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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.
OTXO is a brutal roguelite that NEVER slows the pace down with its frantic gunplay and satisfyingly chaotic action. I had a ton of fun blasting through its levels and spilling pints of enemy blood, whilst the time-bending focus ability and varied approach you can take in each level adds a surprising amount of strategy to each playthrough. Just expect to die… a lot. There were a few little issues I encountered when playing and the formula might get a little repetitive for some players, but I’ve found myself completely hooked into OTXO. If you loved the likes of Hotline Miami and want to play something that takes a slightly different approach, you won’t want to miss out on it.
Arto is a simply mesmerising game to look at, but the combat and narrative lack the excitement to make it an easy game to recommend. It’s not that anything is bad at all, but rather that it’s all a bit… well… boring. Some of the technical issues didn’t help either, with it clear the game could have done with a little bit more work to fix some of its more obvious problems. I don’t want to slate the game too much because, as I said, it’s clear it has a lot of heart, and I really loved seeing its explosions of colour as I uncovered the world. It’s just a shame that I didn’t enjoy playing it all that much. With a few updates and patches, it could definitely be a better experience, but as it stands? There are too many better games out there that deserve your attention more.
Cassette Beasts is a captivating monster-collecting adventure that has a clear inspiration, but thrives thanks to its own unique and charming ideas. Combat is strategic and deep, the world offers a satisfying sense of discovery, the narrative is quirky and mysterious, whilst the monster design is top notch… what more could you want? It does have a few little technical bugs that I ran into playing on the Steam Deck, but they didn’t stop me from having a brilliant time as I embarked on Cassette Beasts’ remarkable adventure.
Disney Speedstorm isn’t only a ton of fun to play, but offers brilliant fan service with the love and care it has put into embracing the Disney magic. Everything is oozing with charm, whether it’s with the robust roster of fan favourites, the whimsical tracks you race across, or the wonderful melodies of familiar tunes that play as you race. Oh, and of course, the racing itself is a real treat too, with the game embracing typical karting-gameplay whilst introducing a few cool ideas of its own.
Hunt the Night has a few flaws, but they didn’t stop me from enjoying this dark and challenging action-packed romp. The combat is exciting and strategic, the world design is gorgeous and offers plenty to discover, whilst the clear Bloodborne-inspired vibe ticked plenty of the right boxes for me. Hunt the Night really has a lot going for it, and whilst the difficulty can be a little brutal at times, it never stopped me from enjoying my journey across the dangerous land of Melhram.