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Dying Light: The Beast is an exhilarating, grotesque, and technically impressive game that proves Techland still understands what makes this series special. The parkour is smoother than ever, the melee is unmatched, and the attention to detail in the world is astonishing. It stumbles with stealth, the story remains functional rather than unforgettable, and some design choices feel limited, but these flaws don’t outweigh how consistently enjoyable it is to play.
MOUTHOLE is strange, different, utterly crazy, but highly memorable.
LEGO Party! is certainly enjoyable, there’s no denying that; the huge range of mini games and mini figures encourage customisation, contrasted by the larger than life personality the title oozes. Sadly, the clear derivative gameplay hardly creates anything original, and that means LEGO Party! is left to lean heavily on its predecessors.
Of course, EA FC 26 is frustrating at times, but there is nothing else that can beat it, and no competition that can deliver such a well crafted experience of football.
ZOE Begone! is a wonderfully created but brutally difficult SHMUP, that despite looking cute and cuddly, will challenge even the most adept players.
Sky of Destruction is sufficiently different from a run of the mill shooter to make it interesting. The composition of your fleet, and the way that you can configure the aircraft you use, add a bit of spice to a stale genre. On the downside, the tutorial is extremely poor and doesn’t really give us much of a clue as to what to do.
As a collection and a retrospective anthology of Bubsy games, Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection ticks all the boxes. The issue here though, and it is a fairly major one, is that the games weren’t ever very good in the first place. Even with the modern additions to make them palatable, these are bad platformers. And unfortunately, nice inclusions can only get you so far when the gameplay is sub-par.
Deadzone: Rogue carefully combines FPS conventions with roguelite goodness through fleshed-out gunplay, hyper-focused builds from the plethora of perks, and a cozy overarching hub for upgrades. Even the few failures in level design and bit of boredom this title does face, can’t deny the sheer enjoyment it will bring you.
As a time waster to work alongside the Hidden Cats In… franchise, Hidden Cat Outlaws is fine. But it never really excels, struck with poor audio and repetitive stage design to leave it residing in the shadow of its more accomplished peers. On the plus side, it’s stupidly cheap and complete with some of the easiest Gamerscore you will ever unlock.
HOTEL BARCELONA is enjoyable from start to finish, even if that finish comes about too swiftly. It's also definitely over the top and not something to take too seriously. HOTEL BARCELONA is really just a fun game, no matter how you look at it.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji has proven to be a very pleasant surprise. Even though it doesn't contain anything truly groundbreaking, it succeeds in what it sets out to do.
Forgive Me Father 2 is an old-school shooter, but it brings enough new ideas to the table in terms of its wildly imaginative weapons and intriguing story.
Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile will let you live out those fantasies without having to leave the house in a trilby and a mac. It’s a good challenge, with a great story and lots of variety in its levels. Sometimes the presentation feels a bit flat, but it’s never anything that is able to take away from the enjoyment.
Despite a few minor setbacks, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is Sonic Team’s valiant effort to compete in the arcade racer market; when your game contains an abundance of characters, maps, game-modes and mechanics all of the same calibre, it can easily go toe-to-toe with even the Mario Karts of the genre.
Makis Adventure is certainly that… an adventure. During its course you’ll encounter curious characters, formidable foes, precious puzzles and mellow moments all standing in the way of your goal. Sadly, a dull combat system and barren hub world, are a deadly duo leaving this title enjoyable, with potential greatness hiding inside.
Hidden Cats in Tokyo is a hidden object joy, even if we don’t particularly need that story to keep dragging us along for the ride.
There are times when Deepest Trench succeeds at pulling players into its dark, watery world, especially when two divers are working together to survive impossible odds. Yet these successes are fleeting, and the game too often feels rough around the edges. What is an excellent concept is sunk by the game itself.
Minos Dungeon is unlikely to offend you, at times even able to provide some enjoyable gameplay, yet a few sokoban sins, paired with the knowledge that each ounce of fun is lifted from a predecessor, leaves this one bordering on just average.
Axobubble is certainly no masterpiece, plagued with occasional bugs, a limited move-set, and narrow minded level design, yet its bubble gimmick can’t help but be viewed as a (much needed) stepping stone for Afil Games to learn from and expand upon in the future.
Even though I loved my time with Arctic Awakening, it did frustrate me in equal measure. The pacing is sometimes off, and there are moments when the story wanders off track. But the overall premise is great, and the visuals and soundtrack are lovely.