A group of high school students, an alien attack, and Metal. Gal Metal is a unique rhythm based game that mixes metal with a free form playstyle, from DMM Games. Nothing could quite have prepared us for this as we defend earth from certain doom.
Back in 2015, League of Geeks launched a Kickstarter for a visceral, turn-based game full of anthropomorphized animals. Now, the Australian indie team brings Armello to the Nintendo Switch for those of us on the go. Join a range of animal characters as they fight, scheme, and scurry their way to the throne in a highly acclaimed table top interpretation. This is our review of Armello on Nintendo Switch.
Old School Musical is ready to rock PC and Nintendo Switch with a mix of nostalgia-fuelled narrative and a mix of melodies. Take two adventurers through a series of adventures in a range of worlds that are drenched in nostalgia and chocked full of chiptunes.
Wandersong is the tale of a lowly bard on a quest to find the legendary Earthsong. Surrounded by a universe of the edge of destruction, only the seven Overseers can help Wandersong's nameless champion put together the pieces of this magical arrangement and use it to save the world. Warm up your voice and take a trip into a charming adventure with our Wandersong review.
Grip is a nerve-fraying distillation of speed, fury, and thumping techno beats. Created by Caged Element, Grip: Combat Racing takes the ideas that made Rollcage such an intense experience and drives them onto the Nintendo Switch, XBox One PlayStation 4, and PC. If you like speed but find Bugatti's a bit bland, this one might be for you.
Just Shapes & Beats allows some simple ideas to blossom into an inventive, engaging challenge that proves a tiny cluster of well-proportioned pixels can contain more personality than the mightiest action hero.
I would generally consider runner games to be a poor choice of port to pick up on a fully fledged console. After all, infinite runners practically choked mobile app stores at one time. Runner 3 is, however, an entirely different type of experience.
Suicide Guy is an attempt to do something different but ultimately fails to be much more than a mild distraction from the gent in the seat two rows back that we call Thundersnore.
Happy Birthday's takes a simple idea, decorates itself with some adorable aesthetics, and somehow manages to weaves together a multitude of different genres. It is an enigmatic experience that can't be categorized, and that is its appeal. If you want something different then this is definitely for you.
Solo, is an ultimately laudable attempt that sails off course somewhat.
Despite the positives, my lasting impression of FMT 2018 is of a rich, complex game that is utterly crippled by the user experience. I really want to give FMT 2018 more of my time but could not bring myself to do so.
If you are ready to go back to high school, but just because this time it might really be the end of the world, then Monster Prom is worth a selling your soul for
The Red Strings Club is a fascinating exploration of humanity, emotion, ethics, and our own preconceptions of evil. It tackles some huge topics, and while it does not manage to meet all of it’s potential it is worth playing just to visit The Red Strings Club, pull up a chair, and try something different.
Despite some great puzzles and an interesting group mechanic, I will be waiting before returning to Hyakki Castle. If you love dungeon crawlers and need something new, give it a try. If you are new to the genre then maybe start with the superb Legend of Grimrock. Hyakki Castle is out now on Steam.
Recent titles like The Sexy Brutale and Rime sacrifice replay value and unnecessary padding to provide an engaging experience from end to end. The Darkside Detective, similarly, does not suffer any baggage. Writing is witty, striking a balance between goofy and dark that never seems to become threatening. Unfortunately, my time with Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley was far too short. While the tone, writing, and characterization are all stellar, puzzles are little more than filler and I closed cases as quickly as I opened them. Hopefully, the game’s episodic approach will allow for more content to be added soon, because the few hours of enjoyment you will get from The Darkside Detective make it worth investigating.
Like Wii Sports, Micro machines, or 1-2-Switch, Infinite Minigolf is incredibly easy to play with virtually no skill barrier. If you can click a couple of buttons you can play against friends and that is where this game really shines. Beating your own record, or watching a faceless opponents ball scurry off into the distance is satisfying, but there is nothing quite like swapping insults and game pads with your friends during an overtly competitive round. Infinite Minigolf is not incredibly difficult, it is not a sprawling adventure of epic proportions, it is a good time with friends in the comfort of your own front room and that is why I’ll pick it up time and again.
It would be unfair to rob you of the chance to experience Rime first hand. It is not a hardcore puzzle game. It is a moving story, painted on a gorgeous canvas, that absolutely demands your time. While it cannot escape the obvious comparisons to other, more challenging, experiences it still stuck with me. The game’s collectible lullabies and soundtrack are still firmly on repeat and I cannot deny that I was charmed by it. If you have an afternoon or two to spare and are willing to lose yourself in the great beyond, Rime is out now.
Between the narrative content, progression systems, and team management, Impact Winter is far more than a simple scavenging simulator. It still embraces the joy of exploration, but challenges players to balance a multitude of risks. Like many story driven games, replay value can feel somewhat limited by the adherence to a script and the game’s achievement system adds little to this. Despite these niggles, I adored wandering the wilds with Jacob. If you have a hankering for a survival game that has some depth to it and own a controller, then Impact Winter is a solid choice.