There are so many games to check out nowadays that it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why articles and reviews are great to pair with talking to gamer friends. The size of some games can be disheartening, though. Even if players do find a game they want to check out, the download might take forever (depending on your internet connection), or worse, you’ve got to do the dreaded file shuffle, deleting some games to make room for new ones.Some game sizes are getting ridiculous.
That’s why these games are worth recommending for players who need fast downloads. They are all under a gigabyte and still kick major butt — even next to gigantic downloadable games likeBaldur’s Gate 3. For when you’re short on storage space or just crave a quick download, these games have you covered.
Rogue Legacy 2is just under that gigabyte limit for now, but who knows what the next patch or update will bring? Cellar Door Games has been good about keeping their games relevant, and it might be interesting to see some crossover DLC — like howDead CellsgotCastlevaniacontent. Updates aside,Rogue Legacy 2is similar to the original in that players will go through an evil castle full of traps and enemies that keep shifting upon death. Players have their own castle too and building upon it will add permanent bonuses like new classes or stat buffs.
When players die, they are resurrected as the next heir to the throne, and they have a specific class. There are avariety of classes inRogue Legacy 2’sfamily tree, from pirates to boxers, making for a fun loop to see what generates next.
Rollerdromeis a death game wherein a young girl is tasked with going through arenas full of traps and tons of enemies, all trying to kill her in this 70s-style post-apocalyptic future society. Two things help it stand out from other death games. One, the visuals are outstanding, with a good cel-shaded design with just enough grit to make the style feel weathered. Two, the fact that players are on roller skates the whole time as they gun enemies down is a fun twist to the extreme sports genre.Rollerdromeis a good collage of ideas, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome, delivering ~5 hours of fresh content.
Cursed to Golfis a fun twist on typical sports games, too — or in this case, specifically golf. Players are dead and are forced to go through an increasingly difficult number of rounds against other undead expert golfers. The promise is that players will get rewarded if they make it out on top.
It is a 2D roguelike, subbing in health for the amount of allotted strokes before failure. Players can get bonuses on a hole or use cards to spice up their game.Cursed to Golfis a hard roguelike to master without tips, but it’s a creative way to combine the genre with golf.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge(2022)is a sequel toTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time(1991),which just goes to show sequels can sometimes take a while. Shredder is up to his dastardly plans again, but this time April O’Neil, Master Splinter, and Casey Jones get to join the four turtles.
It’s a classic brawler, but it has fresh mechanics like giving the heroes experience points. Also, it offers six-player co-op, which is wild even for the genre. With hypnotic music, stellar art, solid gameplay, and a decent DLC campaign, this is theultimateTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesgame.
4Souldiers
A Class-Based Metroidvania
Souldierskind of feels like a spiritual successor to the originalValkyrie Profileon the PS1. In a giant opening battle, players awaken to find themselves staring at a legendary Valkyrie, asking how they want to be reborn.
Three classes fall under the typical RPG realm of Knight, Mage, and Archer. Each class feels distinct, and they can level up by defeating enemies and putting points into a skill tree. It’s a mix of classic action Metroidvania combined with modern challenge.Souldiersis one heck of a hidden gemon the PS5 that is begging to be discussed more.
Crow Countryis a recent game that delivers a beautiful homage tothe PS1 eraof low polygonal models. Players take control of Agent Mara, who is tasked with investigating an abandoned theme park. There, she finds injured and potentially friendly NPCs — along with mutated creatures trying to kill her.
Crow Countryfeels like a combination of the early entries in theResident EvilandSilent Hillfranchises, and it is the exact thing fans have been waiting for who miss this era of horror. While there is action, it’s more of a straightforward puzzle game with horror elements and the occasional gun battle, rather than a survival shooter.
2Gravity Circuit
Melee Mega Man
Gravity Circuitis another indie homage, but this time to theMega Manfranchise. Instead of blasting robots away with a Mega Buster, players can punch or kick foes, or tangle with them using a grappling hook. Money can buy players chips that will increase their combat moves or improve their stats.
Every level has tons of secrets, like upgrades to NPCs waiting to be rescued, giving players a reason to replay missions. It’s a very short game, but there is a New Game+ mode along with a variety of other challenges. The music and pixel art alone make it worth a playthrough.
1Shakedown: Hawaii
A 16-Bit Grand Theft Auto Caper
Shakedown: Hawaiiis a sequel toRetro City Rampage. The first game was a spiritual successor to the classic top-down entries in theGrand Theft Autoseries, but it also parodied games and movies as a whole. There were Warp Pipes fromMario, a Joker-like villain from theBatmanseries — the list continues.
Shakedown: Hawaiiis also top-down, but the graphical style was raised from 8-bit to 16-bit. The random parodies were toned down as well, with the gameplay becoming the bigger focus. There’s still plenty of wild stuff to see, though, from burning down markets to selling bad energy drinks. It’s something to get into beforeGrand Theft Auto 6arrives, and it’s incredibly small, gigabyte-wise, which is amazing considering the generous size of the city.
