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Each year, as Halloween approaches, developers release spooky titles celebrating the scariest holiday of the year. As someone who typically avoids horror games, I never rush to pick these games up. However, this year, DUSK caught my eye. Even though I had goosebumps the whole way through, I was pleasantly surprised by the fluid controls, multiple difficulty settings, and a variety of weapons. Does this set it above the rest? Or is it a rotten trick? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Mario Party is one of those series that has stood the test of time, ever since its introduction on the N64 back in 1998/1999 (depending on where in the world you were). With several different games on each respective system, it has entertained gamers for over 20 years now. So with the Switch being in its fifth year on the market, it is time for another new entry of the iconic series. How does Mario Party Superstars compare to the previous game, Super Mario Party, on the Switch? And is this the return to form that fans of the series have been clamoring for? Let’s roll the dice and find out the result.
Let me start this review by saying I loved the Pixel Ripped games on PSVR. They were unique, brilliantly implemented and a boatload of fun. So when the opportunity to review ARVORE’s latest foray onto PlayStation’s VR headset dropped into my inbox, I jumped at the chance. I had also heard it was a roguelike, one of my favourite genres, colour me intrigued.
I’m an admirer of the Darksiders franchise, with its heart on its sleeve inspirations from the greats of gaming such as Zelda, Diablo, God Of War and now Dark Souls!
After playing Dojoran, I was inspired to continue playing games with minimal colour palettes. Apple Slash stood out to me, and I eagerly partook on this adventure. Is this title a cut above the rest? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Embr is a brand new co-operative firefighting game that is now available on the Nintendo Switch. Will it ignite your passion to put out blazes and save civilians from towering infernos? Or will you watch it all burn? Let’s take a look into the world of Embr and how it plays on the Switch.
Raiden IV is a top-down, vertical shmup (shoot’em up) that was first released way back in 2007 in Japanese arcades. A year later, the game was ported to Microsoft’s Xbox 360. An updated version of the game dubbed Raiden IV Overkill was released for PC and PS3 in 2015 and 2014 respectively. The Overkill version included 2 new stages, 3 different ships, newly added Overkill Mode and Replay & Gallery Mode. Fast forward to 2021, where UFO Interactive Games released Raiden IV x MIKADO Remix for the Nintendo Switch with a handful of additions.
Ghostrunner originally launched a year ago on last-generation consoles and had a lot of buzz surrounding its fast-paced parkour platforming, stylish action, and the one-two punch of its cyberpunk aesthetic and banger-filled soundtrack. An enhanced version was then released at the end of September for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, allowing for up to 120 frames-per-second in 4K, 3D audio, raytracing, and near-instant load times. Going from the start menu to loading on my recent save took just 4 seconds!
I shouldn’t have to say too much about Tetris’s gameplay. Tetris has been a staple of video gaming since 1984 and has appeared on various consoles and handhelds over the last thirty-seven years. My first introduction to the game was on my original Game Boy, which my mom still has and plays on to this day. For many of us, Tetris was that go-to game we enjoyed and put tons of hours in throughout our gaming journey.
Friends of mine will know I have limited patience when it comes to puzzle games. Purely because the second I start playing, I lose every brain cell. It becomes impossible to remember how to complete games and even the simplest of challenges. Something about the style initiates a wall to come up in my brain. Because of this, I am very picky in choosing which puzzle/arcade types I play. One common feature in all puzzle games I have played, are those that seem to have been published by our friend Ratalaika Games.
The first person shooter market is quite bloated. With FPS titles almost launching on a weekly basis, it’s easy for the odd diamond to get lost in the rough. With Call of Duty still being the FPS king, it’s also used as the benchmark for everything else. One title that’s aiming to take – or at least challenge COD’s supremacy is Insurgency: Sandstorm. Developed by New World Interactive, Insurgency: Sandstorm is a bare-bones multiplayer FPS that aims to highlight the brutal nature of modern warfare.
The description of Kitaria Fables on the Nintendo Store calls it “a delightfully cute action-adventure RPG with farming and crafting”. As someone fond of farming simulations like Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley, I was immediately interested in giving the game a try. I dove into it expecting a rewarding experience, and after playing for a few hours, admit that the aforementioned description is accurate. The game is incredibly cute, it does incorporate elements of action, adventure and roleplay into its gameplay, and it does involve farming and crafting – but, sadly, it didn’t turn out to be the dreamy experience I was hoping for.
It is amazing how the gaming industry has taken the simple concept of going from left to right on a screen and created so many wonderful games from it. A Juggler’s Tale is yet one more, combining some tried-and-tested ideas with some new ones thrown in. The resulting experience is an interesting and intriguing game of puppetry and adventure, starring a puppet called Abby.
I really didn’t know what to expect when starting the Crysis Remastered Trilogy, as I’d never played a game in the series before. Whenever I heard any discourse about them, it was always about their infamous performance woes, not just on consoles. I didn’t know anything about the story or gameplay, other than them being first-person shooters.
Far Cry has had many ups and downs through its series, with many people having differing opinions about which are good and which are bad and even which is the best – Far Cry 3, for me! Now, Far Cry 6 is here – which category does it fall into? Let me tell you.
I first heard about Röki in July 2021 when a fellow Rapid Reviewer recommended it to me. I had just finished (and adored) reviewing Omno, and was looking for something to fill the void it had left. Alas, my backlog was enormous. So, after wistfully eyeing up Röki in the Steam store, it fell to the back of my mind. Fast forward to October. When I realised that there was an opportunity to review the title for Rapid Reviews, I jumped in feet first without a backward glance. Was I right to throw caution to the wind, or was I about to pay for my reckless spontaneity? Keep reading my Rapid Review to find out.
Oh boy, this one’s a doozie! I remember playing Metroid and Metroid II when I was a wee bairn, all those distant sepia-toned years ago. At the time they were revolutionary. Where am I going? What am I doing? It was all so novel. They were brutally brilliant and I remember scratching my head over and over, working out where to go next. Good times! I have really been looking forward to this one, welcome to my Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch review.
The Caligula Effect 2 tells the story of a normal everyday high school student who ends up stuck in a living simulation called Redo which was created by a virtuadoll named Regret. In order to escape this less than ideal situation, the protagonist along with the help of X, another virtuadoll, and his high school pals will have to go head-to-head with Regret in order to be able to return to the real world and his normal student life.
Escape Simulator puts players in a variety of themed environments with one simple goal: escape. With riddles to solve, secrets to uncover and dozens of objects to inspect, did Escape Simulator offer the perfect virtual escape room challenge or was I left stuck and looking for more? Find out in my Rapid Review.
After playing multiple high-octane adventures, I took a step back on my adventures with Hoa. Instead of incentivizing challenging endeavours or tricky puzzles, Hoa encapsulates natural beauty and fulfilling adventures. Does this offer a breath of fresh air? Or was I looking for something more rewarding? Find out in this Rapid Review.