If you can parse down the file size significantly, change the interface so you aren’t using a floating mouse cursor, lower the unlock price tags and polish the performance overall, this could be a fun little title regardless of your familiarity with Warmhammer 40,000. As it stands, Dakka Squadron is boring, repetitive, painful and a waste of time, especially if you aren’t out here just to screech a line from a game while others hoot in acknowledgement.
Of the Red, The Light and the Ayakashi Tsuzuri isn’t a well known visual novel, but it’s a unique one, and something that really captivated both my attention and my imagination. Full of disembodied moments of curiosity and philosophy, you'll find yourself sleepwalking along with Yue along his journey.
Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive Edition is a brave, admirable release, and I implore Limited Run Games to continue to do the diligence of not simplifying video game history. Some are good, some are bad, and some are ugly. This one just happens to be as bad as they come, and that’s amazing. Don’t pretend to like it, it won’t win you any awards. But you can appreciate it and the mission to keep it known, and that, in and of itself, is worth investing in.
There’s nothing wrong with having a fun time for the sake of itself, and Cricket Through the Ages is classic and proud in this position. Go ahead and learn things wrong. Build quantum computers with a hammer. Drink beer better than your fellow football hooligan. Knock down a wicket with a bow and arrow. Deliver a killer bowl as a T-Rex. It’s all possible here, and it’s as fun to watch as it is to play. Don’t ask for a deeper meaning or an unlockable secret ending: just go play cricket, or whatever the hell this is.
For an indie game that has so many ideas and potential, A Void Hope delivers a short, neat package that doesn’t invite replay or inquest. I can’t even tell if it has some kind of apolitical stance on diseases and vaccines because the dialogue is very dramatic and then just gets resolved without consequence. It’s got its moments, but there isn’t anything here that drives me to demand people play it.
Geometry Survivor is a rather simple title that could go one of two ways. Either it stays the way it is and just fades into obscurity, or it continues to build and becomes something great. The potential is there: the groundwork has been laid and the concept is solid. But there needs to be more in terms of every direction, from more areas to more weapons and more excitement. Make some fake achievements, create a daily scoreboard, add a massive time speedup, just do SOMETHING so this isn’t as small and shallow as a cloudburst puddle.
While I can’t recommend stopping and starting this game, it’s best to approach it as you would any NES game. Get fully immersed in the darkness and the frustration and just enjoy that momentum that comes from singularly reliving a time where gaming was simpler. Just rock out to the violence and know that not every game has to be a sixty hour long campaign. For just a handful of hours, be Vengeance, and then go back to your spreadsheets. It’s worth it.
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore could have just been a solid joke title with everyone in on the punchline and then the developers would have laughed all the way to the bank. Instead, we have a banger of a title that is both artistically wonderful and plays like Shantae meets Rygar. It’s not just buffaloing ahead to watch the cutscenes: it’s getting better and finding satisfaction in exploration, response and style.
If, like me, you have a curiosity and fondness for games from back in the day, then Cosmic Fantasy Collection is something that merits a bit more investigation, but I sadly can’t recommend it strongly. Besides the manual and the sound/movie viewers, the QOL improvements that other straight JRPG ports have received are nonexistent, and, without the ability to speed up encounters or exploration, the time takes its toll on your patience. Physical collectors would do well to grab their copies quickly, and, should the second Cosmic Fantasy Collection come calling, it definitely has my interest: it can only get better from here.
Anomaly Agent brings the satisfying action of Streets of Rage, crosses it with the driving heart of Katana Zero and leaves you with just the right level of humor, story and personalization. It’s amazing in short bursts or long form play, and pick up players will have no difficulty remembering where they were or what they were doing.
If you had any love for Konosuba!, then you’re going to want to pick up this game. If you’re looking for a hilarious tale that is as lewd as it is self-aware, you’ll want this game. If you were wondering if there was an anime quartet that splits the difference between Three’s Company, It’s Always Sunny, and Seinfeld, then this is your game. Love For These Clothes Of Desire might be just an excuse to create more fan service, but they created it in a damn fine way, and, in the process, have created a brand new Konosuba fan.
When I give a game up as a loss, it’s not because of difficulty. Games are open and often brazen about unfair levels of hardness, and I am inherently terrible at games, but still love them. Something being “hard” is not a reason to bounce off or give it an awful score. When I give up on a game, it’s because it’s either boring or broken, and Saga of the Moon Priestess managed to be both.
Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs:The Thrilling Steamy Maze Kiwami feels like it’s for fans of the show and not much else. Great voice work, good dungeon design, but distracting amounts of fetishization and silliness, plus the lack of explanation for anything that happened prior to the game’s beginning. If you know and love the source material, this feels like it’ll be a great time for longtime enjoyers. If you’re like me and didn’t know Yuuna and her crew until this moment, you might have a blast, but be warned: the tone is as hot and steamy as you might imagine.
I feel like this is a visual novel anyone, and I mean anyone, can get behind. It’s broken into bite-sized pieces with animations, game mechanics and QTEs that keep you from just clicking through. It’s almost more like a Lucasarts adventure title, if Bobbin Threadbare had to drink just enough to not expose himself as a narc. It’s compelling, it’s raw, and it plays itself as seriously as possible while still having some of the most maddening ideas for a storyline.
The core of what made this game such a legend still exists and thrills me to no end. I wish it was a bit better handled with some extra flair, but I can’t complain that it feels exactly how I want it to be.
The floaty controls and repetitive music aside, I thought this was a decent dip in the metroidvania arena. Fearmonium is a creepy little romp that’s worth a few days of amusement and some further discussion, but it lives and dies by its very notion. If you seek greater meaning of the trauma and horrors, then you’ll remember it far longer. While it might disturb and captivate you in the moment, it could fade when you walk away from your console.
Pinball M is a fantastic package for the price, and the amount of detail that’s gone into the design and care is truly exciting. While I personally don’t care to unlock all the different cosmetics, I appreciate the offerings. The upcoming tournaments and events will keep players engaged for longer times, and I imagine that the cold and dark of the winter will bring in the broodier fans who want something upsettingly fun till the world thaws.
Having said that, 20 Minutes Till Dawn is a solid bit of enjoyment for the player who doesn’t mind a bit more mental investment in a “bullet heaven” title (I don’t love the moniker but it’s what appears to be taking off). Playing around with some of the abilities is fun, mixing and matching weapons is entertaining and the potential for more future content will keep this on my radar. Whether you’re rounding out 2023 or blasting into 2024, there’s no reason fans of the genre shouldn’t give this little slice of darkness a try.
You’ve got something for everyone (art, writing, trivia, music and psychology) and it scales wonderfully for all age ranges. Jackbox has done fantastic, and I highly recommend grabbing this as a party favor to distract and delight whomever you surround yourself with this holiday season.
Tevi didn’t disguise what it was: a 2D exploration game with bullet hell elements. I knew this going in, and I was ready for it. The parts that aren’t boss battles showed me a fun world with some great characters, decent crafting and a light meal of a metroidvania: pleasant to map out but it won’t fill you up.