2022 is going to see a lot of contenders for Game of the Year with the likes of Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West already high on the list and we are only in April. It says a lot about the quality of gaming at the moment. Witty, more guns and crossbows than you can ever imagine, a well set out story and stunning graphics all create what is simply a superb game. If you love the Borderlands games you will love this. If you haven’t played them then you will still love this game. Quite simply superb and will knock on the door for GOTY 2022.
If you want a relaxing puzzle game or have younger kids then this is a great game for both purposes. I had a lot of fun with the game but it doesn’t take long to beat. It’s charming, it’s well put together and proves that good things can come in small packages.
Fighting is a big part of Bush League Hockey but it is also undercooked. Punching doesn’t feel naturally responsive and although it’s got it’s charms it fails to hit the mark. Where the game does shine a little is when you play with friends. Grab a few mates round with a few beers and there is fun to be had for a few hours but the overall package is buggy, laggy and just not as much fun as it could and should have been.
Despite the little niggles, FAR: Changing Tides is a delightful game that will work your brain and make you sit up and take notice of the world around you. The mechanics are well thought out and common sense will help you through in the majority of situations. I would highly recommend that before playing this game you do play the prequel as it will help you understand what is expected of you and I am glad I did that before sitting down to play and review this sequel. Overall this a game that is a voyage of discovery well worth persevering with and the rewards far outweigh the occasional gripes.
Fast, furious, old school retro racing with lots of content and all for a cracking price.
Roll 7 have done what I believed would be impossible and taken two of my favourite indie games of the last few years and made the experience even better. The new art style is just stunning, the game performs superbly well and even the back story adds a little humour to proceedings. A local Co-op mode would have been a nice addition but when a game is this good it is almost impossible to find any fault with it. If you loved the originals then buy this game. If you haven’t played the originals, then buy this game. Put simply, this is an early contender for game of the year without a doubt.
Whilst Vagante feels like it has been a Labour of love in some ways, it’s lack of variety and shortness means it falls short of being a title I can recommend. Had there been more meat on the bones and a more compelling story to focus upon then this could have been a decent little game and I genuinely feel bad for not liking it but I have to be honest about what I found and whilst it is not the worst game I have played in recent times, Vagante fires plenty of arrows but fails to hit the target.
If you are a multiplayer arcade game fan then you need Windjammers 2 in your collection right away. It’s fast, it is fun and it’s super addictive, ticking all of the right boxes when it comes to multiplayer gaming and there is little I can find to criticise from that aspect. If you are intending to play solo though there isn’t enough here to recommend a purchase on day one as it will be over fairly quickly and the characters just don’t have enough identity or individuality about them to make it worth your while and the play value is limited. As an arcade game, this is an absolute belter and one that really has captured the arcade scene of the 90’s perfectly so grab a friend and get jamming.
Lacuna is one of the best examples of point and click, adventure, puzzle and detective gaming I have played for I don’t know how long. From the mysteries changing to the multiple endings and the sound and visuals, this is truly an absolute gem of a game and one that deserves its place in your collection.
Bat and ball games are not for everyone but if you do have a love for the genre there is fun to be had with this title although non fans will not get much joy I suspect. The solo mode could be better but the co-op is where the game does well and for a couple of hours play there is definitely enough to make this a worthwhile purchase for a low price. The platforming game element is a neat twist. This is a decent game that does what it needs to do well whilst not setting the world on fire.
Whilst there are some annoying quirks in the game, they are mostly able to be overlooked and could easily be rectified in a post-release patch although I passionately believe that post-release patches shouldn’t be needed but I digress. For adventure fans and fans of graphic novels, there is plenty of content in Beyond a Steel Sky with great character portrayal and music that really evocates the world you must survive in and overall it is a great game worth serious consideration.
It is fabulous to find a game that was once lost be brought back to life but not only that, brought back to life with such care and commitment. Yes, it’s really short but you will love beating up robot penguins and crazy fish heads and you genuinely will feel a sense that you have been given the privilege to play this game at long last. This has to be in your game collection not just for the nostalgia but quite simply because it is one superb piece of gaming.
I still stick by my feeling that this isn’t a game but an educational tool but it’s a bold attempt and overall it does work well, anyone with an interest in the Ocean will find plenty to learn and discover and for that alone this is worth being applauded. If you want a chillout experience with some great mood melodies and you have a thirst for education, Beyond Blue is worth a look. For anyone else, it is probably not going to float your boat.
Epic Chef is a strange game really. It sits somewhere between a cooking game and land management sim and has a wealth of activities for many hours of entertainment. At times it can feel a little too slow-paced but I feel it is an ambitious effort to do something a little different with a tested formula and in the most part it does work well. It is not a game for everyone but if you like this type of game and you can overlook its shortfalls, you will be able to have a lot of fun with Epic Chef.
Gynoug is not going to win any accolades for originality or for doing anything that is especially exciting but what it does, it does well. It has a good learning curve as well as being technically excellent and enjoyable to play. Let’s not forget that this is a 30-year-old game that has actually aged rather well. It still looks and sounds good and is perfect for fans of this type of game. Gynoug delivers another Shmup classic.
At times the tiny enemies and their tiny bullets can get really frustrating but overall this is a great homage to run and gun games of the 1990’s and the learning curve is just about right. The game is without doubt a lot of fun and a real blast to play and all for less than a supermarket meal deal. For fans I would definitely recommend adding this one to your Nintendo Switch collection.
I alway find that the problem with some puzzle games is that they can become all too dull and lose their magic quickly. However that is never the case with Ghosts and Apples as the art style, the puzzling itself and the two player local co op all keep the game fresh and interesting for as long as possible. In my 35 + years of gaming I have only ever found Tetris to be the perfect puzzle game but right now there is a new contender. Quite simply this game is a magical piece of puzzling and deserves to get full marks.
Glyph is a beautifully designed puzzle, platform adventure game filled with ingenuity and despite the odd flaw is well worth your time and I can recommend that this game is a worthy addition to any Nintendo Switch collection.
If you are fans of the Cotton series then I can say you will enjoy this port as it remains true to the original games and is certainly a collectors item. For anyone else it is just so hard to recommend it because it isn’t as good today as it was back in 1994. It is just a harsh reality that sometimes games stand the test of time and sometimes they don’t. Cotton 100% is somewhere in the middle and it’s okay, nothing more.
I have played and played this game and I so wanted to enjoy it but the flaws with enemies and the lack of depth are just too much and it is such a shame because in here there is a really good game that wants to burst free. If you are a fan of the series then you might well still go for this as it is a good port, but in 2021 it just doesn’t stand up and therefore outside of fans, I simply cannot recommend this one.