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While the base gameplay may be simple and of the time, Jaws Retro Edition proves that can still be fun even today. The Enhanced edition is great and offers more meat on the bones to the original, and while it may not be my favourite retro game ever, I have still enjoyed taking it to Bruce and his aquatic cohorts all the same.
Like I mentioned this one was not on my radar, no pun intended, and I was pleasantly surprised. A few glitches with the enemies soured the experience a little but not enough for me to not recommend the game still. Even as someone who doesn't gravitate to stealth games, this one was successful in integrating a system simple enough to pick up and swap between characters easily and make you feel satisfied clearing an area whether by yourself or through an automated, planned team effort. It has a thorough save system to boot which absolutely helped make the game more enjoyable with my trial and error. For sure, I recommend it as a really solid game.
A downer to end with, but I do want to reiterate that the game otherwise is excellent in terms of quality. The roster (at least what is unlocked to start with) is stacked, the match types are more varied than ever, and there are so many modes here to play with I am honestly staggered how anyone could find the time to explore them all properly. Showcase does CM Punk justice, while MyRise is a great character builder for our custom superstar, and the creation suite is even more mind boggling in its scope than ever.
Across all aspects of the experience - gameplay, story., audio, and visuals - Planet of Lana II is a resounding success. A joy to play, a touching story, and incredible soundtrack make for what will be a top contender for my favourite game of the year.
Easily the best Resident Evil game in many years, with inspirations from both RE2’s survival horror and RE4’s more action horror. Paced perfectly, and with plenty of surprises to discover, I can’t recommend Resident Evil Requiem highly enough.
As a debut FMV title, Trapped Predator has done a great job of following in the wake of publisher Wales Interactive. The tale is engaging with plenty of twists, turns, and reasons to replay. We’d have liked a few more choices, more frequently to make along the way and we hope that whatever they bring us next can fine tune what is already a solid base in their production and story telling.
While the narrative didn’t grab us, the brilliant presentation and moreish challenge did. It may make us curse more than a few times as we die yet again, but the challenge was ultimately enjoyable enough to want to continue on regardless.
REANIMAL is a great step in the right direction for Tarsier’s portfolio, with all the improvements there are still some problems with its execution.
Romeo is a Dead Man is a fun, crazy, chaotic action title with a lot to offer, even if a few niggles rear their heads at times.
All in all, The Run is another excellent FMV title from Paul Raschid and his team. The performances are great, the choices present some real dilemmas, and the conclusion is satisfyingly surprising.
Cairn is thoughtful in its mechanical exploration of being a climber and it also delivers a story that pushes back on the mythology of the sport and the people that reach the highest levels. This is an essential game.
In short bursts there is fun to be had with Rightfully, Beary Arms, and once we nab a few permanent upgrades some of the issues are less pronounced. But we simply didn’t find it all that engaging enough to want to repeatedly play and progress, with one-note combat and occasionally cheap deaths.
MIO has a lot of features that other games in the genre introduced and found a way to incorporate and make them shine. The modifier system is similar to Hollow Knight or Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The accessibility option that makes each boss a tiny bit weaker after each failed attempt is similar to Hades. The extended platforming sections of the Ori games and Guacamelee are also present. MIO does a fantastic job of taking all these systems and making them their own while wrapping them up in a huge world to explore. This is Douze Dixièmes’ second game which follows their stunning debut, Shady Part of Me, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Kentum is an excellent combination of Metroidvania exploration and combat, and light base construction. The two genres enhance rather than distract from each other.
Overall, it’s been good to play these classic racers again. Nostalgia is doing some heavy lifting though, and if you’re not familiar with Street Racer then I would hazard a guess that you won’t quite see what the fuss is about. A lack of archival content, as well as some other versions of the game, is a shame but if you’re into retro gaming and fancy a fun – if challenging – racer, then this collection is worth a look.
While it improves massively in the final act of the game - thanks to fantastic performances and a wrapping-up of the story that had me on the edge of my seat - there’s no denying that the opening hours of Fort Solis are tedious. Between slow progression and a lack of interactivity, Fort Solis seemingly does everything it can to put us off from reaching the finish line.
This type of game may not be for everyone, but for anyone who misses the era of “gameplay only possible in an arcade cabinet” you might want to check out Neon Inferno.
Ol' Dave has captured hearts and minds with his debut game in Dave the Diver. But seriously, this was a fantastic game from start to finish. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot that is happening, either in the background or you having to deal with it directly, but I found the experience more enjoyable than not. A tried and tested game made its way to Xbox and the same greatness shows over here. Plays well anywhere and fun for all ages. Well worth a dive!
I've said it before but the same applies. I was very excited to play this follow-up game to what was kind of an indie gem back in the day. Kill It With Fire 2 went above my expectations with the depth they were able to add. I love the fact the co-op exists because it made for some fun moments with friends. Obviously, fans of the original will want to give this a try, but I would recommend this to a group of friends with no prior experience to this game, as long as you weren't deathly afraid of spiders ... I guess.
As a whole then, Kamikaze Lassplanes is a game of two distinct halves: a romance-heavy narrative adventure, and a good scrolling shooter. Personally, I’d have preferred more of the latter than the former, but what’s here is decent enough to enjoy all round.