DeVuego BD

Heart&Slash has been out on PC for a while, but only recently journeyed to PS4, where it definitely deserves more attention. It’s not as cheap as most indie games, but it’s certainly not going to break the bank, and is well worth the asking price. The unrelenting mayhem of combat and the unforgiving difficulty may put some off, but if you’re into those things, and also cute robots, I wholeheartedly recommend picking it up.

In a way, Megamagic: Wizards of the Neon Age is like a Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s charming and special nonetheless. It’s nostalgia-riddled trip through a magical ‘80s world, fueled by a wonderfully synthy soundtrack, bright colours, and silly humour – that won’t be for everyone, but I know I enjoyed it.

If you’re looking for a game to get you through a bus ride from Auckland to Wellington, or something chill on the plane, Day of Doofenshmirtz is an absolute winner, but I wouldn’t rely solely on it to keep little Jimmy busy for the car ride to and from the bach, let alone the entire holidays. I also think anyone who enjoys the TV series will love this game, but those loading times will test you time and time again. But if you stay with it, you’ll find it’s still a decent effort for a Vita game.

f you’ve already played Nihilumbra and have no particular urge to do so again, shelling out $14.45 for the Vita version might be asking a lot. But if you’ve never played it, or want to take it for another spin, this is certainly the definitive version of a simple, yet captivating puzzle platformer.

Still, these are minor flaws in the grand scheme of things, and are heavily overshadowed by everything the game gets right. Nihilumbra is a fantastic example of what can happen when developers are willing to try new things, and focus on just what it is that makes videogames a unique medium. Life may have no intrinsic meaning, but the team at BeautiFun Games seem to have found meaning in making games, and for that, I am grateful.

Overall, Mirror of Fate is not a bad game, but not really a good one either. It feels like an odd mesh of classic Castlevania, Symphony of the Night, and Lords of Shadow, and like any jack of all trades, it masters none of these elements. It’s also a fairly short game (I beat it in eight hours and got 100% completion in 10) with limited replayability, which makes it hard to recommend at full retail price. Mirror of Fate is fun enough for what it is, but if, like me, you’re waiting for the next great Metroidvania game, the wait continues.

I found Deadlight very entertaining, and consider it one of the best platformers I have ever played. I highly recommend it to pretty much anyone who likes the sound of a fast-paced horror action platformer that also has a decent story and amazing visuals.

It’s hard to recommend a game like Ecolibrium to anyone but the most bored. If you have a mobile device you probably have numerous free-to-play games that look / feel better than this, too. While the message behind the game is sound, and the fictional animals and plants do set a nice scene, the delivery leaves little to desire.

Despite coming away from Deadlight content with the experience and happy that someone has tried to recapture a dead genre, it’s just not something that’s easily recommended at the 1200 points ($24) price-tag. Once you’ve beaten the two and a quarter hour experience you’ll find little to go back for. Again, that’s not to say that the game is bad, as it is far from that, but it’s just not justifiable at that price for anyone other than those hungry for some Flashback-inspired nostalgia. Grab the trial and see if it’s for you, but otherwise wait for a price-drop.

Playing a game that kills you is one thing, but playing a game that you know is going to kill you no matter how good, quick, or lucky you are is kind of annoying. But, dying is one of the essential parts of old school gaming. Just like jumping, shooting, breaking boxes, electronic beats, and bosses. And, if that’s the kind of platform game you want, that’s the kind of platform game Zack Zero is.

I would love to see a sequel to this game someday that expands on the exploring of your environment by being a bit more specific. Invizimals that live in shoes or bathtubs perhaps? Adding elements like this and also ironing out a few kinks could unleash the hidden potential this title holds. As it is, this is an entertaining game for the young ones, but an entertaining distraction for the rest of us.

Written by Millar, another insanely creative child of 2000AD, the UK comic that nurtured Alan Moore and Garth Ennis among many others, the Wanted comic book was as amoral a tale of death without conscience or consequence as you could imagine. While the game never comes close to the level of daring and invention within that work, the good news is that it is at least on par with the film, and probably better. In the world of comic/movie tie-ins, that in itself is as unlikely as breaking the laws of physics.

Ultimately, Clive Barker’s Jericho is a disappointment. For those who are familiar with his early collection of shorts stories (complete with his own demented illustrations) the let down may be insurmountable. In Jericho there was the potential for an atmospheric game packed with terror, wonder and invention. Unfortunately, all we get is a very standard shooter with a number of annoying failings, sitting atop an undoubtedly original premise.