Drew Sherratt
- Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Final Fantasy VII
- Secret of Mana
Drew Sherratt's Reviews
Like a plump pixel-art phoenix rising from the ashes of modern Battle Royales, Mighty Goose offers an incredible throwback experience where the gameplay is an absolute blast – in every sense of the word. With a loveable honking hero, chaotic but never frustrating gameplay, and artwork and sound that offer flawless examples of the genre, Mighty Goose is the dictionary definition of a good time.
I enjoyed Gravity Heroes, but felt it lacked a really great multiplayer experience to flesh out the enjoyable, but short, campaign. The beautifully crafted pixel art and the groovy soundtrack admirably elevates some simple action into a really fun time, but it’s sadly over almost as soon as it’s begun and doesn’t offer nearly enough replay value. One for fans of quirky shooters and pixel art aficionados, Gravity Heroes offers a good time for a couple of hours but isn’t one you’re likely to return to again and again.
RWBY feels more like a proof of concept than a fully fledged game, and its origins as a fan project are evident. It shows off the raw ingredients needed to make a good game – strong visuals, a great soundtrack, and the basics of a solid combat system, but they’re pulled out of the pan long before they’re cooked into a tasty meal. Given more variation in the level designs, a bigger roster of enemies, and ANY attempt at storytelling, Grimm Eclipse could have been a delicious morsel indeed. Sadly though, I feel that the game doesn’t do the vibrant hit series justice in any way.
I have to admit that I enjoyed Ty 2 a whole lot more than I expected to. What could have been a trainwreck of mixed play styles actually comes off as a well executed platformer with a smattering of other madness mixed in. Whether you’re behind the wheel of a kart, dropping water bombs on a forest fire or flinging boomerangs at a swathe of goofy lizards, Ty 2 offers fun, laughs and all the animal antics you could ever ask for.
I can certainly see why the game was lauded over in 2005 but looking at it with fresh eyes, it’s very much a product of its time. With the bulk of the gameplay somewhat repetitive, Republic Commando doesn’t give players too much to rave about outside of the squad mechanics and a good dose of Star Wars references. I’m excited for players who get to play one of their favourite games on a new platform – and with some nicely remastered elements, no less – but I think that newcomers may find that Republic Commando is not the game they’re looking for.
I can’t remember the last time that a game so thoroughly surprised me. Save me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition is a delightful experience that will appeal to old-school platform and RPG fans alike – drawn in by the promise of-old school platforming and fantastic throwback visuals, it was the wonderful storytelling and characters that truly left their mark.
While I enjoyed Redout: Space Assault, I can’t proclaim to have loved it; the visuals, soundtrack and voice acting gave me plenty to smile about but there’s a rinse and repeat feel to the levels that make it difficult to describe as ‘must buy’. The game comes across as being a little bipolar, neither fully offering a frantic shoot ‘em up arcade experience or the more fleshed out mechanics of something more substantial. It straddles a strange middle ground that, while enjoyable, sadly does not wholly succeed in either camp.
Thoroughly enjoyable for players who like a challenge and who have a taste for the occult. Steeped in secrets throughout, nothing comes easy when the attempting to uncover mysteries of the universe – take your time, take notes and show patience, and you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic experience.
Trying to replicate the adventure book style with a grisly horror twist and reality bending plot line is an admirable undertaking, but I’m afraid there isn’t enough attention to detail to pull it off without a lot of confused eyebrow raising along the way. I certainly applaud the attempt here, but I’d say that Retrace comes off as more ‘pick your poison’ than ‘decide your own fate’ in the end.
I enjoyed Sense in spite of its issues. The visuals are murky and bright enough in the right places, environments are filled with interesting enemies with vibrant histories, and the slow-burn plot line comes to a nice conclusion that leaves you with a sense of satisfaction. Had the developer been less self-indulgent with some of the design choices and added more robust and regular action sequences, I could recommend this to all players, rather than just the die-hard survival horror fans that it will appeal to naturally.
In the end, it’s clear that the Orlandi brothers have put in a lot of time and love into the creation of Killer Chambers, but the limited scope of the premise and the emphasis on difficulty over enjoyment ultimately left me feeling a little underwhelmed. It’s a game for the most dedicated of players, or those particularly keen on testing their patience with a series of punishing memory tests.