TUNIC is perhaps the most fun I’ve had with a game in a long time. The depth within the puzzle design and the overall world has kept my brain whirring away whenever I’m not playing. The collaborative effort of working out the more difficult puzzles has been a highlight I’ll probably not experience again for a long time. This is matched wonderfully by the solid gameplay. While I can’t easily wipe my memory and start the game fresh, what a joy that would be, I can take comfort in the knowledge that TUNIC definitely holds more secrets than I’ve discovered during my time with it and that only makes me want to explore it more!
Grapple Dog delivers a solid 2D action platformer with fresh and interesting mechanics, impossibly cute characters and a soundtrack that’s straight fire! Don’t be fooled by the charming aesthetics because Grapple Dog follows a trend of impossibly cute but frustratingly challenging platformers. Taking advantage of some choice accessibility options might be a must when taking on this 2D platformer unless, of course, living life on the edge is your jam. Despite some issues, Grapple Dog is an incredibly exciting journey that never outstays its welcome.
Toodee and Topdee is a fantastic mash-up of genres that’s not only a quirky idea but one that actually works, and works flawlessly. Describing how the game mechanics work really doesn’t do justice to the actual magic at play here. The fluidity with which you swap between the two characters is everything. It allows for creativity from both the developer and player that otherwise could not exist. The brother developer team dietzribi has created one of the best and creative games of the year!
Chicory: A Colorful Tale perfectly embraces the “don’t judge a book by its cover” metaphorical phrase. It lulls you into a false sense of security with its charmingly simple visuals and cute anthropomorphic characters. The depth found within its story is unexpected, surprising, and frankly wonderful storytelling. The focus on mental health is eye-opening, self-affirming and a great opportunity to learn. This is all wrapped up in a therapeutic and fun colouring game with a powerful soundtrack.
Ultimately, Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition should please fans of the series and even attract a new generation of fans into the ‘Tales of’ franchise.
My Hero One’s Justice continues to impress the further you dive into it. It’s filled to the brim with content that’ll keep you occupied for hours on end and that’s not even including the online mode. Not to mention that the game just works and works well. Online is simple and streamlined, the gameplay is exhilarating and the visuals are stunning. My Hero One’s Justice is well worth the entry price and more!
There’s not much to knock with Little Town Hero it’s a great experience with a praiseworthy visual style, soundtrack, and the sometimes hard but ultimately inventively brilliant battle system. Some minor frame rate stutter here and there, but nothing worth getting up in arms about. The game won’t be to everyone’s taste, whether that’s down to expectation as a Game Freak game or just the overwhelming nature of the battle system. If different and out of the box is an appealing trait, then Little Town Hero has it with a lot to spare.
The low entry requirements and the unique nature of the game will keep you, your family and friends occupied for hours on end. Each game is a story yet to be written, an adventure of your own to craft. Fans of the traditional board experience will find a lot to love here as will those who like a good helping of strategy in their games.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is a good addition to the first-person dungeon crawling genre but tries to do too much and without a more compelling story to pull it along makes it feel more of a chore to play. The addition of Covens and how that affects the battle system and player customisation of the party is what really shined through during my time with the game.
Black Clover: Quartet Knights regardless of its faults is an enjoyable game that features a nicely fleshed out single-player campaign and chaotic but immensely fun online 4v4 battles. It’s unfortunate that the online is let down by a lack of players, but the game does its best with AI-controlled characters, albeit unbalanced ones.
Freedom Planet is a fun platformer that strikes just the right balance of difficulty. There’s a good amount of replayability to be had too with all the collectables and hidden areas to uncover. Once you’ve managed to do all that it’s a great game to speedrun.
Dead Cells is an addictive yet brutal game that’ll have you swinging from frustration to enjoyment in quick succession. It’s perfect for when you have a spare couple of minutes jumping in and out for a quick game.
Tanglewood is a brilliantly compelling platformer that boasts not only great gameplay, visuals, and music but compatibility with original SEGA hardware and a physical Mega Drive cartridge release to boot. I highly recommend trying it for yourself. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
It’s hard to say whether Punch Line as a game is a good jumping-in point for those that haven’t seen the anime prior, but I enjoyed my time somewhat more with the game. It’s silly, downright ridiculous at pretty much all times, but it’s the interaction with the story that the game allows, which makes it a more engaging experience.
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker has done well to provide fans with a new Naruto experience and features some exciting mechanics that are executed really well. Ultimately, the game falls a little short in terms of content, something I would expect to see updated as time goes on. The biggest draw then is in playing online and with friends. By that token, it’s a really enjoyable game to play.
Bad North, however, continually keeps you coming back for more as its beautifully simple designs and gameplay features make it so easy and accessible. It’s perfect for a quick game here and there.
F1 2018 takes the world of Formula One and faithfully recreates an all-encompassing experience in one of the best racing games.
Octopath Traveler is pure magic on every level and easily one of the best games of 2018 thus far.
All-Star Fruit Racing may not include everyone’s favourite platforming hero or even any memorable characters for that matter, but it’s a good attempt at a kart racer that features some unique differences to the usual formula and that makes it worth a look. You’ll also learn some interesting facts about fruit along the way.
Penny-Punching Princess is equally off the wall and ridiculously fun at the same time. The visuals will no doubt put a smile on the faces of regular NIS game fans, but the grind can be an annoyance. The story is a little lacking, but what there is of it is enough to keep you entertained throughout.