Tom Wilson
Windfolk is a great game, with excellent flying, several gorgeous open environments to explore, an exciting and captivating narrative, and, on occasions, enjoyable combat.
Sarawak is a wonderfully crafted narrative adventure that follows an endearing character as she journey's to explore herself and the mysteries of her life. It features a well-written story that's brimming with character, charm, and wit. It has incredible art that complements incredibly vivid prose and fun, engaging puzzles to help make the experience a little more interactive.
All Walls Must Fall had serious potential to be a mind-bending, time-shifting, techno-infused, XCOM clone, but unfortunately falls flat. Ultimately, I wish one wall had stayed up: the one that puts me very, very far away from this mess.
Ultimately, Academia School Simulator reminds me a little of my own time at school. It could be really fun, but at the end of the day, no one really cared about the students.
The Medium looks pretty, but outside of that, this game is not special.
Summer Catchers is visually stunning, but it is let down by its central mechanic and is too arduous to warrant playing.
Half Past Fate: Romantic Distancing isn't a bad game by any means. It tells an insightful narrative about a long-distance relationship during a lockdown. Unfortunately, it lacks any real nuance due to its short runtime and can often feel rushed.
Blue Fire is an inconsistent masterpiece. It is incredibly enjoyable and offers moments of true brilliance but is often let down by its imprecise platforming and general shortcomings.
Everhood is an interesting experiment disguised as a game. While I enjoyed the gameplay's psychedelic nature, I found myself frustrated by the antiquated game design.
Sir Lovelot is a challenging platformer with precise controls and a gorgeous visual style.
Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse is an entertaining game with a bittersweet sense of humour. This won't be for everyone as it is entirely reliant on the player enjoying Cyanide & Happiness' trademark cynically crass humour.
Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure is an incredibly fun and addictive kart racer that I'm happy to admit is better than Mario Kart.
What Comes After is an inspiringly told portrayal of the beauty of life. It perfectly balances discussions about suicide, the trials and tribulations of life and the meaning of it all with a detailed and stylised art style that oozes warmth and joy.
Synergia is a superficially beautiful title. While its heart-warming romance is handled excellently, its mind-numbingly confusing narrative asphyxiates it.
While Immortals Fenyx Rising: Myths of the Eastern Realm fails to bring the title to its fullest potential, it offers some fresh innovations that fix the mostly dull original game. The shift in narrative tone helps alleviate the base game's narrative inconsistencies, and the reduced length means you're able to make the most of the combat and climbing systems quicker. However, the fact that it's essentially a reskin of the base game means that this DLC never reaches the heights it should.
Genesis Noir is a visually spectacular video game with an enthralling, albeit abstract, narrative. While its more gameplay focused segments often bring the game down a notch, whenever Genesis Noir treats the player to one of its lavishly animated cutscenes, it's hard not to salivate at its gorgeous art style. The eclectic mix of sound and visuals create an experience unlike any other in video game history. Genesis Noir is truly unique, and while not always a fun experience, it is by far one of the most mesmerising adventures I've ever had the pleasure of undertaking.
While A Long Way Down has some interesting ideas, but its lack of direction or focus makes progressing through its long-winded levels a chore. None of its unique ideas ever feel substantial enough, and it never did enough to hold my interest for very long. A Long Way Down is far from terrible, but it's not worth your time or money.
Paradise Lost is a frustrating experience. While its hauntingly atmospheric environments are a joy to explore, its lacklustre narrative betrays its phenomenal premise. The lack of interactable elements means its already slow-paced gameplay is a slog to get through. Its all too cryptic narrative leaves much to be desired, taking away my care factor for the story's outcome. This is a stunning game with a lot of potential, but it ultimately fails to meet the heights it should.
Before Your Eyes is a frustrating buggy mess. There were several times when the game crashed and many more when it refused to stay in focus. But despite all of its shortcomings, Before Your Eyes is an incredible narrative game with a mechanic that can add a tremendous amount to the gameplay. If you feel you can overlook some of its imperfections, then this might just be the game for you.
Forgotten Fields is a beautiful game that tells a heartwarming and painfully relatable narrative. While its gameplay can be shallow, and there were numerous visual bugs, Forgotten Fields' narrative is so strong and meaningful that I could overlook its various shortcomings.