DeVuego

More interesting abilities and skill trees that don't boil down to just controlling enemy movements or taking them out from a distance would go a long way – maybe the ability to create shadows to cross gaps or manipulate light, which could be used for combat and exploration.

It would take forever to discuss everything Relicta gets players to do over it’s tremendous (for a game like this’) runtime, but you must know that it will force a complete change of perspective time and time again, even when you are positive you know how everything works. Out of nowhere, thirteen hours in, you’ll need to figure out it’s possible to jump on drones and ride them over chasms, for example. On the other hand, the ‘jankier’ tasks asked of the player also deliver a lot of “are you kidding me? Is that really how it’s supposed to be done?” moments, as a cube is convulsively forced into awkward positions or, through a minor physics tick, becomes unrecoverable, thus demanding the whole area be re-done. Clearly a product of the creative team’s love of 201X-ish 3D puzzle games, it’s still a must-play for fans of the genre looking for a bit of a niche nostalgic hit or for those that missed the likes of Q.U.B.E, Magrunner: Dark Pulse, Quantum Conundrum, and so on the first time around. It’s a good time and a fantastic brain-burner, but perhaps by trimming some of the weaker areas and focusing on what makes it special, Relicta could have stood a little taller next to some of the giants in its category.

Killsquad is a good attempt at merging a few ideas from other genres and coming up with an arcade-style isometric shooter with a loot grind. The action loop is solid, and the high enemy count makes for some frantic action that merges quick ability activation with the player’s own skill. It falls short in some elements, such as no end game content and a loot grind that is too focused on the shop rather than rewards through contracts, and could do with a better diverse set of abilities and weapons for each character. Still, this is a game that is easy to jump into, and even if the end game does not exist, taking the game as an experience from the first to the last contract is good enough to recommend, think of it as an isometric shooter rather than an action RPG. One thing though is that make sure you have yourself a friendly bounty hunter or three to come along with you to get the best experience from this entertaining, blaster action game.

What I would love to see from Godstrike is: 1 – improved enemy attack visibility and the fixing of unwinnable positions to cement itself as a serious icon in the world of leaderboard scrapping; and 2 – a steady stream of DLC content in the form of extra bosses, new powers, and maybe more ways to play to fix its limited content and absence of deeper replayability. There’s an opportunity for something special here and I seriously hope the team manages to make the most of it side-by-side with the community.

Honestly, I could rant on about how completely badass Samus comes off in some of the more action focussed cutscenes, or about the incredible soundtrack that brings back all the nostalgic classics (headphones on full volume recommended) but I think calling it an incredible Metroid game says all that and more. As a dabbler in the series, I’ve definitely been hooked and will be going back to play through all of the titles I’ve skipped over to make amends. I don’t remember the last game I played that intrigued me so much I had to do some research and ended up reading through the entire history and lore of the in-game universe. Well, Samus Returns did. Now I know all about the history of the Chozo race, Samus’ origins, and hope so much that it does well enough to justify a real comeback for the Metroid franchise. Simply put – Samus Returns is the new benchmark against which all other games of this genre will be measured against.

Older gamers out there will find this has some nostalgia value, but most players will find it too difficult and be unable to unlock all of the tracks variants and cars. Rock ‘N Racing Off Road is best suited to an enthusiast of the sport who is more likely to have the determination and patience required to complete the game.

Deadlight will take you around 3-4 hours to finish. It’s not the longest of games, and there’s a big chance you probably won’t want to play it through again. That said, it must be noted that Tequila Works should be commended for trying to spice up the use of zombies, and while that doesn’t make this game great – silly things like that dumb underground lair spoil it – Deadlight is still an enjoyable title to play. When it’s at its best, the game is a thrilling experience that tickles nostalgia for the genre it represents.

The DS touch screen is perfectly suited to this style of controlling troops, but Elite Forces: Unit 77 fails to capitalise on that potential. It’s poorly executed and ends up being a boring, generic title that can’t justify a place for itself in your DS collection.