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When a giant ball of purple slime floods their city, a group of misfit monsters set out to take back what’s theirs. Does this game ooze charm, or is it not worth spit?
The Climb 2 follows in the same steps, or ledges, of the previous title The Climb. The Climb was a great must-have title for the Quest platform, and The Climb 2 is no slouch either. There isn’t a story in The Climb 2 unless you count your own journey within each level. You climb up mountains, across rope ladders, hanging off skyscrapers, or jump from ledge to ledge, crafting your own story. The Climb 2 is focused on simulating heights and the gameplay mechanic of navigating through each of the five levels and the various paths within each that can vary in length, difficulty.
Who wouldn’t want to be a pirate? Sailing the seven seas, swashbuckling your way across the open waters. Sinking ships, plundering treasure, and trading stolen goods at various pirate friendly ports.
Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World is a remastered version of Wonder Boy IV released in 1994. It is an action-platformer, meaning the player needs to navigate side-scrolling gauntlets of platforming. There are specific levels for the player to traverse, and enemies to battle along the way. Along with a blue Pepelogoo, become the hero the town needs in Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World.
Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game. The cards in the deck represent the player’s character. Tasked with reestablishing the prominence of the main character’s mother’s shop, the player must travel on a caravan and gather resources. This unique take on a visual novel provides a refreshing spin on digital storytelling.
I first played Super Bomberman R Online back in September 2020 when it became a “First to Stadia” exclusive. My experience with the game was exceptional back then but I was left wondering whether it would arrive on other platforms at some stage. Fast forward to 27th May 2021 and we see the introduction of the game to Xbox (including Series S/X), Playstation 4/5, Steam and Nintendo Switch. The great news is that Super Bomberman R online features crossplay. This means we can expect to see busy servers and super quick matchmaking.
Two Parsecs From Earth has landed on Xbox and pushes itself as a simple 2D platformer. What I love about Ratalaika Games is the fact they publish some truly unique indie titles. You genuinely don’t know what to expect, and that is the beauty of choosing a game with their name branded on it. In Two Parsecs From Earth, you play as robot Z3-L1. He has had some truly terrible luck when his ship makes a crash landing on planet Dimidium. His ship smashed to absolute pieces and the contents are spread across the planet. I’m sure you’ll know where this is heading, but it is your job to locate all the missing parts and collect them. Collecting the parts is going to be the goal in order to rebuild your ship and get back to your mission at hand.
I’ve got very fond memories of the Micro Machines series, so Tinker Racers REALLY caught my eye. Table-top racing in tracks made up of household goods? Check. Survival-based mechanics where you’ve got to stay ahead of the pack to score? Check. Addictive gameplay that’ll keep you hooked in? Double-check. Tinker Racers really ticks all of the boxes that fans of the series would expect, even IF the production values and lack of content do fall a bit short.
Maneater was released just over a year ago on all other major platforms and now Nintendo Switch owners are getting a slice of the action; courtesy of indie developers Tripwire Interactive. It’s a game I’d not read too much about nor had I watched gameplay of so I had a completely spoiler free play through. There’s certainly not many other shark RPG’s (“shARkPG”) out there that do it quite like Maneater does and this is one of the major selling points for the game!
Mountain climbing is no joke. On an average climb, you’ll have to come well-prepared with the right equipment and a solid level of fitness. But for much grander adventures, an unshakeable will and strong constitution will be needed to see you all the way to the mountain’s peak. It sounds exciting, but who can be bothered with all the effort? let alone the potential risk of death at greater, more dangerous heights. Thankfully, Insurmountable brings the mountaineering experience to you, where you can reach the highest peaks from the safety of your own home. But while it tries to emulate the excitement and intensity of a treacherous mountain climb, Insurmountable stumbles a little too often for it to succeed.
Post-Apocalyptic settings are such a common backdrop in video games. Where it used to be a fresh and exciting aspect, it can often feel a bit overdone in the modern landscape. Paradise Lost, however, developed by PolyAmorous, attempts to set itself apart from those that came before it, with mixed results. This roughly 3-hour, story-driven adventure, has you exploring underground locales as you uncover mysteries of the past.
Classic games are frequently ported to modern systems for players to revisit the games or experience them for the first time on modern hardware. At times, the systems featured in these games are outdated. Other times, games feel just as good as they did when last played. One such game, Shantae, was published in 2002 for the Gameboy Color. This title has recently been ported to the Nintendo Switch. Whip enemies with hair, transform into animal buddies, and save the town from imminent peril in Shantae.
I have a rocky relationship with puzzle games. Sometimes, I enjoy them and other times I don’t. So where does arcade-shooter puzzler Flowing Lights, the first game developed by gFaUmNe, land in this? Read on to find out.
As a writer, I love it when a game has a solid story. This can be over multiple titles, and it could be through narrative alone or expanded upon by collecting notes or other items that tell the overarching tale. Either way, I appreciate a good story.
Admittedly I was sceptical about what Knockout City would be like looking from the outside in. As an adult, it is difficult to take games with cartoon-style graphics seriously sometimes, I’m looking at you Fortnite. The truth is when titles like this are developed properly and pushed in the right direction they can be a massive success. Being old enough to recall the 2004 hit movie Dodgeball (which was hilarious by the way), I often wondered how well this ideology would transition to a video game.
On May 10th, after a weekend of early access for those who had preordered, Hood: Outlaws & Legends was released. This PvPvE title combines elements of action, strategy and stealth to create a unique new experience centred around the Robin Hood myth. You’ll join Robin Hood’s band of merry men, helping to steal from the wealthy and give to the poor. In the process, you’ll fend off against not only the state but also a team of four enemy players. As such, across each of the five maps, you’ll need to watch out for potential ambushes and obstacles. When transporting your hard-fought-for loot to your team’s chosen extraction point, don’t get cocky!
Otti: The House Keeper has a simple concept with a take on the tower defence genre mixed with a few puzzle elements; you’re tasked with keeping thieves away from your treasure by placing various traps and fixtures to stop them reaching Otti at the very top of the map. There does seem to be a bit of confusion surrounding the title of the game. The console reads as “Otti House Keeper” whereas the Switch eShop page titles it “Otti: The House Keeper”. For the purpose of this review I’ll be using the latter.
Resident Evil Village is finally here in the series’ 8th incarnation. The formula has matured since the days of tank controls. Yet survival horror, is a genre that was defined by Capcom 25 years ago and refined ever since, offering an experience imitated by many and replicated by none.
Who didn’t love balloons when they were younger? They can provide endless amounts of fun until the air inside, gradually withers away. I remember spending so much time trying to keep them from hitting the floor as part of a game. But there was one thing that was weirdly satisfying about balloons…popping them. Just like with bubble wrap, it was only a matter of time until the dying urge to burst the balloon became too much. It’s no wonder then that Tamiku, developed by Josyan and published by Ratalaika Games, is a game that takes this idea and runs with it.
Diving into new kinds of genres you’ve never played before can be interesting. Today I dive into the rhythm genre of games. Double Kick Heroes was my start in this genre, but it combines shooting and strategy in it as well. How did this game do at combining these into one? Read and find out.