Skautfold: Moonless Knight (PS5)

The second knight’s mission to a Lovecraftian Japan is exactly the kind of bleak, atmospheric dive I needed; the combat feels weighty and the gothic-horror pixel art pulls you right into the nightmare. Bought it on a whim for my PS5 and it’s already carved a place in my rotation.

I was genuinely surprised by how much the Lovecraftian lore pulls you in—the opening mission to Japan sets such a grim, eerie tone. The combat feels weighty and deliberate, and the parry system clicked for me after a few tries.

The parry timing feels so tight and rewarding once you get it down, and the hand-drawn sprites during boss fights are gorgeous. I've already died a dozen times to the first major encounter, but each attempt teaches me something new.