GameSpew's Reviews
With a striking papercraft style, Hirogami instantly wins you over with its beautiful art. This platformer uses origami to provide you with a wealth of skills and abilities, but sometimes switching between them can prove to be a little frustrating. Still, if you're a platforming fan and you have a bit of patience, there's a lot to like here.
Part Ghostrunner, part DOOM, and part Metroid, Metal Eden is a fast-paced first-person shooter that is sure to get your adrenaline pumping with its core-ripping action.
With its sometimes chilling civil war setting and general lack of guidance, Hell is Us isn't a game for everybody. Those who embrace its hands-off approach, however, will likely find it an incredibly compelling experience providing they can tolerate its occasionally frustrating combat. And it's ever so rewarding being a force of good in such a dark world.
Is Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek as good as Resident Evil or Silent Hill? Of course not, but it's a valiant attempt at bringing the survival horror genre to a younger generation — or the wimps of an older generation. It's a surprisingly enjoyable romp, filled with light scares, tense exploration and some solid puzzles.
If you're a Survivors-like fan, you're going to get a kick out of Karate Survivor — no pun intended. This melee take on the roguelike sub-genre is a great deal of fun thanks to its wealth of moves and focus on environmental damage. It's hard as nails, though, so prepare to die a lot. Still, that's sort of the point, isn't it?
The parry-based combat style isn't going to be for everyone, but The Knightling has plenty more to offer to make up for it. This whimsical adventure has won me over thanks to its clever puzzles and its seriously enjoyable traversal — sledging down a big hill on the back of a big shield has no right being this much fun.
A music rhythm game with roguelite elements, there's genuinely nothing else out there quite like Fresh Tracks. Its intuitive controls and mechanics make it easy to pick up but hard to master. And while all of its songs are original, they're of very high quality. For fans of both genres, this is a genuine treat.
It's showing its age now, but Gears of War: Reloaded finally allows PlayStation gamers to experience one of the best campaigns in the previously Xbox-exclusive series. It's just a shame you'll likely run into AI issues if playing it alone. Needless to say, this is a game best played with others, either enjoying the campaign in co-op, or engaging in its competitive multiplayer modes.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance once again puts us in control of the legendary Joe Musashi, and it's a genuine treat. Fast and fluid combat meets slick platforming and traversal, and when you add in the game's stunning art and excellent soundtrack, you're looking at game of the year material.
With improved visuals and fully-voiced story scenes for the first time, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is, technically speaking, the best entry in the series yet. Add in more kinetic movement options, a bright and vibrant town to explore and a whole new market stall mechanic, and it's the best Story of Seasons game in other ways, too.
While fans of the anime will no doubt get the most out of Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening, its engaging mix of run 'n' gun gameplay with platforming and Metroidvania elements make it suitable for all. The unique Psychogun with its guidable bullets is the standout feature here. It's just a shame that the overall experience is brought down a little by some minor issues that can cause frustration.
With Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Konami has achieved what it set out to do: breathe new life into a classic while keeping it as authentic as possible. With that in mind, its only real faults are some mechanics which now feel a little awkward and dated. The visuals here are phenomenal, bringing more nuance to the game's cutscenes, and the new modern play style is great for newcomers and those annoyed by the restrictive camera of the original game.
Available at a budget price, Drag x Drive is a unique sports game that doesn't boast a great deal of content. Still, it's fun to play as long as you can get along with using your Joy-Cons like mice, though performing some advanced manoeuvres can feel a little hit or miss.
Seriously slick and responsive to play, The Rogue Prince of Persia will likely win you over instantly thanks to its stylish traversal. Add to the mix some wonderful storytelling, a world that's a joy to explore and challenging (but rewarding) combat, and you have one of the best roguelike platforming games of recent years.
This long-lost chapter of the Shantae series provides more of the hair-whipping and belly-dancing action that it's known and loved for. Some might get a little frustrated by the amount of backtracking that's required, though, as well as navigating some of its maze-like locations without a map.
It's not the deepest or most expansive online multiplayer game, but you can have a lot of fun with Midnight Murder Club, especially when playing with friends. Sneaking around a pitch-black mansion armed with just a flashlight and a revolver can be a tense affair. And thanks to the Guest Pass system, just one player needs to purchase this bargain offering to play with up to five others.
A puzzle game about meeting everyone's demands when finding them somewhere to sit, Is This Seat Taken? is as challenging as it is cosy. You can enjoy it at your own pace, and thanks to its wonderful animation, it's a joy to play.
Heavily inspired by Streets of Rage and Final Fight, Fallen City Brawl is a retro-styled side-scrolling beat 'em up that has some some unique ideas but ultimately falls short in a number of areas.
A side-scrolling beat 'em up in which it's feasible to simply shoot your enemies rather than actually punch and kick them into submission, Ra Ra BOOM stands out in what is inexplicably becoming a crowded genre. It has some issues that bring it down, though, including poor balancing and some technical woes on PS5 Pro.
Dear Me, I Was looks absolutely stunning, with every screen of the game feeling like a work of art in its own right. But taking less than an hour to complete, the story here lacks substance, and being told entirely through visuals makes it more difficult to connect with.