It should be noted the version of Carrion I played is presented as this sort of alpha sneak peek and perhaps not a fully-realized demo, but that doesn't really change it mostly lived up to what I expected to get. Hybrid of action and platforming where the table has been switched and you assume the role of the monster that has to crawl about and consume humans to grow in mass. I say “platforming” loosely seeing as being a biomass of fleshy tentacles sticking to objects you're not exactly limited by gravity. What are you limited by are bullets, though. Direct confrontation with firearms is not recommended and can melt your health away very easily. Inaccurate aiming and controls in general could use some tightening up and I am interested where they're going with the story in this particular instance seeing as there was none of it present here. Color me intrigued even if I might not be there in the first wave.

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Elden: Path of the Forgotten largely comes off as something familiar provided you've played any Souls games before albeit veiled in pixelated presentation and somehow not lessened by it. It was refreshing to see in the opening that you are, in fact, just someone who sees a ritual go down and decide to discover what happened. No spoken dialog and garbled made-up text only enforces this notion of mystery. Gameplay-wise Elden is subscribed to methodical play unless you realize most enemies really aren't much of a threat seeing as they lack elaborate attack patterns and even the boss included just requires some dodge rolling. I did appreciate how you're immediately provided with three weapon types so you can rotate between speed-range-power. Explore the area, run into a locked door you need to kill a monster to get the key, activate checkpoints, etc. Solid atmosphere carried this through for me.

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Describing Haven in just couple of lines may be difficult because it appears to have a bit of everything in its DNA – JRPG combat, VN story bits and extremely satisfying freeflow exploration where you hover about chasing energy trails. There's also a rarely seen situation in that you control a likeable romantic couple not ashamed of showing it as they find themselves stuck on an unknown world with only their Flow technology to help with a seemingly good reason why they went there as quietly as possible. Cooking also seems to be a big deal as you gather ingredients and everything is done with two confirmations systems aka game will be co-op ready once it launches, but is playable perfectly fine solo. Production values are also on formidable display here with appealing warm aesthetics and voice acting for both characters. I knew this was on my wishlist for a reason and seems bent on staying there.

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If there's a single-most positive to list in favor of Liberated it would be impressive comic issue format it went with. By format I refer to how it presents story through animated comic book strips so you definitely feel immersed. Only problem is you eventually have to start playing the game and what we have is an action side scroller where you'll mostly resort to guns and only occasionally break it up with some lite stealth action and puzzles. Let me just say that putting block pushing in your demo won't win me over. On that matter, I found that Liberated isn't really difficult so much as I found myself dying just because combat is janky as hell due to aiming. Going for headshots makes life easier. Game's noir comic art style and dystopian future plot do their job, but actual game assets leave something to be desired once you have control because those models and animations are pretty simple looking.

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Spirifarer just might be a game for you if you're in that cross-section of players who want their, well; base-building, cooking, side-sidescrolling and narrative driven package all-in-one. Driven under a simple imperative – mellow and wholesome. That was my impression taking control of Stella as she drives people around with her ship so they can “pass on”, essentially filling the role of Charon if he stretched legs here and there. What intrigued me is these passengers make their homes on your ship with their own requirements and have stories to tell. It's not clear from the demo how extensive this is, but I kinda got the impression other elements are secondary to this JOURNEY aspect. There are glimpses at farming, character ability progression, etc without overwhelming the player. Breathtaking presentation is no slouch either with obvious artistic effort present everywhere.

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A two hour opening experience, Trials of Mana left me rather conflicted. It's a modern remake of a Mana title that never [officially] made it to western audiences with gameplay being your action RPG with light/heavy attacks on top of special abilities yet in the story department things are far more interesting for the JRPG arena because there's multiple protagonists from which you choose a team leader + two companions you eventually come across and join with. Each has backstory you play through and affects their motivation. Tangible problem for me was overall presentation. It has obviously been topped with 3D graphics, actual cutscenes and voice acting, but I would say none of those are exactly top tier. Graphics look a tiny bit too sterile, cutscenes are heavily utilitarian and English VAing detracted tremendously for me simply due to how miscast most of the talent appears. Tentatively remains on my wishlist... for now.

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If you wanted a Souls games focused on boss rushes exclusively then Eldest Souls might be precisely what you're looking for. Moody sprite work does wonders and backs the whole “claymore wielding crusader cleans house” vibe going on after a very brief synopsis of why you're there. Game relies on not only you using your stamina-limited dodge to get out of danger but ALSO on charging your greatsword attack which propels you forward and enables a savage attack once your meter is full afterwards. Add to that some talents, like blocking with vengeance or increased damage, and you know everything you need to. There are no monsters to waste your time so it's from one boss to another, and you'll probably die couple of times seeing as phases are a thing. Boss rushes are not my thing so I'll pass, but this does seem to be outstanding effort.

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Röki is certainly visually pleasing with the way it contrasts snowy landscapes with Tove's red hat and backpack that make her stand out, but I'm not sure if this demo does justice to how the game may ultimately turn out. Game isn't even remotely bad, instead a rather welcome light adventure game steeped in folklore from what I can tell, but offering at hand was simply too brief and in medias res to properly grab me. Lack of notable standout features past atmosphere itself is tricky in a game that appears to have very basic puzzles and just a brief tease of characters or story. Seeing as Röki was actually on my wishlist up to this point I think I'll remove it for now, at least until release to see if something changes in the meantime. Inviting visuals and potentially intriguing story may be worthwhile selling points, though.

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Developing themselves referring to Tunche as a “beat 'em up with roguelike elements” is more apt than any other description I could come up with. There's some rumbling in the jungle with monsters causing ruckus and you, with your co-op partner if such exists, take control of one of the four girls sitting around the campfire with their abilities. Seeing Hat Kid from A Hat in Time among jungle natives did take me out of it, though. Everyone has melee/ranged combos as well as special ability once the bar is full, and so you go about clearing couple of screens of enemies until you reach the boss. It's short and sweet with game peppering you with just enough upgrades to not feel like a regular beat 'em up thanks to that dash of RPG. My favorite was getting healed after killing enemies because potions are a premium. Bring a friend to this party filled with smooth as hell animations and fun goes up exponentially.

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I can safely say that after its prolonged period of Epic exclusivity Operencia: The Stolen Sun finally coming to Steam is nothing short of amazing. First-person dungeon crawlers have sadly become a rarity and seeing one realized so well, artistically and mechanically, warms my old heart. You create a character, have a crazy dream about a white deer god and end up exploring an underwater castle with an unlikely companion. Bonding ensues alongside slaying skeletons and frogmen aplenty. Add some intuitive puzzles, where even I realized I missed out on some secrets, alongside grid-based exploration and turn-based combat... well, I think this Operencia is worth waiting. Doubly so if you have little to no previous experience with so-called “blobbers” because in that case this may be that perfect easing into from more narrative-focused RPGs we take for granted today.