Aran Suddi's Reviews
The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is a humourous and satirical look at the complexity of game development. At the same time, it’s a fun game that encourages you to experiment with different combinations to reach your goal, leading to a number of bizarre creations, but The Magic Circle: Gold Edition is brought to life by its comedy.
If the same calibre of quality was available from beginning to end then The Detail would be a well recommended game. As it stands, however, the game ends on a low note, just like this review.
Neverending Nightmares doesn't go for the big set pieces, but relies on you to fill the gaps with your own imagination before unleashing some horror on you. Its slow pace combined with ominous sounds and music help to build tension in environments that gradually fall apart, as Neverending Nightmares masterfully gives off a sense of dread in its short playtime.
LOUD On Planet X is a good rhythm game with a great track listing, but some of the issues within do need fixing. While the beat and button presses do match up in the majority of songs there are some where it all feels out of sync and disjointed. If they’re out of sync then the whole point of the rhythm game is defeated. A longer tutorial to explain parts of the game would also be beneficial too, instead of having tips appear on loading screens. The game won’t reach Guitar Hero levels of success, but if you’re looking for a quick rhythm game fix then LOUD On Planet X may be for you.
Across Severed’s seven or so hours, you get to experience some of the best touch screen gaming around. DrinkBox Studios have created a great game here with an engaging battle system and art style. It can feel a bit too minimalist in its design, and there’s much repetition in the environments, but DrinkBox Studios have created a great game with an engaging battle system and art style. If you own a Vita, Severed is worth getting.
Stories: The Path Of Destinies is a charming and colourful game that is well presented with good narration. The number of paths that can be taken allow for a lot of replayability, and there's some well crafted combat. However, there comes a point where the game does become repetitive, which can make drumming up motivation to unlock all the stories tough. Even so, Stories: The Path Of Destinies is worth going through a few times, even if you don't want to go through all 25 paths.
The Collider 2 is an excellent game when you just want to pick up and play something for a small amount of time, but investing longer stretches of time can lead to a build up of frustration, as you crash again and again. The unlock style of the mission mode feels restrictive and counters the fast paced nature of the action, with the Survival mode providing a much better alternative. Just be sure to try and use a mouse or VR controls to get the best out of this fun and fast game.
Blues and Bullets is shaping up to be an intriguing game, but it may be worth waiting for the complete package.
Rod Moye has created a decent platformer with Candlelight. Though it can be challenging, it remains accessible, but there are some issues that prevent Candlelight from being a truly magnificent game. Platformers need to establish their fundamental rules quite early on and not keep adding things right until the final moments, which Candlelight is guilty of. As a solo effort, Candlelight is a fantastic achievement and kudos must be given for that.
All through my time with République I felt it would make an excellent book, thriller movie, or even a TV show. It makes a good mobile game but not a great console game, where it's let down by the poor opposition AI, and it's a shame that the actual gameplay drags it down so much. Fans of dystopian fiction, or good stories in general, would absolutely adore Hope's journey. The execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Sheltered is a well crafted game that is quite tough at first to make progress in, but once you’re used to its systems there can be a rewarding experience. Just be prepared to lose people along the way.
As someone who has played almost every MMA game since UFC Undisputed 2009, many of the controls came naturally to me, but UFC 2 features quite the learning curve if you’ve never played a UFC game before. Whether it’s Ultimate Team, knockout physics or improved grappling, EA have made great strides to improve and make UFC 2 the best MMA game on the market so far. That isn’t to say there isn’t still room for improvement but there is a lot of fun to be had here.
Amazing Discoveries In Outer Space is a game that takes no prisoners. You need to be aware of everything to ensure survival, from not using too much fuel to deciding which planet could be worth landing on. While the design of the game is good and there is fun to be had, it comes at the cost of a lot of repetition. There are a couple of things thrown in to mix it up and keep you on your toes, but even those are limited and can't stave off that fact for long. Cosmic Picnic have created a good game and if you like tough roguelikes then you'll have some fun with this.
Oointah have tried to make a game which does something a little different, but haven't really brought all the factors together properly. Mixing a fast paced and strategy with brutal difficulty is a challenge in itself, and making that fun or appealing even more so. Death by Game Show loses that appeal quickly by following the same basic gameplay throughout while punishing the player for even the smallest of mistakes. If you like tough games then this is for you, but fans of strategy or tower defence have much better options available to them.
This War Of Mine: The Little Ones is more than a game, and can be considered one of the most effective anti-war tools ever created. This is not a game you play for fun or to unwind, and the addition of children for the console release makes it even more poignant, as the realisation dawns that all over the world people are living through these hellish conditions. This War of Mine: The Little Ones doesn't just drive home how desperate people get in times of war, but also makes you take note of how lucky so many of us are to live in a more stable place.
If you're a fan of Assassin's Creed then it will suit you, though perhaps you'd be better off waiting for the collection. ACC: India can be completed within a day or two, so if you're looking for something to fill the time there are worse things.
The development team has a lot of work to do before Hardware: Rivals could be considered a great game that has any longevity. There are more maps and vehicles on the way, but what is really needed are more modes, a better party system, useful hit feedback, and the scrapping of the daily salvage limit. While Hardware Rivals is fun to play in chunks it gets repetitive quickly, and its great visual design isn't enough to cover the cracks.
Guns Up! is a fun game in short bursts. The setting up of soldiers and perks before an assault is easy to understand and do, with the action never being too long to get to. It looks and sounds decent too, but Guns Up! doesn't quite meet its full potential. There needs to be more options available for when selecting which base to attack, also boredom due to repetition sinks in over longer play sessions. Guns Up! is a free to play title and there is no harm in checking it out though. It is one of those games that you can have a quick session on, and with that in mind Guns Up! is worth a go.
Conflicks – Revolutionary Space Battles is an incredibly fun RTS game that deserves to find an audience to help popularise its multiplayer mode. The campaign is a decent length and draws you in with its fun story, though there are a few dips. There is a lot of depth with the various ships which allow you to experiment with different tactics. The art style is pleasing to look at and the music is well composed, blending seamlessly with what happens on screen. While the AI could do with some improvement to provide a bit more of a challenge Artifice Studios has done well here.
One Upon Light is a bit of a quandary in a way. Technically it is a well crafted game without any bugs in sight. The look SUTD Game Lab has gone for with it stands out well, and works in the context of the game's setting. The soundwork is also very well done. The majority of puzzles are decent too, but it is the ones that take ages to get past, even though you know the solution, because of timing that remove a lot of goodwill for One Upon Light. There were points where fun wasn't being had because of them. At the same time One Upon Light feels very mechanical. All the pieces work together well but at the same time it is missing a certain spark. One Upon Light isn't a bad game, and if you're a puzzle fan you may enjoy it.