive released not only this year but in many years. If you haven't played it yet — fix this unfortunate mistake!
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond — George Petrovich
At first glance, it's a typical first-person shooter, but Prime formed a whole separate genre, FPA — First Person Adventure, of which the series is the only representative. Any of the Prime installments is unique, and there are simply no similar games. You either accept it as it is and love it with all your heart, or reject it and criticize every element of it.
Despite its exclusivity, the Prime series is famous for its hardcore nature. You are not led by the hand. There are no markers, hints, or the usual color coding of interactive areas. The player is an explorer. And the amount of time spent overcoming another wall of game misunderstanding depends entirely on the player.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond for the first time in the series becomes as close as possible to the average player: a large number of complexly staged scenes, partners helping during the walkthrough, a clear and directed plot, as well as ubiquitous markers on the map helping to understand where to go and what to do.
This became the bone of contention among the game's fans. The fourth Prime became "pop" to suit modern requirements: Samus is no longer alone in her struggle with the threats of the universe; the sense of joy from overcoming another "wall" has disappeared because the player is constantly led by the hand; the open desert area connecting different biomes also raises questions — it is too large for fast travel between locations and too sparse on events and secrets that can be found in it.
But Prime 4 still holds the bar of an original game. It is still full of mysteries, a bunch of abilities that open up gradually, spectacular bosses, mind-blowing graphics for the Nintendo Switch, and detailed biomes.
It's just that Prime 4 lost its main trump card. Uncertainty. Something similar was already done by Metroid Other M, which tried to break out of the "game for its own" circle and become a real AAA blockbuster, which eventually buried the series for a long 7 years.
Personally, I warmly welcome such changes, as they bring the development that the Prime series needs. No matter what the franchise is, it is impossible to make the same product for 23 years.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Viktor Zaitsev
An expressive world, a human story, strong acting, and a heart-wrenching soundtrack, backed by a turn-based reactive combat system and a stunning visual style — all this is just the surface, albeit a beautiful one.
As you read these lines, the number of "Game of the Year" awards for Expedition 33 is already reaching record levels. Much has been said about the game — by critics, players, and industry representatives. There has long been no doubt about its status as one of the main games of the year. Therefore, in the final text, it is more important to talk not about a set of obvious merits, but about why exactly the debut of Sandfall Interactive turned out to be so significant.
Expedition 33 did JRPGs an invaluable service by abandoning many established clichés and heaviness without trying to break the mold. Concentrated delivery, mature characters, and the absence of artificial restrictions made the game more open to an audience far from the genre. I am not afraid of this comparison — Expedition 33 does for the genre exactly what Baldur’s Gate 3 did for CRPGs in its time: it offers an accessible, cohesive, and modernly presented game capable of interesting those who would have previously passed by.
The industrial context is also important. The story of Expedition 33 consists of rare points of creative success for the market. A former Ubisoft employee founds his own studio and makes a dream game. An unknown composer, who previously created covers of game soundtracks, suddenly becomes one of the most discussed authors of the year. It is also indicative that at The Game Awards 2025, Expedition 33 was the only completely original project nominated for "Game of the Year." This fact turns the project into a marker of a systemic crisis and simultaneously points to a possible way out of it.
Because this is not only a wonderful success story but also a reminder that true masterpieces are born where authorial thought combines with love and dedication to one's work. This is an important reminder for all of us. And for those who will come after.
Dune: Awakening — Dmitry Krivov
Dune: Awakening is a notable MMO of 2025, and not because of revolutionary mechanics, but thanks to a sense of a cohesive world and atmosphere rare for the genre. Funcom carefully transferred "Dune" into the format of an online survival game, betting on the viscous rhythm of life on Arrakis. At the same time, the developers managed to adapt the plot well to an alternative version of the universe.
The game offers a huge desert planet where the highest value is water, and spice acts as a key resource for development. Crafting, building, and character development take dozens of hours, but that is exactly the essence of Awakening — progress must be clawed out. Freedom of profession leveling, a well-thought-out base system, and one of the best vehicle parks in the genre make the game exciting, but not always dynamic.
The project's strong point is its aesthetics. The visual style, music, sound, as well as familiar terms from Frank Herbert's books, work for immersion, even in empty locations. However, this approach has a price: content is often repetitive, tasks rarely surprise, and the endgame is poorly thought out.
Dune: Awakening is entertainment not for everyone. It requires hundreds of hours, patience, and a willingness to put up with routine. For those who wanted not just a "Dune game," but the opportunity to live on Arrakis, this is one of the most notable releases of the year.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 — run.code
Being a big fan of first-person shooters and a long-time fan of the Call of Duty series, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that with Black Ops 7, Activision finally started truly listening to the community.
The biggest and most pleasant innovation was the abandonment of the SBMM system, which the Call of Duty community had been complaining about for many years. Of course, it wasn't completely abandoned — the system still takes geolocation into account so that matches don't turn into slideshows due to high ping — however, lobbies now more closely resemble the good old Call of Duty, where players of different levels and experience can be gathered in one team. Matches have become more unpredictable and interesting.
Another innovation was persistent lobbies. Previously, after each game, the lobby was disbanded and then reassembled. In Black Ops 7, one set of players can play until their fingers turn blue while the teams are shuffled between matches. The scoundrel who played damn well against you in one game and pulled the enemy team out of the abyss of defeat might move to your side in the next game. BO7 supports the spirit of competition and camaraderie.
I was very pleased with the new hybrid perk system, which gives more freedom when customizing your operator, as well as the ability to upgrade equipment and killstreaks. Thicker armor for UAVs, more missiles for artillery strikes, increased damage properties of grenades.
It's a pity the series had to hit rock bottom for Activision to start doing anything to save it. Но better late than never.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon — Mikhail Shkredov
Back in the distant year 2018, at the then-still-alive E3 exhibition, the then-still-respected game developer Todd Howard presented to the public a new part of the then-still-famous The Elder Scrolls series. We are still waiting for at least some information about the project. In July 2020, Obsidian studio, then already owned by Microsoft, showed a teaser for the dark role-playing game Avowed. Avowed was released in February 2025 and resembles a grind-fest in rainbow decorations.
And while Microsoft's minions were fooling around with various degrees of doubtfulness, an unknown Polish studio, Questline, was making its dark role-playing game Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. The developers were inspired by the great works of Todd Howard, and they succeeded in many ways. The dark world of Tainted Grail is interesting to explore. It holds many secrets, discoveries, and dangers. Here, just like in Skyrim, you want to climb into dungeons to seize valuable loot, study the corners of the map, and enjoy the harsh atmosphere of fallen Avalon. Moreover, the combat system is well-tuned, and battles provide positive emotions.
You remember the best works of Obsidian studio here when you immerse yourself in the cruel, harsh, and sometimes funny stories of the characters. The hero faces conflicts, moral dilemmas, and decides the fate of the mushroom kingdom. The third act spoils the impression a bit, but only a bit.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a stunning example of how a talented studio with a more than modest budget is capable of showing an outstanding result in a difficult genre where quality stories, an interesting world, and a good combat system are all important. That is why it is especially disappointing that The Fall of Avalon was not noticed within the framework of fashionable award ceremonies for the best games of 2025.
Rogue Prince of Persia — Maksim Dragan
Has it ever happened to you that you start playing a project — and it doesn't click? Like, it repels you in the first hours, you spit and make a refund? With Rogue Prince of Persia, I had this happen twice. I would have closed this page in the history of a series that is textbook for me if it weren't for Xbox Game Pass, where version 1.0 was released with many changes and improvements!
In the evening, turning on the console, I saw that the game was right there on the main page. Press the button and you get the result. Well, I pressed it... As you already understood — I fully felt the meaning of the saying: "Time is not a river, but a stormy ocean." Before I knew it, I was sitting with my eyes closing late at night, finishing a run to go to sleep with a peaceful soul.
The game was improved in all aspects: the combat system became beautiful and intuitive, parkour — convenient and breathtaking. The roguelike element is woven into the very essence of the narrative, and the style no longer burns the eyes. If I were to describe The Rogue Prince of Persia in one phrase: a explosive mixture of Warrior Within, Mirror's Edge, and Hades.
You need to catch the rhythm, get into the flow — and then you will be completely absorbed by the process, as in the two aforementioned hits. Discovering new zones, parkouring through them like in the best years, creating such insane combat combinations that the hero gets lost in a riot of special effects.
And what music is here! You know, I derived an axiom for myself: if Prince of Persia has a bad or unremarkable soundtrack — it's a bad "Prince." Compare the great Sands of Time and Warrior Within with the controversial Two Thrones, Prince of Persia 2008, or Forgotten Sands. But what is characteristic: in both The Lost Crown and, fortunately, in The Rogue — the soundtrack is beautiful. You want to listen to it even outside the game, it hooks you that much.
All projects should have a second chance to become famous and gain an audience. This game deserves a third, in my case. The revelation of the year — no more, no less!
PEAK — Vitaly Kazunov
Have you ever been so hungry that you wanted to bite your neighbor? Have you hidden supplies and medicine from others' eyes to keep them for yourself? Have you abandoned friends screaming for help to continue the ascent to the top of the volcano? Oh, in the game Peak, you have to do even more than that.
This game appeared suddenly, as an experiment. It is a cooperative survival game where a group of survivors after a plane crash stubbornly crawls uphill to send a signal and call a rescue helicopter.
Survival depends on the hero's stamina. And stamina — on hunger, health, poisoning, cold, heat, and the weight of things in the backpack. You have to eat, heal, hide from the wind, and take cover from the scorching sun. Make a mistake — and stamina might not even be enough to climb a small ledge. And that's it, your friends leave you behind. Or they drag you along in the hope of soon finding berries, bandages, or a suitcase with random bonuses.
The controls in Peak are simple. One mouse button allows you to cling to the mountain and crawl, the other — to grab and pull up partners. In-game voice chat is vital to navigate the space and understand who is calling for help and from where. And you will have to scream a lot.
In total, you have to go through five long stages, and once a day they are rebuilt. You have to crawl uphill, fight rainstorms in the tropics, try not to freeze to death in the ice, or not get roasted in the desert. The developers provided many challenges, but the main thing is interaction with friends to survive. There aren't enough supplies for everyone, someone has to be sacrificed, someone turned the wrong way, got lost and died, another miscalculated their strength, jumped, and fell into the abyss. The game constantly generates funny and tragic moments, making every ascent memorable.
R.E.P.O. — Daniil Shepard
A telling situation has developed with R.E.P.O. Formally, it is a clone of Lethal Company, but more successful than the original. It was this success that attracted attention: both to the project itself and to the extraction-horror genre as a whole. It is also often called "quota-horror" — this is what they call games that are built around meeting a norm for collecting valuable junk.
In this aspect, R.E.P.O. looks like the most developed representative of the genre. It is not so much funnier than its competitors as it is more cohesive in feel. The setting here is noticeably more pleasant and stylish, and the developers release updates significantly more actively than the authors of other games in this genre.
In general, stagnation is currently observed in the extraction-horror genre. The market has almost stopped being replenished with new projects. The last notable release was MIMESIS, but its fate remains depressing: the game formally "took off," streamers actively played it, but this gave no real output. The project lived for about a week — like most such games — and quickly disappeared from the info field. At best, it can be called the most successful quota-horror of the month, no more. Other projects live even less.
From the point of view of atmosphere, R.E.P.O. cannot be called a truly scary game. Fear arises mainly in single-player. In co-op, it quickly gives way to farce. The gameplay regularly descends into chaotic comedy: someone falls into an abyss with a bag of money, someone inadvertently hits an ally with a tool, and someone brings a large monster to the team that the whole group has to deal with.
Against this background, the game has an obvious limitation. Playing alone is both scary and boring at the same time. Over time, the fear disappears: the player understands the behavior of monsters, optimal routes, and the necessity of certain items. After that, the solo mode turns into a mechanical execution of actions without emotional tension. And playing "for the result" or like a conditional "cyber-athlete" in R.E.P.O. is uninteresting.
But in co-op, the game reveals itself to the full. This is an ideal format for joint sessions with friends without serious expectations and competitive pressure. In this form, R.E.P.O. is one of the best cooperative games of the year. It is quite likely it will remain relevant in the next one as well.
Doom: The Dark Ages — Mikhail Shkredov
The 2016 reboot of the Doom franchise is not just a cool shooter with cutting-edge graphics, but also a great base for sequels. Just add levels and diversify other elements. However, id Software studio decided to rethink the shooter genre in the sequel. In Doom Eternal, the main character jumped around arenas and platforms like a frantic grasshopper, just like Mario, and simultaneously juggled an impressive list of abilities and weapons. This approach was liked by most players. There were dissatisfied ones, but they were in the minority. What's next? Next is again a new vision of the genre.
If Doom Eternal could be called a MOBA-shooter (due to ability cooldowns), then the description Beat ’em up-shooter fits Doom: The Dark Ages. This is because the hero not only shoots enemies but also beats them in close combat and parries attacks. Moreover, now you can choose a pair of favorite guns and not juggle all the weapons. Killing demons in this mode is a pure pleasure. Thanks to the new features, you feel like a divine force that doesn't need to hide from danger. Now you are the danger.
Of course, such sharp changes do not find understanding with the entire audience. It's no coincidence that both Doom Eternal and Doom: The Dark Ages are called "This is not Doom" by some detractors, and these people can be understood. However, it is pleasant to see how id Software reassembles the shooter genre from scratch and is not afraid of experiments.
MindsEye — George Petrovich
At the beginning of the journey, MindsEye was a demonstration of the capabilities of the Everywhere platform — a game constructor. But closer to the release, the ambitious Everywhere became only an appendage to the game.
MindsEye is a very ordinary action-adventure with good staging, an intriguing plot, and great attention to detail. A perfectly conveyed sense of the weight of electric vehicles, suspension and braking systems getting clogged in the sand, spontaneous events within story segments.
The cherry on top is the story. And what's important here are not so much the events as the well-disguised satire on the modern progressive agenda and the powers that be. And this is the project's biggest mistake. For such an ambitious narrative, the game has too average gameplay: get from point A to point B, shoot everyone, watch a cutscene, repeat.
Also, MindsEye is unique at least for its anti-advertising campaign. Statements were attributed to the game's authors that they did not make: saying it would be better than GTA, a new word in the genre, and so on and so forth. Then it went further.
This is the only game in five long years to be honored with the cancellation of Metacritic site rules. User ratings for the project appeared the very second it was officially released! Although we all know the site's policy and the new rules introduced after the review-bombing of The Last of Us Part 2 — user ratings open three days after the game's release. A hit job ordered by Benzies' former employers?
Over six months, the developers fixed all critical errors and shortcomings, which is generally reflected in the Steam ratings. New players have "very positive" reviews in the vast majority.
And among the dominance of games for 100+ hours, with a bunch of question marks on the map, sometimes you just want to spend 7–10 hours on a spinal-cord shooter and blow off steam. Shoot to your heart's content, watch an interesting story, and just say thank you.
Leslie Benzies' team left me with exclusively positive emotions from the story I saw and experienced. And also returned me to school days when my mother asked me to think: is it worth jumping off the roof if everyone is jumping, or to evaluate the situation sanely with your own head and form your own opinion.
Silent Hill f — Vitaly Kazunov
An exception to the rules. The game with the worst gameplay in the list of best games.
It is useless to prove that "you have to endure, and the game will reveal itself." It won't. I finished it three times on all difficulty levels. It was painful. It is impossible to get used to it. Our heroine is constantly out of breath, awkwardly dodges, misses the target with a stick. Weapons break after a few hits... But the enemies, on the contrary, are nimble and sharp, capable of instantly closing the distance and sending you to the save point. Closer to the finale, this turns into a nightmare of a series of battles in small arenas with tanky opponents.
Silent Hill f is annoying. I would like to write "on purpose" so that you "feel like you're in hell" or "get maximum pleasure from victory." But no. It's just very poorly made gameplay.
So why suffer? All for the sake of the story of a city lost in the mountains. For the sake of a complex plot that is fully revealed only on the third walkthrough. For the sake of a charming art style and witty puzzles. And for the sake of somehow changing the fate of Hinako, our heroine.
Paradoxically, you fall in love with this game with all its problems.
ARC Raiders — Daniil Shepard
I initially did not believe in the success of ARC Raiders. Primarily because of the genre, which I am skeptical about. From the trailers and gameplay videos, it was difficult to understand why this project was needed at all and what it offered the player. Formally, everything was clear: PvPvE with raids and loot. But it didn't spark interest.
Beta tests in spring and autumn did not improve the situation. This was a period when a culture of conditional "don't shoot" had not yet formed in the game. The idea of pacifist coexistence did not exist. Players simply destroyed each other, regardless of whether they played solo or in a group. No social dynamics other than direct conflict arose then.
At release, the concept finally became clear. ARC Raiders turned out to be a game not for conflict-heavy PvP, but for streamers and peaceful players who prefer to gather an audience around them and arrange demonstrative "show matches." Formally, PvP is present in the game, but it is not encouraged in any way. At the same time, it is paradoxical that it was ARC Raiders that gave me the PvP experience that is not in Escape from Tarkov. We are talking about tactical interaction: using mines, traps for ambushes at exits.
The community's reaction was especially telling. Complaints regularly appear on social networks about players using ambush tactics. At the same time, many of these "dirty" tricks are not nearly as reliable in practice. Traps are most often designed for one player, not a group. In my case, this was repeatedly the reason for failure: the trap triggers on the first one, you engage in battle, and then the instigator is finished off by the rest. It's funny to watch how such gameplay causes moral indignation in people.
That is why ARC Raiders became one of the best games of the year for me — not because of mechanics, content, or balance, but because of emotions. And not only those that arise in fair 3-on-3 firefights with players coming from Call of Duty. The main thing is the ability to betray, deceive, and set up ambushes for the sake of valuable loot. If I return to ARC Raiders, it will be exclusively for such gameplay and emotions.
The only truly disgusting element of the game I consider to be the "smart" matchmaking. The system segregates players by behavior style: peaceful ones are sent to PvE raids, PvP-oriented ones — to a separate pool. As a result, the very idea of a social experiment is destroyed. Instead of a single tense space, the game offers isolated bubbles of comfort. And judging by the community's reaction, most players are only happy about this — they don't want to cross paths with representatives of the other camp and prefer a complete absence of conflict.
REMATCH — Eduard Epstein
I love football. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, I can't play it myself — I have to enjoy computer variations: either Pro Evolution Soccer or FIFA. And there was nothing else (not counting "Managers," but that's different). But then an interesting contender appeared on the horizon — a project from the creators of the game Sifu. I became interested: what is it?
In fact, I got an extremely interesting simulator not so much of football, but of a footballer — in REMATCH we play as one player among the whole team. The system does not position your players on the field, does not tell you where to run and what to do: there is only you, your understanding of this game, and exactly the same teammates — either random players from the internet or your friends.
At first, there were difficulties with the controls and it took time to get used to the dynamics, but then — pure delight! It's just a pity that some future updates somewhat spoiled the impression and broke the usual immersion. Whether REMATCH can now continue to impose competition on EA Sport FC is a very big question. Unfortunately, the project has already dropped out of the information space.
Blue Prince — Dmitry Krivov
At first glance, Blue Prince resembles a routine walking simulator. In fact, it is a deep, meditative roguelike puzzle where the player fights themselves while exploring a constantly changing mansion. Here, every corridor and room hides unexpected secrets and subtle details that are revealed and surprise in new runs.
The visual style with bright comic accents and contrasting shadows creates a sense of a living space, and the audio design with the light creaking of floors, mechanical hum, and rare musical inserts enhances the atmosphere of anxiety and exploration.
The game forces you to think strategically: keep notes, plan every step, and save resources, but at the same time leaves freedom of pace — you can explore the house calmly, thoughtfully, feeling the details.
Simple challenges are replaced by clever riddles, and randomness brings variety to the sessions. Blue Prince requires patience and attention, a willingness to get lost in nuances, but that is exactly what turns it into a special adventure with a sense of progress and the gradual uncovering of the main mystery.
This is a bold experimental indie that combines strategy, psychological depth, and attentiveness to the environment. Each new attempt opens the house and the story of the family that lived in it from an unusual side.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — Eduard Epstein
The "Elder Scrolls" series is an RPG classic. But unfortunately, in my childhood, these games passed me by. And while I managed to finish Skyrim in the early 2020s, I had never tried Oblivion before. There was an attempt, but due to a localization bug — it was a failure.
The release of such a remaster allowed me to fix this mistake and plunge into one of the best "role-players" of the 2000s, which remains so to this day. Cyrodiil conquered me with its stories: the tragedy of the Dark Brotherhood, when you personally have to eliminate former comrades, or the drama of the Gray Fox, who did not give in to the curse and fought to the end to regain his lost life. Even the mages' and fighters' guilds turned out to be interesting — albeit gameplay-wise monotonous.
I was also pleased with the DLC about Sheogorath with unique locations, enemies, and mechanics, and the Prince of Madness himself is wonderful.
Yes, despite the modern graphics, it is still the same "Oblivion" with its bugs, empty world, monotonous dungeons, and other problems. But the paradox is that today games are stuck in a completely different swamp, and such a "return to roots" feels like a breath of fresh air. It's just a pity that there are even more technical problems in the remaster — all due to poor optimization. However, I played on PS5, and it's not so bad there.
Dispatch — Maksim Ivanov
For more than ten years, content producers did not allow consumers to temporarily escape from reality — what games and movies are primarily designed for. The industry was run by a sick logic according to which the world on the other side of the screen should be just as dull and depressing as the real one.
Superheroes also had to face "grayness." The creators dominating the industry were alien even to the thought that someone might sincerely want to help those around them — especially if this "someone" possesses superpowers. The fruit of these sociopaths' creativity was selfish superheroes who use their gifts for personal gain rather than helping the weak. For example, the comic and series "The Boys."
If Dispatch had been released a decade ago, it would have been perceived as an average product. But today, a game where you need to help supers do good turned out to be a real sensation. A special irony is added by the fact that you have to direct former supervillains who have not lost their criminal habits.
It breaks the heart that players have been trained to perceive kindness, beauty, and support as something unnatural. A character named Blondie Blazer is an example of a true hero, but modern players saw this as some kind of trick. For this reason, they started a romance with the "I can fix her" option — Nevidiva, a character with a large number of flaws.