Polished to the nth degree, visually sublime and with a soundtrack that’ll get your heart racing, it’s a thrilling game from bloody beginning to gory end.
There’s a cool art style here, with a pumping soundtrack that’ll have you tapping your foot until you get bored of everything else this game lacks. It’s that lack of content that hampers Super Destronaut: Land Wars in the long run, with all manner of goals unconvincingly re-badged as more than just “shoot things” which just won’t keep you entertained for long.
Bikers and those who know the heritage of the Isle of Man TT will get a real kick out of this game. It goes out of its way to put this seminal race on the pedestal it deserves and backs all of that up by building a mightily impressive racing game around it. It’s not perfect – I’d have liked to see some other models like sidecar races included – but what is here is very, very impressive indeed.
This game won’t even be a footnote in the history of the genre but if you can stomach the repetition, it might kill a few hours between other titles.
t’s a cheap and cheerful title and while it’s not going to be challenging the giants of the genre in terms of narrative or immersion, it has enough charm to carry itself through its run time.
Holfraine is a bare bones Hero shooter that’s launching with as little content as possible. With one game mode, one map to play on and six heroes, it just about justifies its £3.99 asking price. It’s obvious what the aim of Fluxart Studios was to emulate the best in the Hero shooter genre on a budget and you can see why it was recognised as the “Best Online Multiplayer Game” in the PlayStation Talents Awards 2017 competition. It has potential. At launch though, it’s not fulfilling it.
7th Sector is a headscratcher that’s designed for those that love to be stumped and don’t mind a little trial and error. It’s set in a game world that has a rich narrative and depth despite not really having either of these in a literal sense. There’s far to many sectors of 7th Sector which are simple too complex for their own good or actually work to the detriment of the overall product (I’m looking at you Combat section) though. When this game is good, it’s really good, but it’s just too infrequent. If you enjoyed Limbo or Inside and you’re itching for something similar, give this a go.
Megaquarium is a tycoon/management game for those that like to take things slowly. There’s no running around or avoiding disasters. The most you’ll have to deal with is is some malfunctioning equipment and that’s more of an inconvenience than a stressor. Instead, this is a chill game about a chill topic that lets you get as creative as you can within its constraints and has done some admirably in its journey from PC to PS4. It won’t be for everyone – if you prefer your tycoon games with an element of danger then this one isn’t for you – but if you’re looking to kick back, look at some fish and make sure everything is ticking over while some cool tunes play in the background, this is one to put on your radar.
Even for someone who’s a casual observer of Supercross, Monster Energy Supercross 3 is quite a joy ride. It’s feature full, fun to play and deeply gratifying when things come together. There’s a steep learning curve, somewhat hampered by a tutorial that expects you to know the ins and outs of a Supercross track from the get go but once you’ve got the hang of it, you can get a lot out of it.
There’s no shortage of top down, pixel art, fantasy roguelike’s out there vying for your attention and many of them are enjoyable. It’s a genre I’ve spent far too much time with over the past few years so the thought of playing another was daunting when I first got my hands on Children of Morta. The thought of re-treading the same ground for hours, something of a staple for this genre, had put me off. I couldn’t have been more wrong about this game though. It’s visuals, narrative originality, the vast array of content and the sheer amount of polish that’s on display here has shown me that Dead Mage and 11 Bit Studios have created the roguelike to end all roguelikes, combining the best of the genre in a package which feels familiar yet refreshingly fast moving.
With simplistic systems, a run time of less than an hour and sections that feel unfinished, Dreaming Canvas is a relaxing yet shallow experience. There’s virtually no replayability with you being able to see everything this game has to offer, warts and all, in a single sitting. It’s environments are gorgeous at first glance but a lack of content means this game becomes bland and uninspired very quickly and it’s aim to inspire creativity falls flat.
Control deserves its plaudits. A singular boss battle, offering a significant difficulty spike in an otherwise exemplary paced game, and a map that’s confusing at times are tiny blemishes on an otherwise astonishing game.
A few niggles aside, Headliner: NoviNews is a smart and impactful game with a tonne of replayability. While it’s set in a fictional land featuring fictional characters and fictional news, it’s easy to draw parallels with the news agencies of our own countries, holding up a mirror to the way news is reported and the spin that is applied to facts. Exploring the ramifications of your decisions and what information you disseminate to the public, whether that’s becoming a state sponsored outlet or sticking to your responsibilities to provide impartial news, is fascinating. Headliner: NoviNews is an easy recommendation to anyone who fancies something a little bit different.
Afterlife falls into those cracks between game and cinematic creations and is worse for it. Without a UI or any indication on how to experience its branching narrative without blindly stumbling through it, it fails as a VR game. Without the set cinematic frame, of the direction that all standard movies have, you can miss some of the better moments in the because it’s going on behind or to the periphery of your vision. The performances and the more powerful moments of this experience make it easy to see it has been nominated for a number of high profile awards – but for me, this virtual voyeuristic experience lacks the clarity provided by the staples of either medium to really capitalise on its more powerful moments.
What is here and working – the fantastic art style, the smart banter between Ted and Teddy, the first-person FMV’s – shows that Headspun has a tonne of potential but right now, too many rough edges and bugs mean it’s in need of further rehabilitation.
The combat, side missions and boss battled are all a triumph of that original pitch I was served a few years ago, combining the best of mobile gaming wrapped up in a highly polished and visually spending package without any adverts or micro transactions. Unfortunately, It’s just too short. Clocking in at 2 hours for a straight forward play through and ~6 hours for a 100% run, it feels like there could have been more before the formula had ran its course.
Riverbond breaks no new ground but is an enjoyable romp through a highly detailed and eye-catching voxel world that accommodates younger players better than most in this genre. The bosses, as menacing as they look, aren’t quite up to scratch and in co-op, you can easily lose yourself in the action, but if you’ve got a brood of kids to entertain and a few Dualshock 4 controllers handy, you can easily get 7-10 hours of fun out of this game before the repetition sets in. Perfect for a rainy day.
Roarr! Jurassic Edition on PS4 is a budget title for a budget price. It’s 5-6 hours of family friendly, repetitive button mashing in a clean but simplistic world set to a half-decent soundtrack. The occasional bug, the difficulty that goes from too easy to cheaply unfair and zero replayability beyond butting a dress on a T-Rex mean any potential the game has is squandered however.
PC Building Simulator on PS4 is an enchanting game, channelling creativity and problem solving through the medium of making and fixing computers that even a PC newcomer like I can get to grips with and wholeheartedly enjoy. I do wish the game had spent a little more time explaining 3DMark scoring and overclocking as these are areas that it skips over too quickly for my liking but otherwise, this is a game that's easy to access, even easier to lose an afternoon too and is a great translation of the PC version.
Bouncy Bullets is one of Petite Games’ better concepts but it’s a game that doesn’t make full use of its potential with its design. It’s a colourful game with an excellent soundtrack but the frame rate issues when using bounce pads, the thicker than custard AI and the shortness to the game relegate this to yet more Trophy Hunter fodder and little else. A real shame.