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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lunar Great Wall Studios have made an intriguing and magical game, within Another Sight, with a premise that keeps you hooked until you finish it.
HELLMUT: The Badass from Hell is a wonderfully crazy and exciting 2D bullet-hell dungeon crawler with an eclectic mix of weapons and upgrades or transformations to play as. It’s hellish in its design but heaven to play, especially when you nail sections without taking damage or timing your powers just right. There is a surprising amount of depth here, with the balance between exploring for treasure and killing to reach your goal, or the choices you make in the store, all adding layers to what makes a very addictive and fulfilling shooter.
Hellpoint is far from a bad game. In fact, it more than holds its own in the genre and gripped me a lot better than Demon’s Souls (PS3) did when I started playing that. It does the important parts extremely well and despite not being as pretty or as popular as other games out there, it’s a really solid entry. The platforming required adds unnecessary difficulty but the combat, the co-op, story and bosses are all brilliantly implimented. The story is slowly drip-fed, making it not the easiest to follow, but there’s enough there for you to eventually make sense of it – more so than Bloodborne, in my experience anyway. The addition of the timed features in the game is an interesting addition to the genre and one that I think should be used more in the future.
New battle royale games seem to be coming out every week – just this past month we’ve also had Hyperspace. That being said, Spellbreak is the most fun I’ve had in the genre since I first tried Fortnite. It still has a long way to go to prove itself as the best BR out there, but I think it’s starting out as the strongest one on day one so far. Its gameplay is fast and fun, the team-based attacks and gauntlet system are innovative and satisfying, and the class systems add a ton of reasons to replay and practice. It’s a really solid game that feels it’s at its absolute best when playing as a team, which isn’t always the case when it comes to BRs. Spellbreak does enough to truly stand out in the genre and is probably my favourite battle royale out there right now. Go give it a play, who knows, it might just be the refresh in the genre you’ve been looking for.
Let’s sing 2020 is a fun party game and one we definitely need in these darkest of times. Stay home and spread some joy, instead of the virus, by singing to your heart’s content with your family. It’s super easy to get into, there’s a variety of ways to play, and there’s a pretty decent mix of songs for the average person who doesn’t listen to weird stuff like me. Subjectively, this isn’t a game for myself but I can also objectively see why it will have massive appeal. Playing solo is only half the fun, get everyone involved and I guarantee you will have a good time.
Without a doubt, the strongest point of the Remothered: Tormented Fathers is its story – the cutscenes and voice acting are superb and would make a very interesting movie. The tension is sometimes unbearable and can lead to unscripted jumpscares as you thought your stalker was somewhere else when they’re actually right behind you. If you’ve seen the movie ‘It Follows’, this game is basically that. The puzzles are simple but fun and the notes are very engaging if you have time to find and read them all.
Far Cry Primal is able to stand out from the pack, throwing in enough new and appealing additions along the way to warrant a full-game release. As somebody who was largely disappointed in how similar Far Cry 4 was to its predecessor, I found Primal to be a breath of fresh air, adding in it's own new features while still keeping the core mechanics that we've grown to love from the series. It would be refreshing if Ubisoft could continue to do more with the series within upcoming installments, possible toying with more settings and time periods to prevent future entries from feeling monotonously familiar.
Killing Floor 2 is now, for me, the standard to beat for survival-based multiplayer shooters. The shooting has no right to feel as good as it does and Zed time is highly gratifying and adds to the addictive feeling the game provides. While the progression system and perk system take a long time to get going, they eventually add a deep and meaningful reason to keep playing. The soundtrack is awesome and feels like it narrates the action as opposed to playing over it. The characters also add some charm to the gameplay with quotes and interactions that are funnier than you might expect. The developers have promised to keep supporting the game for at least the next year, which is a testament to how they value their player base. While the game lacks a campaign and a huge variety of modes, it never truly feels repetitive. Killing Floor 2 is a wonderfully done shooter that makes a Zed-infested apocalypse feel like a playground rather than a situation to fear
Pacer is definitely a match for Wipeout in so many ways. The gameplay is fantastic and the sense of motion you get from the smooth anti-gravity racing feels very satisfying. The customisation options allow you to personalise your ships and create loadouts which are both the best and worst part of the game for me. I love the option to design the ship I want and being able to chop and change on the fly, but locking out all the upgrades makes the game too much of a grind for me. If you’re a fan of other high-speed racers I genuinely can’t recommend this enough. There’s enough content to keep you going for ages and it definitely lives up to the inspiration of Wipeout. If I had to call a winner, it’d be a photo finish, so just play both of them if you can.
Dauntless is a brilliant and lengthy free-to-play game – one that has and will be supported with crazy amounts of content. The latest update that pushed the game out of early access is its biggest and best update yet, especially with the release of the ridiculously fun new striker weapons. With a lot of content and the ability to play with friends, Dauntless is at least worth giving a shot. Obviously, it draws comparisons with Monster Hunter World but if you need another fix of David vs Behemoth action, this will more than quench your blood-thirstiness.
I was quietly apprehensive about trying Call of Cthulhu for the first time. I had been interested in it since its announcement but I was worried it was going to be disappointing due to the lukewarm reception last year. However, it only took half an hour after installing the game before I found out how wrong I was. The game gripped me from beginning to end and it’s the most uncomfortable I’ve been playing a game on the Switch so far. It’s a superb detective game with elements of gothic and cosmic horror that you can’t help but keep playing. Personally, the stealth parts make some of the more interesting parts feel more frustrating than exciting and the shooting section feels incredibly forced and like a last-minute addition rather than an integral piece of game design.
Killing Floor: Incursion is a fantastic showcase of how good PSVR can be. When gunplay is done that smoothly and in such a badass way, it’s an absolute treat and needs to be experienced by all fans of the FPS genre. I can honestly say it’s the most awesome I’ve felt in a VR headset. While there are other games that use VR in more innovative ways, Tripwire Interactive has made a game that truly feels like you’re playing the lead role in an action movie like Hardcore Henry.
It hadn’t been that long since I last played Resident Evil Zero on PS4, a few months at most. That being said, I couldn’t put the game down again on the Switch because I was just as gripped as I was the first time I played it. The game truly has something for everyone and serves as a perfect introduction to the greatest and most successful horror game series of all time. Resident Evil Zero plays like a nightmare that you want to fall back asleep into; it’s not pleasant but I never want it to end. It’s a fitting and tasteful remaster and the Switch port holds its own against the more powerful platforms while being able to provide an alternate way of playing. There are still those niggling controls that tamper with how your experience plays out but it’s not bad enough to take away from the game.
If you’ve not played the previous games, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is the definitive version to pick up. Its updated visuals are beautiful and, with all the ingredients from the DLCs and main games mixed into one tasty concoction, it’s a no-brainer as to whether you should pick it up or not. However, if you’ve already played the games then it depends on how much you enjoyed them the first time, as to whether you go and buy this version. If you found the challenges more frustrating than fun, perhaps you’re best leaving this game to go cold. Personally, I found them both frustrating AND fun, so I really enjoyed replaying the levels from the previous campaigns – also, some of the DLCs were among the best levels that the game offers, including the new exclusive DLC, so that’s definitely a reason to buy this version.