The Cabin Factory is s surprisingly unique and enjoyable liminal horror experience. While the gameplay is limited, it does require a bit of thinking and investigating skills as the game will do things to throw you off. However, it is annoying that you have to start over everytime to miss a decision. Every horror game fans should definitely pick this up as it’ll keep you busy for an hour or so, depending on how your investigating skills are.
To be honest, just before Street Racer Collection released, I was on the hunt for a Super NES or PS1 copy of this game. Let’s just say that I’m not anymore. This is another scenario that the memories are better than the real thing. I remember having blast on the Super NES, but playing this collection made me realized that this game has not aged well. It can be good fun with friends, but this is another example of a game that should’ve stayed in the past. Unless you were a diehard fan of this series, this is an easy pass.
The game looks great as a whole; nothing revolutionary as it combines somewhat cutesy characters presented in a dark and depressing manner. Also the fact that there’s a lot of blood when killing enemies. There’s a decent variety in terms of dungeon design, but each level remains drab and depressing matching the game’s dark undertones. The soundtrack is an eerie and creepy affair that marries itself very well with the environments. While not really an issue per se, but the rogue like genre isn’t for everyone. Some gamers want to feel like they are making progress but losing everything when dying and having to start all over again can also be incredibly irritating. Also while enemies can shoot in all directions, Isaac can only shoot in four directions: left, right, up and down. If you’re a fan of the genre and have yet to dabble in Isaac’s mis-adventures, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is must play. It’s a complete package of all the content released for The Binding of Isaac. There’s a bevy of power-ups to use, fun and challenging boss fights to tackle and a plethora of endings to unlock for the completionists. Unfortunately, if you’re not a fan of the genre, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance will not change your mind as it can be incredibly rough at times; so much so that you’ll die in first level after barely exploring 1-2 areas. If you’re looking for a challenge, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is a must play.
R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is a fun, addictive shmup. While offering a reasonable challenge, it’s not “pulling out your hair” hard. It’s overall well balanced and any death incurred are on you; this game will make you learn from your mistake. Fans of the genre will be happy to have something new to (re)visit while this game is properly balanced for newcomers wanting to jump into the genre.
Neon Inferno is an excellent game which offers a nice unique twist on the 2D run and gun genre. The mix of both genres works out surprisingly well. The game will keep players on their toes with its addictive and solid gameplay. The different levels of difficulty will keep players busy for sometime. While there are some minor nuisances such as too much at once and not buying able to move while shooting in the background, these things are easy to adapt to and are parts of the game’s charm. Neon Inferno is one of the best games I’ve played in recent memory and deserves your time and money. Don’t believe me? Try the demo for yourself.
Virtua Fighter 5 is a game that ages like fine wine. It was a great game way back when it released almost 20 years and this new rendition, R.E.V.O. World Stage, still holds up perfectly and can stand toe to toe with SF6 and Tekken 8. The downside being is that the game requires a bit of dedication in order to get a grasp of the controls and mechanics. World Stage is a great addictive mode that does feel like you’re progressing. Whether you’ve had your fill of Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8 or simply need a new challenge, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is a great game that feels actually rewarding. Highly recommended.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with The House of the Dead 2: Remake, I still question who wants this and why no one has ever decided to make a new light gun to enjoy these games. Using a controller for such precise movement feels clunky; but at least you can play with one hand. If you enjoyed the original back in the day, this is for you, but if you’ve never played it, especially in the arcade, this is a hard sell.
If you’re looking for a classic Painkiller experience, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for another multiplayer experience akin to Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood, then this Painkiller is for you. Solo or not, this is an enjoyable, albeit shallow experience. Limited level variety, shockingly low quantity of weapon, but the gameplay itself is quite solid and addictive. The shooting is fun, mods on weapons also give a bit of variety.
Gravity Heroes is an interesting 2D action platformer with its gravity mechanics that has players figuratively flying around the area; it’s even more chaos with up to four players. It also make boss battles more fun than just shooting and jumping. However, the Gravity Shifter gets old fast; unless you play in short bursts. It has its charm, but don’t expect it to grab your attention for long gaming sessions.
Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit is another great game and excellent homage to classic games from the NES era. The challenge is hard, but fair, level design is really fun, tight controls, but the game is quite short and there’s no real replay value, but the core gameplay is addictive; I kept returning to play it. This game will definitely fall in my top 10 of the year and I can easily see myself replaying it. Highly recommended.
Forgive Me Father 2 is a great first person shooter. Surprisingly decent weaponry, mostly enjoyable level design and intense sequences of fight. However, as you’d expect, it’s a bit repetitive after a while and platforming isn’t ideal in an FPS. If you’re looking for balls to the walls action and colorful weaponry, Forgive Me Father 2 is one of the best games of 2025.
Due to the collaboration of two of my favorite developers, SWERY and SUDA51, Hotel Barcelona was one of my highest anticipated games of the year. Unfortunately, it’s a disappointment. The best way to describe Hotel Barcelona? A 2D Soulslike(-like) mixed with roguelite mechanics; two genres that don’t mesh all that well. Having to repeat the same things and levels constantly with ever changing conditions doesn’t allow gamers to practice and remember patterns. Due to the difficulty, there’s a focus on grinding to level up and upgrading your skills, but it gets frustrating after a while. The levels are enjoyable, but you’ll get annoyed having to replay them for the 10th time. There’s potential here buried under forced grinding. I can’t recommend this to anyone else but the masochists.
Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is a fun and very tense first person shooter. Unlike typical horror games like Resident Evil or more recently Cronos: The New Dawn where you see enemies walking towards you, Xenomorphs come from all corners of a room which adds a layer of tension. However, it is short and features a bit of backtracking. That being said, if you can overlook these quirks, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is absolutely worth it.
Hate to say it, but I can understand why WayForward couldn’t find a publisher back in 2002. Shantae Advance is one of the weakest entries in the series. Irritating boss battles, lack of maps, boring levels and the “where the fuck do I go” kind of approach sucks the fun out of it. However, it’s great that WayForward and LRG were able to finish this project for long time fans of the Shantae series, but if you’re looking to dive into the purple hair protagonist’s adventure, try Shantae and the Seven Sirens instead.
I was looking forward to giving Baki Hanma: Blood Arena a whirl; I loved Punch-Out!! back in the day, so I was happy to try this. And as much as I wanted to like it, it feels incredibly unforgiving with little to no margin for error. A single mistake can cost you the fight having you to restart over and over again. If you’re a gaming masochist looking for your next punishment, then Baki Hanma: Blood Arena is ripe for you. However, if you’re looking for an enjoyable gaming experience, this is an easy pass.
Gradius Origins is a great collection of classics that gives a look back in the past. Fans of challenging games or shumps will absolutely find something to chew on with this bundle. While it does feel lacking in terms of variety given the game’s storied history, the different versions give players a reason to try differente ones. Gradius Origins is also a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes in the genre.
NHL 26 is another enjoyable entry to the long lineage of EA’s flagship hockey franchise. There’s enough content to keep hardcore players hoooked and more game modes that you can shake a stick at. Whereas the game’s accessibility features can tailor the experience to welcome in newcomers with open arms. Long time fans of the series are sure to be quite happy with this latest entry. But Be a Pro mode aside and the addictive Ones Now, there’s isn’t much that justifies buying it if you already have NHL 25 and/or NHL 24; unless you’re OCD and need to complete your collection.
Luto is a tense, cryptic walking sim that’ll challenge players’ puzzling skills and patience as it moves relatively slow. The house is well designed and the game offers unique mechanics that will mess with players. Although given its sluggishness and puzzle based gameplay, this might turn off some gamers looking for some good scares and actions. If you’re a die-hard fan of the horror genre, you’ll absolutely want to play Luto. For those looking for something a bit faster and terrifying might want to look elsewhere.
Ra Ra Boom is a by number beat’em up. Go from point A to B, beat up everything in your path, beat the boss, rinse, repeat. The upgrades are pretty fun and allows some (or little) combat depth. However, the game is riddled with cheap enemies, regular enemies that hit harder than bosses; and I’ve also had a few issues of game crashing during the first hour. If you love the genre, this is a no brainer. If you’re looking to jump in the genre, there are better options out there such as Fight N’ Rage.
Madden NFL 26 is an enjoyable and incredibly complete package. There’s something for the long time fans while there’s enough for newcomers with proper accessibility features to give players a chance to adapt to the gameplay. But as with any sports games that release on a yearly basis, where’s the innovation? Where’s the big changes that’ll make dropping £69.99 for a game that feels like previous entries. If you’re a die hard (american) football fan that knows all the stats, then this is a no-brainer. If you’re a casual player and haven’t played a Madden game in a few years, then this package will bring you up to date.