Rushing Beat X: Return Of Brawl Brothers is one of the best beat’em ups of the last few years. And a surprising entry in a series that had been dormant for so long. Having a decent variety of characters to choose from, being able to have an inventory of health items and weapons is more enjoyable than being forced to use them outright. While the movements do feel a bit stiff and the control mapping is questionable, once you get acclimated, you’ll find a fun and addictive beat’em up. Highly recommended.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is an absolute blast to play solo with bots or with friends online. It has enough unique nuances that give it a different flair compared to Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood. The gameplay is solid, each class feels unique with their own perks, the driving is tight and it has a fun B-movie presentation. While it’s a bit annoying that it’s requires to be online at all times so people can join, playing with bots is as enjoyable as playing with others for the most part. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is one of the most enjoyable games of the year and it features big dumb fun. Whether to play solo or with friends or randoms, if you enjoy a good shooter, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is for you.
Ebola Village is an incredibly sloppy, unpolished clone of Resident Evil. It looks and plays like a PS2 game, the shooting is flimsy, the visuals are incredibly outdated, the voice over is hilarious, there’s also so much unnecessary backtracking. That being said there is a nugget of a good game here; that could’ve benefited from two years of QA and polish. I know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but not sure this is flattering for Capcom’s flagship series. Unless you’ve 100% all Resident Evil games and cannot get enough of that formula, Ebola Village might tickle your fancy. Otherwise, stick to Capcom’s juggernant.
Basketball Classics is an absolute blasts to play and offers a surprisingly enjoyable experience and alternative to the recycled NBA 2K series that’s also polluted with microtransactions. Basketball Classics encourages replay by allowing players to actually unlock additional content. Whether it be solo or for some local multiplayer fun, Basketball Classics is an addictive gaming experience and can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore gamers alike. Highly recommended.
Backrooms Level X is another perfect example of great indie horror game and shows how indie developers are killing it. The tense atmosphere, unnerving ambiance, unique level design; whether it be a maze or a simple straight forward area makes this one of the most tense and best “horror” game I’ve played in the last year or so. It proves that less is more. If you’re looking for a creepy, tense experience, Backrooms Level X is a must play.
Unfortunately, Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake is an unnecessary remake that wasted Team Ninja’s skillset as a developer; they should’ve been hard at work on Ninja Gaiden 4 instead. The fact that it looks and feels like a late PS3/Xbox 360 game is telling. Janky movement, clunky/jerky combat. Can’t help but feel that a simple improved port of the original would’ve been better. It’s not a bad game, it just feels generic. Unless you’re a diehard of the series, you can skip this.Ho pefully they focus on creating new entries without restraints of past stories instead of ruining the legacy of the original trilogy.
Originally released for the PC-Engine in 1990, and based on a manga of the same namesake, City Hunter tells the story of Ryo Saeba, a man known as a City Hunter. He’s basically a cleaner that tackles a myriad of jobs ensuring the protection of women from assassinations. His partner, Kaori, also helps him in his mission to clean the city of bad guys. City Hunter is a 2D action game where players run around buildings, opening doors for mission-critical NPCs and items all the while shooting various thugs barring down your path. Some doors won’t open, some doors will lead to empty rooms. It’s also trial and error. All doors are the same so you never know which one opens. This release includes the original default difficulty setting but also a brand new, more forgiving, Enhanced mode. Also as it is common with rereleases of classics from the 1990s, City Hunter features a rewind feature to correct some mistakes or come back from the dead. If you come across a scandily lady behind a door, despite her clear anger, you’ll get your health replenished
Scott Pilgrim EX is an enjoyable game. It follows the beat’em up template to a tee and doesn’t take any risks. Despite its questionable pacing and random attribute upgrades, the game is a fun and challenging with a surprisingly addictive combat system. Boss battles provide a fair challenge and this genre is always a good time with a friend. If you enjoy the genre, Scott Pilgrim EX is a decent entry but feels like it could’ve been more.
Romeo is a Dead Man is an absolute banger to start off the year with. Combat, albeit straightforward, is fun and addictive. There’s a decent weapon variety, boss battles are quite challenging, but fair and will keep you on your toes. The myriad of mini-games adds a layer of variety on top of the over the top 3D action. While the subspaces do become a flow breaker, especially in the latter parts of the game, it’s not a deal breaker. If you’re looking for a fun, unique and varied action game, or you’re simply a SUDA51 fan, Romeo is a Dead Man is a no-brainer. Highly recommendeded.
Heart of the Forest is another banger brought to you by Wales Interactive. The game features a great story where you see characters descending into madness. The acting is enjoyable; not too cringe or over the top. The setting and ambiance is top notch and can be enhanced with headphones. While you do get used to the clipping post-conversational choices, the flickering becomes annoying towards the latter end of the game. That being said, Heart of the Forest remains a great experience with a lot replay value. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or looking to dive into, this is a great one. Don’t miss it.
While I’ve been a casual fan of the MK series over the years (MK2 on Super NES was my jam), Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection leaves me disappointed. While I did enjoy revisiting the few I played back in the day or finally get my hands on entries I never played such as the arcade games, the brutal A.I., even on Extra Easy, can make this incredibly frustrating. Newcomers trying to get their footing in will find nothing but frustration especially when some games actually read player input and react instantly. Unless you’re a die-hard MK fans who needs everything in their collection, I recommend you avoid yourself some frustrations or wait for a sale.
Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is hands down my first personal choice for GOTY contender. It’s big dumb fun; pedal to metal, bash everything is sight, run over zombies; it’s quite addictive. This shows that games shouldn’t be overly complicated to be enjoyable. Despite the annoyances mentioned above such as rubberbanding and few quirks that comes with being underpowered, it doesn’t deter the overall experience and you’ll always tell yourself one more race. If you’re looking for a way to unwhine after a hard day, Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is a great option. Highly recommended.
Robobeat is a classic roguelike experience; play and surive as long as you can and then start everything over anew when you die. It’s a fast-paced game matching the game’s upbeat soundtrack. There’s a decent, albeit minimal, weapon variety. But despite the game’s minor flaws, if you’re not a fan of the genre, this game won’t convert you. If you enjoy having a sense of progression when you play video games, this is the opposite. Aside from that, it’s a fun action game. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll have a blast with Robobeat.
Overall, Wings of Endless is a fun, vast, non-linear action RPG/Metroidvania game that’ll keep you busy for some time. The combat is, for the most part, enjoyable and simplistic, areas are fun to navigate and explore. If you can adjust to the counterintuitive controls and learn from your mistakes during boss battles, you’ll have a decent time with Wings of Endless.
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is a great addition to the RPG genre. While the story feels a bit throwaway and won’t be as impactful as more recent Final Fantasy games or 2025 masterpiece Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the gameplay is solid and unique. There’s a bit to dive into and the disc system allows for a lot of experimenting. Combat is easy to pick up but hard to master. If you’re looking for a new, unique, RPG to sink your teeth into, Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is a great choice.
Psycho Dream is a fun, challenging 2D action platformer; it’s one of those Japan only game that never had the chance outside of the land of the Rising Sun and it’s fun seeing it getting a new lease on life. It has all the classic features; straight forward, challenging boss fights, enjoyable level design and interesting power ups. Once you get adapted to the “heavy” movements and weapon short range, you’ll find a nice hidden gem. If you’re a fan of 2D action games, Psycho Dream is a no-brainer.
Blaster Force 3000 is an enjoyable, albeit sometimes irritating, indie shooter. It’s pretty straightforward and most levels are bite-sized, so you can enjoy this game while playing it in short bursts. The shooter feels a bit stiff, but nothing too cumbersome. Upgrading to new weapons doesn’t really do anything. If you’re looking for something short to chew on, you can’t go wrong with Blaster Force 3000, especially at this price.
Speed Factor is a fun and addictive racing game; nothing overly complex, easy to pick up and play with a lot of content for an indie; the game’s total of 50 races across 5 regions will keep players busy for a bit. A lot of bang for your buck. You can suffer through the abysmal engine noise and the simplicity of it, you’ll find a new gem here; although a few extra game modes would’ve been a nice touch. But as it stands, Speed Factor is one of the best indie games I’ve played this year. If you’re looking for a relaxing racer, I highly recommend this game.
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.