You play as Lilly Witchgan and her various personalities. Levels are either puzzles (where you control two of Lilly’s personalities at once) or story interludes where you may also learn a new skill to be used in future puzzles. The difficulty lies in having to control two characters at once as you try to avoid the obstacles to get to the end of the level. Characters may move in different directions. For example, pushing ‘up’ on the directional joystick may move one of the characters up and the other down. Obstacles also appear in different locations for each of the characters.
As a fan of emotive music and story-driven games like the Life Is Strange series and Tell Me Why, I was excited to see a title like Of Bird and Cage appear on the market. It seemed to promise a blend of deep narrative and powerful music. After watching the trailer, my interest had well and truly been piqued. Check out my rapid review below to find out if this musical endeavour delivered on its promises.
Dull Grey is an award-winning visual novel from Provodnik Games which was originally written in Russian by Roman Vlasov. Let’s get straight to it; was this game a ray of sunshine in my review pile, or was it a cloudy day as the title suggests? Find out below in my Rapid Review.
The allure of a cyberpunk themed game proved too strong for me to say no. Bright neon lights, futuristic scenes and a range of seemingly devastating weaponry caught my eye. My interest well and truly piqued, I wondered what lay in store as I began my journey through The Ascent. Was I wowed by the lights, or tricked by the glare? Read my Rapid Review to see how I got on.
She Sees Red is a title which blends the genres of film and video game. This interactive movie from Rhinotales became available to play on the Xbox platform in August this year. I spent some time over the New Year playing through the different storylines to bring you this rapid review.
Blind Men did not seem like the typical type of game I would enjoy at first glance. However, you don’t find new things by sticking inside your comfort zone. So, in the interest of broadening my gaming horizons, I took the plunge and tried something out of my usual taste range.
There’s a very simple premise to Isle of Spirits; survive long enough to escape. You must use the available resources on the island to keep yourself fed, warm and protected from the elements whilst also constructing your escape raft. It’s worth getting some sleep every once in a while too, or you’ll find yourself taking impromptu naps – wherever you are and whatever you’re doing!
The colour palette and animation style in the trailer for Little Bug are what attracted me to reviewing this title. Did they keep me captivated throughout my time with this game? What else did it have to offer? Find out in my Rapid Review below.
Earlier this year, in the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, Scorn was announced as one of the games that would be available to play day one on Game Pass. I used the feature that allows you to download in advance so that I was ready to play on Friday. Survival horror is my all-time favourite genre, so when Game Pass delivers a title even remotely close to this, I’m there sniffing around to see if it’s my kind of gig. From the trailer, Scorn seemed like it would fit right in with the darker side of my gaming tastes. Read my Rapid Review to find out if it delivered on its promise.
Back in 2020, I reviewed Jisei: The First Case HD, when Ratalika Games S.L. ported the first instalment of the Jisei Series from PC onto consoles. The port of the second instalment, Kansei: The Second Turn HD, arrived a short time after the release of the next generation of Xbox and PlayStation consoles. I reviewed the Xbox version, which is optimised for Series X|S. Did I find the next game in the series as engaging as the first? Find out here in my Rapid Review.
How To Take Off Your Mask Remastered is a visual novel set in the fantasy world of Eroolia, where humans live alongside a sort of hybrid cat-human species of beings called Luccretias. How To Take Off Your Mask was originally released in 2015 only on PC (Mac and Windows). The remastered version means that the game is now available to enjoy on consoles as well. However, is this port worth a try? Read my Rapid Review to find out.
The events of World War II are widely documented from the point of view of the allied forces. You don’t have to search too far to come across stories of the French resistance who fought against the Nazis. But what about those Germans who opposed Hitler’s regime? Through the Darkest of Times takes you on a journey through the build-up and key events of WWII from a German resistance group’s perspective. Sound interesting? Read on to find out more.
Darkestville Castle is a creepy point and click adventure from Epic Llama/Buka Development. It takes you on a journey full of puzzles, mythical creatures and unusual conversations – all from the perspective of a demon. Here is what I made of it all.
I have a keen interest in martial arts, Chinese and Japanese cultures and of course, beating up videogame baddies. This gives a fairly comprehensive explanation as to why 9 Monkeys of Shaolin appealed to me in the first place. It has all the ingredients to be a hit for gamers with tastes similar to mine. Read on to find out what I made of this beat’em up from Russia based developers, Sobaka Studio.
Jisei: The First Case HD is not a new game. It’s a port to Xbox One (also to PS4 and Nintendo Switch, although I don’t mention those versions in this review) by Ratalaika Games S.L. of the first game in the Jisei series, created by SakeVisual and released in 2010. Originally the game was available on a variety of operating systems for PC. I didn’t play the first release; therefore, I had no preconception of how the game should look or play. However, did it feel like I was playing an old has-been that should have been left buried, or has the port to a console given the title a new lease of life?
I am far more accustomed to playing games where my character is equipped with a gun than a sword, so it’s fair to say that Thy Sword is not the typical type of game that I choose. So, was it good to get out of my comfort zone, or did I find myself longing to get back to more familiar ground?
Broken Pieces caught my eye as it seemed like it had the potential for a fulfilling single-player adventure. After spending quite a lot of time immersed in multiplayer games recently, this promised to be a welcome change of pace. Find out whether Broken Pieces hit the mark in my Rapid Review below.
Martha Is Dead launched on 24th February 2022 under the publicity of certain scenes being censored from the PlayStation version of the game. We already knew that this title would address potentially upsetting topics such as psychological trauma and scenes of self-harm and mutilation, now the door had been opened for speculation about whether there would be some particularly gruesome content in store for players. In this Rapid Review, I share my thoughts on the uncensored PC version of the game.
In the run-up to the release of Aliens: Fireteam Elite, fellow Rapid Reviewer Ciaran McGinn shared a few of his thoughts on the perfect Alien(s) game. My own love affair with the Alien(s) franchise began in my childhood. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at how old I was when I watched Aliens (the film that began it all for me) – too young most likely.
Every once in a while, a little gem drops onto your review list. Vesper is one such gem. It’s one of those games that stays with you long after you finish playing. What is it about this indie title from Cordens Interactive that I found so enchanting? You’ll have to read my Rapid Review below to find out.