DeVuego

Although thought provoking with gorgeously dead landscapes and fun gameplay, After Us hits the highs way too early. With each area providing little to no new gameplay elements, it can get a bit repetitive. The puzzles and parkour are always great to figure out and the combat adds a bit more variety. Overall, the 8-10 hour story is nice but the game feels like it it’s missing something in its devoid of life atmosphere.

Among Ashes plays upon the fears of being home alone as a teen, and also leans into a time when creepypastas were in their infancy. I like the game-related creepypastas like Lavender Town Syndrome or Ben Drowned, so having a game in the same genre is awesome to me. Of course, as with all horror, if you boil it down to the individual parts it’ll either resonate with you or it won’t. If you’re fine with being home alone and creepypastas don’t spook you out, then maybe this isn’t for you. A short game that leaves a lasting impression is all the more powerful, in my eyes.

Blades of fire is a fun and challenging game that brings something different to the Soulslike table. If you are a fan of Soulslikes or want to try something a little different, I recommend giving it a go. It’s more forgiving than others in the genre and I know a lot of Souls purists will say it doesn’t belong, but I genuinely think this game is a bit of a sleeper hit, showing that not every game in the genre has to be so damn gloomy. Plus the ability to actually forge your weapons became a real highlight for me.

As with all games, especially those aimed at young kids, there’s going to be some shortcomings. You can’t expect there to be the same amount of spit and polish as a AAA game. That being said, Bluey: The Videogame really isn’t all that bad. The biggest complaints I have are all visual in nature. And I guess, the biggest problem is it’s really short, like too short. After paying $60AUD for the game, it was over in a couple of hours. But really, these aren’t problems for the intended audience.

A fantastic game despite the minor shortcomings. As this is Vermila Studio’s first game, I’m fine with pushing past these minor issues as the game was just a heap of fun. I look forward to seeing what the studio will create next.

As a stealth game, Ereban: Shadow Legacy rarely satisfied me, never pushing me to use anything but bare minimum effort to complete a level. The game holds stronger as a platformer with interesting and engaging environmental puzzles, however that isn’t quite enough to save it.

Nomada Studios follow up title has gone above and beyond it’s predecessor. With deeper gameplay, vibrant colours and a heart wrenching story to boot. Although this 5 hour journey may be shorter than some would like, it doesn’t detract from its fantastic gameplay. Neva is an engaging and emotional experience that is well worth investing your time in, even if it is only for a day or two.

The age-old adage of “buy this game for less than a cup of coffee” rings true for Neva: Prologue, especially since I can’t remember the last time a game ran for $2.99 USD. Despite its short length, it provides a “more of what I wanted” experience for Neva fans, and only serves to give more reason for newcomers to enter this gorgeous world, as GRIS fans and artistic games fans alike can revel in a complete experience.

Temtem is a perfectly-playable game; there’s no pesky bugs or glitches, or anything glaring that the QA team didn’t catch before the game saw its 1.0 release in September. But when it comes to the fun factor, it’s evident what went wrong for me to not get the same enjoyment that I would out of a Pokémon title. While Temtem executes all of its systems to the T to entice fans of Pokémon, it needs to do more than that to make it stand out and reach the immensely-high bar that Pokémon has set.

I can’t stress how much this game creeped me out in the first half. If my catchphrase for Cronos was “thanks! I hate it.” My catchphrase for The Occultist was “NOPE! Nuh uh, piss off”. While this is a fantastic start for a burgeoning company, I think it could have been damn near perfect if they could have just stuck the landing.

If you want to support a truly hand-crafted game, then please give Your House a try. It’s a fantastic mix of genres that pushes the envelope for what mediums combined together can do. It’s panache and old-world charm make this an indie game worth diving into.