Harry Glynn Jones's Reviews
Venture to the Vile is a confident, alluring, and above all enjoyable metroidvania game. While its flaws may creep in like the Vile, they never truly consume the brilliance of this macabre yet enchanting tale, making Venture to the Vile a journey well worth taking.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is a heartfelt narrative adventure that celebrates the power of friendship and community. Its vibrant art, relaxing gameplay, and nuanced writing combine to create an experience that feels both personal and universal. While the exploration could benefit from a touch more challenge, the game’s charm and thoughtful design make it an absolute joy to play. I just hope that when award season rolls around next year, people don’t forget Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island.
VED is a game split right down the middle in almost every way. Awkward, often confusing dialogue that interferes with the story’s clarity, as well as a lack of cohesion between the two game worlds makes up the weaker half. In contrast, VED has an inventive and challenging turn-based combat system, rich world design, and excellent art direction. Unfortunately, a game is the sum of it’s parts, no matter how they are sliced.
Overall, I had a great time playing through Kong: Survivor Instinct, with my first playthrough at just under 6 hours. While it may not be the most ground-breaking metroidvania with a few flaws, it is a fun, well designed experience that I think Monsterverse fans in particular will surely go ape over.
Drova – Forsaken Kin is a fully realised, living world where you shape who you are as well as the world around you, a story that you can write again and again based on your decisions. The few flaws and bugs the game has are far outweighed by the cohesive nature of the game’s world and it’s mechanics. If you are a fan of cRPGs and similar games you must pick up Drova – Forsaken Kin.
Selfloss is heart-wrenching and wonderful; a game that won’t spare its players the gory details, that tells a clear story in a world still veiled in mysticism. With its focus on rewarding exploration mixed with very satisfying puzzle-solving and light combat (pun intended), Selfloss is one of the best games I have played in 2024.