Here are the 6 games that have actually managed to keep my attention lately.
The Vibe: Turn-based combat for people who usually hate turn-based combat.
This game has no right being this good. Usually, in turn-based RPGs, you select "Attack" and then go check your phone while the animation plays out. Not here. Expedition 33 forces you to pay attention. You have to dodge, parry, and jump over attacks in real-time.
It feels like Final Fantasy had a baby with Sekiro. Plus, the story is about a "Paintress" who wakes up once a year to erase people from existence, which is just the right level of weird and terrifying.
The Vibe: The ultimate "chill out after work" game (until you start a sword fight).
If you played Ghost of Tsushima, you know the deal. This is more of that, but sharper, prettier, and set around the gorgeous Mount Yōtei. Sucker Punch knows exactly what we want: looking cool while standing in a field of tall grass, composing a haiku, and then absolutely destroying a group of bandits with a katana.
I’ve spent more time in "Photo Mode" than actually playing the story. It is ridiculously beautiful.
The Vibe: "I’ll just do one run before bed" (Proceeds to play until 3 AM).
Melinoë might actually be cooler than Zagreus. There, I said it.
Hades II took everything addictive about the first game—the snappy combat, the hot gods, the incredible music—and added a layer of witchcraft and strategy that makes it feel fresh. The best part? Even when you lose, you feel like you made progress. It respects your time, even while it steals all of it.
The Vibe: The collective hallucination is finally over. It’s real.
For the longest time, I thought this game was a myth. But it’s here, and it was worth the agonizing wait. Playing as Hornet feels completely different from the Knight in the first game. She is fast, acrobatic, and aggressive.
