GameSpew's Reviews
There's a lot to like about Another Crab's Treasure. Its underwater setting and cutesy premise makes this a unique Soulslike, and its accessibility options means this is one of only a few games in the genre that can truly be played by all. But there are bugs and issues galore, stopping this crustacean's adventure from being quite as enjoyable as it should be.
More than just a Soulslike with a protagonist to serve as eye-candy, Stellar Blade has far surpassed our expectations, offering varied gameplay, outstanding visuals, a sublime soundtrack and an engaging story. It's a must-play for action game fans.
Inspired by Turtles in Time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants certainly plays like a blast from the past. After Shredder's Revenge, you'll likely find its gameplay too basic, however, and it fails to impress in other ways, too.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a Metroidvania full of heart and soul. With its engaging combat, sublime soundtrack and story that grabs your attention from the get-go, fans of the genre should consider this a must-have.
As a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gets a lot right. It's just a shame its story lacks emotional impact and in some ways it's a little too old-fashioned.
The puzzle-shooter gameplay and bizarre presentation of Children of the Sun make it utterly unique. And while your success in some levels unfortunately relies on trial and error, it doesn't stop it from being a highly rewarding experience on the whole.
Gorgeous, perfectly designed and utterly engrossing, Botany Manor is quite simply one of the best puzzle games of recent years.
Turbo Golf Racing is the most entertaining online multiplayer game we've played for a long while, turning golf into an exhilarating fast-paced sport played with vehicles. Its single-player time trial mode complete with leaderboards proves to be an enjoyable time sink, too.
Minishoot' Adventures is an absolute delight, combining intense twin-stick shooter gameplay with a charming world that begs to be explored.
Its creepy art style and unsettling atmosphere will immediately draw you into Buckshot Roulette — but it's its quick-and-dirty Russian roulette gameplay that will keep you coming back. It's easy to play, but to succeed you'll need to keep your wits about you, and that makes for a really successful little game.
Part roguelike, part horror, part puzzle adventure, we've not played anything quite like Withering Rooms before. It's a little scrappy, and we wish combat was better, but there's something about it that will keep us coming back.
Beat Slayer takes the gameplay of titles like Hades and adds a music rhythm twist, making it a treat for those with the skills to play along to the beat.
A strategy puzzle masquerading as a world builder, Planetiles is a wonderfully challenging little game that we can't get enough of.
Saviorless is a beautiful game: its 2D art style remains gorgeous throughout. It's just a shame that its gameplay doesn't stay as enjoyable. What starts out as a rather fun puzzle-platformer eventually devolves into an exercise in frustration thanks to one hit kills and too much reliance on trial and error.
Heavily inspired by the Kingdom games, Sons of Valhalla is great fun — if not a little too unforgiving at times. It's seriously rewarding though, and the sort of thing we can imagine jumping back into time and time again.
If you revel in a challenge and like the idea of a platforming game that offers something totally different, you’re going to absolutely love Pepper Grinder. When it’s all going right, few games feel as satisfying to play as this: there’s nothing quite like powering up your drill to dive through the ground, popping out to jump through the air before landing into a well-placed drill again. Sometimes it’s perhaps a little too tough, but even when Pepper Grinder’s not at its strongest, we couldn’t pull ourselves away, desperate to eventually succeed.
It’s clear that Open Roads is a passion project, one filled with personal touches, love and its team’s personality. But it’s also a triumph: Tess and Opal’s story is gripping, and you’ll eat up every minute of their road trip mystery, hanging onto every word of their conversation. Add to that a unique and beautiful art style, some incredible voice performances and so many nostalgia-inducing objects to nosy at, and you’re left with a truly memorable experience. It’s just a shame that it’s all over so very, very quickly.
South Park: Snow Day is, ultimately, a huge disappointment. This is so far removed from The Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole that it really shouldn’t be considered to be related to them in any way. Sure, there’s a glimmer of trademark South Park humour here, but it’s not enough to make the repetitive, dull and painfully scrappy gameplay any more enjoyable. This is a snow day you can safely sit out of: stay home and play Stick of Truth again instead.
It’s safe to say that Rise of the Ronin is perhaps Koei Tecmo’s largest and most ambitious game yet. There’s tens of hours of fun to be had here, living out your fantasy life as a Ronin. Who you ally yourself with and how you develop your character is up to you, and with so many options, you could have a very different experience compared to a friend who is also playing. It’s just a shame that its open world areas aren’t a little more interesting; it ends up diluting the experience on the whole. Still, whether you love open world games, action RPGs or simply like the idea of being a samurai, Rise of the Ronin is worthy of your attention.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a huge upgrade over its predecessor, offering a grander adventure that’s full of choice, consequence and discovery. Every journey you make, big or small, has the chance to be full of wonder, whether it’s due to finding valuable loot or encountering a fearsome enemy that’s rewarding to combat. Its lack of hand-holding in some regards still might deter some players, but for those who value a sense of adventure, Dragon’s Dogma 2 might just end up being the highlight of 2024.