Game8's Reviews
Farewell North is a remarkable game that stands out for its emotional storytelling, engaging gameplay, and stunning audiovisual presentation. It takes you on a journey through grief, healing, and remembrance, all while providing an immersive and atmospheric experience. The game’s exploration of Scottish landscapes and Celtic mythology adds depth to its world, making it feel rich and alive. Despite a few minor flaws, such as occasional camera issues and the challenge of solving puzzles in grayscale, the overall experience is nothing short of captivating. With a price that feels justified by the quality and depth of the game, Farewell North is a must-play for anyone who enjoys story-driven adventures with a strong emotional core.
Knock on the Coffin Lid is an amazing roguelike deckbuilder that offers familiar turn-based card-battling gameplay, great visuals, fully voice-acted dialogue and cutscenes, and a compelling story. However, the game is also plagued by multiple bugs and a few problems that prevent it from catapulting to being one of the better deckbuilding roguelikes of the current era. Thankfully, the devs are actively looking to improve and fix the bugs quickly, so with enough time, it’ll only get better.
Volgarr the Viking 2 is an ode to the classic 2D platformers that were notoriously difficult. It has striking visuals, gameplay that demands precision, and a soundtrack that has you head banging and hyped even when you’ve repeated the same stage five times. However, this game is VERY difficult, that even with the QoL improvements and changes that it has, its reputation for being a hard-to-beat game still stands. If you enjoy Ghouls & Ghosts, Strider, Demon’s Crest, and other games of the same genre, this might be the game for you.
Picture a wizard brewing up something special in their cauldron—tossing in a scoop of Undertale's charm, a pinch of Scribblenauts' creativity, and a sprinkle of Harry Potter's magic. The result? Leximan! A game that’s as enchanting as it is hilarious, with a heartwarming story, catchy tunes, and a world overflowing with creativity. It’s pure magic!
Don’t judge a book by its cover. While that old adage usually means that there are more profound things hidden underneath a substandard exterior, in Creatures of Ava’s case, it’s the opposite. The game looks absolutely beautiful, that’s true. However, its story will make you question your expenses, the gameplay ages very quickly, and the music can actually trigger premature dementia. The game is very cheap, though, so it balances out to some extent.
Deathbound is very unique, and if there was a score for uniqueness as a soulslike game, it would score an 11/10. It’s a fairly decent game with a great aesthetic and theme, but it is held back by a myriad of issues that affect the game’s core gameplay. It has enough variety to separate itself from the pack of soulslike games and even the giants in the genre. However, it may not be a game that a casual fan would enjoy because of the clunkiness and jankiness that exist in the game.
The Crush House is an ambitious blend of reality TV satire and mystery, where players take on the role of Jae, a producer, director, and cameraman in a twisted reality show. The game’s unique concept and narrative depth are its strongest points, offering a fresh and intriguing experience. However, the gameplay can become repetitive, and the limited time frame for each season restricts the depth of character interactions and story progression. Despite these shortcomings, the game’s visual style and replayability make it a solid choice for mystery enthusiasts.
Although Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers had the deck stacked in its favor with a fun and creative gameplay premise, it simply didn’t have the right cards to form a winning hand. Its story barely exists and its audio was better off not existing. The aesthetics are well-made but lack the polish of similar games like Balatro. While the aesthetics are well-made, they lack the polish of similar games like Balatro. Still, it’s a fun idea that was executed poorly. If it can sweeten the pot a bit and decorate its dungeon a tad more, I’m certain that D&DG will eventually hit a Nat 21.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles could have been a surprisingly great game adaptation of the wildly popular Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken series. Its combat is pretty darn good, almost everything is entirely voiced, and it has decent models to deliver its thematically faithful narrative. However, not only is it plagued by a myriad of caveats that drag each criteria down to above average levels, it also comes with a price tag that’s unreasonable for its overall quality.
Warhammer 40K Speed Freeks is a fun reminder of the classic combat racing gameplay of old. With the game focused more on its gameplay and a bit of its cosmetics, adopting a live-service model works in its favor. It’s quite literally a game that you install and play immediately, and it’s actually simple to grasp and immensely fun. There are some missed chances with regards to introducing the Kult of Speed or other Warhammer lore with single player modes, music during actual gameplay, and other Early Access woes that it’s currently facing, but the game being free absolutely makes it worth it.
Skelethrone is a decent game if you want to play something with a unique difficulty level. Its boss fights are relatively easy unlike most souls-like games, but the mob fights are clearly harder due to its mechanics. It also has major platforming sections that contrast heavily with its very grounded combat. Otherwise, the game is far easier than most souls-like/metroidvania hybrid, so it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the genre.
Cat Quest 3 is a well-rounded adventure game that excels in many areas, particularly in its visuals and gameplay. The game delivers on its promise of lovable cats and captivating quests, providing an enjoyable and engaging experience. While it doesn't introduce groundbreaking innovations or achieve perfection in every aspect, it offers a solid and satisfying adventure that is worth the time and investment. The combination of tactical combat, extensive customization, and beautiful visuals makes it a game that fans of the series and newcomers alike will appreciate.
Tomba! Special Edition is a lazily-done remaster of a classic PlayStation title. It retains the exact same gameplay and visuals, but with an added museum to view related media and a new soundtrack. So although it might appeal to aged gamers for nostalgic reasons, there’s really nothing about it that would justify its price for younger players.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is an instant arcade classic in every sense of the term. It captures the charm and challenge of traditional arcade games, while also exhibiting the unintuitiveness and minimal storytelling typical of coin-op classics. Despite this, it shines as a AAA wonder, featuring the high-quality graphics and audio you’d expect from a major studio. Balancing these strengths and weaknesses, CYGNI sets a blazing trail for other classic arcade shoot-em-ups to follow and soar into the skyline of modern gaming.
Sword of Convallaria is what you get when you take an excellent concept and weigh it down with an assortment of small issues that add up to something huge. Although the gameplay is certainly fun and the artworks are visually pleasing, the fact that the entire game revolves around consumable resources and the gacha system having such a terrible pity system really hurts it more than it should considering all its other caveats.
"Thank Goodness You're Here!" is an incredibly weird, hilarious, and creative game that capitalizes on its cartoon-inspired roots. It innovates to create a uniquely episodic experience that feels like you're watching a cartoon unfold. By the end, you'll find yourself grinning and genuinely thankful for the journey. I wouldn't be surprised if a network or streaming service decided to adapt this game into a cartoon—it's just that good.
Closer The Distance is a beautifully tragic narrative adventure that explores themes of loss, grief, and moving on. Controlling Angie, a young girl who has passed away, players influence the lives of her loved ones and help them navigate their grief. The game excels in its storytelling, visuals, and audio, providing an immersive and emotionally charged experience. While some characters may be unlikeable and the impact of choices could be more significant, the overall execution of the game's themes is masterful, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games. The combination of a poignant story, engaging gameplay, and stunning presentation ensures that Closer The Distance leaves a lasting impression.
Silent Hill 2 Remake had an uphill challenge from the start, with fan expectations sky-high and early backlash casting a shadow. But Bloober Team has risen to the occasion, not only faithfully recreating one of the most legendary horror games ever made, but also elevating it into something deeper—a haunting psychological masterpiece. This remake doesn't just terrify; it leaves a profound emotional impact, blending fear and sorrow in a way that lingers long after the credits roll. When a game can keep you wide-eyed, covered in goosebumps, and grieving for days to come, you know it’s something extraordinary.