Cross of the Dutchman is a short game, it does have a bit of padding in there, but the unusual setting and story behind it, with a reasonably entertaining combat system make it worth trying out. Cheap, cheerful and entertaining - it's worth at least having a look at it.
Even as a budget title the game would struggle to be worth it, but at a full retail price and as an extension of one of the PC's longest running franchises, it's in a sorry state. Whatever the reason may be, this game is little more than a failure in my eyes.
Grand Ages: Medieval is both deep and shallow at the same time, offering a detailed and interesting city development and trading system but letting itself down with shallow diplomacy and military options. A game where everything has been done before and, for the most part, better, it's a good time passer on the PC though something quite fresh and unique for the PS4.
Train Valley has surprised in so many ways. An interesting, challenging and detailed game in a lovingly small and pleasing package. Offering hours of track building and train crashing in what seems like it should be a basic package. Pure proof that pumping a product full of extra features, that prove extraneous at best, isn't the way to go.
Nobunaga's Ambition is an incredibly detailed game. It has a huge barrier to entry but if you can get over it, then the game can and will absorb you. There are weaknesses, the biggest actually being the sheer detail the game goes into when upgrading such as roads, it feels like needless busywork which should be streamlined. By no means is this perfect, there is a lot that could be improved, but for what it offers, Nobunaga's Ambition is well worth looking at. The huge downside is the sheer cost of the game, plus the fact that Koei Tecmo are charging up to half of the original price of the game on extra scenarios.
Mike Bithell has done it again. Volume is an incredibly entertaining and smart stealth puzzler that will test your brain, even if it doesn't challenge it too much. It's a simple, but extremely effective game that will pose questions in an appealing story without forcing an answer on you. There's an extremely easy to use but effective level creator included to add hours of gameplay through playing through other fun, user-created levels.
Honestly, as a game The Castle Doctrine has some very interesting parts. As a puzzler it will always keep you on your toes, you will even struggle to beat your own traps unless, like me, you write down the exact way to beat them. It's incredibly interesting to plan your house out and make it as impermeable as possible. What turns me off of The Castle Doctrine is the innate brutality, there's no way to be a good guy, just to be on the nicer side of evil.