Umair Khalid's Reviews
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.
Primal Survivors offers highly addictive gameplay and a lot of options to play around with when it comes to creating your own build. The enemy design is not very diverse, but the crisp gameplay makes up for it. I loved trying out different abilities and seeing how they differ. Another great aspect of Primal Survivors is its pick-and-play nature of gameplay. Being a roguelike, you can pick up, die, and try again later without the worry of losing any progress or important unlocks. If you love playing roguelike survival shooters, you must definitely give Primal Survivors a shot on your Nintendo Switch.
HoneyLand sits perfectly on the Nintendo Switch because its short and simple puzzles ensure that you can play them on the go. The puzzles offer a decent balance between challenge and simplicity to keep you entertained for a decent time. However, with simple solutions, there is not much replayability for longer playtimes so once you have played it twice or thrice, there is not much to do. However, considering its price of just $3.99, it is fair to say that it is still a pretty decent puzzle game that will keep you busy for some time. If you love puzzle games and are looking to add something simple yet challenging to your collection, you can definitely consider HoneyLand.
Seeing Stars is a great DLC for A Little to the Left, and if you enjoyed playing the base game, I am sure that you will love playing the new DLC as well. Each of the puzzles is unique, and with multiple solutions on offer, you will be spending a lot of time on each puzzle, scratching your head trying to find all of the solutions. If you love playing puzzle games that really test your cognitive skills and problem-solving skills, you are going to love A Little to the Left: Seeing Stars. With a $9.99 price tag, it certainly offers hours of puzzle-solving. If you are looking for an excuse to jump back into A Little to the Left or want to try out something new in the world of puzzle-solving, you should definitely give the game and its new DLC a shot on the PS5.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a great off-roading sim for players who are looking for a more approachable title. Unlike the original MudRunner and SnowRunner, Expeditions offers a more linear approach to the off-roading, exploration, and resource management formula introduced by the franchise initially. If you are a hardcore franchise veteran, it may take you some time to get used to all the handholding, but in the end, this title is a more mainstream off-roading experience rather than just focusing on the hardcore community. Tons of new features, like added off-road assist devices, specialists, and more customizable options, certainly add more ways for you to tackle each mission in the game. If you are looking for a decent off-roading simulation game where you can drive plenty of cool trucks and explore the wilderness at your own pace, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game must be on your to-play list.
Indika is an experience that is unique and covers a sensitive topic that very few developers tend to tackle. It does this in a way that feels different, beautiful, and grief at the same time. The dull and grey world of Indika somehow feels alive after every colorful minigame you complete, and by the end of the game, you feel satisfied and fulfilled. Very few games of Indika’s nature tend to give this feeling upon completion. Indika is a narrative-heavy title, which makes it best for players who love adventures revolving around story and thought-provoking narration rather than fighting off villains or liberating entire countries. If you are looking for a strictly narrative experience with a twist and something different, Indika is the game you should definitely check out.
Fabledom is a gorgeous city-builder that offers you low-stress gameplay as you continue to build your very own kingdom in a fable world. It is easy to understand, and the gameplay mechanics are fairly simple. The low-stress gameplay means that you can enjoy the game no matter how experienced you are with city-builders of the past. The combination of a fairy tale world with a city-builder is perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to this genre. Fabledom is no doubt filled with excellent moments, and in the starting hours, you will absolutely love it, but the excitement only lasts for a few hours if you are not a fan of fairy tale worlds and the fables that we grew up reading. If you are looking for a beautiful and calm city building with cool mechanics, Fabledom is a great option, and if you love fairy tales and old-school fables, you can expect to sink tons of hours into the game easily.
Our recommendation? Bring at least 3 or 4 of your friends if you want to have a good time in the game. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a community that really likes to kick people and send them to the other world without much deduction. Deceit 2 may look like a buggy and unoptimized title on the front, but underneath, it is a fun and actually good multiplayer game to enjoy with your friends. It also desperately needs a playable tutorial to retain fresh players who are just leaving the game out of frustration, since they are unable to understand the mechanics properly. Recommended for players who want something along the lines of Among Us but in 3D and with more detailed gameplay.
Ready, Steady, Ship! is easily one of the best new co-op titles to release across the PS5. It is not only easy to get into, but the challenge level increases at a pace that is easy to understand and enjoy at the same time. It manages to remain fun while being challenging at the same time. If you love to play challenging co-op competitive titles, you must try Ready, Steady, Ship! because it not only is unique and feels different, but it is also greatly accessible for players of all skill levels. Highly recommended for PS5 players currently looking for fun co-op titles or fans of games like Overcooked.
Sticky Business is really a calming video game, no matter how you play it. There is no rushing or challenge of any sort, and the only thing you will be doing is creating some cool stickers, printing them, and shipping them off to buyers. On the wholeness scale, Sticky Business easily sits at the top. It features calming music, and the gameplay is pretty cool. The UI is simple to understand, and once you have spent some time with it, you can quickly move around the screen without any trouble. If you have always wanted to run your very own sticker shop business, Sticky Business is the best way to do it, and on the Nintendo Switch, it just sits perfectly well because it is the perfect game to wind down on the go after a hectic day.
While Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is a great title on its own, it may be a little letdown for the franchise veterans who loved playing the cute, little farming title. The unique direction it takes may be new for its fans, but it manages to deliver a fun yet tricky new way to experience this wholesome franchise. The puzzles are tricky, but the farming aspect is nothing more than a theme of the game. Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is a nonogram puzzle game and a great one at that. Some UI improvements would have been amazing but even in its current state, if you love puzzle games and more specifically if you love nonogram puzzle games, you are going to love playing Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons. I can recommend Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons to players who are fans of puzzle games only and for fans of this particular franchise, it may not be up to mark since there is no farm building.
Quadroids is truly a challenging platformer, not because the levels are designed to kill you again and again, but because you need to be extremely good with your motor skills. Controlling multiple Quadroids across four different screens requires skills that I never thought I would need while playing a video game. The challenge only ramps up as you progress in the game, and if you are looking for a platformer that really tests your mettle across every level, you must get your hands on Quadroids and try to beat every level perfectly. This is where the real challenge lies. With its simple yet extremely tough gameplay mechanics, Quadroids is certainly our best strategy platformer of this year so far because not only does it feel tight and responsive, but it also really tests your skills in different ways.
Cat and Ghostly Road is a fun point-and-click adventure with simple puzzles that will barely tickle your brain. The main charm of the game lies within its cute little cat as the main character and the haunting world all around you. Looking at the same location from two different perspectives offers a unique experience, especially if you are a fan of both point-and-click games and horror games. After getting used to the controls, it is all smooth sailing to the end with this simple yet captivating adventure that will see you exploring a diverse set of environments. It is highly recommended if you love unique concepts and are currently looking for a decent point-and-click title on the PS5.
Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a must-have game for all PS5 owners because it takes you back to the PS1 era when we used to have simple platforming games with open sandbox worlds like Ratchet & Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and similar titles. It offers a charmful world, combined with solid gameplay mechanics and no-brainer puzzles that suit players of every age and skill level. You do not need to think about playing this game, and anyone can just pick up a controller and join in the fun. If you miss the nostalgic open-world sandbox gameplay of those early PS1 titles, Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is here with its gorgeous level design and visuals and stellar gameplay mechanics to keep you entertained for hours. If you own a PS5, you must give this game a shot because, with the next-gen upgrade, you can now watch the destruction in silky smooth frames in the best possible resolution.