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In Hunting Simulator 2, realism takes us to the edge of the video game experience. To the surprise of a person who knows nothing of the hunting world, when you were finally able to locate a fox and shoot him hastily, a message on the screen surprised us. A warning that you had been fined for lack of professionalism. Unexpected and confusing at first, but this is the way of the game and the world we were entering.
Ratalaika Games have become one of the most prolific publishers for small indie games over the past couple of years, and earlier this year they decided to step further into the visual novel genre. Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet, developed by NomnomNami, is one of their first releases under their new umbrella. For those unfamiliar with the genre, a visual novel isn’t a typical video game, but instead more of an interactive story with a big focus on narrative.
We Should Talk is a linear narrative game that centres around the philosophy ‘It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’. The game allows players to communicate with characters in the game by creating their very own sentences from a variety of options. But what’s the point? We Should Talk follows an unnamed character and the interactions they have with certain people throughout a night – and ultimately, what relationships you will (or won’t) continue with. The game begins with you seemingly entering a bar and talking to the bartender, ordering a drink. You are able to choose your combination of drink and also how you speak to the bartender – do you want to be flirty or straight to the point? The choice is yours.
What intrigued me to pick up Potata: Fairy Flower to review was the magical forest setting and the art style; I love anything fantastical in a natural but mysterious environment. It looked sweet and pretty, and I’m always down to play a platformer!
IT’S INDEPENDENCE DAY IN THE WORLD AND ONLY YOU MY FRIEND CAN STOP IT! In this alien shooter, you are on a mission to save humanity from the blood thirsty, pink, sharp toothed alien menaces; their pink eyes will haunt your dreams. Although your mission is to take out every alien in your path, your objective is to get to the safe houses and start making your way to the alien’s overly large egg to eradicate the evil visitors from outer space
By far the most popular genre of VR game at the moment is rhythm. Beatsaber has absolutely dominated the VR scene with games such as Oh-Shape and Tetris Effect attempting to ride the success wave of VR rhythm titles. One of these games that takes inspiration with a twist is Synth Riders. Its electronic heavy style blends with full body movement in a game that has you dancing along to the rhythm at every beat.
Well howdy, partner, I am Woody, and this is the Wild West… Oops, wrong game. Welcome to the Wild West and get ready to go up against bandits and corrupt businessmen as you fight through the world of western times.
It is not often that I get excited about a game. Not that wrapped up, clock-watching excitement. Yet that is precisely what I felt from the moment I saw the trailer for Night Call. It had something about it that intrigued me. I had to play this game.
In 2018, Eclipse Games bought out Super Toy Cars: a game I played back then and felt it wasn’t refined enough to stand out from other racers in the genre. However, Eclipse Games are at it again with the second entry in the series, Super Toy Cars 2. Is this a better racer though or does it suffer the same engine problems as its older brother? Let’s find out.
They say never judge a book by its cover, and I suppose never judge a game by its title would be the gaming equivalent. A name like Robots Under Attack, for me at least, calls for action and violence. Yet the reality behind the name was something different.
2008 was the year my love for strategy and tower defence games started. It was this year that I saw Tim Curry escape “to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism… SPACE” in Red Alert 3, and Savage Moon had me building mortar towers faster than a charging insectoid. Dungeon of the Endless has recently crash-landed on the PlayStation network; should you plan an all out attack or make a tactical retreat?
In the last month I have: renovated my house, developed a relationship with my new girlfriend, enjoyed meaningful walks out in the open air and spent some time quality time with the people that matter most. Oh, and I’ve been tending to crops and looking after the animals on my farm. That’s right; I’ve been playing STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town.
Reed Remastered is a remaster (and port) of the Reed mobile game developed by pxlink. It’s a simple yet stylish little platformer that comes close to its potential, just about makes that jump, but ultimately falls flat in the spike trap.
F1 2020 is promising to be a huge leap forward from the 2019 version of the game, in its variety of gameplay, car dynamics and immersion. The new My Team career is brilliant and historical cars are always fun to experience.
I am a collector by nature, I think on some level we all are. I collect a wide variety of stuff; from first editions to retro action figures. We collect things without even knowing it, like personal triumphs or emotional scars. Collecting them all; completing the set, can be reassuring. It’s a way to chart progress, learn valuable lessons and take control of something in this crazy world. Book Of Demons called to the collector in me.
If real-life hadn’t got in the way, I could have quite easily completed the single player ‘campaign’ of Star Wars Episode 1 Racer in a few sittings. Harkening back to the good ol’ days of the N64 (among other consoles), this re-release of a 20+ year old racing game has the potential to transport a player back to a simpler time: a time when 2-player local coop and late nights gathered around a TV were commonplace. The fact that I would have finished it in such a short space of time is indicative of how well it has recaptured that magic, but it is also representative of how easy it is.
I played and wrote about the first Coma game way back in early 2019. I loved the game. From the art style to the story and the way it unfolded. In fact, once I had finished my playthrough, I reached out to the developers at Devespresso Games and chatted with them for a little while.
A very fond memory of mine was choosing a Goosebumps book to read from the bookshelf in my classroom, during our designated reading time. In particular, the choose your own adventure ones. I loved being able to flip back and choose a different path if my story came to an abrupt end, being able to progress and eventually achieve the ‘good’ ending. Well, the Innsmouth Case is just this in game format.
In recent years, popular culture has shifted and I have found myself being horrifyingly referred to as a “retro hipster”. Admittedly, I do collect vintage action figures and retro games consoles. I have done since I was a child in the 90’s. I collect these things because they are tiny windows into the past, little reminders of youth and imagination that I can hold in my hand. Playing through Thy Sword invoked the same feelings of nostalgia and wonder in me.
Every so often a game comes along that catches you unawares. The great thing about writing reviews is that sometimes when faced with a list of possible titles, you make a choice based on any number of criteria. This time around, it was the name.