GameSpew's Reviews
9 Years of Shadows isn't the biggest Metroidvania game, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in other ways. Its visuals are sublime, for one, and its gameplay is fantastic, too. Add in a soundtrack which includes pieces by Michiru Yamane, and you're onto a winner.
A short first-person psychological horror game, Dead Take cleverly incorporates full motion video footage to explore the lengths that some will go to in order to achieve success. It's not particularly scary but it does go to some dark places, making it definitely worth checking out for fans of the genre.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is largely more of the same, but that isn't much of a issue when the first game was already so enjoyable. Story mode here picks up where the last left off and covers three new dramatic arcs, and the gameplay has been refreshed a little with new elements such as Gear. It's the whopping number of characters now available in Versus mode that's the real draw, though.
A standout entry in the Survivors-like genre, Achilles: Survivor looks great, plays well and mixes things up by adding in tower defence elements. There's a huge amount of content on offer here, including plenty of characters to unlock and levels to play through, and given the game's budget asking price, consider it an absolute must-have.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a genuinely challenging action game with lovely visuals and rewarding fast-paced gameplay. It feels a bit rough in places, though, and often borders on being simply too chaotic for its own good. Assist options mean that anyone can see the journey through to its end, but better balancing or difficulty levels would have been preferred.
There's certainly fun to be had with Killing Floor 3. Killing waves of demons is as enjoyable as ever, but some of the changes here are unfortunate, and the new additions don't wholly make up for them. There's some work to be done by Tripwire to allow this game to fulfil its potential, then, and it's up to you if you want to jump in in the meantime.
Available at a budget price, CarX Street is likely to prove to be a nice surprise for open world street racing fans. There are many clubs to join and complete, and you can take the action online if you wish. The only real downer here is that its cars aren't licensed, but you can easily tell what their real-world counterparts are, and you can customise them to your heart's content.
A fast-paced action platformer with roguelike elements, Atomic Owl has attractive visuals and enjoyable core gameplay. It soon gets quite repetitive, however, and a myriad of other issues introduce a fair amount of frustration, too.
Pac-Man in a Metroidvania game? Yeah – Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing use of a much-loved IP, but the end result leaves a little to be desired. There's fun to be had here, but frustrating design choices, such as a lack of checkpoints and healing options, mean it's a middling Metroidvania, outshined by plenty others in the genre.
A wonderful open world adventure filled with racing and exploration, Wheel World is a joy to behold thanks to its intuitive controls and stunning cel-shaded art style. Even if you're not a fan of bicycles, this gorgeous little game is well worth your time.
With its intriguing narrative that keeps you on your toes and some genuinely creative puzzles, Luto is a first-person psychological horror game like no other. It has an important message, but its dark subject matter means that it perhaps isn't suitable for those sensitive to themes of depression and suicide.
Some of the games here haven't aged as well as others, and it's hard to consider one of them a beat 'em up at all, but Beat 'Em Up Collection: QUByte Classics remains a solid package overall. It even packs in some neat extras and cheats.
Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact is a fast-paced and accessible 2.5D 3v3 fighting game that fans of the franchise in particular might want to check out. Well, as long as they're happy either playing with friends locally or digging into its single-player modes. When it comes to matchmaking, it can be hard to find matches, and when you do, there can be issues that spoil the fun.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a must-have for fans of the series, offering yet more outrageous skateboarding antics along with stunning visuals. Purists might not like that the format of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 has been changed, and that most of the music here is new, but embrace these updates and you'll have a very good time indeed. Also, the new skateparks that have been introduced are fantastic.
Deserving of a place in the point and click hall of fame, The Drifter is a pulpy thriller with fantastic storytelling, excellent puzzles and truly stand-out voice acting. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2025, make sure this is on your radar if you're a fan of adventure games with unforgettable narratives.
Being a standalone expansion to RoboCop: Rogue City, Unfinished Business understandably offers largely more of the same violent first-person crime-fighting action with investigation elements. There are some new weapons to play with, however, and some new enemies to use them on. Throw in some flashback sequences which switch up the action somewhat, and you have an entertaining title available at a budget price.
This video game adaptation of Edens Zero doesn't make the best first impression, but if you stick with it for a few hours, it gets a lot better. It's rough around the edges and has multiple issues that persist throughout, such as a certain clunkiness to its combat, but its entertaining story full of outrageous characters and ample number of unique playable characters will keep you coming back for more.
A stealth game played from an isometric viewpoint, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is likely to win you over thanks to its stunning visuals, engaging narrative and rewarding scenarios that are best approached like puzzles.
Putting you in control of a SWAT team, Ready or Not tasks you with diffusing a variety of hostile situations. As you'd expect, it's a tense and atmospheric affair, where making effective use of commands is a must. And while I think it particularly shines in single-player, you can still have fun online if you can get a good team together.
Exo-Calibre is a colourful vertically-scrolling shooter with a neat soundtrack, but it isn't the most interesting to play thanks to bland stages and enemies. Its story dialogue is also likely to annoy. Still, it's a decent effort overall, with multiple additional pilots and modes to unlock.