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Gods Will Fall certainly has its enjoyable moments and the boss battles themselves were fun, but some frustrating design choices saw me tire of the game quite quickly. Sure, it has some clever ideas on show and it tries to do something unique with its setup, but the unpredictable nature of the game and punishment for failure saw me getting more and more annoyed with each playthrough. It’s a shame too because there were occasions where I was having a really good time battling through each realm, especially when I would finally slay a boss that had been causing me trouble. The times in between though? I don’t necessarily hold such fond memories for those…
Sword of the Necromancer has some neat ideas on show in its dungeon-crawling gameplay, but it felt a little bit too basic to offer that much excitement. What doesn’t help is the restricted item limit, which often made it difficult to justify reviving monsters and having them fight beside you… you know, the coolest feature of the game. It’s certainly not a bad game and I can’t say that I didn’t have fun playing, but I just wish that it did a little bit more. With a bit of extra work I could see Sword of the Necromancer offering a genuinely unique and engaging dungeon-crawling roguelite experience, but as it stands, there are too many better games to play in the genre instead of it.
Silver Chains is far from the best horror game that I’ve played, but it offers an intriguing narrative and enough scares to make it a worthwhile venture for horror fans. Don’t get me wrong, it has its share of moments where it can frustrate due to a lack of direction and the game’s finale saw it end on a bit of a low point, but the overall experience of exploring the eerie mansion and uncovering its secrets did enough to keep me entertained. Silver Chains might not be an exceptional example of the horror genre, but that doesn’t mean there’s not fun to be had playing it.
Olija’s adventure might be a short one, but it’ll certainly prove memorable for players thanks to its fun harpooning-action and its minimalistic yet impressive visual style. Add to that an intriguing narrative that’ll keep you hooked in until the very end and it’s clear that Devolver Digital and Skeleton Crew Studio have a winner on their hands here. Admittedly, the combat mechanics were a little underwhelming and the lack of challenge did feel like low points of the journey, but Olija still did more than enough to ensure that its harpoon-fuelled escapade is one that fans of 2D adventures won’t want out miss out on.
Disjunction offers an intriguing narrative and some genuinely thrilling stealth action, but it is guilty of being a little repetitive in design. The enemy AI is pretty easy to exploit too, with their limited cones of vision and predictable patrol paths making it easy to take most of them out with minimal fuss. Despite this, I still had a good time playing through the game, with the diverse skillsets of the protagonists and the open level layouts making for some satisfying scenarios in-game. It always felt rewarding when I cleared a room of enemies unscathed, whilst the choices I made during the story genuinely felt like they had repercussions. I just wish that Disjunction had that little bit more variety to the experience – it’s the one real thing that makes it feel like more of a ‘good game’ as opposed to a great one.
Whilst Shing! is guilty of feeling a bit repetitive in places, the slick and intuitive combat mechanics do enough to make it a worthwhile venture in the beat ‘em up genre. Don’t get me wrong, your thumb may ache after a couple of hours of play and it doesn’t do much to evolve upon the genre outside of the controls, but there’s enough charm on show with the story and enemy variety to keep players invested in Shing!’s perilous ninja-fuelled escapade.
I’m not going to pretend that Red Colony is a good game, because between the flawed gameplay and the bugs, it really isn’t. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining, with the absurdly intriguing story and character interactions (as well as a pretty short length) doing more than enough to keep me entertained during my playthrough. It’s weird, it’s kinda crappy, and it’s buggy, but it’s charming too. Red Colony DEFINITELY won’t be for everyone, but if you do decide to give it a try, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised…
Rhythm Fighter is a unique and anarchic roguelite escapade that’s both addictive and satisfying to play, even IF it can get a little repetitive in places. Thankfully, the constant unlockables you earn and rewarding sense of progress with upgrades will keep you coming back for more, whilst the fun and unique rhythm-based battling always brings with it a sense of chaos that never gets boring – especially during the tougher later levels and boss encounters.
WRITHE might not be the most intricate of shooters and it does lack a sense of progress, but that doesn’t stop it from being a whole lot of fun to play. Sure, it’s tough as nails and you’ll die a LOT, but there’s something pleasantly addictive about trying to survive the wrath of the endless hordes of grubs and blasting them to smithereens with your souped-up weaponry. Add to that a really neat old-school aesthetic and you’ll quickly find that WRITHE is a cool little shooter that does enough to keep players coming back for ‘one more go’.
Ghostanoid certainly has some charm thanks to its cutesy ghost-hunting setup, but a lack of level variety and some frustrating design choices see it feeling like one of the weaker Arkanoid-style titles that are available. Still, with its low price point, it might be worth a punt if you’re interested in this type of game – just expect a few frustrations here and there…
Monster Sanctuary is a clever amalgamation of the monster-catching and Metroidvania-style genres that works really, REALLY well. I had a good time exploring the world and uncovering its secrets, whilst catching monsters and then using them in strategic battling made for some really enthralling showdowns. It does have the occasional issue here and there that can slow your progress down, but it doesn’t stop the game from being a whole lot of fun to play. If you’re looking for a monster-catching adventure with a unique little twist, you really ought to give Monster Sanctuary a try.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising offers a thoroughly entertaining open-world adventure that’s made up of creative puzzles, a wonderful world to explore, and some top-notch combat. Sure, it can be a bit of a slow burner to get going, but when the game finally kicks off? It’ll REALLY pull you in for the long haul. It is guilty of borrowing a lot of ideas from other games (and not necessarily bettering them), and sure, it might not necessarily be the most original of open-world adventures out there. Fortunately, what it lacks in originality it makes up for in charm and fun, with the grand journey that players will embark on to defeat Typhon certainly proving to be a memorable one.
Haven’s engaging storytelling and alluring world help make for a unique and enjoyable experience – I just wish there was a little bit more to do on Source. Sure, gliding around feels wonderful and the instances of combat can make for some fun sequences, but it doesn’t take long for a sense of repetition to kick in. It probably doesn’t help that the land itself can be a little bit vacant, making it more difficult to find the areas you need to reach to progress. It certainly has its flaws, but I still had more of a more positive experience with Haven than a bad one. With a bit of extra fine-tuning it could easily stand out as a really special little game, especially with its endearing take on relationships in the video game landscape and its outstanding presentation. As it stands though, it doesn’t always manage to replicate the same sparks that are flying between its two main protagonists.
Sam & Max Save The World Remastered’s anarchic adventure is just as fun to play today as it was when it first released, with some revamped visuals and improved controller support making it a joy to play on the Nintendo Switch. Sure, it does have the occasional obtuse puzzle that’ll be tricky to solve and the fact that you can’t skip through dialogue is a bit of a pain, but it doesn’t stop the game from offering a quirky and enjoyable mystery for point-and-click fans to really sink their teeth into. Here’s hoping we’ll also see the sequels hit the Nintendo Switch sometime soon…
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes offers a darkly entertaining Soulsborne-like escapade that’ll hook players in, even IF it could do with a little bit of fine-tuning here and there. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad to find in the game (well… except maybe the inventory system) and the grisly combat remains methodically fun throughout – the AI of enemies just needs to be fixed up a little to make encounters feel a little less easy to exploit. With its excellent boss encounters and impressive world design though, Morbid: The Seven Acolytes offers more than enough to keep players enthralled until they reach the end of their journey. It’s a lot more accessible than similar titles in the genre too, so it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the punishing yet ultimately satisfying style of play that it offers.
Visage offers a genuinely frightening and utterly engaging experience that’ll keep players on the edge of their seat as they unravel its eerie secrets. Fans of horror will love uncovering more of the haunted house and seeing what creepy sights are lurking in the shadows, whilst the puzzle-design is solid and will force you to think outside of the box. Sure, some puzzles could be a little frustrating and there are a few visual glitches in place when examining or using items, but they’re minor issues in what is otherwise a compelling (and at times disturbing) horror escapade. Fans of the genre will NOT want to miss out on Visage.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a must-buy if you don’t already own the game, with the next-gen enhancements and plethora of content making for a brilliant package. There’s so much to see and do across the base game and its ‘Aftermath’ expansion, whilst having all of the DLC characters (including the newly released Mileena, Rain, and Rambo) is a real treat. It also helps that the game is brilliant anyway, so it’s great to be able to play it in its ‘ultimate’ form. Already own the game? Upgrade for free to the next-gen version and enjoy sharper visuals and much faster loading times. It’s a win-win really, so even existing players can benefit from the improvements brought by this fantastic fighting package.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an outstanding example of what the PlayStation 5 is capable of, with the thrilling adventure brought to life by some stunning visuals and an emotionally-driven tale. I loved the new combat mechanics brought on by the Venom powers and the cloaking, whilst the streamlined mission design made everything feel a little bit more meaningful. Add to that the instantaneous loading times and the Activity Card integration and you’ll quickly find that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is easily one of the best launch titles available on the PlayStation 5. It’s worth noting that it’s a lot smaller in scale that its predecessor, but Spider-Man: Miles Morales still improves upon its greatness. Whether you’re a fan of the web-slinger or not, you won’t want to miss out on this one.
Godfall is guilty of being a little repetitive in design, but the fantastic combat mechanics and satisfying loot system more than make up for it. I had a whole lot of fun slicing away at enemies, whilst seeing my gear and skills constantly improve brought with it a rewarding sense of progress – especially when comparing my loadout with friends when playing through the campaign in online co-op. It is a shame that a lot of time has to be spent grinding and seeing the same environments again and again could be a bore, but there’s enough going on outside of those flaws to still make Godfall worth your attention. It might not necessarily be the best launch title on the PlayStation 5, but those who enjoy slick sword-clashing action and building up their own armour-clad warrior will definitely want to give it a try.
Part Time UFO is a delightful puzzling experience that shows that even the simplest of jobs can be incredibly wacky and fun when there’s a UFO involved. There’s so much to do and see across the game’s varied tasks, whilst the extra objectives will keep you coming back for more – I’ve poured hours in already and I STILL haven’t unlocked all of the game’s achievements and costumes, but I’m having a heck of a good time working towards it. With additional game modes to tackle that spice up the experience and the manic (but wholly enjoyable) co-op mode that allows players to attempt to work together ‘efficiently’, I can’t see me quitting Part Time UFO’s claw-grabbing escapade any time soon…