The premise and complexity of the puzzles, mixed with the cheery art style, point to an interesting puzzle experience but you may find that Mystery Castle a bit of an unrewarding drudge if you aren't really into the types of puzzles on offer. It's challenging at points and allows enough flexibility for you to skip stages that prove too perplexing which makes it accessible for most, but there's such a flatness to the level completion that there's no real rush of excitement when you solve a particularly difficult puzzle. The vast number of levels available also acts as more of a demotivator than a blessing and it could be argued that just sometimes, less is more. There's certainly not much wrong with Mystery Castle, but it's not doing anything to make it stand out from the crowd either.
Oozing charm and potential, this really is a great example of what a small development team can achieve and Brainy Studio's pride in their creation is alluded to throughout the game. It's undeniable that TurnOn does a lot of things right, which makes it sadly all the more noticeable when something doesn't quite hit the mark. Even so, if you give it some time, there's a chance that you'll find a place in your heart for Turnon's journey through Electro City's night of darkness.
Although it's easy to pick up, Tropico 5 is a deep and complex strategy title which keeps things interesting by throwing ever-changing challenges in to the story structure to mix things up. The humour expertly lightens the mood and adds life to the game, with each character proving slightly more unhinged than the last.
The soundtrack is the highlight of this mixed bag of good ideas and poor implementation and when all is said and done, it's a shame that the gameplay and visuals cannot live up to the scene set by the music.
Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered is packed with content and will make you feel incredibly smart no matter if you're spelling out 10 letter words or giggling at the fact that you just killed a ghost by writing "FART." There is some educational potential here too but primarily you should be picking this up because it's a cute, fun game that is easy to play and a joy to master. It's not particularly long but the challenges, quests and collectibles are pitched just at the right level to keep you engaged long after the main story is over. Plus you'll need to get all the stars to unlock the mysterious final comic page…
Family friendly and inoffensive, MagNets: Fully Charged is a functional game that some will find entertaining. The lack of variety and short completion time really drag it down but as it's such a repetitive experience you may well find yourself welcoming the end. Achievement hunters will enjoy the 20G you get for the first time you jump but other than that, MagNets doesn't offer enough bang for your buck and is difficult to recommend at its current price point and with its multiplayer missing in action.
This is a fun puzzle game with a difficulty pitched to keep it interesting for seasoned puzzlers but not beyond the reach of novice gamers. The traps you set and contraptions you create are challenging and comedic in a deliciously evil way that is sure to raise a wicked chuckle or two from all but the most pure of heart. An opportunity to use your creativity in dastardly ways; 101 Ways to Die's use of physics and Rube Goldberg-style chain reactions is an enjoyable entry into the puzzle genre.
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 builds on the original brilliantly. It takes everything its predecessor did right and does it again with more bells and whistles. There's new characters, levels and quests to explore and the sticker and levelling system have been tweaked to make acquiring the masses of new content feel achievable. The addition of single player quests and AI companions for Garden and Graveyard Ops make it a viable choice for when you just don't fancy playing with others or you want to power level a character you aren't too comfortable with playing in multiplayer. The current balance issues are an annoyance but the developers have already reassured users that this will be fixed soon; leaving little to criticise in this frantic, fun and family-friendly shooter.
With a simple accessible campaign and a whole host of collectibles and zombie modes to obsess over, Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops is certainly not a bad game. It's reasonably entertaining and doesn't suffer from any major technical issues, but it lacks the depth or uniqueness that would propel it beyond 'just okay.' This is a title that is cute and fun when you aren't interested in thinking too hard and just fancy turning your brain off for ten to twenty minutes, but it's unlikely to set anyone's world on fire.
Overall, this is a title that is brimming with unrealised potential. If everything worked as designed, Pixel Piracy's customisation options, management mechanics and randomly generated world would be incredibly engaging and fun. Unfortunately, the problems with the AI turn battles from strategic endeavours to long slogs and there isn't as much to do as it first appears. If you're lucky enough to avoid the bugs, Pixel Piracy will provide a couple of hours of enjoyment while you figure out its intricacies and perfect your crew, though we doubt there's enough variation to keep you hooked beyond your first play through.
Electronic Super Joy is a delight. Its simple visuals are elevated by a soundtrack so perfectly in tune with the experience that it turns a punishingly difficult platformer into a trance-like experience and will soothe the pain of your multiple deaths. It will defeat you over and over again, but manages never to feel unfair or to set goals that are unachievable. If you like the sound of a challenging platformer that will push you to the edge of frustration when things are going badly but make you feel like a gaming god when things are going well, Electronic Super Joy may be just the game you're looking for.
Since The Living Dungeon is actually quite an interesting board game, the multiplayer side of things does a decent job at entertaining. The banter with your friends makes up for overly long wait times and the never ending brown of the environment. The missing online play is almost essential for a title like this though, since the main reason to play tabletop games on a console is not being able to wrangle eight other people to your house (or being too lazy to tidy up.) For the times your friends can't make it, the single player campaign offers a frustrating distraction. But the poor AI, unlikeable characters, and levels that take seemingly forever to complete due to unlucky dice rolls make The Living Dungeon only for those with active social lives.
Fortified is a tower defence/third person shooter which draws on the imagery and tropes of 1950s pulp fiction. The emphasis is on multiplayer but it can be enjoyed alone if you have the patience to get through some of the more severe difficulty spikes. The 50s theme is well implemented in many areas and the gameplay is challenging, while characters remain different enough to warrant multiple playthroughs. If you enjoy this genre, Fortified is worthy of your time and you should consider dropping it into your multiplayer gaming rotation.
Full disclosure, in the ten hours we spent with Dungeon of the Endless over the course of this review, we didn't escape from the dungeons. Even playing on the inappropriately named 'Too Easy' mode, this rogue-like can turn on you in an instant. Take your eye off the ball and your previously flourishing band of survivors can be unceremoniously wiped out, taken down by rapidly spawning hordes of enemies without so much as a last breath with which to cry for help. But it's a game that, once it has you hooked, will reel you back in over and over again because you just know you can do better this time, or perhaps you think you've discovered a new strategy - it's all very compelling.
Despite its flawed interface, Unepic is a very enjoyable title with a ton of content. There's easily twenty hours of gameplay available and the intricacies of the crafting and customisation options allow for a character perfectly honed to the player's taste. The retro art style and music will not appeal to everyone, but beneath that lies an interesting game with humorous dialogue, for sure.