John Little's Reviews
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.
A curious premise with some initially interesting puzzling ideas, but ultimately a messy, clunky and frustrating experience.
Brimming with style and satisfying puzzling, The Sexy Brutale is a creative and unique experience. One of the better puzzle titles to come out in recent memory.
A sequel to cult classic Nier was a worrying prospect to some, however Platinum Games have done a brilliant job with this spiritual sequel. While it has some niggling issues, the combat is typically brilliant for Platinum, and the game excels in almost every other respect. A beautifully crafted, yet quirky world that demands multiple playthroughs.
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.
A very challenging game with some good ideas and a cool aesthetic, but some imprecise controls and heavy handed difficulty sour the experience.
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.
Leaving Lyndow initially sets a worrying proposal. An exploration game (read: walking simulator), and a run time of less than an hour. But there’s more to Leaving Lyndow than you may initially think, and ultimately it does what it does pretty well.
An emotional game with an intriguing world and interesting 'meta' features. OneShot is a great little adventure game, though perhaps a bit short and initially frustrating.
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.
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.
A basic action RPG that's not without it's charm. Boss fights are an interesting mix of action and bullet hell, however the rest of the game is simplistic and becomes tedious. Players who aren't already familiar with other Touhou games may find this difficult to get in to.
An endearing experience, though unfortunately not without its flaws. Far too short and badly paced, but if you can get past that, the world and art is gorgeous and there are some enjoyable puzzles on offer.
Iron Fish looked promising all the way up until its release. A mixture of underwater exploration and spooky thriller mystery. There was plenty of potential here. However, sloppy gameplay design and tedious, frustrating mechanics ultimately let it down.
An interesting visual novel that incorporates some interactive elements to keep you engaged. Great story and some really nice visual design. Unfortunately the game frustrates in some areas and doesn't leave as much of a lasting impressions as it could have, however this is a solid, enjoyable experience nonetheless.
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.
I don’t think there are any noteworthy improvements or flaws with this version, and if you’re a fan who’s already played another port then I can’t really see this being of interest to you. For everyone else, however, I would thoroughly recommend if you’re into visual novels or even just the anime or manga. It’s such a great story and theme, with lovable characters and solid writing.
There's not much replayability on offer and it won't last you very long, but Cross of the Dutchman is a cheap title with a handful of thrills. It's mediocre in many respects, but I'd say it at least does the trick for a short adventure.
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.
A very creative, if simply presented, puzzle platformer that gets every aspect spot on and doesn't outstay its welcome.