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If Song of Horror’s remaining episodes can maintain the level of quality set out in its first two episodes, survival horror fans are in for a treat. The permadeath mechanic may be off-putting to some but it’s purposeful and it pays off, forcing you to be more cautious adds to the game’s immersion. These two first chapters set up a strong story and, while I’d hope the characters get more resolution, I’m looking forward to seeing how this tale unfolds. Thus far, Song of Horror is a tense, chilling horror outing that deserves to be experienced by any serious horror fan.

Blasphemous is hands down one of my favourite games of 2019. I wasn’t expecting it to be, but it’s one of those unexpected surprises; a gift that you didn’t think that you wanted but quickly becomes to be loved. Sitting between Castlevania and Dark Souls, its combat is fast-paced and requires timing and skill, the difficulty pitched just perfectly. But it’s the sense of discovery and hardship that your character goes through that really makes it what it is, as well as the atmospheric world they inhabit. Blasphemous may not be entirely original structurally or mechanically, but The Game Kitchen has cooked up something that feels very unique.

Due to They Are Billions’ difficulty, compounded by its permadeath feature, it’s easy to assume that only hardcore gamers will feel welcome in its hostile steampunk world. It’s true; players looking for strategy game that’s going to hold their hand likely will feel out of their depth here. But stick with it and take the time to learn the game’s intricacies, and there’s a lot of fun to be had with They Are Billions. It isn’t for everyone, but there’s not much else that compares to the rush of thousands upon thousands of zombies swarming your settlement all at once.

But for GRIS’ three-hour run time, I daresay the majesty of the game’s artwork and its magnificent soundtrack far outweigh those few frustrations. Gris may feel sluggish to control at times, but for the most part, you’ll want to take it slow anyway, to take in the game’s beautiful environments. When you reach a new area, or unlock a new colour into the world, you’ll soon forget about that annoying platforming section; you’ll be too busy being mesmerised by how beautiful everything is.

Yet that was all part of the fun, struggling with the sophisticated design made me feel out of my own element. After completing a portion, I’d feel slightly disarmed, only to be made a fool immediately afterwards with an even more complicated series of puzzles. While Teku’s sluggish reaction time was a constant annoyance, once I had put the controller down it merely felt like a minor annoyance in a game otherwise filled with impressive details. Gorgeously made, challenging in every way, Candle is a game that shines brighter than you’d expect.

It should go without saying that the Nightfall expansion is essential for those who have completed Aragami and are keen to once again delve back into it. And if you’ve not played Aragami yet? Well, with the arrival of Aragami: Shadow Edition there has never been a better time to do so. Bundling up the base game with its expansion and the Assassin Masks DLC, it’s a sizeable game available at half the price of a standard release. For fans of good, old-fashioned stealth, it’s a bit of a no-brainer, really.

It’s just a shame that my enthusiasm and interest was eventually fully deflated by obtuse puzzles that offer no guidance and ultimately feel superfluous to the game. Get rid of them altogether and you’ve got a gripping interactive story that’s dying to be told. But with the puzzles as they are, STAY is reduced to feeling more like a badly-designed old-school adventure game. I’m gutted. For me, and for Quinn. I truly cared about what was happening to him. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Quinn.

For what it’s worth, Deiland does offer an incredibly methodic and strangely calming gaming experience. As I said before, managing that tiny planet and watching it become what you envision is accomplished through easy, yet time consuming steps. The rewards don’t seem to match the effort, though, and it’s easy to feel like you spend your whole day doing one thing. I love the art style, the characters, and the story. I just wish they meshed in a more pleasing, enjoyable way. If you want a slow-moving, brick-by-brick resource gathering sim, then this might be yours. But if you’re looking for something with deep complexity, endless creative options and rich world-building, you should probably look elsewhere.

Immortal Redneck is a game that rarely frustrates, even though it'll kick your ass. Repeatedly. Why? Because it always feels fair. The controls are perfect, the visuals are charming, and no enemies or traps ever feel overpowered. Being a roguelike you're always destined to fail, sure, but it never feels the odds are unduly stacked against you. As you unlock new characters, bolster your stats and become more knowledgeable about the game, you know victory will one day come, and that makes your desire to keep at it even stronger. Immortal Redneck is perhaps the best roguelike I've ever played because of that fact, and it's a title you should definitely check out now that it's available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

With all that said, Crossing Souls has everything you could possibly want from an adventure game. Well-polished controls, a stunning art style, fun and varied gameplay, and an emotional yet intriguing narrative all come together to make Crossing Souls one of the best gaming experiences I've had in a long while. It's simply perfect.

It’s a shame that there are no online gameplay options – that, I feel, would make Oh My Godheads a commercial hit – but even just as a local multiplayer only game it deserves success. Oh my Godheads is without a doubt one of the most original, polished, balanced, and entertaining local multiplayer games I’ve played all year, and so if you’re the type of person that has friends around on a regular basis for some gaming action, it deserves your attention.

These issues were easily overlooked though, as the full experience of RiME is far grander than the sum of its parts. Hopefully the framerate issues will be ironed out in a patch soon, but you shouldn’t let that put you off experiencing what this game has to offer. I feel like I’ve overused the words ‘profound’ and ‘beautiful’ in writing this review, but genuinely there are no other words that can quite do this game justice. Tequila Works’ RiME is an audiovisual tour de force that wants to astonish you with its beauty, charm you with its loveable protagonist, and move you with its powerful emotions. And if you give it a chance, it’ll succeed in all three. After the credits had rolled, I was still fixed to the screen with tears in my eyes and a mix of joy and sorrow in my heart, wanting to jump in and experience it all again with a whole new perspective.

When all is said and done, Baboon! does have some interesting ideas. The mix of RPG elements in a platformer is a nice touch; when it’s done right, it really works wonders, but it’s let down by a number of tedious quests that don’t give you any hint as to where to go. The difficulty of some of the levels is also unforgivable – while I’m not averse to a challenge, it’s unfairly fiendish at times, making it hard to want to continue. Baboon! isn’t a bad game per se, but because of its flaws I can only really recommend it to the most die-hard of platform fans looking for a new quirky challenge.

I had some apprehension going into Immortal Redneck, as the last rogue-lite FPS I played was Tower of Guns: a game that frustrated me due to how frequently death would come at the hands of some unseen projectile. However, largely through its surprisingly nimble protagonist, Immortal Redneck manages to feel punishing, yet fair. Rewards are doled out frequently enough that almost every run ends with the ability to upgrade something on the skill tree, allowing the game to maintain a forward momentum that makes it difficult to put down. It’s a shame that only one half of the premise truly shines, but hoo-boy, does it ever shine.

Despite the aforementioned grumble, BOOR remains an enthralling, charming game that, with its beautifully rendered, challenging levels and innovative central mechanic, will have you hooked from beginning to end.

The most frustrating thing about playing an indie release like Spheroids is the feeling that the developers were not even attempting to create something fresh or novel. It takes undue influence from many other – better – indie games on the market and doesn’t try hard enough to make its own mark. That’s not to say that there is no hope for the indie market in 2017, however; the horizon actually looks very hopeful for indie releases, but Spheroids just doesn’t cut the grade.

All things considered though, if you like a good challenge and value quality gameplay over length, which you should, Rise & Shine is a great little title and a great start to the gaming year. The visuals impress from start to finish, the audio constantly delights despite a lack of voice acting, and the frenetic action is varied and addictive. It’s a game for gamers who’ll chuckle at every little visual cue that’s generously strewn throughout its running time and then go back to see if there’s any they may have missed. Those with little patience may quickly find themselves throwing their pads in despair, but those who can hack it will be utterly charmed.

There’s a good game in Motor Strike: Immortal Legends somewhere. The problem is the enjoyable parts of the game – mainly being its combat, gets stifled by little variation and repetition. Whilst playing with friends is a fun distraction, it doesn’t make up for the other problems the game has.

Rolling Bob, though by no means groundbreaking, is perhaps best described as harmless side-scrolling fun. It may not excel in the visual department and may suffer from some technical issues early on, but when knee-deep in one of the game’s fun puzzle-platformer levels it’s hard not to find yourself tense and gripped as you make your way through. The game’s spray path mechanic may leave some players scratching their head as to why it’s placed within the Dualshock’s 4 gyroscope functionality, but it definitely helps Rolling Bob to stand out, just a little.

Overall, Yesterday Origins is simply charming, and the developers have shown a real understanding of how to make a point and click game stand out in its genre. It manages to deliver an interesting plot while giving you a whimsical adventure using the simplest of tools. This is the point and click genre developing in the most intriguing of ways, without losing the magic that makes us love them in the first place. Without a doubt, Yesterday Origins is a must-play for any fan of the genre – and a good starting point for those less acquainted with classic adventure titles.

With its elegant design, solid gameplay and a narrative that keeps you engaged, Aragami is a wonderful return – and tribute – to the old formula of classic stealth. There are some niggles here and there that can be rather irritating, but it’s not enough to put a black mark on this otherwise great game. Since we are so used to bigger, AAA titles these days, you may need a brief period to readjust. I wasn’t sure myself at first, but when I put the hours in, it made me realise why games like this are sorely missed today. Aragami is a title that deserves a bigger budget, and maybe sometime in the future, that’s what it’ll get. But for now, anyone with a love for classic, stealth-based games should not pass up this one.

Other tiny issues blight the experience, such as being able to quaff potions mid cut-scene and in inventory panels by mistake and getting caught on pieces of terrain with the terrible animations. A lacklustre combat and loot experience seriously damages what could have been a very funny and compelling adventure. But I am really keen to highlight the heart and soul of this game: it has tons of love poured into its dialogue, characters and world building in general. I feel like there’s a lot of potential at Infinigon, and I would love to see how they develop from here, but for now Zenith is an unfortunately maligned opening shot into the crowded action RPG stable.

Stories of Bethem: Full Moon packs a lot into a small, retro-inspired package. For fans of Zelda and other games of its type, it’s a must play. It may not be the most inspired or groundbreaking RPG ever created, but it manages to pack in tight gameplay, head-scratching puzzles and engaging locations to explore. The lack of melee combat will probably be missed by most, as magic can be awkward, but it at least sets Stories of Bethem apart, love it or hate it. It’s not perfect, it may be frustrating at times, but Stories of Bethem manages to capture the essence of games of the 90s: when having fun was the only thing that mattered.

Basically, Maldita Castilla EX gets everything right that Cast of the Seven Godsends got wrong and doesn’t drop a single ball along the way. This game won’t be for everyone – yet again the difficulty may put off some players – but it will certainly please anyone who grew up in the golden age of the arcade game (like myself). Anyone looking for a challenging action-packed 2D adventure won’t go far from with Maldita Castilla EX.

Spy Chameleon is a novel, entertaining and creative title that is well-designed and fully captivating. The game’s challenging difficulty in combination with its well-constructed levels and ingenious central mechanic make for an experience that is engaging and difficult, but nearly always fair. Spy Chameleon’s quirky premise and humorous tone, in addition to its diverse and vibrant artistic design, amalgamates to an experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but one that is better off as a result. This is a game that knows what it is and doesn’t overstretch itself. 

Despite its flaws, I had a lot of fun with Pharaonic. The beautiful world and reaction-based combat are genuinely enjoyable. However, the lack of enemy diversity, the tedious backtracking and the questionable checkpoint locations seem like design missteps. Ultimately, the right person might find these negatives as insignificant. To those who fall in this category, then Pharaonic might just scratch a particular itch for you. For under $20, it’s a worthwhile romp through the desert.

What you’re left with is a game with some interesting ideas and systems that never felt fleshed out enough or just poorly designed. I’m finding it hard to recommend Anima: Gate of Memories to anyone outside of diehard fans of the IP and I don’t know a single person that falls into that category, so I can’t really recommend it to anyone.

With several upgrades applied to your car, Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing can become bearable to play – but that’s just it; bearable. And for it to reach that “bearable” point, you’ve got to put in far more time than your wits can probably handle, so it’s just not worth it. Had the control scheme matched the casual arcade nature of the game it may have been slightly more enjoyable, but as it stands, there’s nothing to gain from playing Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing. Do yourself a favour and keep a wide berth from this title. For the love of God, stick to Forza. Or snails.

Essentially, Blues and Bullets: Episode Two is just what you’d expect; more of the same. When the focus of the game is on its storytelling however, and it’s just as solid as it was in episode one or maybe even better, that’s absolutely fine.  Running a little longer than the first episode at just less than three hours, the pacing lets it down a little due to the overlong shooting scenes, but it remains an absorbing experience from beginning to end nevertheless. Adding yet more layers to the web of intrigue, episode two of Blues and Bullets offers us few answers to the questions on our lips at the end of the first episode, but it doesn’t leave you dissatisfied; it just leaves you eager for the next chapter of the chilling and mysterious tale that’s unravelling to arrive. For a story-driven experience, surely that’s the highest praise that can be given.

In the end, The Count Lucanor is a great a game all around, and I will gladly be adding it to my list of favorite horror games. It took about six hours to play through, and features multiple endings which adds to its replayability. If you are looking for a unique survival-horror game with a creepy meter (and weird meter) that is cranked up to eleven, then The Count Lucanor is a great choice.

Overall then, you can probably gather that I didn’t enjoy my time spent playing Dogchild very much. It’s certainly not the worst game I’ve had the misfortune of playing; I’d rather play Dogchild than the likes of Toro or Yasai Ninja for example, but that’s like saying I’d rather have a broken arm than a broken leg – neither of them is desirable. Pretty much everything here is below par; the graphics, the audio, the gameplay, the controls; and on that basis, I recommend that you give Dogchild a miss.

Despite my gripes with UnEpic, it’s hard to not be charmed by it. With its lengthy adventure full of action, character development and humour, its positives more than outweigh its negatives, creating a highly engrossing and enjoyable experience for the most part. Additionally, whilst its visuals are basic and generic, its boasts a fantastic musical score that is sure to impress. If you’re a fan of action RPGs, there’s a great game here for you to sink to sink their teeth into, providing you can deal with the frustrations, and anyone else looking for a solid adventure with a great deal of humour should also consider checking it out.  UnEpic may not be quite as epic as it could be, but it’s still a fantastic achievement that deserves your attention.

Regardless, The Delusions of Von Sottendorff and his Square Mind is a neat little gem. It doesn’t nescasarily dazzle you or offer you anything terribly new but it does present you with some uniquely laid out puzzles with a hearty dash of Psychonauts-esque humour. Approach with an open mind, and a willingness to accept a certain degree of rough edges, and you’ll have a blast.

All in all, Kromaia Omega certainly isn’t a bad game, but it’s far from being great. Its unique audio-visual design is perhaps its greatest asset, but unfortunately the gameplay doesn’t always sit well with it, creating an experience that is at times unsatisfying. It also doesn’t help that some of its gameplay systems such as the grapple and the ability to strafe up and down are either useless or unintuitive. Despite these issues, there’s still some fun to be had here by shooter fans willing to put the effort in, and those that do so will be rewarded with their senses being titillated by Kromaia Omega’s charms.

It’s far from perfect, but despite its gripes and grizzly bosses, there’s something charming about Tachyon Project that makes you keep wanting to play. Its very simplistic nature makes it easy to pick up and play, making you want to indulge in “just one more level”. The timer system is frustrating, and frequently being told “you ran out of time” rather than “you were brutally one-hit-killed” gets rather irksome, but the quenching satisfaction of speeding around a screen filled with enemies as you blast every one of them into tiny pieces outweighs the niggles. Any fan of retro-style shooters certainly should give this one a go.