GameSpew's Reviews
Old Skies is a time-travelling point-and-click adventure with a compelling narrative that drags you in deeper with each questionable, time-altering decision. It's not short on heart, either, though you'll have to play to discover if protagonist Fia gets the ending she deserves.
Cute and colourful, the music-based puzzles of Tempopo are both challenging and chill, letting you tackle them entirely at your own pace. But with a bit of a disconnect between its childlike visuals and difficulty level, I'm just not entirely sure who Tempopo is for. And as fun as each level is when your solution all comes together, getting there can be a bit of a repetitive drag.
It's Goro Majima's time to shine, and shine he does in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. This ridiculous adventure has the typical Like a Dragon gameplay you've come to expect, as well as fast-paced real-time combat that's more electrifying than ever. Add in being able to sail across numerous maps, engaging in naval battles and disembarking to plunder legendary treasures, and you have the most varied entry in the series yet.
Dawnfolk is a brilliant simplification of the city-building genre with satisfying, short scenarios to play through without skimping on difficulty.
As a sequel, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel. It does improve on the formula of the original game in various ways, however, and features a story with more impactful choices. Only some troublesome stealth sections and the odd bug bring it down a little, but it's still a fantastic experience overall.
Never has putting a family tree together been so much fun. I couldn't put down The Roottrees are Dead once I started playing it, leaving me feeling like a true detective, searching web pages, library archives and more to piece together this intriguing family's history. This is a must-play for any puzzle fan.
Available on their own or as a double feature, RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead and RetroRealms: Halloween both provide fun old-school platforming experiences reminiscent of classic Castlevania titles. There are some unique mechanics and features, however, such as being able to switch between realms and using playable characters in any RetroRealms games that you own.
Transformers: Galactic Trials is one of those games that has some good ideas but fails to execute them successfully. While the racing action is basic but fun, its on-foot sections are terrible, and there are other issues, too. And so, while it looks fairly nice, has plenty of unlockables and its roguelike elements add some variety between runs, it's ultimately impossible to recommend.
Bloober Team has achieved what some thought was impossible: it has taken the horror classic Silent Hill 2 and made it even better. This is a phenomenal remake that remains faithful to the original while adding new content and features that elevate the overall experience. It's a must-play for horror fans; a truly terrifying journey with an unforgettable story and plenty of replayability.
An open world sandbox that lets you run free around Bikini Bottom, there's plenty of fun to be had in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game. It's packed with minigames and activities, but it's just a shame the whole experience feels rather rough.
It takes a little while to warm to, but once you've got the hang of controlling your bike in Parcel Corps the fun quickly ramps up. Getting companies signed up to your delivery app and mastering each location is an enjoyable endeavour, and delivery rush events feel a bit like a mix between Crazy Taxi and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, which can only be a good thing.
Kill Knight is easy to pick up and hard to master, but it's rewarding to do so thanks to the wealth of unlockable weapons and more that are on offer. Most importantly, it's devilishly fun to play, being fast-paced, responsive and full of variety.
Colourful visuals and a nice soundtrack aren't enough to save G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra from being a disappointment overall. Thanks to your limited combat options, dull boss fights and overuse of grunt enemies, it's just not all that fun to play.
The Holy Gosh Darn may well be Perfectly Paranormal's best game yet, and it's clear the team has learned a lot from developing Manual Samuel and Helheim Hassle. This is a seriously slick adventure: it looks fantastic, its puzzles are fun to solve and it will have you laughing out loud every step of the way.
If you're a fan of run-and-gun shooters, Iron Meat is a must-have thanks to its responsive controls and excellently-designed stages. A genuine blast from beginning to end, it's just a shame there aren't more modes.
Despite its steep learning curve and occasional forced endings, Elsie is a fast, frenetic and fun roguelike with plenty of ways to change up your runs. It'll have you running and gunning for hours on end, leaving you eager to jump in for yet another run. If roguelikes are your thing, Elsie is well worth its bargain price.
An RPG that moves at a breakneck pace, Beyond Galaxyland is utterly engaging from beginning to end. It's Star Wars meets Final Fantasy, with a hint of Pokémon thrown in for good measure. Add in some good old-fashioned platforming and a tad of photography, and you have an experience like no other, and one of the quirkiest games of 2024.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble isn't the best example of the side-scrolling beat 'em up genre but it's a welcome one nonetheless. There are some issues that detract from the fun a little, but on the whole this an entertaining adventure, especially when played with others, and there are plenty of modes and light RPG elements to add longevity.
Pneumata is an ambitious first-person horror game considering it's made a by a solo developer. But while it looks rather nice and succeeds in creating a tense atmosphere, there are numerous issues that ultimately bring it down considerably.
Whether you're a long time fan or a newcomer, this remaster of the classic Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is likely to have you enraptured from start to finish. Its visuals have been lovingly updated, and while there are some issues with the game's audio, this is undoubtedly the best way to experience George Stobbart's debut adventure. It's just a shame there aren't any extras.