GameGrin's Reviews
The Kids We Were is a must-play game with an incredibly good story that focuses on childhood friendships and family. The voxel-style graphics look beautiful, the cicadas in Japan sound great, and a catalogue of items from the 80s to collect made me feel so nostalgic.
Part Pikmin with a splash of Metroid, The Wild at Heart takes these concepts but never utilises them to their full extent. That said, it is fun in short bursts when you need to unwind. With a touching plot and beautiful hand-drawn visuals, this is an impressive first outing for developers Moonlight Kids.
Archvale is just plain fun. It does what it does well, and as a bullet hell provides a serious challenge without feeling unfair. I cannot recommend this game enough.
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 is a surprisingly calming game that teaches you more about motorcycles, with deep customisation and attention to detail that could make you lose hours of your life.
Despite trying to present itself as an advancement of the series, Battlefield 2042 instead feels like a severe dumbing-down. The Battlefield Portal offers some familiar fun, but it's just not enough to warrant buying the game.
An open-world experience that loses interest in its own promising setup over time, before finding renewed interest in the idea of "AFK gameplay" instead. An experiment that just barely succeeds in its endeavour, despite uninteresting characters and lacking visual design attempting to drag it down.
Brain Meltdown Into Despair is a beautiful game that really lives up to its name. It delivers an incredibly difficult experience that changes the way you have been controlling your game character for years. Controlling two characters at once sounds easy, but it's not!
Faraday Protocol is an interesting first-person puzzle game that has an intriguing storyline and puzzles to challenge your brain. The unique combination of futuristic visuals and Egyptian themed elements creates a mysterious and unique world for you to explore.
The gameplay is pretty good, but it is sadly sullied by a lack in all other areas. The story is almost non-existent, the graphics and audio are merely adequate, and there is a definite lack in replayability. A real shame, but there is potential for more in the future.
I will say if you even remotely like the look of the art then Blightbound is a must buy to experience that alone, it's worth every penny in that regard, but if you are looking for anything more then I'd sadly give it a miss. I really wanted to like Blightbound, it's clear there is some real passion and brilliance in places but it just never reaches anything close to its potential. The rabbit hole is horribly shallow, the promising first leap into the magical world being cut horribly short as you hit the earth with a deafening thud.
If you like insane difficulty, oddness, and prog rock, this game is for you.
Although somewhat lacking on the horror front, PROJECT ZERO: Maiden of Black Water is a fun time with an interesting story and gorgeous graphics. The audio could use some improvement, but the pros far outweigh the cons.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is gorgeous in graphics, with in-depth gameplay mechanics, and a deep, emotional story about mental health and trauma compile it into the masterpiece that it is.
A speedy roguelite with confusing narrative content that bogs down an otherwise fulfilling blueprint of satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay and positively off-putting visual design. A case of carte blanche backfiring in the face of a finale that fails to uphold a promise on one end, betraying that quick-thinking nature.
Forza Horizon 5 looks phenomenal, plays well and is practically flawless. It is undoubtedly the best entry in the series and has the most detailed open world in any game to date.
Pushing out sheer pornography with its visuals while also testing you with fast paced combat, Bright Memory: Infinite teases you like a temptress. It brings you oh so close, then leaves you wanting more.
Gynoug is a memorable shoot 'em up that is a must play for anyone who loves this genre, especially with a retro look. This game will definitely work your eyes to the max, so I recommend playing earlier in the day because late at night when you are tired I am sure you will be frustrated!
A solid port of an important game in the series. It's just a shame that it's not that interesting mechanically. Still, it's a fun time and the quality of life additions make it a lot more approachable to newcomers.
A stylish throwback to a couple of decades ago, this platformer will appeal mainly to those who still miss the Dreamcast. A few niggles with the camera, a couple of minor bugs and some rather harsh difficulty spikes stop it from being a world-beater, but it's a solid piece of fun despite these small issues.
Bonito Days is a super cute and simple game that is reminiscent of Super Monkey Ball, but with camera issues and short single-player game it's hard to fully recommend.