DeVuego ES_COR

One Last Breath has some smart puzzles that feel familiar to the genre, but the world is so inviting despite it being on the brink of collapse. There isn’t a ton of originality in its puzzles or its creatures, but the way it tells its story without a single word is admirable, choosing to let the environments do the talking. There’re a few collectibles to find which allow you to explore certain areas, and with a delightful art style and beautiful score, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

The Fabulous Fear Machine is a narrative-driven strategy that is immersive and intense, where uncovering new legends is always a highlight, but the real joy comes from uncovering the story piece by piece, seeing how each of the characters become too greedy for their own good. It’s part-social commentary, part-realistic horror, never resting on its laurels and offering a gripping story with an addictive gameplay loop. It can be tough trying to gather resources when rivals try to hinder your plans, but I was blown away by the writing and the exceptional art style, making it one of the surprise hits of the year.

Hunt the Night is difficult. There’s no sugar-coating that fact, but you’ve got a lot at your disposal, from your melee weapons like swords, daggers, and spears, and ranged weapons. Moonstones and dark magic offer further help, and the status effects certain items have can inflict further damage on the creatures around Medhram. Bosses are wonderfully designed, as is the world, and the lore is an integral part of the story and the puzzles, and everything in-between. Despite struggling with many of the fights, Hunt the Night rewards you for your patience. It doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it keeps it rolling in a beautifully crafted world.

Super Mega Team has thought of everything, and despite The Knight Witch getting harder with every new area, the satisfaction of clearing a level and defeating a boss makes you feel amazing. The art style is spectacular, and despite there being no dialogue, I fell in love with Rayne and her way of looking at things, along with the colourful cast of characters that support her. Combat and movement is tight and fluid, allowing the key combat concepts to work well together, and with every victory comes a great sense of accomplishment.

As you leave the shrine and head towards the village, Ikai becomes an enjoyable game of cat and mouse with plenty of puzzles and exposition that tell an interesting tale. The dialogue can be repetitive, especially if you keep dying. Despite this, Ikai has some wonderful visuals that make great use of lighting to create a sense of fear and nervousness. The setting of feudal Japan adds a unique spin on the psychological horror genre, giving the sacred setting a dash of creepiness that forever lingers its head.

Alex Kidd in Monster World DX is a faithful remake of the original, but the difficulty of a bygone era rears its ugly head far too often.

Out of the Blue’s debut game manages to pack in some complex puzzles set amongst some beautiful environments, and has a story that keeps you hooked throughout. Norah’s a likeable character, voiced by Cissy Jones. but the occasional missteps in the dialogue when portraying an English woman in the 1930s feels far too stereotypical at times. Call of the Sea is a game for puzzle aficionados, and for those who enjoy a good story flavoured with pulp undertones.

Dawn of Fear is a poor attempt to recreate the magic of a survival horror classic, with too many problems to gain any sense of enjoyment. Brok3nsite has tried to create a nostalgic tribute to Resident Evil, but in the process they’ve somehow made it worse than the original. Perhaps its biggest omission and ultimate failure is its scare factor, creating predictable moments of terror that never hit as they should.

RiME is a powerful game. As the credits rolled, I sat with my daughter on my lap, sobbing. She was silent – reflective like me, and moved by what we’d been through together. She loved the game because of a cute little fox that appears throughout, but from that she ended up falling in love with not just the fox, but the story as well. Without ruining anything, I won’t talk about what it all meant to me, maybe in a feature later down the line, but what I will say is RiME is a coping mechanism – a special way to help you fight through the darkness and the pain.

Rise and Shine is yet another game published by Adult Swim that hits the spot, both in entertainment value and replayability. I had a few issues with the game freezing, to which I had to restart from the beginning of a section. I adored Headlander, and I’m equally in love with Rise and Shine. It’s not the longest of games, but its gorgeous style, great control scheme and constant gaming references offer plenty of reasons to keep playing and come back to. Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team have done a fantastic job here, and I’m really glad I got a chance to play it.