As a big fan of old school point-and-click adventure games, man was this worth the wait.

The Drifter is a gritty, merciless, thrilling experience that pulls you into its expertly written story and harrowingly beautiful pixelscapes without wasting any time:

• The aesthetic of this game is unique, haunting, and extremely cinematic.
  
• The cast is cool and memorable, Mick is compelling and easy to sympathize with.
  
• The story is solid and its themes woven throughout, the emotional payoff felt earned.
  
• These guys understand visual storytelling - several scenes will be plastered in my mind forever.
  
• The puzzles feel carefully designed, with several hints from NPCs or Mick on what to do next.
  
• The controls are bliss, color me surprised to find full SteamDeck compatibility with intuitive UI.

If you're a fan of thrillers, play this game. If you're a fan of games like The Longest Journey, Broken Sword, or the old LucasArts games, play this game. It's not as comedic, but the developers do include little moments here and there that don't take away from the experience, and even include nods to the greats before them.

It's been a long time since a point-and-click adventure game has stuck with me like this one has, and I hope it inspires a new generation of developers to further the genre as The Drifter has.

I enjoyed every moment of The Darkest Files. This game is innovative, timely, valuable, and we genuinely need more like it.

• The visual style feels like you're walking inside a living breathing comic panel.
  
• The investigative mechanics are extremely fun, Prosecutor Mode makes you feel like a real sleuth.
  
• Evidence files have surprising depth - I found myself comparing things like handwriting across letters.
  
• The cases themselves are heart-wrenchingly human, and solving them felt cathartic.
  
• Esther is a great protagonist, while her colleagues and suspects are extremely memorable.

Aside from the mechanical praises I have for this game, it really truly feels like an important piece of art. A lot of love and reverence went into this game and the history it portrays.

Would absolutely love DLC for more cases, or even a sequel!