Radio Squid is a game with conflicting ideas that makes it partially enjoyable but equally just as frustrating. The bomb power is useful and a feature that feels fair and challenging whereas the ability to hurt yourself just feels the opposite. The claustrophobic arenas make the trek to reach the note to start your attack all the more pointlessly dangerous, meaning you will likely take cheap hits before you even start attacking yourself. Then, the wall wraps mean you have way too many things to keep track of, including your own projectiles. It all adds up to an experience that feels unfair and a bit bland.
In all honesty, my favourite parts of Little Witch Academia VR: Broom Racing were the ones without gameplay. I enjoyed being with the 3D character models, discussing parts from the show and the story within the game. It felt like I was actually in the show, offering a unique up-close experience which was nice and immersive after recently enjoying the show. The broom racing is fun, but it was a little too simple and repetitive – you’re probably best playing it in short bursts rather than sinking many hours into it in one go. If you’re a massive fan of the show, definitely check the game out as it’s fun feeling like you’re within this magical world. If you’re not, it’s a decent time killer if you have a VR headset, it’s just not amazing.
There are some clever and innovatively retro-feeling features in Back in 1995 that I must give a lot of credit to Throw the Warped Code Out for. The game has a heart-warming incentive behind it that makes it very likeable but unfortunately, it just doesn’t stand out as a game in its own right. I think the story is eventually the strongest part of this game but it just doesn’t feel fun to play, neither is it scary, so I can’t really recommend it. Developers are releasing remakes now (the recent Resident Evil 2 Remake was fantastic) and removing the tank controls and static cameras for more modern mechanics, which shows that maybe some of these were limitations of the hardware rather than reasons that made the classics great. Personally, I think Back In 1995 didn’t need to replicate everything, it would have been good to see it improve on them.
Bullet hell games are meant to be challenging because when you beat that boss you’ve been struggling with it can feel highly rewarding. Witch Thief doesn’t feel like that though because the amount of frustration that you go through just really isn’t worth it in the end. The story is underwhelming, the dialogue confusingly unfunny and the characters are generic and unlikeable. It feels fun to play at times, weaving between the waves of attacks is the highlight of the experience but you never feel like you give anything back. Instead, you just have to survive long enough for the health bars to disappear out of boredom rather than you being good. There is too much emphasis on luck and what makes this game unique is also its biggest letdown which makes it an unworthy addition in the bullet hell shmup genre.
Although it may be undeniably pretty, Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom suffers from a number of glaring flaws that prevent it from being a worthwhile experience. A clunky combat system, misdirected humour, and stale repetitive gameplay are just a few things that will likely diminish any amount of enjoyment that you may be able to draw from this sadly mediocre effort.
After capturing our attention with a strong concept and an intriguing open world, Homefront: The Revolution struggles with the basics: weapons feel unsatisfying to use, side quests are repetitive, characters are under-developed, and the online multiplayer represents a step back for the series. Sadly, for all of its ambition, there's just not much here worth fighting for.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.