Qualbert.com's Reviews
Nomada Studios follow up title has gone above and beyond it’s predecessor. With deeper gameplay, vibrant colours and a heart wrenching story to boot. Although this 5 hour journey may be shorter than some would like, it doesn’t detract from its fantastic gameplay. Neva is an engaging and emotional experience that is well worth investing your time in, even if it is only for a day or two.
If you want a poignant tale of a man coming to terms with loss then Tales of Kenzera: Zau is for you. The story is the main focus here and although combat isn’t perfect it still contains more than enough fun and challenge for any player. Unfortunately the side content is severely lacking and most talisman upgrades barely help, however if you don’t want to spend over 20 hours on one game then this is perfect. Some sort of spiritual sequel (no pun intended) with a bigger focus on combat and exploration wouldn’t go astray but the Tale of Zau is just fine just on its own.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is an intimate, beautifully crafted experience that leans heavily into storytelling and atmosphere. If you’re drawn to games that explore emotion, nostalgia, and the bonds that shape us, this is an easy recommendation. Just be warned, it might take you down a path of remembering, so make sure you’re prepared.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is in a weird spot to recommend. It’s a Day One Game Pass game, which means those all that are keen and already subscribed have to do is hit the install button. The struggle lies in the fact that gameplay contains a bunch of braindead AI running towards you because you made one small mistake, and detracts from the long-distance firefights that prior games like Sniper Elite 4 or 5 excelled with.
Avowed is a real tour de force, one of the few games released by Xbox that are of exemplary quality. Quite unlike a Halo entry. People will inevitably compare this to Elder Scrolls but that is quite disingenuous as Avowed goes for something starkly different and way more focused. This game is succinct, polished, pretty and very fun to play. Narratively things take on some interesting concepts propelling the mainline quests through a series of exciting developments. It might not twang everyone’s heartstrings but it might take over their brains like a little fungus monster.
Keep Driving shows that sometimes all it takes is a good core concept and you can run with it. Driving in your car with a shifting destination in mind, picking up hitchhikers and making sure you’re keeping up with the needs of food, sleep, gas and money gives a lot of really enjoyable experiences, and it’s solidified with a fantastic vibe and soundtrack. The journey is more important than the destination, especially when the journey is this good.
If you enjoy detective games, or narratives with twists, then Urban Myth Dissolution Center is for you. When asked how long it took to play, I seriously thought each case took me an hour, when in fact it had probably taken triple the amount of time. I didn’t notice time passing by, that’s how much I was enjoying it. I know I keep making the comparison but it really is like Ace Attorney without the courtroom and I’m not the only one making it. Another friend asked if it was a perfect game and after thinking it over, I believe it is. We don’t do scores here, but i reckon this would get full marks from me.
For a mere $8 USD, it’s very easy to recommend Fragrance Point to anyone who views video games as an art form. Even past that, it’s a neat little puzzle platformer that takes a backseat to its eclectic presentation. I can confidently say that I’ve never seen or played anything like Fragrance Point, and for that reason, it’s going to stick in my head at the end of 2025 when I contemplate which games were the most memorable this year.
I didn’t hate this game. I just don’t think it was polished to perfection—but really, what ever is? Especially in today’s gaming sphere, where triple-A games are released incomplete. The Reward of Cherishment and Eternity is a visually stunning game with a heavy narrative theme. When things went right, this game ticked all the boxes, and I think from a stylistic point of view this game is worth a play.
Guns of Fury is a lovingly-crafted tribute to the run’n’gun genre that deserves the attention of any Metal Slug fan. Its detailed pixel art style, polished combat, and extensive amount of content are all the more impressive when you remember this was created by just two people! Despite a heavy reliance on backtracking, this is some serious indie ammunition that deserves to be in your gaming arsenal.
This whimsical romp through ridiculous scenarios with a cast of crazy characters is an excellent outing in levity and enjoyment. Whilst brief, there is tonnes of replayability to be found in either finding all the characters or exploring the harder modes. The plot is as chaotic as the gameplay but Big Helmet Heroes leans into this and pulls it off gloriously. For a price point around $30 AU it’s very hard to go past this, especially if you have a gaming buddy, this could provide way more than just the 4-6 hours of fun I experienced. All in all, if you love fun and have an enlarged noggin then this game is for you!
This is a glorious return of an essential action gaming series. Ninja Gaiden II Black is a sublime experience with a few tiny technical issues, full of bombastic action, fun story beats and a core design that hasn’t aged a day (except maybe the camera). Anyone who enjoys a bit of a technical hack’n’slasher this is THE game to get. A terrific remaster and a sign of good things to come in the Ninja Gaiden series.
The Roottrees are Dead is a powerhouse gaming entry to 2025! With a carefully crafted tale of intrigue and in-fighting, in-laws and interpersonal conflicts, Jeremy Johnston and Robin Ward’s detective puzzle game is one everyone should dive into. If you enjoy games that respect your intelligence, have thoughtful mechanics and you like to be occasionally nosey, then Roottrees needs to be your next purchase!
Despite the small amount of content at launch, Dreamcore has potential if the remaining levels are of the same quality. I can’t understate how positively huge each level is, and even though they’re not devoid of tedium, they are still worth pushing through to the exits. If you have a keen interest in the backrooms or liminal spaces, this is worth a shot.
After just two games (well, 16 hours in), I can already see myself playing routinely and obsessively, trying different strategies and exploring new civilizations. While a few quality-of-life changes are still needed, this is just the beginning. With multiple planned DLCs (possibly even a futuristic era?) and a vibrant modding community, I expect these minor issues to be addressed soon. Overall, Civilization VII truly is a strategy game for the ages.
I love Donkey Kong Country 1, 2 and 3. I wish I could say the same about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very good game. I couldn’t help but feel that this was a major step down from the SNES titles. The level design in Returns isn’t quite as amazing as the originals, but it is still very good. The game does occasionally feel a little monotonous due to only having DK and Rambi for use in the standard platforming levels. The mine cart and barrel rocket levels provide much needed variety, but are often the cause of frustration.
Over the 30 hours spent in this game, not many of them felt like a chore, with exploration and tackling huge foes the bulk of my enjoyment. The story is good but it does get dragged down by exposition way too much even though the characters feel fully fleshed out and are even funny at times. The amalgamation of crafting and exploring is probably the best gameplay loop I’ve experienced for a while, even if it seems to drag on a little towards the end. All in all, for a first outing for a new developer, Yellow Brick Studios has created something magical that may not be for everyone but I’m sure it will be enjoyed thoroughly by many.
I have incredibly conflicted feelings about it, moving from joy to disappointment hourly. If you’re a lapsed DW fan, this might be the game for you. I miss playing as the cool heroes, but I don’t miss levelling them all up. I miss the variety in weapons. I miss the weirdness. This is (a bit) more grounded, fake sorcery aside, yet also only barely touches the big battles that are expected. This is a new direction for the series, and I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad direction. Dynasty Warriors is dead, long live Dynasty Warriors.
Be prepared to sink a lot of hours into Fantasian. At minimum you will need to play for about 50 hours to get to the end of the main story. There are plenty of side-quests and post-game content to significantly extend the experience if you are that way inclined. If you pick up this game, I assume you have completionist tendencies – this is a JRPG after all. Simply said – this is one of those games that every JRPG fan must experience.
If you can’t get enough of the 3D platformer/collect-a-thon subset of games, Hop ‘n’ Marty is undoubtedly going to be more of what you love. It’s a great time, albeit done quicker than you might hope. For a studio as small and young as Evilkookey Games, though, it’s quite an achievement.