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It's difficult to assign a score to a title as esoteric as Art Sqool, an art game that seeks to encourage players to tap into their creativity and doodle in the midst of a captivating, candy-coloured universe. Be it ruminating about the themes of your assignment in a cozy corner, or messing up your homework by haphazardly scribbling over your blank canvas, Art Sqool requires you to discover your potential and assign your own meaning to the experience. Even though I've found the game to be a ceaselessly charming one, there are also times when I quickly tire of its lack of incentives and activities. Give this a twirl if you're looking to indulge your artistic capabilities and moments of quiet introspection.
Super Meat Boy Forever is an interesting sequel. It attempts to build on the legacy of its predecessor, but the additions it brings to the table cannot elevate it beyond the simplicity of the original. The updated visuals are welcome, but Super Meat Boy Forever is a classic example of trying too hard to innovate, while losing sight of what made the series so beloved.
Jurassic World Aftermath sits amongst the very best examples of immersive VR adventures, but a lack of variety in gameplay, its sharp-toothed cast and the need to wait for a conclusion undoes some of Coatsink's exceptional work.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Wolf has a lot of promise, starting out very strong but it's ultimately let down by what feels like a very rushed last couple of chapters.
Star Renegades doesn't countenance mistakes, while demanding an inordinate amount of commitment from its players due to its mechanically dense system. This can be a challenging game to get into, from learning about its intricate turn-based combat, to making sense of the walls of text, numbers and symbols it throws at you. Those patient enough to familiarise themselves with what this roguelike has to offer, however, may find this to be a tactically satisfying experience.
Root Double: Before Crime * After Days Xtend Edition is a stellar story full of incredible twists and well-explored themes. It's just a shame that it hits a few bumps as it gets to those moments. Mind-numbing exposition dumps, vague narrative decisions, and some inconsistent pacing sour the experience a fair bit. Even so, there's an incredibly memorable visual novel experience here as long as you've got the patience for some nagging issues.
Override 2: Super Mech League really should have been a fun and accessible party brawler. It certainly had the basics covered with accessible controls and a vibrant roster of characters on offer. Unfortunately an ineffective 3rd person camera, non-existent online matchmaking, weak league mode and a stifling lack of variety to its gameplay marks Override 2 a long way short of being the Mechtacular fighter we all wanted it to be. More 'Meh'tacular then.
When you then add in the cute pixel art style, and the astoundingly good chiptune soundtrack, Monster Sanctuary not only blurs the lines between genres, but also between modern and old-school games. The story is a little light, but the gameplay is almost perfect, and this is an excellent monster-taming adventure and Metroidvania game all rolled into one.
As someone with a lifelong soft spot for the medium-specific charm of video game glitches, Cyberpunk 2077's botched launch just ain't it. Even overlooking the rushed rollout, after an eternity of being bludgeoned in the face with hyperbole, running through 2077 feels like five different games stitched together into an entertaining, passably decent, generic behemoth.
Gonner 2's main aim is to make your life a living hell. If you think you're 'ard enough, Gonner 2 is here to prove you really aren't, and if that's your type of thing then you can go right ahead. The procedurally generated levels can seem unfair and overly random in places, often leading to the end of a run, but its controls, music and artstyle have to be commended for creating such a gritty and dark atmosphere. Fitting for a game that'll make you want to die.
Morkredd is an interesting experiment in the use of light and dark to solve puzzles. However, the constraints of all the shadowy deaths and the occasionally frustrating movement of the ball stops Morkredd from being a better game. Through the great artwork there are hints this could have been something more.
Although very much of its time in visuals and sound, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light holds its own in the modern day thanks to solid gameplay and structure. Almost everything you know and love about the series is here, and the game is worth picking up if only for the insight into early parts of the franchise. It's not an essential Switch game by any means, and quite alienating for beginners to the series, but it's practically compulsory for fans of Fire Emblem.
Calico is a wonderfully weird and whimsical game. With a few tweaks to the rendering of the game, a few glitch fixes, and the ability to customise the controls, it would be an ideal island to visit for a few hours at a time. If only I could get my Animal Crossing island to have the same atmosphere…
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond offers a fun and lengthy single player campaign with lots of replayability alongside a full featured suite of multiplayer modes. I did, however, find the general tone to be somewhat at odds with the respectful presentation, lacking a connection with real history and feeling more like a Wolfenstein game at times. There are also some issues still to be patched, which Respawn are working on, and the multiplayer lacks players right now. Overall, this is a tour of duty that is rewarding but not essential.
Like the characters in the game, Shady Part of Me is elegant, but troubled. At its core, the game is a well-designed puzzle game about a girl who has to cooperate with herself to overcome her mental health condition. Between this and the moody, melancholy aesthetic, the game hits home in all the right ways, which is why it's such a shame that the ending just doesn't stick the landing.
Although a big target, Sephiroth is a lighter character than expected and when facing him that can be exploited. This, along with the delay following a lot of his moves are the main ways to defeat the One-Winged Angel himself. When playing as him, he's a fun and powerful character who can dole out dangerous attacks from a distance and has a lot of combo potential. The other elements of the DLC have drastically improved the last time we saw Final Fantasy VII represented in the game and even though the stage is a bit dull, this Challenger Pack was a pleasant surprise that will bring us all as much happiness as Sephiroth will likely bring despair to the Super Smash Bros roster.
YesterMorrow is an entirely competent and mostly sound platformer. Sure, there's some issues around the occasionally finicky controls, but these are mostly balanced out through the exemplary level design. The main issue here is that the gameplay experience is so very hum-drum. YesterMorrow is a mish-mash of many other better games that we've all played before. As such it struggles to build its own identity and never becomes a compelling experience.
Visage is close to being of the best horror games of recent years, but it's held back by some annoying aspects. The inventory controls are awkward, there were still a few bugs that prevented me from interacting with the environment, and the chapters are far too uneven, with the third being particularly bad. That being said, if you are prepared to work through these issues there is a lot of spooky fun to be found here and it is more than just jump scares for streamers (although there are plenty of those). With a little more polish and a better third chapter, this could have been an essential purchase. Instead, Visage is somewhat haunted by the spectre of what might have been.
Empire of Sin is a promising strategy game but one that feels woefully incomplete. I can't recommend it, but I can recommend following it's hopeful transition into something genuinely wonderful.
Batbarian wades into the Metroidvania genre with enjoyable exploration, tricky and inventive puzzle mechanics, and an array of impressive accessibility options. A more helpful map that included signposting would make this a real Metroidvania highlight, but it still comes highly recommended for fans of the genre.