Evan Norris's Reviews
A decent investment for The Surge faithful.
One of the better indie game on the market.
If you're looking for a Pilotwings substitute, keep looking.
Due to some sloppy physics-based controls and erratic gameplay, A Gummy's Life is probably better as a spectator sport.
An engaging, technically solid, surprisingly varied, and highly replayable action-platformer.
For all its atmospheric feats, Horus Station struggles to break orbit.
While Robbotto offers some quick fun for friends in local co-op and several different modes, its repetitive gameplay, underwhelming bosses, imperfect hit detection, and missing quality-of-life features keep it far removed from the game that inspired it.
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots is a nice little game with lots of replayability.
An expert remake, imbued with lavish production design, superior voice-acting, flashy fighting, and hours of side content and virtual tourism.
Arguably the finest 2D action-adventure of 2018, a year that has seen an influx of well-crafted Metroidvanias.
Eschewing the Byzantine systems of many modern anime fighters, Blade Strangers invites fans weaned on early 90s arcade fighters back into the fold.
It has an artistic simplicity and mechanical purity reminiscent of Bill Rizer, Simon Belmont, and the Blue Bomber.
It's one thing for a game to embrace the mechanics of many different genres; it's another entirely to nail them all.
Fans of dungeon-crawling rogue-likes will most definitely gravitate to this tough top-down trip through the Dungeon of Doom, but others may wish to explore elsewhere.
Combining the mechanics of rogue-like titles, Metroidvanias, and Dark Souls might sound too messy or overly complicated, but Motion Twin has done it with style.
While Ultra Space Battle Brawl has some intriguing characters, accessible controls, and a decent story mode, it simply wears out its welcome far too soon, thanks to shallow mechanics and gameplay that often feels too erratic and random.
While there are some difficulty spikes in worlds six through ten (including a brain-melting end-of-game boss) and some undistinguished production values throughout, they don't undermine the fun, frantic platforming on display.
Code of Princess EX is an attractive investment for action-RPG fans who don't mind some monotonous fighting or lackluster character models.
On balance Iro Hero earns its wings.
The Persistence, ultimately, is a fine example of both a rinse-and-repeat rogue-like and a first-person horror game.