You can blow through this whole game in a couple hours and there is no reason to go back. In fact, you can platinum this game by level seven of world one.
PUSS! is a lot of flash, but little substance. The visuals are a treat for the eyes and it will leave you bewildered and talking about it. Unfortunately, once the the shock of the ridiculous visuals wears off, you’re left with a pretty basic game. A basic game that doesn’t even play all that well on the Nintendo Switch platform.
I absolutely loved Blue Fire and think it is an amazing indie title worth your time. From its clear inspirations from the greats and its way of incorporating those action, adventure, RPG, and platforming elements into one game is fantastic. However, it does suffer that unpolished feeling of an indie.
I was really hoping to be impressed with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, but it unfortunately actively tried to ruin itself. It’s not poorly made, or glitchy, or unplayable, it’s just unbelievably mediocre. In fact, the best thing about the game is the real life documentary in it that interviews real vets.
Unto the End is a clear labor of love from 2 Ton Studios and they created something great here. The mix of different styles and systems paired with the unforgiving nature is refreshing.
There is an enjoyable aerial combat game here with a unique story and setting, but the grind and monotonous mission structures hamper it.
Budget Cuts does a good job keeping you intrigued throughout its very short run time. There is definitely a fun gameplay hook of sneaking through offices and solving puzzles. Unfortunately, the adversaries are easily fooled and puzzles are a bit too simple.
The fact this was accomplished form a single person is enough to be impressed by. As a tech demo, this is spectacular, however, this is being sold as a game for $8 on the MS store, and it is not worth the asking price. Playing this did get me more interested for the upcoming Bright Memory Infinite, but be aware that you’re paying for a 30 minute teaser.
The Walking Dead Onslaught is not the type of licensed game that ended up surprising me. Nor was it so bad that it ended up being an endearing cheesy experience I could laugh at and have fun with. Unfortunately, it’s an uninspired title that even lacks the depth of its fellow The Walking Dead VR games.
Gleamlight is a game that could be something great, but squanders it at every turn. It’s on the right track by taking inspiration from a couple of great games, unfortunately, it never comes close to matching them. There is no purpose to the game conveyed through tone, music, characters, or text that will urge you to continue. If I had not been reviewing this, thus feeling obligated to flesh out the game, I would have stopped after the first forty-five minute run-through.
Honestly, it hurts me to have to give this game such a bashing, because I do enjoy the series. There are some good things about Serious Sam 4, and some fun moments. Unfortunately, it mostly feels uninspired in its overall design. However, what really kills the experience is the severe lack of polish and quality control presented here. This needs more time in the oven and that is why even if you’re a fan, I suggest you wait on more patches.
BPM is a a combination of great ideas and for the most part it nails what it’s going for. The melding of the intense FPS combat set to the beat of metal makes for some really great moments. Unfortunately, the roguelike and RNG aspects that rule the game need a bit of work.
Windbound is an intriguing game full of mystery and wonder, and does a lot right. I’m not the biggest fan of survival and crafting games, but these systems are well implimented and balanced properly. They also add a lot to the feeling of being lost, but pushing forward in order to uncover this mystery.
PGA Tour 2K21 is a well-made golf game that features a ton of gameplay options for its audience. Being able to choose through a large list of options to fully tailor your type of gameplay is incredible. However, I feel like it can’t decide whether it wants to dip more into arcade territory or just remain as a simulator. I hope they will find a way to cater to both eventually, but this is a big step in the right direction.
The ideas, characters, humor, and gameplay make for a very enjoyable time despite a few annoyances. If you’re looking for your next puzzle game fix and want to experience a silly romp through Norse mythology, or if you’re a masochist who likes the idea of ripping your limbs off; I fully recommend picking up Helheim Hassle.
Carrion is a fantastic game that flips horror tropes on their heads and allows you to be the one slaughtering the ignorant and incompetent humans. There is actually a lot more depth to the gameplay than I anticipated, which never led to a dull moment.
REZ PLZ was a fantastic surprise that had a great idea and fully dove into it. It fills a void in the video game industry that has mostly turned its back on couch co-op. Not only it does that pretty well, but it also provides a unique experience full of humor and brain teasing puzzles.
Hunting Simulator 2 unfortunately misses the majority of feelings that come with actual hunting. With cumbersome systems, clunky gameplay, unbalanced currency system, and no dynamic day/night cycle, Hunting Simulator 2 feels like a test of patience in the wrong way, that ultimately does not pay off.
Roguelikes are a dime a dozen nowadays, especially in the indie scene. A lot of them end up falling flat because they don’t understand what makes the genre so addicting to begin with. That wasn’t the case here. Aside from a few issues and its slow beginning, West of Dead sits at the top of the pile, being one of my favories games in the genre.
The TakeOver is a really great salute to the old school beat ’em up genre, and if you enjoyed Streets of Rage 4, then I totally recommend you picking this one up. It’s easy to overlook its handful of shortcomings due to its excellent moment-to-moment gameplay.