Roadcraft is at its best when careful use of several different vehicles has big effects on these beautiful, dynamic environments. On the early map “Sunken”, this comes when – after a sequence of tasks are completed – two flooded quarries are drained using new pumps the player has installed. As the water drains away, a new landscape is revealed, along with valuable items that can be sold for profit and the tantalising promise of new challenges ahead. If Saber can deliver these moments consistently, Roadcraft could be a valued fixture of the sim landscape for years to come.
The wait is over! Fans of stealth tactics games will get a kick out of Commandos Origins, but their patience might run thin due to the firing squad of problems that trouble its initial release.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a smartly modernised remake of a revered classic, undercut by poor optimisation.
ermila Studio’s first game is a distinctively Spanish fusion of elements.
Deliver At All Costs has an overwritten, uninvolving tale undermines a solid driving game.
The extent to which Aether & Iron will be enjoyed is largely also the extent to which players are enamoured with visual novels. Much of the development effort here, and the overwhelming majority of player time, is spent on dialogue trees. For those who enjoy visual novels, and find that this “decopunk” setting chimes with them, there will be a lot to enjoy in Aether & Iron. Those looking for what it first appears to be – which is to say, a tactical RPG – are best advised to search elsewhere.
Ultimately, the superb aesthetic achievements of Mouse P.I. For Hire are undermined by its overly familiar, uninspired gameplay choices. Relative newcomers to retro-style shooters are likely to get more from it than the jaded veterans among us, who have seen every gameplay element done to a higher standard many times before. At its best though, Mouse P.I. For Hire is a stunning-looking playable cartoon – and while it could have been so much more, that is enough.
#DarkScrolls is pared back and straightforward, but finely crafted.
With this remaster, Firefly Studios have added a competent new sheen to their most popular game, Stronghold: Crusader. This is likely to be enough for those nostalgic for the 2002 original, but the game’s aged, frustrating mechanics may be uninviting for newcomers.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is a disappointing follow-up from the developers of the superb Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.
Agent 64: Spies Never Die is a homage to the N64 era that is more imitative than innovative.
Aliens: Dark Descent captures the unique atmosphere of the 1986 film, and delivers a thrilling tactical experience.
It lacks a compelling story, and its efforts to vary things up are not always successful, but Turbo Overkill is a consistently exciting and often great-looking shooter. Like Cultic, it is a startling example of how much can be achieved by a one-person developer. Fans of retro shooters, so well catered to in recent years, should be sure to find time to spend time with Johnny Turbo.
With Banishers, Don’t Nod have elevated their craft to a new level. They combine elements from numerous previous games, but always with a new spin on them. They have combined them into a gripping story of life, death, guilt, and responsibility in a novel fantasy setting. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a notably accomplished action game that should not be overlooked.
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is not the most imaginative retro FPS, but is elevated by its solid fundamentals and often stunning levels.
Children of the Sun is both less and more than it first appears to be. It is much simpler than the stealth and action games it superficially resembles, but it is also a more complex and sustained puzzle game than its early levels imply. The distorted soundtrack, stylishly glitchy visuals, and lack of substantive story may prove to be turn-offs for some players, but Children of the Sun is an engaging set of thoughtful ballistic challenges, and well worth a look even for those who would not normally seek out a puzzle game.
Capes lacks the epic grandeur of XCOM 2 or the sheer scale of Midnight Suns, and some may rue the lack of a strategic layer. Nevertheless, Spitfire Interactive have delivered some extremely engaging battles in a new, likeable superhero setting. Plus, there is something to be said for a tactics game which can be tackled in a shorter time. All fans of the genre should definitely check out this superheroic showdown.
Drop Duchy, with its inspired, refined combination of genres, has the makings of a breakout hit.
Today’s glut of “boomer shooters” is largely inspired by just a handful of classics from the original golden age of roughly 1993 to 1997. Any new game runs the risk of seeming too similar to one of these icons, of lacking its own identity. At first glance, Cultic seems sure to fall into this trap, given its evident similarities to Blood. In fact, Jason Smith’s fantastic first project uses Monolith’s 1997 game as a jumping-off point – and ultimately delivers one of the best retro shooters in years.
Over the last decade, Polish developer Flying Wild Hog has taken the Shadow Warrior shooter series originated by 3D Realms in 1997 and made it very much their own. With each new entry, the studio has felt free to make big changes. Now that the long-delayed Shadow Warrior 3 is finally here, it’s clear that the developers have given the formula its most aggressive rework yet. The result is a startlingly stripped-down sequel that focuses exclusively on its short but sometimes glorious single-player campaign.