5 Games We’re Kicking Back With

Play it on: Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Clear up the Shatterscarp map

I really didn’t think I’d play Avowed so soon. But as I was recovering from a major medical procedure, I was having some weird dreams, one of which included a strange transformation of my home neighborhood (that being none other than Jamaica, Queens, represent!) into some kind of fantasy village? It was…oddly emotional, too. There’s a lot to unpack with my therapist in that one. And it was all drenched in the aesthetic of Avowed for whatever reason. So I woke up with a few questions and considerations for my life and a realization that I guess I should play Avowed now.

And wow, this game is a real gem of 2025. It’s just vast enough in scope to feel like a large fantasy experience without becoming a burdensome open world chock full of empty busywork. The writing is just so beautiful too, with a poetic sensibility woven through its dialogue and characters having thoughtful and relatable discussions about the struggle for survival in the face of political unrest and a public health threat. It doesn’t feel like escapism for escapism’s sake; rather, it’s like a great fantasy novel that you sort of carry with you in your mind even after you close the book, ruminating on various themes and lines of dialogue that spring to life in a magical mirror of our own world.

Also, while I am finding the game a touch too easy (especially since I’m playing on the hardest difficulty), the combat is hella fun. I’ve got this gun-wielding ranger build going on right now (my character’s also a scholar, so I feel like she’s got some Indiana Jones vibes too). I was surprised at how easily my brain could just go into “FPS Mode” and have it work out well here. Combat, when it’s not overly easy, feels exciting and heroic, with a lovely mix of gunpowder, swords, and magic—and guns belong in fantasy. — Claire Jackson