Britt Roberts's Reviews
Dark Deity was one of my favourite turn-based games of the last few years, Sword & Axe LLC are a developer very dear to my heart due to how they manage to keep such tried and tested genre mechanics feeling fresh and satisfying by creating such a rich and fully rounded gaming experience. This sequel effectively polishes and shines that robust core design into a game that feels even more inviting and satisfying to play. If you are a fan of Fire Emblem or the Shining Force series of games, this isn’t just a recommendation, it should be on the national curriculum! Awesome stuff.
The Edge of Allegoria is a game that captures the nostalgic Game Boy vibe with nice pixel visuals and a charming soundtrack tied to tried ‘n tested mechanics that are bolstered to a sense of humour that will probably be a little divisive, although it does give the game its roguish character.
As you can tell, I very much enjoyed Chronicles of the Wolf. Yes, it’s derivative and takes a lot of style from the historic giants of the genre, but in my eyes it surpasses – or at the very least matches up to - those it apes. A visually and sonically beautiful creation that utilises tried and tested gameplay, this is a huge thumbs up from us at GF, and very much a contender for game of the year, blinking lovely stuff. 🐺Right, I’m off to kick a thirty-foot tall werewolf in the balls for making me drop my croissant.🥐
The most fun I’ve had with Match 3 since Metropolis: Lux Obscura back in 2017, the sense of humour and light-hearted style perfectly ‘matches’ the game mechanics, a great twist in a genre that can be pretty standard and functional…I just need to wait for Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 5 now.
The blend of incredible atmosphere, importance of audio, stylish visuals and simple gameplay come together here in a game that feels luxurious to dive into. The stark graphical style and comic-book nods add to that sense of a pulpy narrative, and the pull of raw America and its myriad citizens bring the states to life in a way that kept me coming back for more. Serious Sim have definitely nailed a vibe here, and it’s a vibe I’d very much like to see continued in future games, lovely stuff.
There are a lot of very good things about Echoes of the End, mainly linked to the lore, visuals, audio and voicework, but the core puzzle gameplay dragged it down for me. I can imagine some folks – for whom environmental puzzling is a boon – will really connect with the game, but for me, I wish I’d spent more time with the characters and combat than walking into myriad locked-off areas and gritting my teeth for yet more puzzles that felt like padding.
Digital Eclipse have delivered a collection of genuine arcade classics, and it is a joy to re-live them again, but nostalgia can only go so far, and as much as I’m enjoying my time with this collection. I feel that in order to really, really get the most out of the Golden Tee series…you need that sweet, sweet trackball.
Voice chat issues aside, Ready or Not really captured our imagination, and even when you get taken down in a mission, the spectator mode is almost as thrilling due to the tension in-game, as you will your team mates to make it through. There’s a grittiness to Ready or Not that bleeds through all aspects of the game and make it a serious contender in the world of online co-op tactical action titles, with the narrative thread also making it a recommendation if you intend on playing in single player mode, and if you are really keen on it – there is already a load of DLC to devour. Good!
Victory Heat Rally is a fun and pacey racing game that plays to its strengths with regard to the drifting, breeziness, and sheer speed of the action. That said, it doesn’t quite have enough of an identity – or depth – to make Victory Heat Rally feel like a ‘must have’ racer on the system.
Whilst Stormy Knights has appealing visuals, tight controls, a pleasingly simple premise, and music that suits the ambience – after a while the rigid structure of the game, and minor variances in how each battle plays out wore me down a little and even though this is a short game, I feel like my patience had worn out by the time I approached the endgame. A decent little title to dip in and out of in short bursts, but it does feel like it needs more variation or depth to get the most out of the premise.
Locomoto is one of the best games I’ve played in the cosy genre, and I was surprised at how involved I got, you always feel like you are making progress toward a fun goal as opposed to pottering around, passing time – and the whole premise of being a train driver, conductor, waiter, private eye, cleaner, postal worker, and all-round problem solver is as appealing as it sounds, making the moment-to-moment gameplay pure charm. This is one that will be installed on our family Switch for a long time to come!
Kiborg is a game I find myself going back to for quick blasts quite often, but the more the game infuriates me, and repetition sets in as the enemy patterns and tricks get oh-so-familiar, the more I hope for a future update that adds some sort of co-op campaign, because the combat mechanics here are so fun, varied, and engaging that it just feels that Kiborg is crying out to be so much more than the technically impressive but lonely and slightly repetitive game that it is.
Jerry Anker: and The Quest to Get Love is a fun and funny game that aims to titillate and does the job successfully. This is admittedly a niche genre, but it’s always good to see competent, saucy games going strong on modern systems, it would have been a bonus for a little extra attention to be paid to some of the issues with the dialogue, but the effort that Funbox Media have put into the physical release shows their faith in the game. I very much to look forward to what comes next! And admit it, deep down, in our heart of hearts...we’re all a bunch of ankers.
Questline have created what could very possible be my game of the year, and I very much look forward to what they work on next, as should you.
There’s a lot to love here, with the only drawbacks really being that Kemono Heroes feels like it could get slightly lost in the shuffle due to perhaps not carving out enough of an identity in such a rich genre, and the fact that with three or more players, things get so hectic on screen that it’s hard to keep track of who is doing what, especially with the animations being so busy and satisfying – a boon in single player mode, but a little too over the top in co-op. That said, these are relatively minor quibbles, and in the end, Kemono Heroes is a fun game to blast through with friends, just be prepared to help each other up when things get a bit bonkers!
A zombie game with character and class, this is a title that may be divisive in terms of its design and layout, but I can imagine it’ll gain quite a hardcore audience of fans that relish its indie charms. The fact that it’s currently available on Xbox for a tenner is astonishing when you consider the amount on offer, and, as it has been created by such a small team, it has that quirkiness, verve and drive that only indie games driven by a solitary vision can generate, warts ‘n all.
Dragged down a little by the perfunctory combat, Trident’s Tale is nonetheless a fun pirate adventure that nails the visuals, tonal balance, and jaunty music. It feels like an adventure, and the quirky cast of characters that you’ll meet combined with the charm of the world makes Trident’s Tale a title we at GF recommend to everyone out there… except landlubbers!
The Precinct is almost exactly the game that I hoped would follow up American Fugitive, it’s got an effortlessly cool vibe, almost nails the balance of gameplay with the heavy arcade action sprinkled tastefully with a soupcon of RPG and simulation elements that keep things exciting and offer depth without feeling overwhelming. Whilst some may find the pretty constant arrests and surprisingly pacey gameplay a little repetitive, it makes the game great from a pick-up-and-play point of view, and the snappy procedural mechanics quite frankly put some other games in the same genre to shame. Right, I’m off the clean up the streets of Averno City!
It's a strong entry in terms of visuals and design, but the lack of any depth really does drag this racer down a little. Casual Brothers clearly have the technical wizardry to create a very cool karting game, but there’s not quite enough on the bone here to make it a must-play recommendation. That said, the 60fps gameplay, and familiarity of design does mean that this does absolutely have its pluses for perhaps a younger group of players.
A simple premise that is easy enough to grasp, but does leave the more in-depth gameplay elements and customisations in a bit of a grey area until you get to grips with them, Peglin is a solid entry in the genre with old-school vibes and a cool, breezy soundtrack. I think this will be installed on my Xbox for quite a while!