Beautiful! Simply beautiful. I have played many amazing games over the years, but no other game fits this particular description more than Syberia TWB. Benoît Sokal and Microids have really outdone themselves this time.

The game runs buttery-smooth. The graphics and the art style are amazing. Ostherthal is a lovely location, whether we're exploring the beautiful city of Vaghen or its country side. I could not stop spamming my screenshot button. Inon Zur's music is unforgettable and I'm definitely adding some tracks to my playlist. The voice acting is phenomenal, which is very welcome after the somewhat-disappointing third instalment.

The game takes place roughly a year after the events of the third game and is accessible to new player. The story is good and bittersweet, although somewhat predictable. It also has nothing to do with the island of Syberia anymore, so perhaps changing the name should be considered in future games. Afterall, Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy takes place in the same universe, so it wouldn't be the first time.

On PC, Kate Walker can only be controlled with the mouse. Manual movement via WASD, introduced in Syberia 3, is gone, but thankfully pathfinding and camera work is much better this time. Having said that, there have still been a handful of locations where it was hard to make Kate go into a particular hallway, due to an awkward camera placement, so I still would have preferred to have WASD movement as an option.

The game has 3 profile slots, without manual saving or chapter select. I personally will always prefer having the ability to save manually, especially since the first two games had that, but it’s not a very big deal.

TWB is a worthy addition to the Syberia series and I recommend it to all fans of the franchise, as well as any newcomers looking for a story-rich game with a fantastic art style.

It’s really sad that Benoît Sokal did not get to see this game finished, but it will forever live on as his swan song. RIP and thank you for this wonderful journey.

People who claim that games are not art need to have this game rubbed in their face!

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is amazing! I've beaten it 3 times already (Steam, Steam VR and GOG)!

The story is about Senua, a Pictish female warrior on a quest to save the soul of her deceased lover. The world she inhabits, as well as the enemies she faces along the way, feel like they've been pulled out of a dream. The world is dark, gloomy and somewhat surreal, though there are a few moments of beauty and light.

Senua also happens to be suffering from psychosis. Her illness takes the centre stage, as you are constantly surrounded by voices in her head as well as various patterns and visions in the world. The fact that the game is set in the late 8th century also creates some interesting interpretations for her condition. It also makes Senua a somewhat unreliable narrator.

Ninja Theory have managed to create a likeable strong female character that maintains her femininity, without having to embarrass and smear others. She can stand proudly alongside such characters as Ellen Ripley and classic Sarah Connor.

The game features some basic combat, but it is NOT the focus of this game. If you come to this game expecting God of War or Dark Souls, you may end up disappointed. This game has more in common with "walking simulators" than action games. The point here is to experience the story, the world and to "smell the roses", so to speak.
Speaking of combat, the game features difficulty settings, one of which is adaptive difficulty. The only thing that difficulty seems to control is the health pool of enemies, so if you are very good at fighting, the game will increase the health pool of enemies way too much and, as a result, later section of the game may start to feel tedious. The adaptive difficulty can sometimes feel even harder than hard, so I would recommend setting it to something static, such as Normal.

I would not call Hellblade a horror game, but it does use some clever trickery to create suspense and dread for the player.

There are a handful of puzzle types throughout the game and while they do repeat, they never overstay their welcome. They aren't too difficult either.

The game features collectibles in the form of rune stones that act as audio stories, all of which are interesting to listen to. These collectibles do not feel needlessly tacked on, like in some other games.

I really love the soundtrack of this game. It fits the mood well. I'm glad that it is available for purchase. I have added several tracks to my playlist.

The games leaves you with a lot to think about as well as raises awareness for psychosis and mental illness in general. It is an amazing achievement, especially considering it was made by a team of about 20 developers on a relatively small budget. Games like this make me think that limitations of any kind bolster creativity. I highly recommend this game to everyone who likes great story-rich games. It's worth every penny!