Hades II

by Supergiant games

Reviewer: Tobin Johnson

Hades II is an amazing action roguelite and an even better sequel to the original Hades game. I'll keep this short because I could talk about all the small features and details that make me love this game for hours. The story is amazing, and I would argue that it's even better than the first game, with expanded stakes that make your goal of trying to beat Chronos even more meaningful. Also, there are even more characters to interact with, who all have lots of voice-acted dialogue that make the story just that much more. Gameplay-wise, this game is even better than the original. In Hades, there were weapons that I simply refused to use because they really didn’t work well or feel good; here, that is not the case. Though obviously, some weapons are better than others, I can still have a fun time playing with all of them. The expansion of the weapons from Omega moves and the addition of the mana system make how you fight and you make your build a lot more intentional and in-depth. Overall, Hades II is a fun and amazing game that I have loved every hour of and without a doubt goes down as one of my favorite games of all time.

10/10

Hollow Knight: Silksong

by Team Cherry

Reviewer: Tobin Johnson

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania and a sequel to the popular game Hollow Knight. First off, I played Silksong right off the heels of beating Hollow Knight, which I believe is one of the best ways to enjoy Silksong, so my review will likely be different from your own experience, especially if you haven’t played Hollow Knight at all. Silksong’s story and characters are amazing and even better than Hollow Knight. Silksong’s story feels very engaging and real, and I would say half of that is due to the world. The world is expansive, and it is jam-packed full of detail that subtly helps tell the story without you even knowing it. In the game, there are also a lot more characters you can interact with than in its predecessor, really selling the feel of a Kingdom not quite fallen, but in the process of falling. Going back to the world, it is amazing to explore, and it is designed really well in conjunction with the abilities you slowly unlock throughout the game, really selling the feeling of progression that is a necessary backbone to the Metroidvania genre. Combat in this game is expanded in every way, and you have so many options to choose from that can help you with any given encounter with the crests and the different tools that you can use to fight. Even with all those amazing things, some small issues and hangups keep it from being perfect, and to some people make the game a lot less enjoyable to play. Such as the difficulty, which has been very divisive for this game since it came out. I believe that the difficulty is perfectly reasonable if you start this game with a decent amount of recent experience from the previous game and an understanding that you can always come back to any encounter after you have explored more and found tools that will assist in your fight. Anyhow, Hollow Knight: Silksong is a really, really good game that can be amazing in the right circumstances.

9.5/10

deltarune Chapters 3+4

by Toby Fox

Reviewer: Barrett Voice

The not sequel to undertale where your choices still matter. deltarune is an alternate universe tale were the monsters were never sealed away and the fate of the humans is ambiguous. You follow the human Kris, the child of Toriel and Asgore, as they go on a journey to save 2 worlds. You are joined by Susie the monster and Ralsei the prince of darkness, going through dark worlds, lands made from the imagination of the determined, to seal the dark fountains; with many lovable characters along the way. The first chapter came out in 2017 and the second coming out in 2021. Now with the release of Chapters 3+4, on June 5th, the story continues waking up inside a dark world, made from Kris's house. As you venture with your party through the darkness you will encounter many darkners with the intent to FIGHT, but in true undertale fashion You always have the chance to ACT and show MERCY to your opponents. When attacked by does the gameplay is mostly identical to undertale, though if you zoom out from the box your soul is contained in you'll see that you now have control of 3 party members who all have independent ACTions. Susie who can perform Rude attacks with her Ax, Ralsei casting magical spells such as Dual Heal: curing all party members, Pacify: a spell that instantly SPARES all TIRED foes. Then finally Kris the human, unlike your character in undertale, can ACT or FIGHT taking you on paths familiar to before, or maybe not how weird. 

deltarune Chapter 3+4 is a great continuation of the previous chapters and evolves the gameplay loop of the undertale series, I look forward to Chapter 5 in 2026.

9/10