Aran Suddi's Reviews
Nowhere Prophet is an excellent single player card battler that punish you with its difficulty. The battle system has a lot of depth to it, while you're constantly worrying about your convoy as events take their toll. Still, death simply means starting again with a freshly generated campaign and getting to see more of the game's world. Nowhere Prophet can be frustrating at times, but it's fun to play through and is highly recommended to those who like strategy or card battlers.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble has some improvements over its predecessor, but falls into the same trap of letting you quickly spam units to win most missions. With a dull story that never grabs you and decent but unremarkable gameplay, Tiny Metal still has room to grow.
Pitting you against wave after wave of alien attackers, Super Mutant Alien Assault's randomised levels will put your action platforming skills to the test. It can be a bit short if you're just going to play the campaign, though endless mode and co-op can offer a bit of a distraction beyond that. It might not have too much longevity, but Super Mutant Alien Assault is a fun little game to challenge yourself with.
Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka With Love is a good point and click adventure game with sense of humour and some challenging puzzles. The Switch version does have some technical issues and there's a little bugginess, but Irony Curtain is a fun little send-up of spy thrillers.
Mini-Mech Mayhem is a great addition to the PSVR library. It's an accessible and fun strategy title that can provide hours of fun. There are some issues that do need ironing out, but if you have a PSVR headset then Futurlab's latest creation is well worth getting.
Judgment is another great Japanese crime drama that will grab your attention as the stakes get bigger and bigger, but it's not quite on par with the Yakuza series. Some of the private detective busywork could make way for more of RGG Studio's trademark goofiness to cut through the seriousness of the main story, but anyone who has any interest in Far East crime dramas or the Yakuza series should pick Judgment up. Judgment has been judged and has been found worth playing.
Koral is a good little puzzler though many will find it very easy to get through. As an educational tool Koral definitely has value to raise awareness of climate change and the impact of pollution on our oceans. As a game it Koral is a simple affair that plays well. It may lack much challenge for puzzle fans, but this is an engaging and thought provoking experience.
Whispers of a Machine is an approachable point and click adventure. The story is pretty interesting and the main character, as well as few side characters, are well-crafted too. It falls shy of the best examples of the genre, but Whispers of a Machine isn't far off the mark from being considered great.
Observation is a sci-fi thriller that puts you in a situation quite unlike any other. You never quite know what to expect, but the writing is solid enough to make sense even at its most unbelievable, and the characters of Sam and Emma really grow on you. A few niggly navigational hiccups and a couple of dull puzzles can break the immersion a bit, but even so any sci-fi fan should have a look at Observation.
For The King is a fun and stylish RPG, but prepare yourself for classic roguelite frustrations of dying and starting the campaign again, just to get a little bit further each time. If you enjoy that kind of challenge and like board games then For The King is well worth checking out.
Katana Zero is an incredibly stylish title, from the great looking pixel art to the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the fast and brutal action. You really get to feel like you're a master swordsman as you overcome the challenges put before you, or die trying.
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight is a pretty decent aerial combat title with engaging battles and a bit of variety, but it also becomes repetitive quickly and the grinding nature when it comes to unlocking new planes is a bit too impeding. Perfect for those short bursts of gaming when you have little time.
The Occupation has a premise that is really intriguing in theory. Trying to spy on a powerful entity and taking them to task with your questioning is the kind of experience that can be great in the game, and taking inspiration from current affairs makes it feel much more authentic. It's a shame that various bugs, even when updated to the most recent build, can make the experience feel lacklustre, and at times a frustration to play.
Genesis Alpha One mixes the spirits of FTL and No Man's Sky into a solid space simulator cocktail. Your success is dependent on your approach, with playing it safe all but guaranteeing you reach a Genesis, but a little recklessness can lead to ship invasions and desperate measure. Its unpredictable nature means you're always on the lookout for danger and celebrate every little victory. Genesis Alpha One is recommended if you're looking for a new challenge among the stars.
For the relatively low asking price Onimusha Warlords is worth a look if you've ever been interested in the series or just want to slay demons in historical Japan. Just bewware you'll have to contend with some game design elements that belong in the early 2000s. It's not a terribly long game and you can get through it in a few hours, but it'll keep you entertained throughout.
The Videokid is one of those arcade titles that can easily eat away at your time if you let. The simplistic but addictive gameplay means you'll want to keep going back until you've beaten the course. Combine it with the colourful voxel art and the humour that permeates the game and you have a verified fun experience on your hands. The Videokid isn't just an homage to Paperboy, it's a successor.
Storm Boy is an inoffensive and simple experience that would be well suited for a young audience, especially with an adult alongside. It's much more like an interactive storybook than it is an out and out gaming experience, and keeps everything simple and short. If you want a calming break from the gaming behemoths that are currently out and about, then Storm Boy is a delightful option.
Gungrave VR comes across as a game where the devs were hyped for the possibility of VR but didn't know the best way to utilise it for an engaging experience. It's very short, there's no coherent story, the camera feels weird and not well implemented in the third person mode, and it all feels a bit bland. There are much better ways to spend your time and money unless you really have an hour to kill and Gungrave VR gets a very deep discount.
As an entire series, The Council is worth playing, but the conclusion could have had so much more to explore.
Transpose is one of most unique puzzle games that has crossed my path, and I'd definitely recommend it if you own one of the major VR systems. It's an experience that looks to show people that can do what seems impossible, and holds a message of positivity at its core. Transpose is a puzzle game that deserves the attention.