Ultimately, Unravel presents itself as an unspoken story of lost love and a yearning for the past. Protagonist Yarnie is instantly loveable and is possibly one of the most likeable videogame characters in recent memory. The game shines through its stunning visuals, heartfelt soundtrack and unique platforming elements creating a truly unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, gameplay does lack substance, as it can be completed in just six hours and lacks any real replay value. These criticisms fortunately fail to tarnish the beauty and tranquility that is forever on display.
Ultimately, Layers of Fear exists as a chilling cinematic experience that is capable of more than a few scares along the way. Uncovering the game's narrative is largely enjoyable and will forever keep you guessing, as clues feel well paced and each horrifying set piece is related. The game may rely on a few too many jump scares and voice acting may feel off at times, but there's still no denying that Layers of Fears is a truly memorable and massively creepy experience.
I’m having an absolute blast with Black Paradox. I keep coming back to it as there’s just so much more fun for me to have in this retro-futuristic world. The Roguelike gameplay is addictive and for every death I experience, I feel pumped to just try that little bit harder. It’s so ’80s it hurts and I absolutely love that about it. Is it the best game ever made? No, of course not but that’s not what it’s trying to be. Instead, it’s a beautiful homage to the classic arcade days, made even better when you bring along a friend to shoot up all of those evil space baddies. The frustrating progression system holds it back from being the best side-scroller shooter I’ve ever played but it’s certainly one of the most fun.
Pawarumi is an extremely fun and smartly unique shmup with a mechanic that makes the game both tactical and exciting. There is an element of luck at first but it’s very satisfying when you start mixing the weapons correctly for what you want to do. Although I struggled with the difficulty for way too long, once I got a grip of the Trinity mechanic I had an absolute blast and I wanted to keep improving my score for the leaderboard. There’s not a lot of game here, with the high score system really the only thing to keep you coming back, but what is here is very solid, fun and very, very pretty.
Q-YO Blaster is a very fun little shmup that I’ve put a lot more time into than I thought I would. It’s addictive and pretty, even if it’s clearly copied a bit too much from Cuphead. The “story” is a little baffling in its execution but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter as I doubt you’ll be playing it for a deep and enthralling narrative. The gameplay was tight and enjoyable, with some nice little nuances which are all that matters in this genre really. Also, I was impressed with the fact there’s a lot of characters, powers and replayability, all for the low price of £8.99 on the Nintendo eShop – you can’t fault it for the amount of entertainment you get.
Maid of Sker scratched my horror itch for the year so far for sure. Despite some of my criticisms, it’s not a bad game, far from it. It’s just let down by a very few glaring issues that stop it from being a truly great game. I still really enjoyed my time with it, mainly due to its incredible setting and references to folklore. The story progresses in a very natural way and feels just about the right length at around four hours. The Quiet Ones are an interesting enemy type and their presence in the game is explained brilliantly through the excellent world-building that’s throughout the floors of the hotel. The only problem is that the story of them limits the gameplay experience somewhat to a repetitive sneaking trial and error game and that can get very frustrating, especially when it’s let down by strange AI problems. The puzzles in the game are very fun to work out and feel just as fun to do as the puzzles in a Resident Evil or Silent Hill game. The visuals and sound design are really quite something and lift the experience somewhat, which tells me that there’s potential for a fantastic horror experience to come from Wales Interactive.
Visage is haunting but frustrating. If you were to ask me if this is a good game, I’d be inclined to say that it’s simply ‘okay’. If you were to ask me if it’s a good horror game, I’d say its terrifying, heart-stopping and simply unmissable. The stories about each character are interesting, if a little disturbing, and it’s fun working through the puzzles that come up while you’re moving through the chapters. The inventory system is nothing short of a nuisance and it made me want to stop playing at times, especially coupled with the sanity meter and the cycle of not knowing where you’re supposed to be going. If you can set that aside though, and you want an experience of a horror game that will chill you to the core, I don’t think it gets much better than Visage.
Injection π 23 ‘No name No number’ is a game that has many great ideas but ultimately doesn’t quite land them all as effectively as I hoped for. Although, the monsters are genuinely horrifying and there are some super creepy set pieces that make scouring through the claustrophobic alleys of Malaga a haunting experience. The difficulty will be a huge turnoff for many players, but for a game with multiple modes, tons of replayability and a lengthy campaign, the game is so cheap at £7.99 that it’s definitely worth a go.
The Blackout Club has a fantastic premise and the base idea for the game is very good. The equipment and skills are really fun to use, it builds great tension and atmosphere and it’s a fun co-op game. The problem is that this denies it from being a great horror game. If you’re looking for a game to grind with friends then this could be a decent way to spend some time. If you’re looking for a great horror game, play the prologue and then just stop. As a horror fan, I was hoping the main game was going to be more like the prologue but that’s just my opinion, there’s certainly fun to be had with friends in this creepy neighbourhood where things go bump and snooze in the night.
Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition is a bit of an enigma. The use of VR adds so much in terms of tension, immersion and interactivity, that makes it feels both awesome and terrifying. Then, the removal of certain sections and the addition of very basic scares makes it feel a bit rushed as the scares don’t really pay off from the tension that’d been building. It’s only really the crazy ending that feels truly spooky while the simplistic wandering through the woods picking stuff up feels like a limited experience. If you’ve never played the original Flat version, I still think that’s the best version to play, but it’s worth jumping into the VR edition if you’re a fan of immersive psychological horror games or the original release and want to experience some of the thrills up close and personal. Bonus: You can pet Bullet in VR – so if all else fails, at least the game has that.
Silver Chains surprised me in many ways, I didn’t expect it to make me jump as much as it did and I didn’t expect the story to have me as engaged as I found myself. It may be a bit simple in terms of its gameplay, but if you think of it more like an exploration game, in the same vein of Edith Finch, rather than an out and out horror game, it makes more sense. The sound design is brilliant and there are some interesting monster designs to go along with those hideous sounds too. Silver Chains isn’t going to win any awards, as it doesn’t really do anything new or exciting, but that being said, it’s a solid horror title with a gripping story and some poo-your-pants moments. If you’re a fan of the genre, definitely give it a play, if not, it’s still worth your time for the story.
Zombieland: Headshot Fever is just simple and chaotic Virtual Reality fun. The characters are as witty and miserable as they are in the films, with my favourite line being “it’s as hot as two rats fucking inside a sock”. The shooting is really fun and the desire to do better and improve those high scores is very addictive, especially when you factor in the world leaderboard too. Don’t expect a game as complex or engaging as The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, it’s much simpler and just really an old-school arcade shooter with some comedy. Honestly, if this game were in the arcades, I’d be putting in a lot of coins, so it must be doing something right.
Sketching the true horrors of mental illness, Neverending Nightmares succeeds in creating an unnerving atmosphere that will keep you forever on the edge of your seat. It's let down by a lack of environments and varied gameplay, but it still stands as a chilling experience that those with an interest in the genre should check out.
Dead Island: Definitive Collection is by no means perfect, but it still succeeds in providing you with a substantial slice of flawed but generally fine zombie slaying action. Despite offering a graphical upgrade, though, there may not be much here to lure in those who have played these titles before – especially seeing as no real changes have been made to the core gameplay, and because newcomer Retro Revenge disappoints.
While it fulfils its promise of delivering a much needed edge to the saturated zombie horror scene, Deadlight: Director's Cut is sadly hampered by its clunky combat system and recycled puzzles. Existing players may feel compelled to delve back into the experience as its visuals feel noticeably refined and its survival mode – although flawed – can be addictive in small doses. But although it's brimming with fresh ideas and possesses a compelling atmosphere, it isn't able to stand tall as it rests on a ground of flawed fundamentals.
Rise of Insanity is so confusing, I couldn’t stop playing until I finished it but I can’t say that it’s because I really enjoyed it. There are some really good scares in the game but there’s not enough tension or atmosphere. The story is gripping and the files you find are really interesting, but it eventually disappoints. There are better horror games out there but this is overall a pretty solid offering and I can see the talent the studio has.
Neon Caves is a fun arcade shmup with a lot of personality and uniqueness to make it a standout shooter. It has a very strange, but interesting mechanic that allows it to separate itself from others in the genre. It is a little repetitive as there is only one mode, and there is a steep learning curve right out of the blocks, which may put people off. However, the leaderboards and the addition of a list of challenging achievements should keep hardcore players coming back for more and more because of how addictive it can be.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service is truly an enigma, what makes it so brilliant is what also makes it so damn frustrating. I would recommend the experience to all of my friends, as I really did experience laughs that I’ve never had before, but due to the frustration it caused me, I wouldn’t wish the game on someone I mildly dislike. The way to obtain the most fun is to simply mess around with other people and experiment with new and unique ways to deliver the packages, I definitely didn’t have the patience to be the postman it wanted me to be.
Until You Fall is simple but fun. It’s not going to win any awards but it’s certainly going to get you moving and feeling a bit awesome for a while. It does get a bit repetitive, so it’s not going to grab you for long periods at a time, but the sword fighting is enjoyable enough to make you want to come back for more. The worlds are pretty, if a little lacking in substance, and the structured and limited level design is something that holds the game back a little. Basically, if you’re in the mood to swing a couple of virtual melee weapons at big baddies, and who isn’t, then you’ll really enjoy Until You Fall.
Kill It With Fire is a simple concept by design, but that doesn’t make it bad. In fact, when you have 30 minutes spare it’s a perfect time killer. It really is as simple as it sounds, offering sadistic fun as you take out revenge on all those creepy crawlies you’ve screamed at over the years. The joy is in getting the upgrades and finding the different weapons you can use, then going back through the levels and getting those damn red jumping spiders back. If you’re after a pretty easy 100% and have some hatred towards spiders, this is unmissable. Otherwise, I’m not sure there’s enough here to make it a game that needs to be played.