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Overall though, there’s a lot of charm to Fixforce. It can be frustrating, and the RNG can feel like it’s working against us at times, but get a few friends in for an evening and the co-op building/collecting can be a blast once we get into the swing of things.
So overall, if you’re looking for a pool simulation that nails the basics - physics, game types, controls - then Pure Pool Pro fits the bill. The on table action is great, I’ve had fun going up against the AI in competitive matches and I look forward to jumping online once there are others to play against. But a dull presentation - full of AI generated guff - lets the side down.
Overall, D-topia has been a refreshing and enjoyable experience. The puzzle difficulty is pitched well for the most part, erring on the easier side to keep things flowing, and interacting with the people of D-topia is rewarding as we get to know and help them. Being able to use items we purchased in any way would have been nice, but it’s a small blemish on what was otherwise a well paced take on AI, and the future of humanity alongside it.
N.E.R.D does deliver a thick creepy atmosphere. You've been captured and punished into play a survival game in a style of the Saw movies with impending doom. You get locked in to the drama and want to solve the puzzles. But clunky repetitive FMV clips begin to chip away at the atmosphere and overly tricky puzzles with little logic and more trial and error may leave you feeling that death by gas is happy ending after all.
Perhaps one of the best DLCs (at least for a smaller "indie" game) I've played. Not only do you get more of an already great game, but they also give you multiple new gameplay elements. Honestly this could have been a good base for a sequel game with the amount of content you get. It's priced accordingly, give you more than a handful of missions like other smaller DLCs and it's fun. Highly recommend once you beat the base game.
Roguelites can feel punishing for the sake of it at times, but Abyssus seems content to give us a good pasting while also offering a hand out to pick us back up and shove back into the fray for another go immediately. Simple, good fun and very moreish in every regard.
Echo Generation 2 is a pretty adventure that doesn’t have a particularly compelling hook.
It’s a well put together collection of what I love about the old school games, and Hollowbody holds it all together with a compelling, dark tale, and decent puzzles and progression. That the controls don’t quite work as well as we’d like is a small downer – it’s far from unplayable, just a little more awkward than we’d hope – but it’s not enough to make this any less than a solid recommendation to retro survival horror fans all the same.
Mina the Hollower has been on many gamers lists for a long time coming and I'm happy to say, it's not bad. It lets you experience "old school hard" gameplay or new age accessible gameplay in hopes of reaching all players. It lets you experience the game in so many ways that fit you which is something I think most games don't allow. Easy recommendation for gamers looking for action adventure through an old school lens.
ZPF is a fun little game that people with retro-nostalgia will find things to enjoy in terms of its presentation. However, despite of the modernisation of some of the parts of the game the mechanics don’t reveal a lot of depth.
In my opinion 3D platformers are tough to nail. The ones that do live on and those that don’t, get forgotten about. I think Bubsy will see a short stay, but it’s not polished so much for the long haul. And maybe that’s the Bubsy way. If not for the controller issues I had, it’d be a really fun recommendation for more but for now, I’d probably just give this one to those orange bobcat aficionados.
Aphelion has a heartfelt story that is well-acted and paced. It falls apart with unfinished gameplay and too many bugs to ignore.
There is still a spark of what made Industria intriguing in some of the settings and lore we can find, but the package as a whole just misses the mark for me. It is technically average at best, with slow, plodding, and uninteresting gunplay and a story that feels like a step backwards from the original in almost every regard.
All in all, it’s great to have The Dark Pictures back with us after an extended break. The Turning Point feature is fantastic (we’d like to see the older games retrofitted with it), the story is full of interesting twists and turns, and the extensions of more traditional gameplay are welcome. Some choices still leave us screaming at the screen to meet in the middle, but on the whole Directive 8020 maintains the series high bar.
There’s a lot to like about Mouse P.I., from it’s excellent visuals and animation to the simply act of exploring and shooting. Cuphead is a clear inspiration in certain aspects, and though this is a different genre, it will likely still appeal if you enjoyed that game. It is a great game for console and handheld should you have one as well.
Celebrating the 90’s, excellent music and how it impacts and marks our lives, and the joy of growing up with a few close friends, Mixtape is a stellar experience from start to finish.
Wax Heads was a unique experience that definitely lived up to the cozy promise. It may not be difficult, and it may not be my style, but I enjoyed the actual gameplay elements. I believe this one is a see it and you'll know type of game.
Replaced has been a long time coming, and for the most part we’re happy with how it has turned out. The combat and presentation are the highlights here, with incredible animation making every encounter look and feel awesome. A slow opening and generally heavy platforming and exploration can drag things down at times though. As it is, Replaced winds up being worth a play for sure, even if it isn’t quite the next best thing we were hoping for.
Despite the AI controversy around the launch of Crimson Desert, I’ve found a lot to enjoy during my time with the game. There is a lot of content to explore, and freedom to do so at your own pace and style. So much so, that even with some annoying interface and controller decisions and an initially confusing storyline, I found myself compelled to keep coming back and enjoying the moment to moment experiences.
Presenting a serious message in what is a fairly light-hearted game, Tides of Tomorrow is absolutely an entertaining time. The Story Link feature is a very cool concept, and the way it affects not just our world but those that come after gives us pause for thought every time we’re asked to make a choice.