John Little's Reviews
Space Hulk: Deathwing promised a lot - close quarters tactics, bulky combat, and the ever awesome delights of the dark 40K universe. However, while fulfilling in some of those respects, lacklustre AI and some buggy multiplayer ultimately diminished this experience.
If the mechanics were tighter and there was a bit more actual gameplay, then I would give this a more general recommendation, but as it is, only buy if you can tolerate lacking gameplay for story and setting.
It’s intriguing and interactive enough to hold your attention, and I suppose the fact that I wanted more by the end is a good sign as well as a bad one. But if you’re interested in a thrilling but short sci-fi story, then The Station could be for you.
Clunky movement and harsh difficulty ultimately let this down, but there’s a strong story here with some creepy and creative designs. A worthwhile experience if you like this style of game, but prepare yourself for some frustration along the way.
An interesting adventure that provides some cool sights and an intriguing narrative. Unlocking memories via wave-length puzzles is quirky and charming to begin with, however quickly becomes rote. Could have done with a wider variety of better designed challenges, but as it is it's an enjoyable experience.
The Crow's Eye offers a good variation of challenges, and an intriguing story to boot. Bugs and a lack of challenge hamper the experience, but ultimately this is a decent title.
An interesting title that combines light resource collecting and exploration, with a mysterious story. More linear than it initially seems, but this works in the game's favour. Clunky design and some glitches hamper the experience, however.
The game is rugged in some departments and a little less ambitious than I had previously thought it would be, but Soul Axiom is still a well put together and intriguing experience. It's a cool world filled with sparkly tech surroundings, a multitude of far ranging level environments and some really enjoyable puzzle solving.
For those that enjoy the lore and want to experience a 40K game in this genre, then you aren’t going to find it elsewhere, and it’s not a bad game. It is enjoyable despite its missteps, and has improved beyond the original release, with Streum On Studios showing they are/were committed to Deathwing’s idea and supporting it post release.
This episode still feels somewhat of a run up to get the story and mechanics going, but if you enjoyed the first episode there is reason to continue, just don’t expect things to progress too much yet.
Mindless fun is the biggest selling point, and though I had hoped for some more weapons to play with and better level variety, Tesla vs Lovecraft is still a riotous twin stick shooter.
Seasons After Fall offers colour and charm by the bucket load – as developer Swing Swing Submarine’s magical platforming fox adventure hits the right notes with a gorgeous hand drawn art style, and a concept to match its colourful aesthetic. But there are some core issues that hold it back.
Its main issues surround a lack of depth and some repetitive design, but while also a little irritating in places, the gameplay is solid and engaging. The aesthetic, sound design and premise are top notch, and I think if you’re interested in a simple dungeon crawler, then Brut@l can provide a great time for you.
I’d say overall, Overfall struggles to make a great lasting impression, but I think it’s enjoyable and deep enough to stand out, and despite its flaws is certainly worth a bash if you’re interested in this broad genre.
Frustrating in a few ways, but Kingdom Come is clearly a labour of love. An ambitious and impressive historical RPG with some deep combat and mechanics.
It's more like a tech demo than a fully-fledged game (albeit one with a decent, fully realised story). It shows that voice controls can benefit an RTS title, and that games that strive for that 'narrative experience' can also have compelling gameplay; but it never reaches its full potential.
A nice throwback to old school point and clicks, with an interesting visual design and some truly hard hitting plot points. Stumbles a bit with its dialogue and bizarre ending/episodic decision, however Dead Synchronicity remains a great adventure.
The game's positive elements shine through, but I can't help feeling annoyed at the poor attempts to diversify the content; made even more frustrating when the game ends at only 3 hours, with virtually no reason to replay it.
Bedtime Digital have created another whimsical adventure, and despite some genericism here and there, the musical theme ultimately makes it.
There's more to Maize than it's concept initially suggests. A funny game that manages to balance silly humour with a genuine sense of mystery and some worthwhile gameplay. Unfortunately let down by some technical issues, but ultimately a well crafted parody.