Last Word on Gaming
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2022 is going to see a lot of contenders for Game of the Year with the likes of Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West already high on the list and we are only in April. It says a lot about the quality of gaming at the moment. Witty, more guns and crossbows than you can ever imagine, a well set out story and stunning graphics all create what is simply a superb game. If you love the Borderlands games you will love this. If you haven’t played them then you will still love this game. Quite simply superb and will knock on the door for GOTY 2022.
If you want a relaxing puzzle game or have younger kids then this is a great game for both purposes. I had a lot of fun with the game but it doesn’t take long to beat. It’s charming, it’s well put together and proves that good things can come in small packages.
Fighting is a big part of Bush League Hockey but it is also undercooked. Punching doesn’t feel naturally responsive and although it’s got it’s charms it fails to hit the mark. Where the game does shine a little is when you play with friends. Grab a few mates round with a few beers and there is fun to be had for a few hours but the overall package is buggy, laggy and just not as much fun as it could and should have been.
For those hankering to play a Fire Emblem style game, Dark Deity will no doubt scratch your itch. Its tactical gameplay is satisfying and engaging, with a wide array of units at your disposal to lay waste to your enemies. The story and characters are lacking, however, which leads to a lot of the game feeling like a slog to get through. The contestant addition of new characters leads to a “shiny new toy” mentality with other characters being forgotten about and left to waste away in the meaningless bonds
Despite lots of competition, fighting fans will no doubt enjoy this new game in the Phantom Breaker series. Although it doesn’t offer anything new, it has a wealth of options and if you want to complete the game 100%, this will take quite the amount of time. If you think you’ve played through all the fighters currently on offer, Phantom Breaker Omnia will give you an all new challenge!
WWE 2K22 was a necessary reset for the series. 2K endeavored to reimagine what a pro wrestling game can play like and in the process found a style of gameplay that is infinitely more enjoyable than the realistic simulation-based gameplay we’ve had in past games. It does a great job of focusing on the in-ring action while showcasing all the pizazz that comes with pro wrestling. MyRise and MyGM are welcome additions and are two modes that could be pillars of the series going forward if they continue to be improved upon. While not perfect, see Showcase/MyFACTION/slight gameplay issues, and some of the modes are admittedly lacking in depth, WWE 2K22 is a good building block for future games that offers a lot of fun gameplay.
Despite the little niggles, FAR: Changing Tides is a delightful game that will work your brain and make you sit up and take notice of the world around you. The mechanics are well thought out and common sense will help you through in the majority of situations. I would highly recommend that before playing this game you do play the prequel as it will help you understand what is expected of you and I am glad I did that before sitting down to play and review this sequel. Overall this a game that is a voyage of discovery well worth persevering with and the rewards far outweigh the occasional gripes.
Fast, furious, old school retro racing with lots of content and all for a cracking price.
Ultimately, Grapple Dog is fun, and sometimes that’s what I want from a game: no seriousness, just light-hearted, satisfying fun. And it offers that, in spades. If you love a good platformer, it’s a must-play.
Roll 7 have done what I believed would be impossible and taken two of my favourite indie games of the last few years and made the experience even better. The new art style is just stunning, the game performs superbly well and even the back story adds a little humour to proceedings. A local Co-op mode would have been a nice addition but when a game is this good it is almost impossible to find any fault with it. If you loved the originals then buy this game. If you haven’t played the originals, then buy this game. Put simply, this is an early contender for game of the year without a doubt.
Whilst Vagante feels like it has been a Labour of love in some ways, it’s lack of variety and shortness means it falls short of being a title I can recommend. Had there been more meat on the bones and a more compelling story to focus upon then this could have been a decent little game and I genuinely feel bad for not liking it but I have to be honest about what I found and whilst it is not the worst game I have played in recent times, Vagante fires plenty of arrows but fails to hit the target.
I really liked The Company Man. It’s another strong addition to the indie 2D platforming catalog even if it didn’t reinvent the wheel. The main draw of the game is no doubt the setting and its satirical view of the workplace which makes it stand out from the crowd. Despite all the positives, there are some areas where the game didn’t fully live up to its potential and that is what keeps it out of the elite tier. The Company Man is a strong addition to anyone’s gaming library.
If you are a multiplayer arcade game fan then you need Windjammers 2 in your collection right away. It’s fast, it is fun and it’s super addictive, ticking all of the right boxes when it comes to multiplayer gaming and there is little I can find to criticise from that aspect. If you are intending to play solo though there isn’t enough here to recommend a purchase on day one as it will be over fairly quickly and the characters just don’t have enough identity or individuality about them to make it worth your while and the play value is limited. As an arcade game, this is an absolute belter and one that really has captured the arcade scene of the 90’s perfectly so grab a friend and get jamming.
Lacuna is one of the best examples of point and click, adventure, puzzle and detective gaming I have played for I don’t know how long. From the mysteries changing to the multiple endings and the sound and visuals, this is truly an absolute gem of a game and one that deserves its place in your collection.
I really enjoyed Heaven Dust 2. It’s a cute little indie game, and it will give you a nice nostalgia hit. The puzzles and bosses help to break up the otherwise repetitive exploration of the facility, and it looks nice too. The biggest issue I had with this game is the navigation. Had some areas been more clearly signposted, it would have saved me a lot of frustration while wandering around. The translation could do with some work too. Otherwise, it’s a solid game that will give you a good 8-10 hours of entertainment.
Bat and ball games are not for everyone but if you do have a love for the genre there is fun to be had with this title although non fans will not get much joy I suspect. The solo mode could be better but the co-op is where the game does well and for a couple of hours play there is definitely enough to make this a worthwhile purchase for a low price. The platforming game element is a neat twist. This is a decent game that does what it needs to do well whilst not setting the world on fire.
There is quite a bit to like about Dungeon Munchies, but unfortunately, the major components that matter in a video game, especially one that is a side-scrolling action platformer, let the rest of its parts down. The platforming is extremely unwieldy and frustrating. The fact that I have to intentionally injure my character to try to progress through a stage should tell you enough. Throw in the combat that’s just kind of there, and it ultimately just winds up as an unsatisfying gameplay experience. It’s sad really because I liked the story enough to want to keep pushing through, the characters are silly and funny, and it has good music and art design as well. It is quite possible that Chapter 3 gets added to the game eventually, maybe by then some of these issues will be fixed.
Honestly, I was surprised by how much I got into Watch Over Christmas. I went into it thinking it would be a game to keep my daughter happy on Boxing Day, but the classic gameplay style and sense of humor kept me engaged for longer. If you fancy trying out a new point-and-click, it’s definitely worth checking out Watch Over Christmas. Grab it now and play it in the build-up to next Christmas, or use it as a nice, cozy distraction from your back-to-work blues in the new year.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent more time thinking about the objects that I own (apart from that time I watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and accidentally got rid of half of our stuff). I come from a long line of renters and have moved around a decent amount of times. And yet, some things – a Beanie Baby named Freckles, a box of old photographs – have moved along with me, adding permanence to something transient. Ultimately, Unpacking resonated so deeply with me, more so than any narrative-heavy games I’ve played this year. Life is not about things. After all, we don’t take things with us in the end. But things do tell a story of who we were. Things take on a meaning that we perhaps don’t even realize they have. Things are an outward clue about the things that matter to us. Unpacking shows this in a way I had never thought about before, just by forcing me to place each item one by one, and it reminds me of the unique power of video games to tell a story in a way that cannot exist in any other medium. I took the wine cooler. It lives on my windowsill. I use it to store kitchen utensils, and I don’t really notice it anymore. But every time I reach for a spatula, I see it. It reminds me, subtly, of my roots, of where I came from. And that’s no small thing. Look, I’m getting emotional. Just play Unpacking, alright? It’s gorgeous. You won’t regret it.
Fights in Tight Spaces don’t forget to make all this planning look cool. All cards have a corresponding animation that features meaty strikes coupled with satisfying audio feedback. The game is usually compared to Superhot due to its dispassionate removal of details, highlighting certain bright colors in a washed-out white background. The different audio tracks are also commendable due to them hitting the exact tone to denote intense action, yet not too noisy to distract you from your planning. With creative cards, threatening enemies, and aesthetics that drips style, Fights in Tight Spaces is a worthy addition to any veteran deck builder's library. It is also a great game to introduce new players to deck-builders and roguelites, as well as other gamers who were initially turned off by the genre.