It had been several years since I had played Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon so I was a tad worried about doing the series justice in this review, but I can definitely say that outside of a couple of issues with giant insects blocking my camera view, repeatedly getting knocked down when surrounded by the critters, and the sensitivity of clicking L3 to turn around when moving backwards, Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is a solid entry into the EDF series and one that anyone wanting to blast the heck out of giant insects should enjoy.
Whether you’re experienced with the series or if this is your first time, Trine 4 is a simple and relaxing puzzle-solving adventure that anyone can enjoy.
If you're not worried about a major story or a lot of strategy but still want to see what the monster hunting genre is like without shelling out a lot of money, Dauntless is a nice free-to-play game to ease you into things.
As it is, though, Poly Bridge 2 is very enjoyable and can bring some levels of satisfaction when you finally finish a bridge under budget and without it breaking at any point. It’s a very casual and relaxing game that doesn’t rush you in any way. I’m not going to lie, the game gets a laugh out of me every now and then when my bridge breaks and the driver of the vehicle just drives into the water anyway. Everything looks great from a visual standpoint. While there's no progression system with everything open from the start, there's still a challenge aspect as long as you don't view the Gallery before completing a level. It does take some time to get the hang of the physics, and you might wonder a few times how your bridge broke. Being able to take on any level at any time means you can play a level or two if you're short on time. Plus the music is nice and relaxing for a game that will see vehicles driving into the water on a regular basis.
It's been over 20 years since the last Battletoads game-and it was worth the wait. Battletoads is an enjoyable game that brings back the fun beat-em-up aspects of the originals, as well as humorous cutscenes, and minigame stages that show just what happens after the Toads realize their glory days are over.
Aspire: Ina's Tale is an enjoyable platform-puzzler with a great story and a relaxing atmosphere, but it's one drawback is its short length. If you know what you're doing or are pretty good at solving puzzles that involve platforming, the game should only take you a few hours to complete. If you don't mind that though, Aspire: Ina's Tale has a great story and a relaxing atmosphere that's worth checking out.
Time Master is an incredible puzzle game with great visuals and interesting gameplay mechanics that are executed almost flawlessly. There are a few minor issues; a somewhat empty story outside of Zeno saving his sister, as well as the need to be pixel-perfect to obtain some of the three-star rankings. But thankfully you can play the game casually and still finish the game's story without too much stress.
Wonder Boy Collection may be a bit short on the extras, but the four games included still make for a very solid collection. Wonder Boy and Wonder Boy in Monster Land are great for arcade gamers and the options let you tweak things to make the games easier or harder to suit your skill level. Meanwhile, Wonder Boy in Monster World and Monster World IV are great for console gamers, offering very fluid controls and a more relaxing style of gameplay where you're not rushed by a timer wanting to devour your quarters. Whether you're a fan of the series or just stepping in for the first time, Wonder Boy Collection is bound to have at least one or two games that everyone can enjoy.
Hunt the Night requires a lot of skill and a lot of patience, but becomes more enjoyable once you learn how everything works. Everything looks, sounds, and controls great, and you'll definitely begin to feel the challenge even in the opening areas of the game.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a great game that really goes deep into each of its cases to prove who the real culprit is, sometimes to a fault. The Mystery Labyrinths can tend to go on for a bit despite knowing who the real culprit is halfway through and Shinigami's sense of humor can get a tad annoying at times. It also doesn't help that after going through a few hours of how the crime was committed, you then basically get to relive the entire crime two more times which at that point just feels like the game is padding itself. Overall though, if you're up for solving some mysteries with a purple ghost sidekick, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is definitely worth checking out.
30XX is a marked improvement over its predecessor. Beyond the permadeath Standard Mode, you can check out Mega Mode if you'd rather choose your level order and can also create and upload your own levels or chunks of levels. The ability to play as either Nina or Ace and can switch between runs in Standard mode, or play co-op, means you can choose whoever better suits your playstyle. Make no mistake though - even if you're a fan of Mega Man (specifically Mega Man X) you'll still find plenty of challenges as you make your way through, but for it's a challenge I definitely recommend checking out.
TEVI is an enjoyable game with a great art style, fun dialogue, and a combat system that can somehow be both simple and complex at the same time. The Metroidvania-style gameplay isn't quite as strict as others in the genre and most of the bullet hell scenarios take place during the boss fights which require a good amount of patience and strategy. If you enjoy the demo, I definitely recommend checking out the full version.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell doesn't do anything groundbreaking for Metroidvanias, but it really doesn't need to. The art style and music suit the game well given the story and the various sigils, relics, and companions to collect, along with health and magic upgrades, give you plenty of ways to customize your playstyle, though they can make things a bit easier than it seem like they should. If you enjoyed Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight or just have a bit of a Metroidvania itch, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell can definitely scratch it for a while.
Steamworld Dig is a fun game, but it's pretty short and can get repetitive after a while.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is enjoyable but rather easy, even in later stages. The main attraction here is the stage builder where after unlocking everything you can build practically any kind of stage you wish. While some people tend to make stages simply to give easy stars in the hopes of getting easy stars in return, there are stages where a lot of thought was put into them and are challenging. If you like the series, you'll enjoy Tipping Stars, but you might find it a bit too easy.
Sportsball is a fun and fast paced game…when played with friends. Sadly there's very little single-player content to be worth the ten dollars if you rarely have other people to play with, and there's also no online play at all, but beyond that Sportsball can make for a fun afternoon of soccer with a bit of Joust thrown in.
Fenix Rage is a pretty good game, but can also be a frustrating experience. If you don't mind the fact that it could almost pass for a sequel to Super Meat Boy and that the difficulty curve is all over the place and can easily make you frustrated, it is an enjoyable experience. If any game needs Nintendo's reminder to take a break now and then, this would be the one.
All in all, Concursion is a fairly solid game, but there are some issues here and there. The graphics and animation are so-so, the difficulty curve can be steep and times, and the bosses can be pretty tedious. Overall though, if you're into classic gaming genres I'd at least give the demo a shot before picking up the full game.
Life Goes On is an ingenious puzzle game that puts a whole new spin on dying in video games. Sadly its' biggest downfall is the fact that the game is on the short and easy side, but if you're trying to get every achievement and medal in the game, you can squeeze out a few more hours from this one. If you don't mind all of that, I definitely recommend picking this one up.
Swords and Soldiers II is an entertaining RTS game that doesn't take itself too seriously. That being said hardcore RTS players might find this one a bit too "silly" for their tastes, though players new to RTS games might find it enjoyable, especially with the option to go through any stage on Easy Mode. Either way, while not the best RTS game out there, it is an enjoyable one.