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Heave Ho is an utter delight to play, with its co-operative and outright zany take on being a trapeze artist making (kind of?) for a uniquely fun escapade. It’s a bit tough to recommend as a single player experience as it loses a lot of its charm when playing solo, so it’s definitely a case of ‘the more, the merrier’. If you can get some friends to join you though, you’re in for heck of a good time (and maybe the occasional argument if one of you gets slippery fingers…)
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas is a decent platformer that has some genuinely fun moments, but the lack of variety in its gameplay mechanics and a quick runtime see it fall short when compared to similar titles in the genre. It’s not that anything it does is ever bad per se, but rather that it doesn’t do enough to really capture the imagination. With its low price-point it might be worth checking out if you’re a platforming fan, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting more from this pink hero’s little adventure.
Oninaki is more proof that the team at Tokyo RPG Factory are more than capable of putting together an enjoyable RPG, though the transition to a more action-focused battle system has seen it falter a little when compared to their more traditional (and better) previous releases. That’s not to say that Oninaki is a bad game when compared to I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear though; in fact, I had a good time battling with the use of various Daemons, whilst the deep upgrade system and the twists and turns of the narrative kept me engaged throughout. With an excessive use of padding throughout the final third of the experience and some underwhelming gameplay mechanics though, Oninaki can be a little guilty of outstaying its welcome as you reach its drawn-out conclusion.
Never Give Up offers a platforming experience that’s both fun and challenging, but it lacks that SOMETHING to help make it stand out as an essential release. It’s not that it does anything bad (although some of those repeated levels may frustrate some gamers), but rather that it doesn’t do anything that you wouldn’t have seen before. Still, if you’re itching for a fix of trial and error-based masochistic platforming action, it serves that up in abundance. It might not stand out in the crowd, but Never Give Up certainly gets the essentials right.
Ancestors Legacy is a glorious and bloody jaunt through the middle ages, matched perfectly with amazing strategic depth, a dark atmosphere and real attention to detail. You might find some of the games concepts a little tried and tested at times, and there are moments in cutscenes where you’ll get a little stutter whilst your loading a chapter of the campaign, but nothing that diminishes what the game is all about. Which is enjoying the ambience, challenge and glorious bloodshed of the middle ages and having to really think about how you approach each scenario. Mix that with a cleverly simplistic, but clean UI and you have the makings of what Ancestors Legacy is, a great addition to the RTS genre that will leave you feeling nostalgic and satiated.
Chroma Squad offers a satisfying tactical experience that blends together the fun of the Power Rangers with some enjoyable management aspects – it’s a combination that sounds slightly peculiar, but actually makes for a fun time. It can be guilty of being a little bit repetitive in places and it’s lacking the depth seen in similar titles in the genre, but fortunately there’s enough excitement to be found throughout Chroma Squad that you’ll easily find yourself hooked in until you reach the final season’s big finale.
There’s no denying that Fantasy Strike is an enjoyable game, with its simple controls and accessible nature making it easy for just about anyone to pick up and play. Multiplayer is a blast too, especially when you match up against players who’re of a similar skill level to you. It’s just lacking the depth to really appeal to players for the long-term. You’ll see everything each character really has to offer in one fight alone, with the repetitive nature of their moves creeping through more and more after an hour or so of play. It just keeps things a little TOO simple at times which leaves Fantasy Strike feeling a little underwhelming when compared to more intricate fighting games. Still, if you’re after an accessible fighter that’s genuinely fun, Fantasy Strike is definitely worth checking out. Just don’t expect to find the fighting mechanics as deep or addictive as they are in similar titles in the genre.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood offers an enjoyable co-operative take on the famed Nazi-killing series that introduces some clever new ideas to go along with the traditional (and satisfying) first-person shooting set pieces. Admittedly, some of those ideas do miss the mark a bit, especially when they leave some weapons feeling unsatisfying to use on occasions – there’s a little bit too much of a focus on having to upgrade weapons, which can slow down your progress during the game’s trickier sections. However, with the typically brilliant gunplay, intuitive levelling up mechanics, and fun co-op gameplay, there’s a hell of a lot more good than bad in MachineGames’ latest release and it’s an essential purchase for fans of the first-person shooting series.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order offers a thoroughly enjoyable romp featuring all of your favourite Marvel heroes, with the fun narrative and the action-packed showdowns with iconic villains providing plenty of thrills throughout. It’s just a shame that some repetitive gameplay mechanics and a poor camera let it down in places, especially since everything else is of a high standard. Still, Marvel fans will undoubtedly appreciate what Team Ninja have done with the wealth of characters at their disposal, especially when you’re marching them into battle together with a friend playing alongside you. It might be far from perfect, but there’s enough quality shown in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order for it to be an essential purchase for comic book fans.
Etherborn is a satisfying puzzler that has some very cleverly designed enigmas, but unfortunately some awkward gameplay mechanics hold it back a bit. It’s not that anything in the game is bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the loose controls and some samey environments do make solving some puzzles feel a lot less enjoyable than it should be. Fans of puzzlers will definitely have a good time with Etherborn though, so if you fancy taking part in some brain teasers it’s certainly worth checking out. Those who aren’t too keen though might just find themselves getting a little too frustrated with some of the game’s shortcomings.
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition offers a brutal adventure that is full of imaginative and enjoyable ways to beat down your foes… believe me, there’ll be a LOT of blood spilled on your roughly seven-hour adventure. It does have a few missteps along the way thanks to some unimaginative and repetitive level design, but the incredibly satisfying combat mechanics and the fantastic multiplayer component help ensure that Redeemer: Enhanced Edition is an enjoyable addition to the brawler genre and one that console gamers really ought to check out.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is simply fantastic. It improves upon the original game in so many ways, with the charming narrative, the intricate building mechanics, and the sense of adventure that comes with exploring each island coming together perfectly to make for a truly remarkable experience. I really enjoyed the first game and in many ways its gameplay mechanics don’t change up all that much in Dragon Quest Builders 2, but the things it does do differently and the new quality of life improvements it introduces really help make it stand out as another brilliant addition to Square Enix’s much-loved RPG series.
This isn’t only the best title that’s come out of the Resident Evil series, but also one of the best games that Capcom have ever released. Whether you’re a fan of the original, enjoy horror games in general, or just appreciate a finely crafted video game, Resident Evil 2 is one title you simply do not want to miss out on. Raccoon City is back and it’s never been more impressive…
YIIK has been a bit of a strange one for me. Whilst I enjoyed seeing the quirky story through to its conclusion and loved exploring the wonderfully crafted world, the repetitive battle system and poorly executed levelling up system left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Neither aspect was particularly game-breaking nor did they make YIIK end up feeling like a bad game, but they did stand out a lot as I made my way through the fairly lengthy adventure. It’s definitely going to be a divisive experience for gamers though and it certainly won’t tick enough boxes to warrant a purchase for everyone. For me though, YIIK did enough right to make it recommendable for fans of RPGs or those who like a truly surreal experience – it’s far from perfect, but it still manages to offer an enjoyably bizarre journey that I was glad to be a part of.
Sundered: Eldritch Edition is not without its flaws thanks to the early overwhelming difficulty and its sometimes dull level design, but as you get more used to the combat mechanics, slowly upgrade your character, and see what the game really has to offer you won't be able to help but get completely hooked in. It becomes more enjoyable the further you proceed, whilst each visually impressive showdown you come up against always feels better than the last. It also just so happens to work perfectly on the Switch, with the handheld mode not only a good way to experience Sundered's world but the newly added local co-op also giving you a genuinely enjoyable and fresh way to actually play it. It's just a thoroughly entertaining game to play through and with the improvements that've hit since the game's initial release, it'll be more difficult than ever to actually put the controller (or the Switch console itself) down.
I’ll admit that I was already a big fan of the game after spending hours with it in my younger years, but I’m glad to report that Onimusha: Warlords Remastered still holds up well today. The combat is fun and surprisingly intricate, the world itself is fascinating to explore, whilst the visuals manage to hold up well despite being originally designed for the PlayStation 2 – it certainly won’t feel like you’re playing an eighteen-year old game. It has its flaws too though and some gamers might not tolerate the fixed camera angles or the amount of backtracking featured in the game, whilst there’s no denying it has moments that it can just generally feel a little bit clunky too. The pros of the game absolutely outweigh the cons though and with the low price-point of £15.99 you’d be a fool to miss out on Onimusha: Warlords Remastered. Not only is it a great way to experience a series that needs a SERIOUS revival, but it also just so happens to offer a thoroughly enjoyable demon-filled adventure in its own right too.
There’s no doubting that Double Cross’ adventure is a fun one to be a part of and the level design itself is varied and on point throughout, but unfortunately some lacking combat mechanics hold it back from platforming greatness. I just never felt challenged throughout the game and with most foes easily taken down with just a bit of button mashing, it became difficult to feel particularly excited with each enemy encounter. It’s just so easy. It definitely has some neat ideas on show though and platforming-adventure fans will have fun making their way to the end of Double Cross’ tale – it’s just a shame that it doesn’t deliver in all areas of its design.
Legendary Eleven offers a fun and fluid arcade footballing experience, but a lack of depth within its game modes and a poor AI makes it one that you shouldn’t expect to find yourself completely invested in. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time with the game and the local multiplayer matches were a blast, but with no online matchmaking there was little else for me to do once I’d cleared all of the game’s cups and Legendary matches. Still, those looking for a quick fix of old-school footballing action will certainly appreciate what Legendary Eleven offers and there’s definitely fun to be had – especially if you get a group of friends together to play it. Just expect the experience to be a short-lived one that you probably won’t spend too much time with when alone.
HoPiKo is quick paced, chaotic and fun, though there’s no denying that the tough difficulty might be a hurdle for some gamers. Sure, it’s satisfying to progress through levels, but the difficulty spikes and requirement to finish all five levels in a stage can certainly be frustrating as you try to work your way through to the end. A tricky difficulty doesn’t make a game bad though and HoPiKo is certainly very enjoyable, whilst the fantastic chiptune soundtrack will definitely keep you entertained as you attempt to eliminate the Nanobyte Virus for good. It won’t be for everyone, but those who enjoy a satisfying, well-polished and challenging platfomer should give HoPiKo a try.
I enjoyed Pang Adventures as much as I did the original when I was younger, with the arcade-like gameplay still as addictive and fun as it was back in the old days. Sure, it could be a little simple and repetitive at times, but I still had a good time playing – especially with a friend in local co-op. Add to that a fairly low price-point and some jolly old-school gameplay, and it’s easy to recommend giving Pang Adventures a try.