Despite its lovely aesthetic and heavy worldbuilding, the messy plot and inability to show nuance or interesting developments make this an ultimately dull experience.
An ill-conceived parkour game with aged graphics and gameplay, but with an undeniable thread of lost potential underneath that makes me wish the development team had spent more time in the planning stage. PC version reviewed.
RWBY: Arrowfell feels empty and one-note, which is a far cry from the stylish action-packed show it draws inspiration from.
While there is a simple and undeniable pleasure in the simple act of raising parameters and figuring out the best way to schedule Chilia’s time, Lair Land Story hasn’t aged gracefully. Its combination of raising sim and visual novel works in theory, but not in practice due to the overwhelming and frankly shoddy story, and lack of emotional beats to keep the player hooked. Individually there are two good tastes to be found in this game, but their combination ends up lesser than their sum.
A Perfect Day is a beautiful, but dull, visual novel and puzzle game hybrid that quickly wears out its welcome.
Let's School is a cute game that makes organizing timetables and classrooms fun, but the charm doesn't last long before it becomes a monotonous routine.
Labyrinth of Zangetsu is a uniquely beautiful dungeon crawler with interesting lore, but can occasionally feel shallow.
Despite its ridiculous premise, the plot of Raptor Boyfriend is so cliched and serious that it drags down a lot of its promise.
A group of documentary film makers receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of serial killer H.H. Holmes ‘Murder Castle’. But on arrival they soon discover they’re being watched, and even manipulated, and suddenly there is much more at stake than just their ratings. A brutal season finale with surprisingly palatable characters, but some issues with the narrative and buggy graphics keep it from its full potential. PS4 copy reviewed.
Stretch your legs, clean your whiskers, and dive into Nine Noir Lives. Enjoy a "point-and-lick" comedy-noir adventure, full of humour, crazy characters, and intriguing locations. A punny detective game with visual novel elements and a surprisingly earnest core beyond its snarky exterior.
Join Snufkin in this musical adventure about restoring harmony and balance to Moominvalley, protecting it from the industrious Park Keeper. Nintendo Switch version reviewed. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a short, but sweet, pastoral game that both Moomin veterans and newcomers can enjoy.
Much like a mug of chamomile tea, Cuisineer is a great way to relax at the end of the day, but it can leave some wanting more flavor.
I admittedly went postal a bit the first ten minutes when I was hopelessly lost. Nintendo Switch version reviewed.
A unique story in a fun setting and with a really addictive gameplay loop, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code feels really original while retaining a familiar formula.
It is a very aesthetically pleasing game with a very simple story on paper. But its execution is interesting enough that the various twists and ending remain satisfying.
Wildfrost is a challenging game that suffers from some balance issues.
A pleasant and aesthetically pleasing way to pass the time, though it suffers from some pacing and quality-of-life issues that prevent it from being fully relaxing. Switch version reviewed.
Explore a supernatural RPG with stylish summoners and dark dangers lurking under the neon lights of a cyberpunk Japan. It is up to the agents of Aion to decrypt destiny and save the world from apocalypse! PS4 version reviewed. A dungeon crawler strung together by a flimsy story, but serves as a good entry point for SMT fans.
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is a gripping and gruesome read that leaves you wanting more.
The Apollo Justice trilogy comprises of three excellent ports, but the compilation highlights existing issues with the games in a way that make it difficult to forget about.