For long-term Smurf fans and younger audiences, The Smurfs – Village Party might tick several boxes on your party must-haves. With a nostalgic feel and loving tribute to The Smurfs, there’s plenty to entertain. Still, it all depends on whether you’re keen to attend despite the party’s little problems.
The soundtrack is rooted in traditional Japanese instrumentation, including taiko drums and shakuhachi flute, like the one Jin carries with him. From serene compositions during exploration, emotional pieces and more intense battle music, which in some encounters has Mongolian influence when fighting the big bad.
There are moments where the narrator delivers some zany one-liners that do land and there’s surprisingly dark, profound, and confronting moments, especially in flashbacks, but mostly these moments fall flat. The most beautiful moments in the game for me were through the music by the talented team of composers, fantastical orchestral music with some Asian instrumental influence tied to its martial arts inspirations.
The most beautiful part of the game is the soundtrack, which makes the experience much more serene. When I enjoyed the game, I had the music turned up during a dive. The ambient score was stunning and made the journey relaxing.
There are roughly 64 enemy types, unique attacks and appearances, all as grotesque as each other. One of the spookiest things I came across was a headcrab-type scenario involving a parasitic Naytiba and any corpse it could find lying around. With a vast arsenal of skills, including Beta skills, sweeping combos, ranged attacks and an ultimate that can turn the tides of battle, combat is immensely satisfying.
Zombiewood: Survival Shooter is a fun, nostalgic blast from the past, recapturing mobile app arcade-style antics. With a variety of gameplay, the entertainment factor is high and great for a casual, addictive tour of Hollywood.
Nixxes Software has taken a massive leap forward in PC porting compared to some PlayStation PC ports released over the years. This game has set a new standard for PC ports, abundant in graphical and performance options, and improvements to the original. Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition retains the spirit of the PlayStation version and brings an already incredible game to a broader audience on PC; its incredible visuals, exciting gameplay, and technical marvel make it a perfect must-play for fans of story-rich action-adventure games.
Pepper Grinder proves there’s little more thrilling than drilling for a 2-D platforming adventure. Ahr Ech and Devolver Digital have a real treasure in this one. I recommend it to players who enjoy casual chaos with a charming twist.
Despite shortfalls, attempting to save my people from collapse became something I was determined to do, and I sunk quite a few long sessions to do so. While wading through trials and tribulations was a lot of pressure, I was curious to see if I could overcome all obstacles. The motivation to be the best leader possible became the ultimate endgame for me, but sometimes the pacing got in the way of my experience.
A well-devised foray into the life of a wannabe pirate captain, Return to Monkey Island is a masterclass in series revival. A game nostalgic enough to appeal to original fans but has its own unique identity for newcomers – easily a part of the Monkey Island legacy, but not trying to be it. The game doesn’t drastically shake up anything but keeps it fresh while continuing a long-standing journey.
Harvestella gets close but doesn’t quite strike a balance between JRPG elements and farming sim, but feels focused on having more done adequately than less done better. For players looking for a fairly casual JRPG experience, Harvestella is a palatable taster, but combat or farming fans may feel hungry for more or become bored with chores. I have enjoyed my time in the world so far, and I’m curious to see how the story continues and whether I run out of stamina in the 50 or so hours to reach the endgame.
While the environments do give off a retro eeriness to them, the sound design and general graphics are dated with awkward polygons and jarring instrumentals. The run animation in itself is comical not a feeling wanted from a survival horror title but here we are. The inspiration is clear but an over-reliance on nostalgic gameplay such as a fixed camera and tank controls doesn’t necessarily add to the fun factor. While the throwbacks to classic horror games start strong, it isn’t strong enough to survive among more modern mechanics. SENSEs: Midnight shows promise in theory, but in practice, it doesn’t stand up to its spiritual predecessors.