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Overall, I will say that SPRAWL is an enjoyable game. If you can manage the mechanics. It just seems to lack the longevity you’d hope for to get the most out of it.
This well-polished love letter to retro cartoons stirred up so much nostalgia from the get-go. Its visuals and sound were a pleasure to behold and I’ll be revisiting it to check out the other characters to marvel at it all time and time again. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing this game. It is a must if you love the look and feel of retro cartoons and love roguelike adventures. Even if you are not, Mythforce is worth a try as it’s unique, well-made, and action-packed to entertain regardless.
Do you like wholesome, relaxing puzzle games? Are you a fan of trains? Would you secretly like to quit your job and become an urban planner? Yes? Then this is a game you’ll love. Galaxy Grove has created an experience that can cater to both times when you want to relax your mind with some casual creation and when you want to give yourself a mild challenge.
Shuyan Saga was a revelation for me having not previously been on my radar. While its combat is fairly rudimentary, it is its epic storytelling, deep lore and compelling characters who are excellently voice acted that make this journey truly worthwhile. I was left wanting more as I was totally hooked by the epic saga.
While Alchemy Garden has some effort, the game fails at fleshing out any of its systems resulting in it feeling incredibly barebones. While there is some fun in creating a garden and shop that feels like your own, the progression is too slow and crafting is far too tedious.
The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation has areas that are great, especially when it is setting atmosphere. I felt the initial section of the game should have provided some direction, which would have reduced the early frustration. The jump scares are for the most part well-done, unexpected, but effective. The initial frustration really set the tone of what to expect in the first hour. I did not enjoy the game as much as I had hoped.
With some exceptionally engaging gameplay and intelligently designed heists, payday 3 delivers on being a successor to Payday 2. While it will not have nearly as much content for quite a long time, for now, the foundations are much more solid than its former entry- I can see Payday 3 having just as long a life span.
If you’re looking for an unsettling low-poly adventure to get under your skin, The Tartarus Key is right up your alley. With crunchy yet slick visuals, puzzles to sink your teeth into and atmosphere you could cut with a knife, it’s a psych-horror fan’s dream. It occasionally tells a little more than it should show and some key loose ends are left frayed (if not hanging), but it’s very difficult to come away feeling unsatisfied.
Robodunk has all the markings of a great – and delightfully weird – party game to add to your repertoire. With great moment-to-moment gameplay, a thoughtfully delivered rogue-lite campaign, and a charming art-style, this is a game that delivers on the promises made by it’s bombastic premise.
I do not think this year’s story in career mode has been as good as previous years. And for me, that is a big letdown. However, I cannot deny that the team behind NBA 2K24 has listened to the community. With improvements such as those seen in MyTeam and the introduction of ProPlay being highlights of this newest installment.
What you have here is two genres brought together in a wacky and quirky way and the end product is an exciting experience. The golf aspect is what you’d expect from a typical golfing game, tranquil and can be about utilising the wind and clubs to get to the hole faster. The zombie element is full of tension and more acting in the moment to combat any foes in your path. A truly contrasting approach to both genres and one that excited me. I’d recommend anyone give this game a go, especially with friends as it’s a funny and exciting experience.
While playing, it felt like the developers forgot a game is supposed to be fun. It is ridiculous to ask the player to pick up and sort two hundred ducks. There are no upgrades apart from expanding inventory, which is useless and the one Nozzle mod. The game could do with some quality-of-life improvements, such as a highlighting mechanic to show any mess the player may have missed. Letting the player hold more than one item would help since going back and forth collecting your tools or trash gets very tedious.
Sleeping Giant Games has delivered a great little game. If you enjoy fun puzzles that give you a surmountable challenge whilst not being a total pushover, this game may be for you. You can wishlist the game on Steam now, and look forward to it taking part in the Steam Next Fest between the 9th and 16th of October. Par For The Dungeon gets a Thumb Culture Gold Award. May the course be with you.
Although only one man made No Sun To Worship, It’s impressive what he’s done with the lighting and audio. I would definitely love to see what Antonio’s future projects would look like if he had a bigger team.
Goodbye Volcano High is a worthy addition to the visual narrative genre. The whole team at KO_OP have clearly put their hearts into this game over several years and it shows. The writing is emotional and relatable, I especially loved how quickly the news of impending doom turned into memes and jokes all over the internet; very realistic. The artwork is vibrant, colourful and detailed, brought together brilliantly with the animation. Over in the music department, the soundtrack is solid and suits the game perfectly.
While I am a massive lover of Rise of the Triad, I feel that the Ludicrous Edition will possibly only appeal to die-hard fans and those who enjoy retro gaming. It is tough at times playing games that you loved yesteryear to find that the pizzaz that enthralled you has long been superseded by today’s games, therefore not luring modern gamers. I do hope that I am wrong, and I also hope that the online crossplay works well so that there are many multiplayer lobbies available in the future when it launches on console.
Sprout Valley is an adorable game with an identity that unfortunately works to its detriment. The simplicity may be a selling point that attracts some, but I imagine even those will end up disappointed with a lack of things to do and build. I can see Sprout Valley building an audience on Nintendo Switch, where people will check in on their island for minutes at a time. The game has an incredibly solid foundation, but the features here need to be expanded on.
Wow! From the get-go, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by the vibrant and detailed lands utilising light and colour well. I thoroughly enjoyed playing as the three quirky characters solving what came to be challenging puzzles only able to be solved by a combination of them all. As stated above I can only imagine the game is ten times as enjoyable playing with others. Little has been done to change the characters and their skills but if it's not broken, don't fix it. Overall, it is a masterclass in how side-scrolling 2.5d platformers should be made and it is above and beyond all out there at the moment.
Sea of Stars is a masterpiece in my eyes. The gameplay offers a nice challenge without being too hard. If players struggle, they’ve implemented relics to help make the game easier. The characters all have great chemistry, and I couldn’t hate a single one (Garl is my favourite). Combat is very engaging without asking too much of the player. I enjoy the animations for cutscenes to help emphasise what’s going on. When performing a spell or combo, the animations look smooth. I found the Ninja Seraï’s skill where she goes behind and attacks through a portal to both look amazing and cold. The soundtrack does well to set the mood.
While the game’s graphics and audio are impressive, I believe that the balance of the game is not quite up to par. This may be attributed to the 4 vs 3 gameplay approach. Personally, I did not experience the same level of fear that I had when being pursued by Jason Voorhees.