Justin Oneil's Reviews
Pretty Girls 2048 Strike is another solid entry in the Pretty Girls lineup and one that requires a bit more thought than other entries. It’s easy to play and having to think to move the number blocks around properly and combine them to attack the opponent is enjoyable.
Layers of Fear (2023) is the definitive way to experience this series. The new narrative content helps tie together these previously released titles more effectively, the Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul is very impressive, and the sound design is top notch.
Pixel Ripped 1978 is another great entry in the franchise and brings a lot of Atari love to the show. The story and characters were enjoyable, the game is full of fun retro easter eggs, and jumping between the two worlds was unique and fun.
Reverie: Sweet As Edition may not be very original but its charming world and cute presentation is worth experiencing if you are a fan of the classic Legend of Zelda games it was inspired by. It won’t last you very long but I’m pretty sure by the end of it you’ll be happy you played it.
Ayre and the Crystal Comet intrigued me with the idea of being able to fly through an open world on a dragon but that world just doesn’t have much to see or do in it. The game feels good to play but it just needed more gameplay content to actually engage with to make it interesting.
Color Pals has a nice colorful art style and solid platformng but doesn’t do much to stand out in a crowded genre. It can provide you with an hour or two of challenging platforming action but it doesn’t have much variety and won’t last you beyond that time.
Fall of Porcupine takes you on an emotional journey and touches on some real issues found in the health care system. Not everything is perfect as the story can get a bit messy and rushed in places and there are some technical issues as well that will hopefully be ironed out.
Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is a brutal puzzle take on the IP and one that many players may find too tough to deal with. It can be rewarding beating these levels but with the auto-failing hazards you’ll be running into one wall after another trying to advance.
Hyper-5 combines solid shoot ‘em up action with realistic visuals and the end result is a bit of a mixed bag. I like the look of it but those visuals also cause visibility issues for the player. While the gameplay is fun and upgrading your ship is satisfying, you’ll be playing the same few stages over and over to do so which can get a bit old.
Pretty Girls Tile Match is another solid entry in the long running line of games and should please anyone who has been following them thus far. It’s simple, fun tile matching with a lot of stages to run through and not much else.
Loop8: Summer of Gods has some good ideas going for it but needed a bit more work in some areas for me to be able to fully recommend it. I enjoyed the story but it takes time to get good and I had to endure a lot of repeated parts to get to it. On top of that the combat can be a bit confusing and doesn’t offer enough control over your team. There’s some good things here but just know you’ll have to deal with quite a few annoyances along the way if you decide to jump into this one.
Nocturnal is a gorgeous action platformer but one that won’t show you anything new when it comes to gameplay and story. I enjoyed the exploration, combat, and puzzle solving but none of it did anything to stand out from many other similar games I’ve played.
We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie remasters another entry in this series to good effect and should please prior fans and newcomers alike.
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble is another solid entry in this long running series that delivers plenty of bubble popping fun. Being able to play the story mode with multiple players is cool and while there isn’t a ton of gameplay variety, there is still plenty to sink your teeth into.
I wasn’t too impressed with Cyber Citizen Shockman but I’m glad when obscure games get made available to a bigger audience. The movement and jumping just doesn’t feel good to play and because of that I had to resort to using the newly added cheats just to get through it. This can be a decent way to spend an hour or so jumping into the past but I don’t think anyone needs to rush out to play this.
Strayed Lights offers up some solid combat encounters, a beautiful world, and an excellent score that makes it worth playing even if some other parts like the story and exploration aren’t as great. The game is very cinematic and nailing the parrying against basic enemies and bosses is satisfying. If you’re OK with getting through it in just a few hours then I’d give this one a solid recommendation.
Mia and the Dragon Princess has some downsides but still makes for an enjoyable interactive experience. The performances by most of the cast are great and it has far better action scenes than I expected. The writing can be cheesy at times but it also managed to get some laughs out of me. It also doesn’t overstay its welcome and has helpful features that make getting to the new stuff on replays much easier. It isn’t the best FMV game Wales has done but if you’ve been enjoying the genre I have no doubts you’ll enjoy this one too.
Overall, Hunt the Night is a great looking action-RPG that will push your skills to the limit but one that is very rewarding when you pass its challenges. It has dark and beautiful world to explore, challenging combat against great enemy designs, and lots of lore and things to find.
After spending a couple hours putting out fires in Nuclear Blaze, I can say I enjoyed my time with it even if it has some issues. It’s a short game and it doesn’t change up much in the gameplay as it goes but manages to be fun nonetheless.
Murderous Muses changes things up by mixing gameplay with FMV sequences to create a pretty compelling murder mystery experience. Exploring the gallery and trying to piece together who the murderer could was fun and each playthrough being different makes it compelling to jump back in whether you solve the case your first time or not.