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Whilst there is a lot to criticize in regards to how Dreamlight Valley has been handled, especially in terms of scrapping the free-to-play model, the new expansion pack is a great extension of the game. Two things can be right at the same time, so whilst it is a fantastic addition to the base game, the choice that was made for this to exist is unfair. It captures the excitement that was initially there when players were first introduced to the valley. The previous free content updates were great at bringing new familiar faces, such as Belle and Beast, however, there was a sense of monotony with these updates. It mostly consisted of players just trying to increase their friendship to complete the quests. A Rift in Time has recaptured that sense of exploration with the inclusion of a decent library of new items and hopefully, a future of new locations. I hope there is more work being done on the multiplayer aspect, as its current state doesn’t give enough incentive to play online with others. One major request is that extra effort be put into releasing updates without major bugs, as for now many players like myself may wait till new patches are released before considering purchasing any more expansions. Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Rift in Time gets a platinum award, though the game is not perfect, many fans of Disney and the life sim genre will enjoy what this has to offer if they can spare the premium cost.
If you have had a bad day and what to let off some steam, Teardown is the game for you. Similarly, if you want to solve puzzles and pull off amazing heists, this is the game! I thoroughly enjoyed my playthru of the various modes and loved not only how simple it is to learn, but also how intricate and destructive it can be. The voxel graphics look amazing and the physics engine is a true marvel.
Honestly, with a pack such as this, there is not a lot to complain about. This pack is something the community has been asking for and lovers of The Sims will enjoy this pack. Although I have never agreed with spending £35 for an expansion pack, I will say that this is one of the first expansion packs that has changed my stance. This pack is well worth the money.
I struggled to get this article finished because I just wanted to get back to playing it. The mix of horror and comedy made the game accessible for me, a self-proclaimed scaredy cat. Playing Lethal Company with different friend groups, or using it as a game to introduce people to each other has been an absolutely delightful experience. It has easily secured itself the Platinum Thumb Culture Award in my books.
Calico is a relaxing and whimsical game filled with adorable animals, a strong community of NPCs, and a fun cooking mechanic. It has a brilliant soundtrack that brings the world together. Calico is a game catered towards cozy/wholesome players of all ages, due to the simple controls. The game removes the feeling of having to grind out many hours to get everything leveled up, meaning players can just explore and be part of the world. However, it did leave me wanting more. There is something about the game that feels unfinished. I would love to see some extra game modes be added, whether this is working in the cafe, or opening up more decorating abilities. Seeing new animals be included would be great too, let’s get all the furry and scaley friends in the cafe.
Please do not let this negative review make you write off Not for Broadcast. The game is a brilliant use of FMV with some excellent writing and comedy to support it. The VR port, however, is a poor attempt to translate a formula that originally seemed built for VR. The base game is still here and for VR fanatics who must play every game in VR, can put up with fiddly controls and have a large play space, it might be worth checking not for broadcast out on PSVR2. But for everyone else, the flatscreen version will be the go-to.
The time I spent playing Tevi gave me an excuse to break out the fightstick. It’s a great game that I hope CreSpirit is hopefully resting before making another great game like this again. It’s another game that is a great way for me to be distracted while waiting for Silksong. With how well Tevi is, I recommend others to try Rabbi-Rabbi as well.
Risk of Rain Returns is a beautiful re-entry into the series that started some great memories and friendships. This game already has me hooked for the next couple of years. It’s beginner friendly and helps you learn from your mistakes to become better aware of what to do or grab. I can’t wait to see what they have in store or what the mod community have in store either for Returns.
If you are looking for a Theme Park game to play on your console that feels more or less a lot like the original 90s classic then this is sort of it. Roller Coaster Tycoon Adventures Deluxe plays very similarly, however, it does feel like it was made for a mobile device. I feel gutted that it is not a true clone of Theme Park and some of the features are not present. To do well you do not need to think that hard about it. I watched my 6-year-old continue to make money and build without even looking at finances. While it was great to see him enjoying the game, I did feel a bit niggled with the simplicity and non-interaction. Nice try but it could be a lot better.
The premise for Buried Alive: Breathless Rescue is definitely an interesting one that is explored through the game. The short game time might be enough to put some people off but I think it does add to the urgency that the game is trying to present as you desperately try to find Hannah.
The game is fun to some extent, but I wouldn’t overly rush to buy it. The gameplay became boring quite quickly, and I’d only been playing for roughly an hour and felt fed up with it. My frustration was mainly due to the in-game timers on the blood vials and how slow the fishing was. I disliked that, to begin with, the player has a large sum of gold. I spent it all on the best rods and reels. It felt like I didn’t need to work towards anything apart from the collection. The fishing controls take some getting used to and are awkward. It took me nearly half an hour to figure out because the text for the fishing tutorial was blank. I had a lot of times when My Little Blood Cult would freeze when trying to summon a demon, which got annoying since it required me to reboot the game.
Unfortunately, Anthology Of Fear was a miss for me. It didn’t offer anything I hadn’t seen before, nor did it present itself in a way that’d catch my attention. With a lack of enemies, threats, or even jumpscares and creepy events, most of my time within the game felt empty and bland. I felt like I walked from place to place and saw the same corridors and areas. Most unfortunately, I couldn’t even finish the game. On the second videotape, I had to do a mini-game to progress, but the controls stopped working every time I got to it. I tried restarting the level and the game and played the game up until the same point to no avail.
Slay the Princess reminds us that within every fairy tale lies complexity and depths to be explored. Defying expectations and offering players a truly memorable gaming experience. It’s a testament to the power of visual novels as a medium for storytelling, and Black Tabby Games has proved their mastery in captivating players with their enchanting tale. Slay the Princess is undoubtedly a must-play for fans of the genre and those seeking an immersive journey through a beautifully crafted thought-provoking world, offering a captivating narrative journey that demands introspection and emotional investment.
In an increasingly cluttered world of chess-inspired gaming, Chessarama by Minimol Games is a standout release. An XP system that might be a bit clunkily implemented doesn’t detract from what the game does well – A fun and thoughtful presentation combined with engaging and novel concepts to hook players, even those who (like me) aren’t normally fans of Chess.
While I absolutely enjoy Cities: Skylines and have seen the features that really make Cities: Skylines II a more enhanced version in terms of game mechanics, it is severely let down in my opinion with its graphics. I found myself getting frustrated that I could not have a smooth experience if I had the graphics even on medium. Against the previous game, graphically Cities: Skylines wins. I started to question why this second iteration was needed. Could they have not just upgraded the game mechanics in the first one and carried on building on what they had? I guess maybe it was not possible and perhaps the changes were too much for any existing cities to handle. It’s a shame as my experience has not been a massively positive one and despite having some better features and ways of doing things, it feels like a backward step in user experience at the moment. Let’s hope for some serious optimization to happen! For now, I would hold off from buying and maybe play it through the Xbox game pass library if you want to have a dabble.
Spirittea has been an absolutely delightful experience. Though it may take inspiration from Stardew Valley, it has a very different feel to it. It is a well-paced game with an enjoyable gameplay loop. The art and music are wonderful additions to the game that help to immerse you in the game. For these reasons, I’m awarding Spirittea Thumb Culture’s Gold Award. This is a very cozy game, and if that is a genre that you’re interested in, definitely give this game a shot. If you enjoyed this review, why not check out this article about Moonstone Island, another cozy game.
Gangs of Sherwood is okay, but it lacks any real reason to play after the story. You can play the entire game without buying new moves or changing your abilities. I didn’t need to play another character after for different dialogue since the game has them all speak anyway during cutscenes. The bosses are boring and lack any real challenge, and it was odd for them to give an extra mode dedicated to a single small boss. Right now, Gangs of Sherwood struggles to justify the £34.99 price point with how short and lack of content the game has. The game runs okay but struggles to handle a few enemies fighting all at once, and the final fight really shows this.
SteamWorld Build is an excellent addition to the franchise. The management isn’t too hard for you to learn and doesn’t go out of its way to become challenging. This is thanks to SteamWorld Build not punishing the player with endless tabs, unlike other management sims. The cast of characters’ voices and designs are delightful and well-made for the game. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. The story isn’t complex, which makes a nice change as I find too many games are trying to make their story too philosophical or so complicated that I end up looking at a wiki to grasp some understanding. The mining aspect of SteamWorld Build is where I spent most of my time, as it felt more engaging than the city-building. Building up small teams to drill and explore the depth below was great, and it reminded me of the Dungeon franchise.
The management side of the game can seem complex at first. Though it warns you that you can’t return to the area beforehand, I wish you could backtrack to previous stations to get anything you missed. The only bug I suffered was when I was proceeding to the next area of the story, and the game informed me I’d left two men behind and abandoned side quests. I reloaded the game several times and checked that I had no active side quests. The men were also happy and not actively working. It was frustrating as they were two of my best men. The voice acting and visuals in the game were phenomenal and did a fantastic job of drawing you into the story. Overall, the game is great, and I would recommend it to any RTS fan.
Roots of Pacha is a cozy farming simulator that you can sit back and lose hours in with. It’s impossible to not compare it to games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon but it stands on its own two feet with an interesting story, unique minigames, and quality-of-life updates. While it can be a bit clunky in certain aspects, the vibes are unmatched and leave me reaching for my Switch throughout the day to check on my animals, decorate my home, and talk to my favourite NPCs – looking at you, Garrek. If you’re a fan of cozy farming simulators then Roots of Pacha is definitely one that needs adding to your library.