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This is a marmite game in that some will love it and some will hate it. For me personally, I love marmite but the game is straight down the middle. The look and idea of card abilities are implemented well and look fantastic. The parts I don’t like are only two levels and 1v1 and 2v2, it’s not that fun playing it like that every time. Yes, bots are in but the progress is so restricted that it’s almost obsolete. Gaining new characters and cards is slow and requires a lot of playtime and whilst the games are relatively quick, it’s not always fun to play with its claustrophobic corridors and small deck size. I’m just waiting to see how a few updates or two could really set it off but for now, I’m going to say it’s a fine little thing to play with friends… Occasionally.

A very Zen-like puzzle game, The Shape of Things is a game that has you rotating, resizing, and generally just lining up parts to make an object. It’s all done in a 3D way which does leave a lot of space for you to solve the puzzle. Sound like a Rubik’s cube, you will be glad to know that it is easier than a Rubik’s cube as you can work out what the object is, and with that, it makes moving pieces around easier. The progress of the game is done by getting a gacha from the machine and what this means is everyone will play the game in a different order which is a cool idea. Overall I found this to be the perfect wind-down game and get a good mental workout.

After Us is a game where the world has been turned into a dark empty shell of a place, you have the power of life but only in a limited way, and that way is finding and releasing the Spirits of the animals and creatures that inhabited the world. As you do this the world starts to feel a bit more alive, the animals will roam in packs, birds will fly to help guide you in a direction and some will just look cool and content sitting o a ledge watching you fall off a cliff for the millionth time. Now After Us is a slow starter, you slowly learn what needs to be done and how to do it as the tutorials are more controlled and focused than gameplay. As you play more you get new abilities and it makes the gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. I honestly felt like I was playing an open-world more in-depth Journey 2 game. There is no actual voice work and it’s all just emotes and text. The main struggle I had was with the world and its layout because you I could never fully commit to a direction as it’s not always great at helping with the guiding but man the game is actually kind of cool. When you start getting the ability to fight Devourers and wall ride the game has a lot more going on and piles the fun in. After Us is not perfect but it is enjoyable and if you ever wondered what a Journey 2 would look like then check out After Us.

The game is clearly aimed at kids so me playing it is never going to make it a top-tier game or is it? I tell you what I have watched a lot of Peppa Pig over the years and once I got past them changing the voices in the show and then matching them here in the game it went a lot better. I can see how a young kid would have a whale of a time with the game. It uses the voices as I said and the art style so it looks and plays like an interactive episode of the show. You can hang around with Peppa and go travelling the world taking in the sights and playing with the many toys and activities. For the older gamers, it’s an absolute beauty of a quick easy Gamerscore/trophy collecting experience and for kids, it’s one of the better representations of the Pig known as Peppa. This game is a brilliant digital babysitter! (don’t do this) (or do, just don’t blame me)

This is a game that effortlessly mashes platforming gaming with stealth and point-and-click elements into one. What this creates is a unique experience but one with a serious pacing issue. For how grand it all looks, the pace at which you play, and how many needless little slow animations you need it just makes the game not as fun as I would have liked. The Art style and dark color palette did have me thinking about Wadjet Games as this is very similar. The little skits you get when combing and finding Interactive parts help give the game some life. The puzzles are clever and with little to no help with solving them you soon learn to appreciate and hate them in equal measure. No for me the game is trying something and it kind of hits but it does ricochet off the walls of madness at times that stops it from being a cohesive and enjoyable game, the story however cannot be mocked, it has excellent writing that both Grips and delights and is the real highlight of the game. With so many genres in one game, it was always going to be a huge ask to keep it level and despite strong writing and a solid idea, The Library Of Babel just misses the mark.

A game that takes a while to get going and even then it’s a slow affair. What should be a fast and furious action thriller, is actually a tedious shoot-’em-up platformer with minimal-level design and flaky gunplay. I tried many times to get into the game but it just never clicked with me and when you so get some momentum it soon disappears with bullet sponge bosses and constant wave-based attacks. Can’t deny the style of it though, It does look cool and is very inviting, It is just the part where you play the game that lets me down. Anyaroth The Queens Tyranny is just a platform shooter then never steps up a gear.

For our The Knight Witch Review, We play this Metroidvania adventure game with fast-paced, shoot ”em-up combat set in a beautifully hand-drawn world. Cast devastating card-based spells, forge close bonds, and make moral choices all in your quest to save your home and discover who’s behind the War Golem invasion.

Indiana Jones wannabe Tad is on an adventure to travel the world and collect ancient treasures. The game first and foremost does not perform well, it has a lot of slowdowns, gets very framey, and is generally sluggish so it’s worth mentioning that at the top. The thing is though the game is very basic with simple puzzles and a lot of brush collecting and platforming it is fun to play, it has tedious points sure but generally it’s not a bad game. The temples are usually presented as a 2D game and outside running around the world is in full 3D and this keeps it mixed up plus the game performs better in 2D. They mix exploration in and use brushes to help direct you around the world. Kids would love this game as they probably have the ability to adapt to the spongy jump and they will love the space to do as they want along with simple combat. Tad is armed with a rubber duck and it’s an OK weapon choice but to be honest the combat is not the biggest component of the game instead they focus on platforming and simple puzzles. At the end of the day Tad The Lost Explorer is a middle-of-the-road but enjoyable adventure game.

Rivalia Dungeon Raiders is a game that is confused as to what it is going for. The idea I think is that you go in as a group of four characters and dungeon crawl around and face off against a huge guardian, collecting loot and leveling up as you go. What you actually get is a dungeon that feels the same every time, the loot is plentiful but just materials to craft more runes and potions that are also what you collect in-game! The graphics are good, and the idea is sound but the execution is just mediocre. I got bored looking through the same dungeons over and over to just face a spammy boring guardian. The characters don’t get any new abilities, and even using runes to change stats doesn’t feel substantial. I can see a good game but it just needs more refinement and focus, I would say that the next game this studio does could be one to watch because they have the chops but this game isn’t the trendsetter. With no online it does mean that Co-op play whilst OK, it’s not an easy sell as the Ai will probably play the game better for you anyway. The dungeon-crawling part is not what you think and the loot loop is just not engaging enough. It’s such a bummer to say but Rivalia Dungeon Raiders is just not a great game.

It’s never going to win any awards but it must be said that Kid Ball Adventure is a fun little platformer romp. You are on a quest to get the love of your life back and all you can do is bounce repeatedly with you the player controlling the direction only. No matter how you look at it, the game is simple to get into, a ton of fun for a quick reflex gaming fix and the achievements are so easy it only takes like an hour for them all. Like I say it’s not groundbreaking or unique but it is highly playable, fun, and a good example of the genre.

Our Souldiers Review has us Fighting for our freedom in a sprawling fantasy world caught between the living and the fallen. Hone your skills in a retro epic featuring puzzle platforming, Metroidvania exploration, and crunchy souls like combat.

Gotta be honest, I thought this was going to be another horror franchise game that does a Friday the 13th and Dead by Daylight. It’s far more involved than at least Friday The 13th for you have multiple tasks that need to be done as the human player, from killing Ai adds to finding maps and pages, it all culminates in using the book to erase the evil. As a demon you can and will possess and take over the enemies in the level so you are constantly mixing it up, you can even possess a human player if you build their fear bar high enough! Even when just a simple demon fart gas thing you can still do things like pass through humans or mess with them. Eventually, when the end game happens you will spawn as a big ass boss (your choice), and an epic last fight takes place. What I love as someone who has never watched any of the films or TV shows is just how serious and unserious the game is in equal measures. On one hand, I will be haunting humans as an undead skeleton and on the next, I have possessed a fricking car and I’m driving people over! It’s that mix of horror and humor combined with solid controls that make this a really good bit of fun, even playing solo is fun despite the god-awful ping/marking system that is not that intuitive or fun to use. I personally had issues when playing as the fart demon as the camera is very washy and splashy meaning it made me feel quite sick, no options to fix it so it was a case of either squinting or taking over people immediately if possible. Either way, you look at it, The Evil Dead game is great fun, little rough in places but it does cater to every type of gamer.

A 3rd person shooter, Valley Of The Dead MalnaZidos is one that goes for a cell-shaded graphic style and has the main nationalities of the cast use their native tongue. The only problem is this is where the game peaks for the moment you take actual control it turns into a tale of hardship, clunkiness, and miss-steps that will in turn anger, frustrate and puzzle you in equal measure. It’s a 3 Rd person shooter as I said but every gun handles badly, the reload times are so long you think the game has crashed. There are bizarre clipping and collision occurrences that stutter and break the gameplay. The zombies are slow and take a lot of shots even with headshots, if they grab you then you have a very quick window to time a push-off action otherwise you mash them off and take damage. Stamina is used for running but again doesn’t feel necessary as the levels are very narrow and small making it all a bit redundant. I just never enjoyed playing the game, the pacing the atmosphere, and the gameplay was all so lacking that it felt lower on the scale of early access games. Valley Of The Dead MalnaZidos has a cool look but everything else is bad.

Presented almost like a kids TV show, MeteoHeroes are a bunch of people who each have an elemental power to them like fire, water wind, etc. The game tells of them battling the evil forces that are polluting our planet, burning forests, and that sort of thing. As a platformer, your goal is to go around and collect the 3 items needed to finish the level with an optional 100 coin challenge sewn in. The location stake place all over the planet and have 2 or 3 set piece sections that have you needing to pick one of three options to clear the obstacle, there is only one correct answer and a wrong answer has you pick again. Its a very basic very low key platformer with nothing particularly special about it, the three items you need to collect are so important that the game will invisible wall block you in an area until you find it, luckily you can press a button and it will bring up a guide arrow but be honest just turn that on and it’s never a problem. I just found the game to be not that fun, even for a few easy trophies it never pushed me or entertained me in any way. Yeah sure it could be for kids but even then I think with the games we have nowadays this is still pretty tame. I’m not sure what the game is going for because I thought it was about saving the planet and that but the most used help in the game is a helicopter which is not good for the environment so it’s kinda funny how opposite it all is. Only takes about an hour to clock however so it has that. It means well but the game isn’t fun to play.

I have played all of the Super Toy Cars franchise and it’s been a long rocky road of good and bad experiences. Going Offroad and overhauling so much I went in hoping for a new fresh take on it all. I can report back that it’s still a mixed bag. They have indeed improved the handling and introduced a sometimes cool sometimes can be an absolute dick drift system, the atmosphere is better and in general, all the cars/vehicles look cool. I like how they have gone for a crazy amount of cups and events that is almost a celebration of all things Super Toy Cars to date. I am still miffed however that they have left I. The over the top hit collision crap, just tapping a wall or obstacle can seriously destroy any race it was a bitch in the last game, and it’s an even bigger bitch here. As a casual racer, Super Toy Cars is a lot better and I would add it’s the best of the franchise but it still needs a bit more tinkering because a game that has off-road in the title, it sure does penalize you hard for going off-road! I played more of this than any other of the games so it does have something but I also rage quit a lot so it’s definitely a marmite situation. For me, Super Toy Cars Offroad is a good addition and the better offering of the series.

Waylanders shows a lot of potential with strong storytelling and a lot of loot and character customisation, you really can build and play out your own unique character. The problem you face is the pacing is very slow, the combat is clever but does take some getting used to, no for me the problem is just the avalanche of information you have to keep taking on board, the constant up and down performance issues, and the ridiculously small text. I honestly gave it a good shot but it just takes its time to get you going that you cannot get into it, at times it’s almost like the game hates you. I tired of the constant interactions with characters as they eventually fell apart and your decisions meant nothing, it’s just a game that feels like it needed more time in early access. The game never seems to realize its own ambitions and ideals and instead serves up very generic offerings. The Waylanders was not for me and is a bland slow-paced RPG, there are much better offerings on the steam store for a lot cheaper as well.

El Gancho is a funny little game, it sounds like a simple platformer that runs and jumps around worlds collecting your friends, in truth that is what it is except you have a grappling hook! With this, you can traverse the level in unique ways and dare I say creative ways! Add in the limited ammo mechanic and you have a fast-paced platformer with an almost puzzle element to proceedings. The controls are all on the top shoulder buttons that it less than ideal and aiming is twin-stick that again is fine but less than ideal as it is very floaty and over sensitive. Every run you go on will be randomized and consist of bonus rooms and boss battles. El Gancho is a game that will take time to learn, the controls will let you down in the most inconvenient positions and boss fights take ages to learn but that said, it’s a game I poured a lot of time in, I wanted to get better I loved the way you move around the world, the gameplay loop was not only solid but also entertaining and satisfying. Whilst it won’t set the world on fire, El Gancho is a game that delights and frustrates in equal measures but the idea is solid.

Scarf is a delightful third-person action game. You slowly over time build a bond with this scarf that in turn for your friends will help guide you and traverse the game world. The scarf will turn into different formations in order to fund the adventure. Scarf as a whole may not do a lot of new things but it does give a cohesive solid experience. Walking through water is a particular high point, you collect this item that makes water repel you so you can walk around the sea bed, it looks incredible. It’s moments like that peppered throughout that stop it all from getting stale, helps move the game along, and are genuinely astonishing to witness. I can’t say a real harsh bad word against the game as it is just a really well-crafted world wrapped in an engaging story. The combat, the traversal is all at a level that anyone can pick up and play, it’s just a well-constructed game and one I urge you to try.

Based on the Netflix show, Way Down is a game all about pulling off the perfect Heist. You will play as multiple characters and each has a unique job from taking pics of CCTV to infiltrating safe rooms and identifying the key targets. It’s all presented to you in Spanish with English subtitles and that’s fine as it’s well delivered and easy to follow. The controls are constantly brought up on screen and again that’s fine but it’s the core gameplay that has me. The gameplay is just slow, sluggish, and tries to make you feel like you are in complete control but you are not, you have timers and very clear goals to hit or it’s game over. It went from a Heist to a checklist simulation exercise. I was fully on board for an hour or two but it all just stayed the same and it was hard to stay focused. I can see what they are going for but it never quite gets there and instead makes for a slow-paced experience.

Metroid is a game series that gamers have been asking for for years. We got a Metroid game on the 3DS that was a remake and a good one at that but we wanted a new original game. Dread gives us not only an original ending to the game series story as it is but also one of the best Metroidvania games on the Nintendo Switch. I’m lucky in that I got to play the game on the Nintendo Switch OLED Console and it looks even better, performs even better whether it be docked or handheld. What I love about Metroid Dread is that it has the solid gameplay you expect but they also add in horror aspects by having an entity called an E.M.M.I.E that stalks your every move in certain areas, the lighting goes dark, the music gets sinister and it’s all rather exciting as its a case of if she/he/it catches you then it’s a one-hit death unless you get a lucky parry. Metroid is still a bitch in that the signposting of what to do is not always clear, boss fights can get tough but I let it all go because just walking and jumping around this world is incredible, I mean you get all these stunning locations, puzzles, and fights that just all come together into a complete package. It’s weird but I think the weakest part is the lack of actual Samus, the story is fine but Samus is almost mute and it kinda sours an otherwise brilliant experience. Even if you are not a Metroid fan you can get enjoyment from the game, the level design is a fine example of how to do it, got lost and don’t know what to do or where to go? Who cares just poke and prod your way around and maybe find a secret or two. It’s that kind of game that encourages you to do as you want, challenge yourself and it’s funny to say but I’m not alone here, people have finished the game and immediately gone back in on the harder difficulties. It’s been a long time coming but Metroid Dread has taken the series to whole new levels and it’s a must-play title for the Nintendo Switch and if you can play it on the Nintendo Switch OLED Console it’s a visual treat!

UnMetal is a parody of the Metal Gear Solid franchise so it has a lot of material to work with. UnMetal plays out as an action game with stealth mechanics with a lot of puzzles and boss fights, what I really like was the exp system for you only get exp if you stealth kill enemies and that is such a move away from the norm that it is really good. I did like all the nods and blatant rip-offs of the Metal Gear games all though it did wear itself out for me personally. Boss fights were not a strong part but fortunately, they were not too taxing so it was over before it started. UnMetal does shine as a game that does parody well and shows how you can balance the line between copying and innovation. I would replay chunks of the game so I could maximize levels and try and sniff out all the secrets. Whilst you don’t get much in the way of guidance or puzzle help it does eventually click for you. UnMetal is a game you would recommend to people who don’t particularly like playing Metal Gear but do have an interest. I urge you to try UnMetal because it will surprise you.

Clid The Snail is a top-down shooter that looks fabulous with an endearing almost fable-like atmosphere, it starts with a strong cutscene and then a series of tutorials. I enjoyed Clid for a while but the same niggles kept coming back from the lighting causing issues on seeing enemies, the level design not always being clear, and the lack of signposting. I’m not saying all these make Clid a bad game, far from it what I am saying is, a good game can be found but it does have a lot to frustrate and you will need to prepare yourself for a hard slog. Clid The Snail will suit people who like a challenge.

Song of Horror is a fantastic take on the horror genre. Usually, I don’t go in for these games but I thought I would at least try, after a few hours it had me hooked. It’s a 3rd person game that has you choosing a character and going into a location to get clues about a missing writer called Sebastian. What awaits you is a fixed perspective game that uses an entity known only as a Presence and it will be always chasing you down and you can never fight it, listen to doors to avoid danger, slam doors onto the Presence in order to survive. It’s a fantastic game as it does a lot of things right from using light sources as the main tool in finding things, the levels are well planned out and allow freedom whilst staying on task, the horror is jump scare heavy but it creates such tense anxiety-ridden atmosphere that you will be always on edge. Song of Horror can and will be played many times, it’s a game everyone will experience differently but make no bones about it, Song of Horror is a fantastic ride.

Indigo 7 is a match em up game whereby you flip colors next to your already flipped pieces to clear the board. Sounds confusing? It’s not but the game is really bad at breaking you in slowly and explaining it all in a way that is accessible. Indigo 7 has good intentions but when you are creating a new game style it’s important to have the players in the know, Indigo 7 alienates everyone and for a game all about color, there are no Colourblind settings but then again the game has NO game settings at all. The music is not great, the story is so forgettable I forgot it had one, the voiceovers are really bad. Put it this way, the voice-overs are a cringe guy they think he’s a rocker so he sings out catchphrases but delivers it in a way that makes you think the crazies have invaded Britains got talent, it’s horrendous and a no from me. I saw glimmers of hope in the battle modes but again I didn’t K ow the rules or get told them so I race along and clear the board only to lose to a person with half a board filled? I didn’t fancy playing the mode over and over in the hopes I pick up what they are putting down. That’s the morning glory here, Indigo 7 doesn’t try to include or even care about the new players, it’s made for people who know the rules already, and if you don’t then you are not welcome. It has the potential to be a good puzzle game but it won’t let you just get on with learning and playing or encouraging you.

Alex Kidd is a game I played a lot back in the day. Pre-installed on my mate’s Master System, whenever you couldn’t be arsed to get up and change the cartridge we would just play Alex Kidd. It’s a game that I remember fondly from the sprites to the Catchy music it was really good. Fast forward and we ha e a remaster of it. It’s a beautiful looking game again, all newly remixed songs and slick animations that cause you to just smile. The thing is though, as I get older I get more cynical, more judgey and Alex Kidd does not escape my wrath! The controls are not good for they are very loose and floaty causing a lot of needless cheap deaths. The graphic style can actually obscure parts of the level but the biggest revelation I found personally is the fact that the first few screens are re-used over and over all stitched together to make a level. Now granted I can’t beat the game up for that really as that was the way it was it’s just an eye-opening thing when you realize it! Back to the overall game and I love the new look, I love that you can immediately change between versions, levels do have slight tweaks and additions so it feels familiar but has a hint of change about it. I hated the controls and the extra game modes were not needed and the game is very short but overall it’s a safe remaster of a good game.

The Kingdom Of Arcadia is a platformer with hack and slash combat, it is a mix of hardcore platforming and an ever so slight RPG element to the upgrading of weapons and stats. Levels are spacious and house secret rooms and alternate routes through them. As you play more enemy types appear but also more mechanics come into play like having to find levers for doors or having to find the ever so hidden exits. The Kingdom of Arcadia really is a deceptive little beast as on the surface it’s a Cutesy basic platformer but underneath it’s a hard-as-nails platformer. You only have a handful of hearts and health is hard to come by and death is a level restart, yes you keep the coins but you have to start the level over and when levels get longer and bigger it gives the whole game an air of tension that is gripping as much as it is stressful. I wish it had more variety as it is basic in its structure and leveling up weapons/health is slow but for a fun challenge it has it in spades and despite the flaws, it is a fun little game.

I wanted to like this game, I mean it’s a small team project that goes for a puzzle magic affair. What we actually got was a 3rd person game that is in desperate need of polish and tightening up, for just movement alone is a slow clunky mission with little in the way of gratitude for slogging through it. I found the game to just fail at everything it was meant to shine at, puzzles were clever but kinda simple, the magic is cool but again the controls were funky with it being really hard to aim, constant clipping, and many other niggles. Il be honest and say I didn’t get as far as I would have wanted because it played so badly, every little fall would lose a lot of health, the aiming arc of magic was so small that it was more a case of you moving backward allowing you to grab what you want. Overall I cannot say anymore as what I have said is what you get, hold off for now it’s just not in the right state of play.

Pully and Push in Blockland is a game that I was Initially drawn to from its visuals and charm, it reminded me of quirky Japanese games on the Dreamcast, it boasted a good puzzle/Bomberman gameplay and so I jumped in. For the first few levels, it all seemed fine, playing a lot like a puzzle game, you arrange blocks by either pulling or pushing them and slide them into enemies to kill them or match 3 of the same to create an item. This fine feeling lasted a long time with new enemies being introduced over time and the levels getting more and more complex, however, an annoying element was discovered when I went off for food and came back for my save had not saved and indeed does not save until you hot the map select screen. Fine il do some more I know what I’m doing, level after level I kept going just to hit a checkpoint, a save anything so I didn’t have to repeat myself. This finally happened after a boss fight, a boss fight had a good way of keeping the core gameplay but had a real short-timer making it all very irritating than challenging. I finally hit the map select and so going forward I wouldn’t have to replay the opening world again! Score! Oh but wait for its the same deal for the next world and the next, all that really changes now is the scenery and color scheme. My patience finally ran out and I couldn’t dedicate huge unknown chunks of time to a game that didn’t take my time seriously. When you add that to the constant restraints of the timer it all makes a very frustrating unrewarding experience which is a shame as the core gameplay is good and I would like the timer to be off so I could spend more time matching blocks up and chaining kills but the game is just not made that way. In short, it’s a game that has a lot of potentials but squanders it with unneeded obstacles.