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Unusual Findings is truly a special indie game, especially if you’re an 80’s kid like me. Playing this genuinely made me feel like I was back in my childhood era all over again. It is a fantastic success story of a three-man team who have created a stunning package which has it all. The voice acting is absolutely superb across the board with interesting engagements with likeable characters.
Spiderheck joins the meaty list of indie highlights of 2022 for me. Whilst the visuals may look fairly basic, the cascade of carnage from the neon lighting from laser guns, light sabres and explosions compliment an enthralling and compelling gameplay loop. Despite myself and my four-year-old son being absolutely petrified of spiders in real life, we had a blast playing this together for hours.
Hokko Life is usually a game that I would dismiss immediately, as when I look at titles like this normally, they don’t really cater to my gaming preferences. But I really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I was slightly concerned at the beginning about whether there would be enough content to remain interested, as the first few hours doesn’t really have a lot of discovering or exploration involved.
Overwatch 2 is simply a clever nudge into the free-to-play space. Bringing with this some questionable paywalls and the norm of a battle pass system. Those who absolutely adore the Overwatch brand will be instantly at home as change is minimal. Newcomers will now have the opportunity to dive in without opening their wallets if they don’t mind missing out on a couple of the new heroes.
Weedcraft Inc is a great concept with a fairly addictive gameplay loop, but its conversion from PC to console isn’t great. The control scheme for the controller is very clunky and it is extremely frustrating to navigate around the entire game.
I found it incredibly difficult when to stop playing and start writing about Construction Simulator. It is truly one of those games where hours will feel like minutes and before you know it, it’s 4 am in the morning and you should have been in bed a long time ago. Whilst some of the controls are difficult to master with some of the machinery, it is fine-tuned and it feels natural when you’re operating every aspect of your vehicle. Whether it is operating a crane, hauling a heavy load from one side of town to the other or flattening the terrain with a compactor, the mechanics of everything here are absolutely nailed on.
Potion Permit is absolutely outstanding and instantly consumed me with its excellent storyline and character-building elements. It’s a game that isn’t overly complicated and had perfect pacing to suit casual and hardcore RPG fans alike. It never becomes overly confusing and keeps inventory management simplistic. You get a real feel for the atmosphere during this game, and you can genuinely feel the shift of mood throughout Moonbury as you progress.
Aquadine is one of the better visual novels I’ve had the pleasure of sitting through and I have played a fair few. The fantastic art design and backdrops really prop up an interesting and compelling storyline with some believable characters. The plot and storytelling may not be for everyone, but you can tell some thought and effort has been poured into the writing.
After Wave: Downfall was a game I enjoyed much more than I thought I would. It was chaotic and challenging and whilst some will love the fact achievements pop so quickly, I kind of wished they were a bit more difficult to get. The reason for this is some may simply get the 1000 gamerscore and then leave the game alone, and it deserves better than this.
You Suck At Parking was a unique experience that I have never seen done in a video game before. The more persistent I was in the early stages of the game, the more driven and determined I became to ace all of the levels and compete with real-life players. It really does have that “just one more go” feel to it and if you’re a perfectionist like I am then you’ll hit restart at the slightest mistake you make.
Family Man takes a great story and concept and runs with it, and I’d urge anyone to go and buy it. Whilst each run may only take 4-5 hours, each outcome can be different and alternative life partners can be chosen. At its low price point, it is well worth every single penny you’ll pay, and I adored the adventure.
Train Sim World 3 is indeed more of the same but introduces new routes and traction to a more refined and polished package. You’ll never see any other simulator title so naturally accurate. Visually things have significantly improved, and performance just feels so much better.
Islets is one of those games that I enjoyed way more than I initially anticipated. I adored its simplistic gameplay whilst also engaging you enough to think outside the box. Sure you’ll find some exquisite titles that are similar out there such as Hollow Knight or the Ori series, but if you’re a fan of those types of experiences then there is absolutely something for you here and it beds in amongst the greats of the Metroidvania category.
Cursed To Golf has it all, to be honest, the challenge, humour, variety and the ability to test the gamers’ patience. You don’t have to be a golf fan to enjoy the experience and I love that I have reason to keep going back to tick off holes that I haven’t seen before. If you’re after something that is super casual but will have you scratching your head at times too, then this is a title that I absolutely highly recommend.
I have to admit that when I went into Ganryu 2 I immediately thought of playing Shinobi on the Sega Mega Drive. It has the same essence of quality in all areas, it appears similar in its presentation and it had a difficulty bar that is almost identical. I enjoyed my incredibly tough time with this one and whilst most levels took several attempts for me to master, that is what gave the adventure the longevity it deserves.
The Tale Of Bistun has a great intriguing story that is told exceptionally well in a well-animated and illustrated world. It feels as if you’re walking through unravelling the tale with some simple commands and traversing the environment with very little to do in the way of gameplay.
I was expecting Saints Row to return to the formula of what initially catapulted the series to success and I have to say they have achieved it here. Whilst some may not welcome the premise of a new cast of characters, the writing and storyline are solid enough to stay engaged. The same level of comedic witty humour is present with added cheese and cringe with enough carnage-fuelled missions and moments to make it feel true to its values.
Arcade Paradise was a complete surprise to me and an experience that literally consumed me for hours on end, and I’m still not done yet. I found the blend of running a laundromat whilst keeping tabs on my arcade through the back of my business addictive.
I’m a little gutted with Lumberjack’s Dynasty as there is a fantastic concept here that is held back by dated visuals, bugs, glitches and some other factors that could do with being fixed. Mechanically the game is sound and there is plenty to see and do if you can skip by the factors I’ve mentioned. I do hope the development team continue to work on this project to iron out the flaws because there are some solid foundations laid and the story really made me want to stick with it.
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is essentially a follow-on from the first collection in 2021 and has an almost identical layout to the first hub we saw. To me though it felt like the overall experience had a more polished feel to it. Switching between games is flawless and depends on your tastes there is potentially unlimited replayability here if you want to invest in completing each game and trying your hand at the leaderboards.