Color Guardians is the kind of game that feels like it needs to be liked. It almost feels like it was secretly released already. It took notes, amped up what the test group really liked, and then degraded the things they didn't. While the soundtrack is great, it's also very much what would be expected. Twitchy and very demanding (in some very unfair ways, more often than not), and dull and repetitive graphics remove any good work the soundtrack does. This leaves behind a game that, for all intents and purposes, falls short of all of its goals.
At the end of the experience, it's one that wouldn't be worth missing, but getting to that point could be disappointing more than inspiring.
Inside My Radio is an excellent example of taking the basic ideas of a genre, distilling them down to their most enjoyable elements, and executing it almost perfectly. While there are some hiccups, the game is still an instant piece of indie game mythology that anyone would be truly remised to skip over. What Seaven Studio comes up with next is sure to be a treat, because if Inside My Radio is any indication of their skills, they will be a juggernaut among their peers.
Gunpowder stumbles, but finds its way back with grace. Many of these hiccups are largely forgivable, and amount to minor annoyances. When the ball is served and it's time to begin, it's a title that everyone should try. Innovation is not indicative of a good product, but when pulled off, as Gunpowder clearly has done, it's beyond being a good product. Many gamers forget the personal struggles someone goes through to make a game, putting everything they have into it. Fortunately, for developer Rogue Rocket Games, that paid off splendidly.
The team over at Cococucumber should rest easily knowing they made something so vibrant and full of life. While it hits more than a few bumps towards its finale, Planet of the Eyes comes through the finish line as an excellent experience worth having. Almost like a short poem or brief jazz piece, it's an excellent way to spend an afternoon, feeling immersed in an experience that's truly one of a kind.
While it's hard to find anything overtly enjoyable in the experience, Expand never feels like a complete waste of time. It's a tough game to explain on many levels. It's more of a platformer than anything else, or perhaps a puzzle game. It's not horrible, and it's not amazing.
Euclidean features all the inspiration and creativity that indie games are known for. It simply lacks the execution to be more than frustrating. Between the very slow pace of the incredibly short levels that kill the player pretty much consistently, or the fact that collision doesn't work correctly and the player can drift through other objects, there's plenty wrong with the title. There's also just not enough content to talk about in any real depth, and that's just one more unfortunate nail driven in the coffin of Euclidean.
It's hard to go through the bargain bin of any hole in the wall game store without seeing a plethora of sports games priced at a solid £1.99. PES 2016 sets itself apart from these throwaway titles. Although it doesn't innovate, it does everything very well. Where many games want to just make the yearly mark, PES 2016 seems to have demanded, of itself, a level of quality that many yearly instalments could really learn a lesson from. Hopefully they will, because if this indicates anything, yearly instalments can look and feel beautiful.
Pulse, if nothing else, doesn't feel finished. It feels like an alpha build that got pushed out so early it may have upset Early Access customers. While it obviously has potential (it's walked away with awards, after all), it feels largely incomplete, and like it should have been pushed through play-testing a bit further. If it gets some more depth, or, at least, if the depth it has gets fixed up and becomes more cohesive, it may live up to a lot of the hype it's generated. Until then, it's a game that exemplifies that just because an idea is good, it doesn't mean the product will be.
For all its crooked edges, Albert & Otto is still worth venturing into, if not for the great atmosphere alone. It is a rewarding romp, as many difficult platformers are, but the lacklustre puzzles and cumbersome shooting, both of which are definitely a priority in this game, drag it away from greatness, and leave it grasping for any semblance of stability. Hopefully, further down the line, Albert & Otto will come into its own, but this is a rocky beginning for the episodic puzzle-platformer.
For everything that Poncho is, it still remains stagnant. The interesting idea of an apocalyptic scenario not filled with zombies is met with great artwork. However, it soon gets humbled, and the gameplay that follows is somewhat painful to play. Understanding the mechanic of swapping between layers is simple enough, but understanding how the world works around it is arduous, and at the end of it all, leaves a bad taste in the gamer's mouth.
Tennis in the Face isn't an original idea, but that's not always a bad thing. It slowly becomes a matter of repeating the same basic tasks over and over, and largely similar room layouts, leading to a depressingly low amount of replayability. However, it's hardly going to stand out as a bad game, sometimes working very well, but often feeling like it's just short of working. It chooses to take a proven concept and make it work differently, and it ends up being both fun and frustrating pretty much simultaneously.
Mushroom 11 manages to be fun, despite its few shortcomings. While there are parts that may prevent a second playthrough due to a frustrating amount of trial-and-error, it still manages to be enjoyable most of the time it's on. At the end of the day, its interesting concept and relatively good execution carry it beyond its shortcomings, and make it one of the best puzzle-platformers to come out of the indie scene.
Level 22: Gary's Misadventures is a lot of different extremes, if the good to bad spectrum is a tangible thing. With a controller, all of the movement issues are completed resolved. The art work is absolutely stunning, even for a retro-styled title, and the music is impressive, yet wears thin after a while. As it stands, Level 22 is almost a casual game trying to be more. While the stealth components are inventive, there's just not enough to save the whole experience from being too cumbersome to be enjoyable through the whole of the experience.
There's no reason to really explore outside of the main game, aside from Challenge mode. While the controls could use some fine tuning, this is a wildly creative title. Too often, being very creative means the end result is a mess, yet it can be said without doubt that this isn't a problem Cubixx HD ever suffers from. While casual puzzlers will definitely get turned off by the difficulty, those who like a good challenge will find a fun and deep idea here that is well worth exploring.
Plague Inc: Evolved is a fast paced RTS that puts players in a morbid position, and allows them to become one of the scariest enemies that mankind knows of. It stumbles to execute its HUD in a way that allows the seamlessly moving between menus, and occasionally, defeat can sneak up in mere seconds. While it can be very unfair, it also gives the ability to micromanage well enough in order to still stand a fighting chance. This shouldn't be overlooked by RTS fans, or even fans of "idle" games. It holds together well enough, even if a few kinks hold it back from greatness.
This is tough to nail down. The random generation of enemies on screen is frequently too unpredictable to provide a consistently enjoyable experience. The controls are spot on, and the artwork is beautiful. The game does manage to retain value, but the value of the additional modes is something that could vary from person to person. It's a solid shooter that works well in the player's hands, and erratically on screen. It shouldn't be overlooked, but for those seeking a deep, challenging experience, Steredenn isn't the cure for that itch.
A good recommendation when starting Justice Chronicles is keeping your expectations to a cautious high, at most. While the systems at work here are fantastic, the dressing for them is very hit-and-miss; the pixel art is very nice, but the story is bogged down by off-putting cut-scenes and weak dialogue, and, finally, the menus are easy to navigate, even if the local area map is distressingly unattractive. Most will definitely feel a sense of pride upon completing every battle, but they'll have to fight through the odd story and art choices to get to the next one.
One Upon Light doesn't quite nail down the stealth-meets-puzzle concept it's aiming for, but it comes incredibly close.
Indie games have come a long way, but it's still obvious they are viewed as the lesser option when it comes to gaming for a lot of gamers. It would be a mistake to overlook Stikbold! because it's an indie game. It has its share of hiccups and can falter from time to time, but gamers don't play games for the amazing loading screens. They play them for the game, and once the game is loaded, it is a charming, easy-to-control experience that ensures hours of enjoyability, with or without a partner. Don't overlook this tiny gem because it has these faults; instead, push past them to a solid game that is genuine and truly fun.