Hellraiser: Revival achieves something that seemed almost impossible: it makes Hellraiser thrilling once again. In fact, at times it feels like the best Hellraiser film since the original – only this time, you get to walk through the nightmare yourself. Visually, in particular, the game is phenomenal. Thanks to the Unreal 5 Engine, Clive Barker’s universe finally gets the scale and gruesome beauty it deserves. The Labyrinth is the absolute highlight and is undoubtedly one of the most impressive horror locations we’ve seen in a game in recent years. Doug Bradley’s return as Pinhead completes the party. Insofar as anything involving hooks, mutilations and torn-open bodies can be called a party. Beneath all that gore lies a solid survival horror game featuring exploration, combat, stealth and resource management. Unfortunately, there are a few snags too. Literally and figuratively. The environmental puzzles quickly become tedious, technical issues break the immersion, and some boss fights are in desperate need of better balancing. But ultimately, the most important question is simple: does this feel like Hellraiser? Absolutely. Hellraiser: Revival is gruesome, unsettling, fascinating and, at times, downright spectacular. It’s not perfect, but for the first time in a long while, opening the puzzle box feels particularly tempting again.
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Honeycomb: The World Beyond therefore has a peculiar quality: the reasons why you might play it and the reasons why you might not are virtually identical. It’s slow. It’s peaceful. There’s little emphasis on combat. You collect a lot. You experiment a lot. You have to be prepared to be curious yourself. To some players, that sounds like a wonderful weekend on an alien planet. To others, it sounds like a compulsory field trip with a boring biology teacher. And perhaps that is ultimately Honeycomb’s most interesting feature. It doesn’t try to turn Sota7 into an amusement park where something explodes every hundred metres. It dares to give you a strange world and then say: “Just have a look around.”
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The Sinking City 2 isn’t a perfect game, but it certainly knows exactly what kind of experience it wants to deliver. Frogwares has largely swapped the detective work of the original for survival horror, and this turns out to work surprisingly well. The atmosphere is powerful, Arkham is delightfully unpleasant, and the combination of puzzles, investigation and Lovecraftian horror regularly creates moments where you think: this is exactly why I willingly let myself be scared. Not everything works equally well. The combat can be clunky, technical issues crop up now and then, and anyone who came primarily for the detective aspect of the first game will probably find something missing. The Sinking City 2 isn’t a revolutionary horror game, but it is an excellent, dark plunge into a world you definitely wouldn’t want to live in. Highly recommended for horror fans.
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Ultimately, there’s very little positive I can say about *The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu*. The madness mechanic does produce some hilarious and unexpected moments from time to time, particularly in co-op, but that’s not enough to mask the fundamental problems. The combat feels unpolished, essential gameplay features are missing, and the first few hours are marred by frustrating design choices and a lack of explanation. On top of that, there are technical issues, a clunky inventory system and characters who are barely distinguishable from one another. After a series of smaller indie projects, ACE Team has clearly bitten off more than it can chew with this more ambitious production, and as a result, they’ve completely missed the mark. The madness mechanic does provide a few memorable moments, but even that gimmick quickly loses its charm when you’re shot by a hallucinating teammate for the umpteenth time.
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DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations is a textbook example of how an expansion pack can add value without simply copying the formula of the base game. Thanks to the excellent Chain Spear, strong new levels and a campaign that offers a surprising amount of content, this is a DLC that fans absolutely must not miss. Although some puzzle sections slow the pace down a little at times, the positives more than make up for the negatives. Revelations delivers exactly what you’d expect from DOOM: spectacular action, brutal combat and an absurd amount of demonic carnage, complemented by enough new ideas to keep you glued to the screen for hours on end.
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My initial fear that Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands would completely lose me with its metal heart ultimately proved largely unfounded. Yes, the game exudes devilish music and a hefty dose of genre attitude, but beneath that noisy façade lies, above all, a surprisingly funny and creative RPG. The inventive combat system and quirky humour make Deathbulge much more than just a niche game for metal fans. Even someone who’d rather spare their eardrums than dive into a mosh pit can have a lot of fun with this. So, not a deafening flop, but a delightfully odd indie hit with real bite. And made by a team of five blokes! FIVE!!
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For fans of the original, there are certainly moments when nostalgia strikes and a well-constructed puzzle still delivers that classic ‘aha’ moment. Ultimately, however, the downsides outweigh the positives. The slow pace, the inconsistent puzzle quality and the clunky controls regularly pull you out of the experience. The environments quickly become repetitive and the story lacks impact. As a result, this remake feels less like a game you want to actively play and more like a piece of gaming history that is best admired from a distance rather than actually played through.
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Luna Abyss is a game you can’t appreciate half-heartedly. It’s a title that deliberately prioritises style, intensity and challenge over accessibility, which makes it both impressive and polarising. Whilst many modern games try to please everyone, Luna Abyss dares to present a clear vision. That deserves respect. Ultimately, Luna Abyss is a niche gem: not for everyone, but unforgettable for those who embrace it. It’s a game you’ll either love wholeheartedly or dismiss entirely.
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Ultimately, Will: Follow the Light isn’t a game for everyone, but it is a title with a distinct voice of its own. It’s a journey through the cold, filled with loss yet still offering hope, all wrapped up in an impressive audiovisual experience. If you enjoy interactive films, particularly dramas, then this is definitely for you. If you need your daily dose of virtual violence, though, you’d be best off steering well clear of Will.
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Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a game that uses your brain as a playground. The Vault, the gameplay and the way everything is intertwined make it a unique experience. But it also asks a lot of you. Time. Attention. Patience. And a certain willingness to feel comfortable with the idea that you may not understand everything. For the right player, this is a masterpiece of mysterious gameplay and psychological tension. For the wrong player, it's a complicated tangle of systems in which you mainly think: “Why did I connect this to that... and why does it feel like it's looking at me now?” Who expects Dead Space to come back, who wants to play a puzzler: be welcome!
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The remake of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is exactly what a good remake should be: respectful to the original, but modern enough to work today. However, not everything feels equally fresh. The gameplay can sometimes feel old-fashioned and the controls could have been a bit tighter here and there. Yet the core of the game remains solid. The atmosphere is fantastic, the story is surprisingly emotional and the camera system remains one of the most original ideas in the horror genre. This is not a horror that flushes you with action. This is horror that slowly creeps under your skin. And by the time you notice it... it's usually too late.
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Order 13 is a striking title within the contemporary indie horror genre. By choosing a distribution center as a location and basing the gameplay on everyday warehouse tasks, the game creates a unique combination of routine and threat. The creepy atmosphere, the good sound design and the subtle build-up of tension make it an interesting experience for lovers of indie horror and cats.
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In short, Pokémon LeafGreen remains a charming and nostalgic classic that perfectly grasps the core of Pokémon. Those who fancy a pure adventure in the Kanto region with strategic battles and the fun of collecting will still have a lot of fun here. But players who expect mostly modern gameplay, extensive stories and faster action may find that this classic from the Game Boy Advance era sometimes feels a bit dated.
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Those who are still getting this sizzling finale of one of the best animes of recent years can already look forward to this latest game from the My Hero Academia franchise. It is the ideal way to relive the last season. All's Justice may not be for the diehard fighters, it is a well-deserved final piece of a fantastic anime. Especially for the fans, made with love and looking back on a great 10 years.
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As a reviewer, you are often in a discord. On the one hand, you want to watch a debut game as a first attempt by a studio that has yet to find its hold in a tough industry. Especially when this crowdfunding is via Kickstarter. On the other hand, you have already played so many games that you immediately know what works and what doesn't. Not to mention the expectations you have as a reviewer, as a reader/gamer too by the way. I wish I could say that Dark Atlas was a meritorious attempt, but unfortunately. It's a frustrating, downright annoying game that will put your patience to the test more than once and that, apart from a few good environments, really has nothing to offer. Even die-hard lovers of horror games should miss them.
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Is this remaster a bad game? No, not at all. It proves that the genre has remained largely the same in the last two decades. But it also proves that Bandai Namco's Tales remasters always run the same way. The game gets a new coat of paint, the frame rate is increased and made more accessible to a modern audience. There's nothing wrong with that either, but how many Tales remasters can you play before you get tired of them?
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Once Upon a Katamari isn’t a game for everyone, and certainly not for the masses. It is and remains a unique concept, and as is often the case with highly original games, it has its fans and its detractors. You can finish the game in a solid 7 hours, but it feels like you’ve spent 7 wonderful hours at an excellent spa, because this is pure relaxation at its finest. So grab that ball and start rolling to your heart’s content!
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And so this review of Ninja Gaiden 4 suddenly doubles as an obituary. Because just a few days ago, Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator of Ninja Gaiden, passed away at the age of 58. And although he had nothing to do with the fourth installment, the franchise owes its existence to his creative spirit. Rest in peace, senpai! Ninja Gaiden 4 is the perfect starting point for anyone who has never played a game in the franchise. Even gamers put off by the difficulty of the previous games need not panic. This is a thoroughly modern game that you can play on your own terms. Forget the generic locations and enemies: throw yourself fully into the masterful combat and enjoy all the bloody brutality that Ninja Gaiden 4 has to offer!
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Pac-Man World 2 Repack is yet another remaster in an endless string of remasters. The game is still fun, and its simplicity will certainly appeal to a younger audience, but there’s really little reason to buy it.
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The Ivalice Chronicles was a great game in 1998, and it still is. Square Enix is a true master at crafting worlds and characters that remain relevant 30 years after their creation. But Final Fantasy Tactics is also a product of its time. It’s a game that feels outdated—and it is. And let’s be honest, it no longer belongs among the vast array of available games. I therefore predict that it will struggle to find an audience. But for those who need their classic JRPG fix, FFT:TIC is definitely the way to go!
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