Ian Howarth's Reviews
Nevertheless I have to give BetaDwarf props for trying something different here by mixing up an original blend of genres and for creating something innovative. And although I’m afraid I’m going to have to recommend the original Forced over Showdown any day, I really hope that this team keeps striving to create new and interesting concepts because that is sadly something pretty hard to come by nowadays.
It's unfortunate to see something new explored but not working out and becoming the 'simple but addicting' gameplay I assume it was meant to be.
I had a lot of fun and frustration during my time playing Clandestine and whilst I'm a huge fan of co-op and love to see how it being implemented in refreshing new ways, I still felt like I was playing an early access game, where only the core functionality had been completed, albeit with some pretty strange and often hilarious bugs, such as taking guards out through walls and the most randomly broken cutscenes I've ever seen.
Either way, Forced is still a cool game that I will always go back to when I’m craving a challenge with a couple of friends.
Overall, Shantae: Risky's Revenge is a nice throwback, even if it's not really that old, with a single glaring problem – being 'Metroidvania' style comes with some responsibilities that this title just couldn't hold up its end of the bargain for.
Ultimately, I believe that the Hatred team simply tried to make something controversial in the hopes that nobody would notice how forgettable their title is.
If you really like puzzles and parkour mechanics, check this one out, otherwise you might not find what you’re looking for.
I'm afraid that whilst The Deer God was boasted as "a breathtaking 3d pixel art game that will challenge your religion and your platforming skills", the only thing that it really challenged was my patience. It did look pretty nice though.
There is a lot on offer from Deathtrap and although much of it feels used, it certainly feels nice to just slip into that safe zone and simply just enjoy what you have in front of you.
Forced is absolutely brutal, requiring constant team communication, clever problem solving and the mastery of combat skills. It can be an incredible amount of fun and is highly recommended for any group of gamer friends (casual gamers may get their asses kicked).
In the end I did enjoy Shelter but I don’t think it’s for everyone and unfortunately, instead of condensing an experience to fit a smaller time-frame, it felt more like the experience was just cut short.
It’s exactly the type of game I would recommend to indie fans that are looking for something a bit different.
Teleglitch is a unique combination of a number of different, but common, gameplay features that mash-up into a great game.
The actual game has smooth and responsive controls, an appropriate soundtrack and a particular lean-back quality that I do enjoy, allowing me to quickly jump into a game that is pretty relaxed and simple to play. But that is just enough.
Unfortunately, the enemy types are fairly limited, combat is mindless, bosses are extremely generic, and the final boss battle was the most disappointing finale that I can recall from the past few years. Although, the game overall was not a letdown, as I got exactly what I expected with a story told like some crazy paradox by a character you can’t help but enjoy
Overall, Denpa Men 2 is a vast improvement over the first with the addition of a rather large over-world to explore, a classic RPG soundtrack, a seemingly shallow story that evolves into a deeper (but still comical) tale as you progress, and great 3D visuals with the dungeons actually looking deep due to the semi top-down view.
With the addition of a fun multiplayer mode and some clever challenges to keep a player coming back, this could have been something special, though sadly it ends up a simple game with solid mechanics but little replay value.
It’s a shame that such smooth controls, great audio and classic visuals were wasted on a game that is just so outdated.
For a game that was created by just two students, it’s an accomplishment to be incredibly proud of and I know that I’ll be gifting a few of my friends this game throughout the year, even if it is only to drive them crazy with confusion too.
RPGs are usually very long, and as many of us have grown up, we simply don’t have the time to play through them anymore, making Evoland an extraordinary journey through a much simpler time that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.