I really liked My Big Sister; it was an enjoyable, thought-provoking, short-form game that really hit the spot when I was in the mood for something a bit different from the other games I’ve been tackling. It has a distinctive atmosphere, a lovely aesthetic, some wonderful writing and characterisation and a really pleasant blend of horror and light-heartedness. And I suspect if you try it for yourself you, like me, will find yourself very interested in exploring the rest of Stranga’s catalogue!
More than anything, though, this is a thoroughly charming, well-crafted game that those who enjoy hack and slash action RPGs will get a lot out of. It may be relatively brief, it may follow the Neptunia trend of heavily reusing environments and enemies with palette swaps — but while it lasts, you’ll have a great time with Neptunia x Senran Kagura.
Fact is, Raiden IV x MIKADO Remix is one of the finest shoot ’em ups you’ll ever play. It’s a great introduction to the fundamentals of the genre for newcomers, but provides plenty of long-term challenge for grizzled veterans. And however you choose to play, you can do so accompanied by a fine, fine soundtrack that is just begging you to crank up the volume and rock out. Just watch out for that bu– oh, you’re dead again. Never mind. Continue?
Ultimately it’s a small issue, though; The Coma is a fascinating horror game that, on a surface level, offers an atmospheric and spooky “escape from a killer” scenario while simultaneously having a lot of much deeper, more meaningful and scathingly critical things to say about modern society. It’s a great example of intelligent horror — and a great addition to your library if you’re looking for something spooky to enjoy.
Before long, you’ll be nimbly dodging in and out of terrifying bullet curtains without a second thought — and you’ll be ready to take those skills over into a shoot ’em up with less abstract presentation. Well, maybe, anyway; with those 160 levels to blast through, rRootage will certainly keep you plenty busy in its own right, and for under a fiver on the Switch (and just 30MB on your SD card!) that’s pretty great value.
This is a good one, then, so long as you’re on board with the “running away from monster” gameplay. It takes the lessons learned from Aka Manto and applies them to a new setting — and the result is a game that, while recognisably similar to its spiritual predecessor, is considerably more well-executed. Thumbs up!
So, then, if you’ve come to the end of Metroid Dread — which, judging by social media over the course of the last few days, a fair few of you have already — don’t despair; your sci-fi action-exploration adventures don’t have to be over just yet! In fact, they never have to end if you don’t want them to — A Robot Named Fight is just waiting to drag you into its meaty world and keep you there for a very long time indeed. I’m certainly in no hurry to escape from its clutches.
For now, though, if you’re a fan of the “strip ’em up” subgenre — the origins of which we talked about earlier this week — Waifu Discovered 2: Medieval Fantasy is a fine use of your time. It’s a well-crafted, nicely polished game that is simply fun to play — and sometimes that’s exactly what you want after a hard day.
And while I most certainly wouldn’t say no to a “Pretty Girls Complete Collection” or something on a nice physical Switch cartridge, even as a dedicated collector of physical games I must say it’s nice to have digital versions of games like Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire always on hand — they’re absolutely perfect for those quiet moments when you have your Switch with you and a few minutes to kill. Just be careful, though; those few minutes can easily turn into a few hours!
If you think you can look past these issues, sure, Hot Wheels Unleashed is definitely worth a pop. For everyone else, I’d say it’s one to keep an eye on quietly for a month or two, just to see what the updates look like — and if it looks like they’re going to start gouging players’ wallets. And maybe treat yourself to a copy of Cruis’n Blast in the meantime.
Slipstream seemingly wants to be liked and it wants to excite and thrill its players — but as soon as you get a little too close and present any sort of indication that you might want to get to know it a bit better, it gives you a solid punch right up the bracket and tells you to fuck off outta ‘ere, loser. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, one of the biggest cockteases in the entire arcade racer genre — a subset of gaming known for drawing players in with its spectacular visuals and exhilarating speed.
All in all, Actraiser Renaissance is a great game that serves as a wonderful introduction to Quintet’s work. It might perhaps have been nice for the package to include the option to play the original SNES version as well as the new version, but the new additions to the formula work extremely well and make the strategic aspect of the game feel much more fleshed out. This feels like a modern game now — even if it looks like a Saturn game — and once you let it get its hooks into you, you’ll want to see it through right to the end, if only to hear more of Koshiro’s magnificent music.
There’s plenty to enjoy here, for sure; it’s an extremely well-made game that provides a very authentic Mega Drive-style shoot ’em up experience that will particularly delight Truxton fans. The only real question is whether you’re up to the stiff challenge that Crisis Wing offers — but then, you’re a big strong gamer, aren’t you? What are you afraid of? Nothing, that’s what. Get in there and get blasting.
Onryo could have absolutely been one of Chilla’s Art’s best games; it’s just a pity that the mechanical side of things lets it down so much, because everything else about this game is an absolute pleasure to engage with. If you think you can deal with its clunky mechanics, by all means give it a go; the sense of discovery as you uncover the mystery is absolutely worth it.
All in all, this was a thoroughly pleasant surprise to see appear on Steam and Switch — and a great investment for those looking for their latest fix of hack-and-slash action roguelike fun. There’s even a demo available on Steam (though not Switch, sadly) if you’re not convinced by my enthusiasm, so give it a go for yourself and see what you reckon.
For existing owners of Poker Pretty Girls Battle: Fantasy World Edition, the marginally improved gameplay makes this new version worth considering, especially considering its low price point. If you don’t own either and fancy a bit of casual poker fun, plump for this one unless you’re really in the mood for busty elves.
GG Aleste II is a great game, and the fact it maintains the appeal of its predecessor while bumping up the challenge factor makes it an ideal shoot ’em up to move on to after you feel like you’ve mastered GG Aleste. While shoot ’em up veterans may still find it a little on the easy side compared to titles on more powerful hardware, it still puts up a decent fight — and perhaps most importantly, it’s an enjoyable ride from start to finish. And ultimately, to just have fun is the reason we’re all here, isn’t it?
There’s definitely still a place for games like Cruis’n Blast in today’s world, and I’m grateful to Nintendo for taking a bit of a risk on putting this one out there. It may not be to everyone’s taste — particularly given its lack of online modes and unabashedly quick-fire “arcade” format — but for those of us who have been in mourning for Bizarre Creations and Black Rock Studios for the past 11 years… well, it’s time to buckle up and have some fun once again.
Self-deprecating or not, DeathlyStillness is actually a surprisingly enjoyable, playable game even in its current limited state — and many of the 2,761 “Very Positive” reviews on Steam at the time of writing are encouraging Chen to continue development further, with many noting that with some additional content and mechanics, they’d be more than happy to actually pay money for the game.
It’s a journey worth taking, though; the characters and story in Final Fantasy IV remain beloved of series veterans with good reason — and with Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion Endwalker looking to be strongly inspired by Final Fantasy XIV, doubtless there will be renewed interest in this game. Just go in knowing what to expect — great story, solid but unremarkable mechanics — and you’ll have a blast.