Sifu
This is a roguelite-lite where you play as a martial artist avenging your dead father/instructor. (I say roguelite-lite because the levels and enemy placement aren't random, they're the same every time, so it's not even a true roguelite.) It's got an interesting hook, where you have a magic talisman that brings you back to life each time you die, but you also age a number of years equal to the number of times you've died. So you start off at 20 and the first time you die you come back to life at 21, then the second time you add 2 more years so you're 23, third time you add 3 years so 26, and so on, though there are opportunities in the game to reduce or reset your death counter (but not your age). If you age past 78 you die altogether and have to restart that level. Your age also carries over from one level to the next, so basically you have to beat the whole game without aging past 78. Luckily there are only 5 levels, and you can go back and play any level any time you want though, to try to get a better age to carry into the next level.
There are also skills and that you unlock as you go. With skills if you unlock the same one 5 times in the same run then it's permanently unlocked even if you die or restart from the beginning, whereas upgrades are more like your age and you start each level with the upgrades you had at the end of the previous level.
That's all the central mechanic, but the core of the gameplay is the combat, and it feels great. You have the classic light & heavy attacks, along with blocks, parries, and dodges, and you can throw it all together into crazy combos that make you feel like a badass. The timing and execution can feel a bit weird at first, but once you get used to it everything starts to flow and it just feels so good to play. Fundamentally it's the modern interpretation of those old beat-em-up games like the Ninja Turtles games from the 90's. It also has crazy replayability. I beat it in just over 6 hours, and I've already spent another 6 hours doing the optional objectives and trying to beat it with a lower age. I do have a few nitpicks, changes I would make to the progression system, that kind of thing, but none of it detracts from how much fun it is to play. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes oldschool beat-em-ups or just fast action games in general.
Grade: A