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Bleak Sword DX might keep things simple with its combat and visual style, but it makes for an engrossing experience that’s a ton of fun to play. I loved the gameplay loop of progressing between levels, levelling up, and dealing with every new threat the game sent my way, whilst the more challenging moments (and many deaths) never feel like a massive deterrent thanks to the game’s bite-size level setup. And sure, it can be rough losing your items and experience points, but with players getting a shot at redemption, it never feels unfair.
We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie is a real joy to play, with the zany gameplay and creative level design making for a real good time. The additional Royal Reverie content is a treat too, whilst the sheer amount of content players have to get through in the game will keep them busy for quite a while. And sure, the controls can be a little fiddly to get used to, but when you get the ball rolling (literally and figuratively), there’s PLENTY of fun to be had in We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie.
Street Fighter 6 is an outstanding fighting experience that complements its stellar combat mechanics with addictive game modes. World Tour Mode is an absolute blast for those who want a story-driven experience, whilst the Battle Hub is fully fleshed out to keep competitive players coming back for years on end. Add to that the improved accessibility that makes it easy for newbies to dive right in, the wonderfully vibrant visuals that bring the action to life, and the fantastic roster of characters made up of iconic favourites and new faces, and it’ll be clear that Street Fighter 6 exceeds the high standards of the series. Well done, Capcom… you’ve delivered ANOTHER banger.
The Tartarus Key is an old-school puzzling treat, with the mysterious story and clever puzzle design making for an enthralling experience throughout. I was a big fan of the PSOne-style visuals, whilst the game’s foreboding atmosphere will certainly leave players on the edge of their seat – even if the occasionally cheesy quip sways the mood. It wouldn’t be a 90s survival horror-inspired experience without them, right? There were a few little hiccups along the way with a couple of overly obtuse puzzles and the lack of voice acting, but they didn’t stop me from having a blast as I slowly unravelled the unnerving mysteries of The Tartarus Key.
Killer Frequency’s slick twist of clever puzzling and comedy-horror is a whole lot of fun, even IF it isn’t a particularly challenging experience. But hey, whilst the puzzles aren’t too tricky, the way they’re presented is undeniably cool, whilst the radio DJ role you play is wonderfully executed in-game. Add to that the 80s vibe and charming presentation and it’ll be clear it definitely deserves your attention. I just had a really good time with the game, and whilst I’ll admit that it might have been even more fun to play in VR, helping folks survive the wrath of a killer on a rampage was a blast.
Protodroid DeLTA is a slick action-platformer that is a whole lotta fun to play through thanks to some great level design and slick combat. And sure, it might wear its Mega Man inspirations like a big badge of honour, but it also does plenty of its own little things to show that it hasn’t borrowed EVERYTHING from Capcom’s beloved series. It’s just a really cool experience, and one that reminded me a lot of the joyful early days of 3D platforming (and I mean that in the best way possible).
Lunark is a gripping action-platformer that perfectly captures what made the old-school titles that inspired it SO good. Between the creative level design, the slick platforming, the creative puzzling, and the wonderful visuals, it gets so much right, and whilst some aspects of its design may feel questionable to those who aren’t experienced with this style of game, it felt brilliant to me. Just PLEASE, Canari Games… add an auto-save to each checkpoint.
Planet of Lana is simply mesmerising, with the stunning world and engrossing puzzling ensuring it truly shines as a puzzle-platforming spectacle. Sure, it might not be the most original experience when it comes to the gameplay and it’s rarely challenging, but the variety and creativity it showcases ensures it still feels captivating to play – just don’t expect to see too many ideas that you wouldn’t have seen before. It didn’t stop Planet of Lana from being a wonderful experience though, and it’ll always stands out to me as one of the most beautiful games that I’ve ever played.
LEGO 2K Drive is a fantastic racing experience that’s sure to appeal to both younger players and those who take their driving VERY seriously. The open world looks great, is full of events to complete, and lets you unleash your destructive side by smashing through seemingly endless LEGO blocks, whilst it’s super rewarding to show off your creative side with the robust vehicle creator. Plus, the racing feels great, which is perhaps the most important aspect of all.
Bramble: The Mountain King offers an adventure that’s beautiful and horrifying in equal measure, so expect to be kept on the edge of your seat when playing. Don’t get me wrong, it can be guilty of keeping things simple and there’s not much here you wouldn’t have seen before from a gameplay perspective, but the way that it keeps players hooked in with its luscious world and terrifying encounters with enemies is simply enthralling. It’s rare that a game manages to shock me time and time again when playing, but man, Bramble: The Mountain King maintained that unnerving sense of fear right until the very end.
Another Fisherman’s Tale is another enjoyable puzzler that introduces plenty of new ideas to keep the experience fresh and unique. It feels completely different to the first game, and whilst I’d be lying if I said I preferred it over its predecessor, it certainly offers more variety and creativity across its larger adventure. It’s not a particularly challenging experience and the controls can be a little fiddly to get used to at first, but Another Fisherman’s Tale still shines as a captivating virtual reality puzzler that showcases Innerspace VR’s creative skills as a virtual reality developer.
Tin Hearts is a wonderfully crafted puzzler that’s unique, clever, and tells a heart-warming story to go along with its cute toy soldier escapade. It mixes together a variety of puzzling mechanics in a creative and whimsical way, whilst the way that everything ties into the use of toys always kept a smile on my face. And sure, the time manipulating mechanics mean that the stakes aren’t too high when leading your toy soldiers on their way, but they don’t stop the game from feeling super rewarding when you finally solve each tricky conundrum.
Mile High Taxi offers a cool and unique take on the Crazy Taxi formula, with the manic driving through the city’s sky making for a good time. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s lacking a more interesting city to speed through and there are quite a few technical issues that I came across, but they don’t stop the core gameplay loop from being a lot of fun. It definitely sets the perfect foundation for the developer to build upon and I’d love to see more from the game in the future.
Redfall is a bit of a technical mess right now, but there’s no doubting that behind the issues there’s a satisfying vampire-slaying romp for players to embark on. It won’t win points for originality with its gunplay and the missions can get repetitive, but between uncovering the sinister sights of the town, working with friends in rewarding co-op action, and utilising the wonderful abilities of your character, there is a good time to be had. As it stands, though? It really needs some work. I would recommend holding off on Redfall until it has a couple of patches to fix its issues, but when the game is finally in full working order, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Death or Treat has a charming Halloween vibe, but its repetitive gameplay mechanics and awkward loot system do make it hard to recommend when compared to other roguelites. It’s not that anything is bad at all, but rather that it lacks to depth and creativity to keep players hooked in for long – especially with its tiring emphasis on gathering randomised loot. It just doesn’t do anything I haven’t seen done much better in other roguelite titles. The visuals are great and the whole ‘us versus the corporation’ vibe of HallowTown was fun to see unfold, but Death or Treat just lacked that special *something* to stand out in what is a very crowded genre.
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 can be tough as nails to play, but once you get used to it, the racing can be really thrilling. The core gameplay loop of racing, winning, and upgrading your bike is cool, whilst the open-world exploration lets you take a deep dive into the world of TT racing on the Isle of Man – even IF it doesn’t necessarily feel like it benefits the gameplay all that much. There’s no doubting that its core audience will be motorbike lovers and I’d find it hard to recommend to casual racing fans, but those who do give it a try are in for a fun time (when they learn how to stop crashing at every bend in a road).
Amanda the Adventurer is a unique and engrossing experience that isn’t necessarily scary, but will definitely keep players on edge as they uncover its dark secrets. It’s easy to think that it’s a simple and straightforward puzzler to begin with, but it doesn’t take long before the narrative takes unusual turns, the puzzles become more creative, and Amanda really starts to creep the player out with her sinister outbursts. It’s really, REALLY cool, and easily stands out as one of the more memorable horror experiences I’ve played through in some time.
Mr Sun’s Hatbox blends together a variety of platforming, action, and strategy ideas into one brilliantly creative experience, and believe me, it’s easy to lose HOURS on end absorbed in its charming yet violent world. I’ll admit, I wasn’t too sold on the game when I first checked out its Steam page, but after playing it? I was all in. It’s fun and zany in equal measure, with Mr Sun’s Hatbox easily standing out as one of the more unique action-platforming roguelites that I’ve had the joy of playing.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox isn’t perfect, but the excellent puzzle design and sinister yet beautiful world certainly help it shine. It’s just a shame that the combat mechanics let it down, and whilst they’re not necessarily bad, they did get a little repetitive and made for some frustrating moments. Still, they didn’t stop me from really enjoying my time playing the game, with the strong points certainly outweighing those that let it down. And sure, it could have done with a bit of sprucing up here and there, but The Last Case of Benedict Fox’s certainly kept me hooked into its twisted yet wonderful world.
Teslagrad 2 is a wonderful sequel that continues the legacy of the original with its creative puzzle-platforming and excellent world design. Using Lumina’s abilities to speed through the world and deal with its hazards was constantly satisfying, whilst the sights you encounter along the way are mesmerising thanks to the fantastic hand-drawn visuals. The only downside is it is a bit too short for my liking, whilst there were some clumsy moments here and there that could cause some frustrations. Thankfully, these issues don’t stop Teslagrad 2 from being a great experience and one that long-time fans will love being a part of.