Jordan Campbell's Reviews
I enjoyed my time with Mika and the Witch’s Mountain and whilst the game is far from perfect, I had to remember the target audience and who this would appeal to. My seven-year-old loved joining and playing this one while I reviewed it. He enjoyed watching the conversations and how Mika interacted with people to gain information for the next objective and then using her broomstick to deliver parcels. It does become somewhat repetitive at times and it does fall a little short at around six hours of gameplay, but this is always the sweet spot for an indie for me. It holds enough quality, polish and great mechanics to make it a game to consider for your younger ones, but I’m not ashamed to say I enjoyed this one as an adult too.
I was pleasantly surprised by Robodunk and spent far more time with the game than I anticipated. This was down to the addictive and short yet snappy gameplay loop with plenty to unlock. The development team have done a fantastic job at combining such a familiar experience with classic games such as NBA Jam and Playgrounds yet introducing the roguelite elements within the experience, and it works! Admittedly I would have loved to see some online multiplayer elements here as I feel the game would suit the competitive style of playing against real-life opponents. For those who love same-screen fun though, you’re in luck with 2 player co-op options and also local multiplayer with up to four players. For £12.49 it’s a reasonable price-point for potentially hours of fun, alone against AI or with players from the comfort of home.
Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator was disappointing and didn’t meet my expectations. I encountered a myriad of bugs throughout the experience, repetitive dialogue and gameplay, and poor visuals. This is unfortunate, as the concept and the way some of the scenarios are put together are fantastic. This isn’t to say there isn’t fun to be had here and you’ll struggle to find an experience that is on par and as accurate within the ambulance/paramedic genre. I do feel though that this game could have been done with a little more time in the oven to give it some extra polish and perhaps that will come in the form of future updates. There is plenty within the gameplay loop here for a good 20+ hours or maybe longer if you enjoy grinding your way through everything on offer.
Yellow Brick Games should be super proud of the project they have produced here. Both the Xbox and Playstation platforms especially have been crying out for a game like this for some time and Eternal Strands is a journey that is well worth your time. The fact I could play this on my Legion Go on my handheld in downtime at work and then pick up where I left off at home on my Xbox Series X made it an absolute pleasure to play. It is refreshing to see a real success story in gaming from a new studio and IP from an industry that has struggled and suffered layoffs en masse in the last few years. I highly recommend picking up and playing Eternal Strands whether it is on Xbox with Xbox Game Pass, Playstation or Steam. It is a title that oozes fantastic design choices right across the board with a compelling storyline and engaging gameplay consistently. You’ll get a good 30+ hours out of this game depending on your pacing and whether you want to explore every nook and cranny as I did. This is the first stand-out game of 2025 for me and deserves to be a roaring success, I can’t wait to see what Yellow Brick Games create next!
Well, I think we have found the first near-masterpiece indie game of 2025. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders takes everything that made Megagon Industries’ first title great and strides forward with a super-polished experience. I’ve managed to play this across several devices for this review: Xbox Series X, Lenovo Legion Go, and even cloud gaming on my mobile phone. It is the perfect game to engage with anywhere you are and with the Xbox play anywhere feature it is available freely once in your personal library too. The addictive nature of just one more run, as you strive for perfection, is ever-present. It’s a game which is a challenge to master but is oh-so-satisfying when you hit courses perfectly. If you’re an Xbox player, you’re in luck since it has been integrated into the Xbox Game Pass library for January 2025. But even at its £20.99 price point, it is well worth every penny for the number of hours you could sink into its slopes.
SlavicPunk: Oldtimer gets the combat and gameplay loop bang on and I had a great time with the overall experience. Unfortunately, it misses the execution of the storyline and immersion with the irritating small text. I could only actually read this by taking a photo on 10x zoom with my phone camera, this is how bad it was on a 55-inch TV. That isn’t to say there isn’t fun to be had here though, it looks and plays fine but can be easily finished in one 4-5 hour session if you hammer through it like I did. For £14.99 though, if you’re into Cyberpunk-esque environments and you’re after a twin-stick shooter with a story that you’re not too fussed about, this one may be for you.
Super Solitaire is a solid entry into the Xbox store and whilst it is available on mobile and also Nintendo Switch, it is nice to sit and play with a controller to hand. The developers have kept things simple here, with the ability to jump on and just play. If you want to extend the fun then there are harder difficulty levels and also daily challenges. But it is just Solitaire at the end of the day and if you’re a fan then you’ll probably love it.
The Thaumaturge has the wow factor when it comes to its jaw-dropping visuals. Admittedly I was going into this game pretty much blind but had my eyes opened to a banger when it comes to presentation on a big 4k screen. The cutscenes are marvellous with rich detail throughout with amazing character design and you feel the emotion and atmosphere shine through. The environments are stunning with lots of NPCs to engage with throughout with reasonably sized areas to roam around in and explore if you wish to. When it comes to the combat scenarios some fantastic animations showcase the brutality of each attack.
Glitch Hero is a great concept and has an interesting enough storyline to keep you engaged. The execution could be better in terms of how the combat feels and plays out. The puzzles are fun and it can actually serve to teach younger players about coding which is amazing if this interests them. Nothing is ever too much of a challenge and the game is suitable for all ages and abilities of player. If you’re looking for a child friendly game because there isn’t huge amounts of them on console, then this one may be worth a punt.
Whilst I did find the visuals of Farming Simulator 25 not much further ahead from what I played ten years ago, I did appreciate that the scope of the game has changed massively. Other games in the genre try and simulate farming environments but with the work of Giant’s Software, you won’t get any better than this one. The maps are vast in size and there is an unlimited amount of hours within this game with three huge areas to choose from, longevity is there. Bring with this the massive array of authentic farming equipment you can invest in, it is a paradise for farming enthusiasts.
Spellagis is 100% worth less than the price of a pint for the return in hours you get from this. All achievements on this one are obtainable simply by putting the hours in and the scope for replayability is there as no two runs ever feel the same. I’d liken this one to the excellent Brotato and whilst it doesn’t quite have the same shine and polish, it really does come close and gets its hooks into you immediately. If you like the genre of twin-stick shooters and fighting off waves of enemies then I would highly recommend this one, it is a hidden gem.
Let’s face it Undisputed doesn’t have any direct competition right now so it’s hard not to call it the best boxing game on the market. But hopefully what this ambitious project will do is spark some rival studios to create and make boxing games great again. As for Undisputed though, what we have is a fantastic stab at an engaging in-ring experience with plenty of content to dive into. Sure it isn’t perfect, but from a brand-spanking new studio and its first outing into the gaming world, this is a sterling effort into a genre no one has risked for a long time. If you’re after that fix of scrappy fights on the sofa in front of a screen with your mates or you want to dodge and weave your way to success on the online leaderboards, then Undisputed does it all. It does it well enough to bring replayability and longevity to your personal gameplay experience and if you love boxing then I assure you that you’ll find enjoyment here.
I had a great time with Shadows Of Doubt and it is a truly unique game that has never been done before. If you’re into games where you’re attempting to solve crime, murder mystery or piecing evidence together to bring a result, then you’ll love this one. As I’ve said it does have some bugs and glitches sporadically from time to time which can result in some frustration but this doesn’t hamper the adventures you’ll have all that much. At a reasonable price point of £19.99, it is well worth that for the amount of hours you can get in return which can ultimately be an unlimited timesink if you enjoy it enough.
Monarchy is a fun game for quick casual sessions or seeing everything possible in a couple of longer waves of gameplay. It is a relaxing time that never becomes difficult to understand or overbearing which makes it perfect for all abilities of gamers. My six-year-old son enjoyed watching me play and kept coming up with suggestions on what to do next and he had his little planning brain on. It may be a little too simplistic for the hardcore strategy fans out there like myself and I did feel myself pining for more during several segments of the game. But the experience stands on its own two feet with a lovely cute vibe to its art style and great foundations if the developers want to add more in future.
Amanda The Adventurer presents a unique challenge offering some dark, creepy yet chuckle-worthy moments throughout its playthrough. It isn’t a massive game by any means and the gameplay loop is pretty short, but there are multiple endings if you want to try and find them out for yourself. It is a very well-designed puzzler ultimately with cleverly plotted and subtle hints through the brilliantly animated and petrifying cartoon. The price-point weighs in at a reasonable £7.49 which doesn’t break the bank for a couple of casual hours of fun. Will you brave it in the dark though like I did? If you’re impressed with this title then you’ll be pleased to hear the sequel has dropped onto Steam recently, so I’d imagine a console release is imminent for AtA2.
I won't lie, I become invested for countless hours in creative games like Planet Coaster 2 and it retains the qualities from 2016 and then some. As someone who pretended to be ill in my school days so I could stay at home and plough extra hours into adventures like Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon in the 90s, this sends me back to that headspace. What we have here is a joyful, addictive and rich park builder which will no doubt become more fruitful with updates over time. The real draw though is how reasonably priced the game is. At just £39.99 for the base edition and £49.99 for the deluxe version, it is well worth the money and your time investment if you adore this genre like I do.
On the surface Tiebreak: Official Game of the ATP & WTA is a well constructed and playable Tennis title, but often its mechanics had me feeling a bit frustrated. It felt more simplistic to get to grips with than Top Spin 2K25, but the mechanics and AI become infuriating to deal with at times. If you’re looking for a Tennis title though that has the largest roster available with accurate atmosphere and feel of the real sport though, this one might be for you. But in my opinion it does fall short in terms of gameplay and modes despite its excellent presentation. I do hope Big Ant Studios return next year though with some refreshed mechanics to compliment its sterling work everywhere else.
Squirrel With A Gun never takes itself seriously and it doesn’t need to. Me and my little lad loved playing this one together and at various points, he did have to hand me the controller for a helping hand with some of the trickier platforming moments throughout. The game doesn’t focus on just mindlessly gunning everything down in sight, it has some puzzle elements and areas for you to explore and discover along the way. But if you ever fancied taking a tree rat into moments akin to The Matrix and Max Payne, then this is a real treat. For the price point, it offers several hours of enjoyment and whilst it is a little clunky and frustrating in particular moments, it never stops being fun. For those with youngsters who are out for a laugh, or just want some casual fun its worth a punt.
Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 stays true to the previous titles and carries the torch into this interesting period for Call Of Duty. For Xbox players with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, it is fantastic that it is available to players on launch. Not only will this reign in veterans, but the casual crowd can dip their toes in if they choose. From the multiplayer perspective, it is a welcome change from Modern Warfare and bears similarities to Cold War in how it feels to play. A classic prestige system being re-introduced allows players to digest the game at their own pace and not feel left behind by seasonal updates. This year feels like Call Of Duty has gone back to basics. It still angers me that Xbox still doesn’t allow players to switch off the crossplay options within the internal menu system and skill-based matchmaking appears to be ever-present. These issues aside though, we have a nice refreshing return to Black Ops that not only looks great but also feels satisfying to play for hours on end. For now, time to level up those guns for Warzone on November 14th!
Well, I am glad I listened to all the great feedback about this game and picked it up for a review. If you’re into RPG titles with simplistic turn-based combat that doesn’t have you diving into millions of skill trees and classes, then you’ll love the experience. This will go down as one of the most memorable indie titles I have played not just in 2024, but probably ever. Every year I collate a pot of indie titles that are bordering on masterpiece status, games like Cuphead, Cult Of The Lamb, Deaths Door and Balataro. This belongs in that pot and stays there for sure, and is worth every single penny of the £14.99 asking price. As indie titles go, this is a must-buy, don’t even hesitate just go and play it.