Umair Khalid's Reviews
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has picked the best elements from the previous titles and mashed them together in one gorgeous setting. The Feudal Japan featured in the game will definitely make you fall in love with the world, and the two characters are equally solid and grounded within the world. The gameplay is refined, and the game itself is very well optimized for the PS5 console. If you have been waiting for Assassin’s Creed Shadows for some time, we are happy to report that you will not be disappointed after playing it. Everything about the game is beautiful and great to experience. Highly recommended for new players wanting to jump into the franchise as well as long-term fans.
X-Out: Resurfaced marks the return of the classic Commodore 64 shmup back to life in its best form possible. It not only keeps the spirit of the original title alive with its retro visuals and hard difficulty but also brings some added features for the new players, like some cheat codes and 2-player multiplayer. Intense boss battles, the challenge of surviving, plenty of customization options, and the threat of constantly returning to the main menu screen make it an intense shmup of modern times. If you loved playing the original Amiga release or, in general, love playing shmup titles, X-Out: Resurfaced is a gorgeous title to try out. It will keep you busy for hours as you try to master its levels and challenging boss battles. Highly recommended for all shmup fans out there, whether casual or hardcore.
With Split Fiction, Hazelight Studios has continued its streak of delivering yet another Game of the Year contender. It is very hard to find something negative about Split Fiction. It features gorgeous levels, excellent gameplay design, and a co-op experience that only Hazelight Studios can deliver. It is baffling to see how Split Fiction delivers specific genre experiences better than AAA titles that are specifically built for those genres. It not only shows how dedicated the developer is to promote healthier gaming activities but also manages to create experiences that just show the entire industry how it is done. With a free Friend Pass, Split Fiction is a no-brainer for every fan of co-op games, whether they love action games, shooter games, wacky games, or everything else.
MACROSS’s unique approach to strategic shooting rather than spamming attacks pays off in the end because it is more satisfying in the long run. The kills feel satisfying, and having to engage multiple factions in the same campaign keeps things unique between missions. Excellent enemy design, solid shooting mechanics, multiple combat perspectives, cool soundtrack, and intense boss battles really make MACROSS an excellent shoot ‘em up. Whether you are a fan of the franchise or you are just getting into it, the new MACROSS -Shooting Insight- is the perfect title to experience the iconic anime in video game format. Highly recommended for fans of the anime in the West who were looking forward to getting their hands on this action-packed franchise.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is DON’T NOD’s finest release to date, and the level of mystery, voice acting, 90s aesthetics, and suspense just keeps you on your toes. The game does an exceptional job at hiding its best-kept secrets, and this sparks an interest that just wants you to experience the whole game in one sitting. It surely touches on some sensitive topics, but it never goes too deep into them to make it uncomfortable for anyone to play it, and this makes it one of the best releases by DON’T NOD so far. Tape 1 sets the perfect premise for Tape 2 and even beyond the first title in the series. If you love playing DON’T NOD’s signature choice-based narrative releases, you will love playing Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, and even if you are just starting their lineup with it, it is a strong title to kick things off.
Mini City: Mayhem is a deceptively challenging city-building game. While it lacks the complexities of modern city-building titles, it hides a mind-bending challenge behind its charming visuals and simple gameplay mechanics. You jump into the game thinking it would be a simple game where you will build cities by putting down blocks, but it really pushes your city-building skills to the max as every game mode brings its own challenge. It is fun, diverse, and a brilliant change from most modern complex city builders. If you are looking for a challenging city-building game but without the hard and deep gameplay mechanics, Mini City: Mayhem will keep your brain tickling with its puzzle-like game modes and simple city-building mechanics. Highly recommended for a diverse range of players including city-builders, puzzle-game lovers, and cozy game players.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap proves that switching the core formula of an established franchise can be fun too, but it has to be done right. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap ditches the formula of its previous titles and instead goes for a roguelite formula which still holds up the fun and challenge level that this franchise is known for. Most maps and the core gameplay formula are aimed at co-op gameplay, but it is equally fun in solo with tons of traps to choose from and plenty of enemies to slaughter. If you are looking for a fun tower-defense game with added roguelite mechanics, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will highly appeal to you. If you are a fan of this franchise, it is a fresh concept but still highly playable and immensely fun. It comes highly recommended by us.
The Fox’s Way Home is not your traditional video game, but it surely gives your brain a little exercise. Behind the sultry For Maiden’s moves, you will need to focus on the little details and then figure out what is different in the next dance. We have certainly played some strange games in the past but The Fox’s Way Home does not feel weird gameplaywise. It surely seems a little weird because you are staring at a Fox Maiden who is dancing again and again but if you consider the overall gameplay, it is fun for a little time as you try to remember everything but still get it wrong. It does tend to get tedious and repetitive after some time but until then, you will have unlocked nearly everything in the game. If you are looking for something calm and a little brain-trickling with cool animations, you can give The Fox’s Way Home a shot.
Human Within starts a little slow but it quickly builds up the pace with its puzzle-based gameplay and immersive cutscenes which makes you feel like you are actually part of the game. Thanks to strategic camera placement during these cutscenes and interactive moments between these sections, you feel like you are living the game itself. High-definition videos and mind-tickling puzzles keep the flow of the game going but some bits of the story do not make sense and sometimes the acting of characters do not match the scene’s intensity. The gameplay bits are not that frequent so if you want something a little more with gameplay, you might want to steer clear of this game. If you are looking for something that offers fancy cutscenes and an interactive movie experience, look no further than Human Within.
Every little detail in 8-Bit Adventures 2 combines to deliver a nostalgic yet modern RPG experience. Its RPG mechanics are modern yet classic, which are easy to understand, and the combat has enough depth to keep you immersed in the game. The story pulls you into the world and it is also one of the reasons why you keep coming back to it and completing it. For around 40-45 hours, 8-Bit Adventures 2 can easily keep you occupied with its beautiful, pixelated visuals, a solid soundtrack, and excellent combat. If you love playing RPGs from the early 90s when visuals were pixelated and gameplay mechanics were deep, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is a great game for you to jump into because it will keep you busy for hours to come with its expansive world and a cool airship to travel around.
If you want to jump into a solid text-based RPG that reminds you of the early 90s RPGs with great worlds to explore, big boss fights, and epic dungeons to explore, The Nameless: Slay Dragon is an excellent title for you to jump into and spend a lot of time with. It offers a beautiful world to explore that is addictive, and a well-written story ensures that you are hooked to it right from the start. Character selection might not be as diverse as some other options available in this genre, but it makes up for this with a lot of gameplay mechanics to master, skills to learn, and enemies to fight. Multiple endings and choice-driven gameplay ensure you are not in for a single playthrough. Highly recommended for RPG lovers and players looking for a game to sink a lot of hours into.
If you are a Metroidvania fan and recently played Prince of Persia: The Last Crown or Blasphemous 2 and are actively waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong, Kong: Survivor Instinct will leave you wanting more. Not only does it lack exploration rewards, but the combat is also forgettable and sometimes frustratingly bad. The lack of focus on combat development in Metroidvania is just bizarre, and it is perhaps the only major flaw in this otherwise brilliant design of a game. Once you get the grip of the poorly executed combat, it is fun for a few hours until you hit that credits screen, and then you turn it off for good. If you need to fill your Silksong void with some cool Kong and Kaiju moments, consider giving it a shot, but if you are looking for slick movement and combat skills, this is not the Metroidvania you are looking for.
Kvark has its quirks but overall, it feels great. The controls are responsive and basic shooting mechanics ensure that the controls are never failing you in any situation. Judging from the state of today’s AAA releases, this has sort of become a rather novelty in video games. Kvark presents an interesting environment for you to explore while using good shooting mechanics to ensure that your enemies do not stay longer in front of your barrel. It is a little hard if you are used to modern shooters with plenty of save locations but once you get adjusted to managing your health and ammo, this is a surprisingly fun shooter to keep you busy for a decent amount of hours. If you love playing shooters inspired by Half-Life, you must dive into Kvark because it is a great shooter. Highly recommended for players looking for a shooter with good mechanics and a decent environment.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 reminded us how much fun a shooter campaign used to be. It is a reminiscence of the glory days of shooter campaigns when franchises like Gears of War used to own the charts, and we spent hours and hours just raining down bullets on the enemies. While it has been some time since the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine came out, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 returns and instantly revives the franchise by reinvigorating it with new life. The shooting mechanics are fantastic, the level design is gorgeous, and the gameplay is just satisfying. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 proves that a solid shooting campaign can still exist in today’s gaming world. If you have been dying to experience an amazing shooting campaign with great visuals and epic fights, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is the game for you.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions aces its flying and gameplay mechanics and offers a lot of cool iconic elements from the movies like brooms, stadiums, characters, and more but the nostalgia is not enough to extend its lifespan. You will love spending some initial hours into the game and a few of the online matches are excellent but unfortunately, it does not offer much that would compel you to replay this game every day. It may become your weekend game to jump in and play a few Quidditch games, but it will not make you boot your console or PC every day just to jump into it and that is a bummer. We still think that this should have been included in last year’s Hogwarts Legacy. If you are a fan of the franchise and want to see Quidditch come back to life, this game will certainly keep you entertained, at least for a few hours.
Iron Meat is a satisfying love letter to the early arcade shooters like Contra and Metal Slug. It features beautifully designed levels, fluid gameplay mechanics, and bosses that are both epic to look at and evenly satisfying to fight. On top of that, it is also accessible for modern players as it tones down the difficulty if you decide to lower it to allow newcomers to enjoy the game as much as hardcore veterans who love to tear it down on the hardest difficulty. If you love playing run-and-gun arcade shooters and want something to test your shooting skills after all these years of playing Metal Slug or Contra, you will love jumping into Iron Meat. Highly recommended for fans of arcade shooters.
ININ Games and Tengo Project have done an amazing job in bringing Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn back to life in its best form possible. You can easily say that this is not just a simple port of the NES version to the new version because it features enhanced gameplay, HD visuals, and a better soundtrack, which really makes it better for modern players. The gameplay itself is pretty solid and satisfying, and will keep you glued to the screen until you end the game. If you are looking for a satisfying platformer with good gameplay mechanics and cool visual art, you should definitely give Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn a shot.
Star Wars Outlaws is a brilliant open-world action game in one of the most iconic universes ever made. It combines all of the best from Ubisoft, brings it inside one game, and delivers it in a package that is fun to play and amazing to view. The worlds are beautifully designed, and the gameplay mechanics are fun and solid. Technical flaws aside, Star Wars Outlaws is a solid attempt by Ubisoft to really show how good they can make open-world titles. Massive Entertainment has delivered a world that feels alive while sticking true to the franchise’s tone. If you love Star Wars, this is a dream come true but if you are simply a fan of open-world games that offer tons of exploration and solid gameplay mechanics, you should definitely give Star Wars Outlaws a shot.
Deliver Us The Moon is a great game, but Nintendo Switch is perhaps not the best platform for it to enjoy. However, if you have no other option to play it on, it is still better to have it than not have it on your platform of choice. Just like its development cycle, the Nintendo Switch port is a choppy one. It would help if you went in prepared for low resolution and inconsistent frames all around, but this is one of the best narrative titles out there, so I will still count it as a win for Nintendo Switch players. If you have other platforms, experience Deliver Us the Moon on them, but if you are strictly a Nintendo Switch player, then you must give this game a shot if you love narrative-driven titles.
SCHiM is one of the best puzzle platforming games that I have played this year so far, and believe me, I have played a lot of them. What I like about SCHiM the most is that while it masquerades as a puzzle platformer, it is not always about puzzles. Sure, you have to figure out a way to reach the end goal, but the path is not always a tricky one, even in late sections of the game. While you may be tempted to just make a dash for the exit, the little details here and there make you want to explore the entire level before you complete it. I love the level designs, and I also adore the art style of the game. The color palette might not be for everyone, but you can even customize it if you want to. If you are looking for a beautiful and simplistic platforming game with tons of character, you must go for SCHiM, and even if you are not a big fan of platforming games, I can still easily recommend it to you. Give it a shot.