Harry Harrison's Reviews
After the six hours it took for me to complete Caravan SandWitch (many of which were spent trying to find a single door that I kept missing), I can confidently say I’m not in a rush to go back, even if in the final moment of the game I was presented with an unexpected potentially story-altering choice. Though I am glad such a story exists in such a well presented package, I just hope it finds its audience who can see past the awkward driving and repetitive puzzles.
I’m not going to stop trying to progress in Arco, I am invested. But maybe I need to be less stingy and hire the mercenary I met several towns back for some assistance. Maybe I shouldn’t have spent all of my XP levelling up my attacks so that I could curve arrows and should’ve focused more on increasing my health. Maybe I shouldn’t have fought the possessed skeletal remains I found in a burnt out shack for a dark knife, resulting in having to devour the last of my healing items. Your past actions all lead into the strategy before the next fight even begins. Arco is not a game to be rushed, but absorbed and considered.
If this is a part of a resurgence of the classic adventure game genre in the same way souls-likes have become the genre-to-copy, Coal Supper and Thank Goodness You’re Here! Have set the bar very very high for how to make them hilarious and engaging while keeping them at a perfect length.
There’s a good game here in Endless Dungeon, but it’s missing the heart and humour that was so prevalent in Dungeon of the ENDLESS. While changing up the mechanics enough to make this a new game it also somehow lost the aspects that made it’s predecessor so good to begin with. I didn’t have the capacity to make it through a full run of the game, something that will take anyone time as it’s designed around multiple attempts, but I definitely feel as though I have seen everything Endless Dungeon has to offer currently. Hopefully it’ll receive updates to increase the variation to the objectives and find some new ways to keep the time between waves engaging.
Describing Nour is difficult. It’s a toy. It’s fun. It’s weird and it definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s perfect for that. But it’s also probably not going to be for everyone while also somehow being for everyone. I feel everyone should try it. It’s not a huge game, it’s certainly no Starfield or Baldur’s Gate 3, but it’s one hell of a unique experience that I can’t recommend enough. What Terrifying Jellyfish have achieved here is special and I really cannot wait to see what they cook up next.
Tchia is a huge achievement from a tiny studio that clearly had a lot of fantastic ideas they wanted to blend together into an amazing game. Ultimately though, the mark was just missed by not letting each part really sing, instead they each fell into the backing track with no lead ukulele player.
If you’re anything like me and play video games to relax and get absorbed into a different world for even a few minutes, I’m afraid Call of the Wild: The Angler is likely not the game for you. If you enjoy games that have wildlife and fishing and look really good to, Red Dead Redemption 2 (online or off) holds up very well. As does Final Fantasy XV and Sea of Thieves! In a year or so when Call of the Wild: The Angler has received more updates with content and bug fixes I can see it being a great game. The game is technically playable, but I would hesitate to call it an enjoyable experience.
Fans of Absolver will adore Sifu’s mechanics and style, but don’t expect the kind of stance-based combat Absolver did so well. Sifu is a strictly combo and skill based affair. You won’t fail for using the wrong move, you’ll fail for not observing your opponent and striking at the right time. Sifu is a game I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a whole new approach to the staling rogue-like genre.
If I’ve not stressed enough how this is isn’t just another strategy game, it bares worth mentioning Tooth and Tail features split-screen multiplayer, which is a very smart idea for a game such as this. When your play session’s length is entirely determined by how matched you are in your skill level against your opponent I can see that being a really smart way to play against like-minded friends. Sadly I didn’t get the opportunity to try this out, but if it’s anything like the campaign it’ll be one hell of a challenge.
As of writing this, Tokyo 42 is my game of the year. Sure it has its small quirks but there’s nothing here that hasn’t stopped me from loving every hour playing and exploring this world. My very frequent deaths while trying to fight the waves of the final boss aren’t arduous or disheartening, but rather energised by the immediate reloads and desire to get to the bottom of the plot. I personally cannot wait to see where SMAC Games takes Tokyo 42 and where they go next.
Planet Coaster captures that real-life theme park feeling, bakes it into one hell of a delicious cake and offers you, and a growing community, a slice with a smile and a balloon.
... the quite solid and engaging story line, the brilliant art-style and voice-over, or the sheer thrill of pulling of an insane maenuver such as grappling one enemy and throwing him into a pressure pipe launching him into a stack of floating gas canisters only for his squad to be flanking for an attack on myself as a chain reaction of explosions and organic spike-bomb plants takes the whole lot out…