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Amanda the Adventurer 2 is an enjoyable sequel that maintains the eerie charm of the original game, even if some puzzles could be frustrating to solve. It’s bigger in scope, it offers more puzzles, and it maintains the clever sense of creativity from the first game, whilst I found myself more invested in both Riley’s investigation and the unsettling origins of the show with each new revelation revealed. It’s just a shame that there are a couple of frustrating puzzles in the mix, with the game giving a bad first impression with its first cryptic conundrum. When you get past that, though? Amanda the Adventurer 2 has plenty of creepy charm and is the perfect puzzler to play this Halloween season.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a mesmerising RPG experience that further establishes the team at Atlus as the kings of the genre. Between the fascinating storytelling, the deep and strategic combat, the engrossing time-management, and the wonderful presentation, Metaphor: ReFantazio really does have it all. I simply loved my time with the game, and even after beating it, I’m ready to get stuck in for another run and see what changes I can bring to my playthrough. It’s simply an unmissable experience, and you know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if you see Metaphor: ReFantazio topping a LOT of ‘Game of the Year’ lists for 2024.
Kong: Survivor Instinct is a pleasant surprise, with the action-packed set pieces and chaotic encounters with Titans ensuring it makes for an enjoyable adventure. Don’t get me wrong, there are better 2.5D adventures out there and the weak combat does let it down, but exploring your destroyed surroundings, surviving through destructive set pieces where the Titans wreak havoc, and simply seeing the story unfold kept me hooked in from start to end. It’s not perfect, but after the disaster that was Skull Island: Rise of Kong, this feels like redemption for everyone’s favourite giant primate.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is an intense and exciting horror experience that captures the unsettling vibe of the movie series perfectly. Simply exploring your eerie surroundings whilst making as little noise as possible makes for an engrossing experience, and whilst the slower pace won’t be for everyone, I found myself completely hooked into the high-stakes at play. It’s dramatic, it’s unnerving, and it’s packed with sequences that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat as you try to make as little noise as possible… what else could you ask for from a video game set in the world of A Quiet Place?
RetroRealms Arcade offers two exciting 2D adventures that use the Halloween and Ash vs The Evil Dead worlds in creative and compelling ways. I loved playing through each unique adventure, but mixing-and-matching characters afterwards? It was brilliant and re-enforces the potential that RetroRealms has. Add to that the lovely visuals, the satisfying gameplay, and the additional content found in the arcade environment, and you’ll quickly find that there’s something REALLY special on offer here. It’s just a shame that it’s so expensive, with players having to fork out £41.98 to get both titles (and an extra £8.58 if they want the extra characters). It’s a lot to pay, and with plenty of similar titles available for cheaper, I’m not sure if the wonderful use of the licences will be enough to inspire gamers to part with their cash. It’s disappointing, especially given that the games themselves are so damn fun… here’s hoping that everything works out and RetroRealms Arcade continues to evolve and expand with time.
Fear the Spotlight is an engrossing horror escapade that’ll keep players hooked in with its intriguing storytelling, clever puzzles, and atmospheric world. I genuinely found myself on the edge of my seat whilst dealing with the foreboding spotlight-head creature, and whilst it would’ve been nice to see the stealth mechanics expanded upon, they did a good job of ramping up the tension across the game. It’s just a really eerie and enjoyable experience, and if Blumhouse Games continue to help release titles as absorbing as Fear the Spotlight, it won’t take long before they’re just as synonymous with horror video games as they are with horror movies.
Arizona Sunshine Remake isn’t as good as its sequel, but the improved visuals and refined mechanics ensure that it’s still a blast to play. The core experience still holds up really well, and whilst it can show its age in some elements of its design, blasting away at zombies in dangerous and varied scenarios is ALWAYS satisfying. Add to that the horrifying visual upgrade that’s gorier than ever, the refined reloading mechanics that makes for a more immersive and tense experience, and the fact that you get all of the DLC included in the package, and it’ll be clear that this is a worthwhile remake of one of virtual reality’s original greats.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has a steep learning curve that’ll take a few hours to get to grips with, but its exhilarating combat and gorgeous visuals make the time investment worthwhile. There’s plenty of depth and strategy to combat to ensure that battles are authentic and action-packed – and sure, it takes some time to figure each mechanic out, but it makes for a frantic and super fun experience when you do. Add to that the cool game modes, the wealth of content, and the beautiful visuals, and it’ll be clear that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a real hit for both Dragon Ball and fighting game fans.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World offers a fantastic platforming adventure that fans of Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot are sure to adore. Sure, it isn’t the most original title you’ll play in the genre, but with its wonderfully designed levels, creative variety of gameplay mechanics, and gorgeous visuals, it’s hard not to fall in love with Niko and Luna’s daring escapade.
Until Dawn is an impressive remake, and whilst there might be some questions concerning whether or not it was needed, there is no doubt that this is the scariest that the game has ever been. It looks better than ever and there are extended sequences that flesh out the storytelling, whilst the switch of camera perspectives helps the experience feel fresh for returning players. It is a little disappointing that it is limited to a 30fps frame rate and it might’ve been nice to see a few more extras to justify the price tag, but Until Dawn’s interactive horror escapade still manages to feel better than ever here.
Mouthwashing is an engrossing psychological horror experience that kept me completely hooked in thanks to its captivating storytelling. I simply HAD to see how each thread of the tale would play out, and with the switch between time periods leaving me guessing and the brilliantly-written characters proving unpredictable, I loved every moment of it. The storytelling does take centre stage (and it’s best described as a walking sim), but with plenty of moments of interactivity as well as a few simple puzzles to spice things up, Mouthwashing certainly stands out as a horror hit that you won’t want to miss out on.
Reynatis has some interesting ideas, but the lack of variety and depth in combat can make it feel a little dull the longer you play. It’s a shame too, because I really liked the storytelling, whilst the balance between taking a Liberated or Suppressed approach (both in combat and when exploring) certainly gave the game a unique spin. Unfortunately, it just got a little repetitive to play, and whilst nothing is outright bad in the game, it does lack that special something to make it easy to an easy RPG to recommend.
I absolutely adore Worlds of Aria, with its unpredictable Dungeons and Dragons-style gameplay loop making for a genuinely brilliant experience to share with friends. Each of the game’s acts is packed with charming and quirky situations where your choices will affect where the story will go, whilst each skill check you face will leave you on the edge of your seat as you eagerly anticipate your success (or failure)… I loved it. The game just really resonated with me, and with it easily accessible for additional players through the Friend Pass, it has been one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve shared with friends. I have no doubt that the RNG decision making won’t be for everyone, but if you’ve ever enjoyed Dungeons and Dragons in the past, you simply HAVE to play Worlds of Aria.
Castlevania Dominus Collection offers a fantastic collection of titles that still stand out as some of the best in the Castlevania series. The gameplay of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia has stood the test of time with their enthralling adventures, whilst the unique features found across each ensures they feel fresh to play. Add to that the cool bonus of Haunted Castle (even if the original release is on the poor side) and it’ll be easy to see that this is another brilliant collection of classics from the team at Konami.
Beyond Galaxyland is a real treat to play, with its gorgeous world, clever storytelling, and rewarding combat making for a really fun RPG experience. It has plenty of cool little systems in place to keep the roughly twelve-hour campaign engaging until the very end, whilst simply exploring each locale, taking in the mesmerising sights, and seeing the charming sci-fi story unfold kept me completely absorbed in the experience. It can be a bit easy and it does have a few small missteps with its platforming, but Beyond Galaxyland still stands out as a wonderfully creative RPG that’ll certainly put a smile on the faces of fans of the genre.
Bloomtown: A Different Story is a charming RPG that kept me utterly engrossed with its gorgeous world, enjoyable combat, and clever storytelling. I loved being able to shape the events of the narrative with my choices (even IF they weren’t always successful), whilst completing tasks across Bloomtown, battling enemies, or recruiting new demons to my cause was always satisfying. And sure, it might wear its inspirations like a big badge of honour, but when it pulls the ideas that inspired it together so effectively, it’s hard not to find yourself completely hooked in. It does have some flaws, most notably with some instances of combat dragging out and the overwhelming nature of the quests, but Bloomtown: A Different Story still stands out as an impressive RPG that fans of Persona are sure to love.
Shadows of Doubt is simply brilliant, with its sleuthing gameplay loop proving clever, creative, and unpredictable in design to ensure that each case you solve will keep you fully immersed in its fascinating world. I was constantly amazed at how deep each case would go, and with cities on offer that are packed with citizens to interrogate and locales to explore, it’s hard not to feel blown away by the scale of it all. I haven’t played anything quite like it before, and whilst it does have some imperfections and some cases can leave you flummoxed for a little longer than I’d have liked, Shadows of Doubt offers the best representation of ‘solving a murder’ that I’ve EVER seen in gaming.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a fanatic remaster of one of Capcom’s best games, with the improvements complementing the sublime zombie-killing gameplay loop. With its more intuitive controls, smarter survivor AI, gorgeous visuals, and more accessible save system, this really is the best that Dead Rising has ever felt to play – both for veterans and those new to the series. Here’s hoping Capcom give Dead Rising 2 the same treatment, because it really has felt special getting to experience one of my favourite games of all time in this wonderfully revamped form.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has been a real treat to play, with the monster collecting and synthesis keeping me hooked in for hours on end. I’ve really enjoyed exploring its world, collecting all of the monsters than I can, building them up in power, and then synthesising them into more formidable monsters, whilst progressing through the story and completing tournaments was equally rewarding. I’ll admit, I’ve ended up enjoying the game a lot more than I expected, so much so that I’m still playing through post-completion to try and collect every monster in the game… it really has been THAT addictive. It’s great to see that the PC release doesn’t suffer from some of the technical issues of the Nintendo Switch version of the game too, and whilst the visuals still might not really be all that impressive, this is easily the best way to experience Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a wonderful remaster that really does spark new life in a point-and-click classic. The visuals are gorgeous, the gameplay is more intuitive than before, whilst the additional Story Mode goes a long way in making the experience more accessible for newcomers to the genre. Add to that the excellent puzzling and storytelling from the original that has certainly stood the test of time, and you’ll quicky find that this is one remastered release you won’t want to miss out on.