GameSpew's Reviews
For a genre that is continuing to grow thanks to the monumental success of Overwatch, Gigantic is a bigger splash than I expected.
Tacoma is a beautifully told story filled with real characters and real emotion that you won't be able to put down until you've experienced it in full.
Those hankering for a wildly robust and addictive competitive experience should absolutely take a dip into the neon-drenched waters of Splatoon 2. More so than Mario Kart 8, it offers a level of customisation, depth, and sheer fun that is rarely found anywhere else.
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is a fantastically compelling, suspenseful slow burn that shows just what can be done with a medium that, for years, has been misused and misunderstood. Look past its clunky parser and you'll be in for one hell of a head trip.
Although Marooners is fun, it's limited. Once you've played it a few times, the novel concept of spontaneously switching between mini-games becomes familiar and quite frankly, a little bit dull. It's a great choice if you have a spare few minutes with your mates, but its lack of content can't really compete with some of the bigger party games on the market.
Initially, I was really taken with Redeemer. The violent action, slick controls and impressive visuals made a great first impression. After three hours of play, however, it became a slog to work through.
Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star makes for an entertaining hack and slash experience which feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch. It's admittedly a little pricey at £49.99, but for those looking for some Dynasty Warriors style action, it fits the bill quite nicely.
Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! has awesome gameplay, great character creation, a catchy, old fashioned soundtrack and a thriving world full of surprises to find.
In a world plagued by stripped-back indie experiences grasping to evoke an element of nostalgia, I can at least praise I and Me for attempting something wholly original for the puzzle/platforming genre. But what could have been a mighty stride forward disappointingly feels more like a half step.
All of the components – the humour, the horror, the puzzles, and the characters – of The Darkside Detective add up to create one of the most entertaining and rewarding point and click games I've ever played.
Theseus is a story brimming with excitement and wonder, thrown into an experience ripe for improvement. Developer Forge Reply picked a great myth to tackle, and one that works astoundingly well in VR. The shortcomings are too numerous, however, to be overlooked.
With a well chosen soundtrack, uniquely delivered dialogue, and strong visual styling, you don't need to compete with AAAs to make something worthwhile.
Solstice Chronicles: MIA is an enjoyable experience. Most of the gameplay is engaging, and when you're using all its mechanics and systems as intended, it's fun and gels well.
Super Cloudbuilt‘s frenetic nature means it won't be for everybody – it starts challenging and only gets harder from there – but for those who can keep up with its breakneck pace and conundrum like levels it'll be addictive and utterly mesmerising.
I really wasn't expecting to be taken as much as I was with Infitite Minigolf. With its cutesy visuals, fun gameplay and strong editing features and customisation options, I couldn't help but constantly smile and enjoy myself during my time with it.
Simply describing Pyre‘s spectacularly outlandish battle system doesn't do it justice… Pair that with a wonderful cast of characters, a riveting story, and enthralling music and visuals, and you have nothing short of a compelling game that demands your time and attention.
While the mixed reviews of Yooka-Laylee made people question if 3D platformers were just a thing of the past to be forgotten, Unbox: Newbie's Adventure shows that new things can still be done in the genre to produce some real gold dust.
I've spent hundreds of hours playing video games before now and, at the conclusion, felt good for having completed it… but it's those shorter games, games like Pinstripe, that stick out in my mind as having formed a real connection and left a lasting impression.
Video games don't have to equal violence. Knowing that no monsters await you around any corner, and that no band of rogues is out to kill you is strangely liberating. Put down your guns, your swords, and your bows and arrows, and step into the world of Yonder just for an hour or two. You might just love it.
Cars 3: Driven to Win isn't really a bad game. It can be fairly enjoyable in short bursts, especially in co-op. At the same time, however, it's not what I'd call a good game either. It's decidedly average, chock full of content and variety, but let down by being prescriptive, uneven in difficulty and quite frankly, a bit dull.