DeVuego

MechaNika is a weird and wonderful experience that won't be for everyone. The story is bizarre and worthwhile, touching on some pretty serious points. You meet fascinating characters and will spend an enjoyable hour or so finding everything you need to complete the game. The point and click mechanic definitely feels like it needs some work to make it behave optimally for consoles, and you might be disappointed how soon you get to the end of the story, but it is one well worth experiencing nonetheless.

Candle: The Power of the Flame took a while to come to consoles but it was definitely worth the wait. The game's beautiful art style and storybook narration perfectly balance the calm gameplay offered by the puzzle platformer. The challenging puzzles offer a distinct sense of satisfaction when they're solved, even if some of the clues are a little too well hidden. On the downside, character movement is clunky and the platforming is the worst part of the game, but the puzzles are so plentiful that this doesn't feel like a major detraction. Those who thrive on brainteasers will love Candle.

When developing Aragami: Shadow Edition Lince Works chose a familiar code: Keep It Simple, Sensei. The result is a well-crafted stealth game and a great example of how to make the most of a smaller budget. Overall this is a very good indie game, despite a few rough spots, offering anything from 10-30+ hours of gameplay depending on one's thoroughness. The challenges available suit a wide range of abilities, and players are free to kill or not without being disadvantaged or affecting the story. People who find trial and error frustrating should be aware that they cannot save scum, and there are some pretty long checkpoints in the more complex levels. Overall, though, it's a fun game of shadows that stealth fans will appreciate.

Super Hyperactive Ninja has a lot to offer fans of the platforming genre thanks to a well-balanced approach present in most levels and boss battles. Some levels get frustrating thanks to some poorly placed enemies and obstacles that make clearing them more difficult than they should be, and this issue is only exacerbated by the game's caffeine-infused hyperactive mode, which leaves your character almost entirely out of control. It's meant to be an added challenge, but it goes just a bit too far and becomes quite unwieldy. Other than those moments, however, it's a fun if not exceptional platformer that genre fans should appreciate.

Immortal Redneck's melting pot of genres is a success. Regardless of whether you came for the shooting or the roguelite aspects, you'll be pleased with the handling of the two genres. If you love both, Immortal Redneck should take its rightful place on your Must Buy list. The game even hits all the right notes when other genres, like first-person platforming, are thrown into the mix. Don't expect anything amazing from the six bosses, but the eight characters, 50+ weapons and more than 100 scrolls are still more than enough to make each procedurally generated playthrough unique and fun. Roguelite newcomers will be at home with permanent upgrades and mechanics that encourage players to succeed, and veterans can still get their hardcore fix with the Cursed and Plague Medallions or the 20 lives achievement.

Vesta is a quaint title that provides suitably challenging environmental puzzles for those who decide to take a shot at it. The story isn't anything special, but the gameplay is more than enough to keep you playing. Despite this, you may still find yourself getting needlessly frustrated at a few deaths due to the awkward controls that occasionally bubble to the surface. When everything works as intended, though, Vesta and the droid work well together, allowing you to comfortably test your brain to a satisfactory degree.

Minimal story, frustrating design, and a revival of all the bad things of which survival horror washed its hands years ago — these all crop up in Vaccine and combine to have the game miss its mark. Instead of a love letter to bygone scares, what we get is a tiresome endeavor for anyone but the most diehard fans for old school horror. What's worse, even such fans might be turned away by Vaccine's blatant ripping off of Capcom's renowned franchise.

It only took three hours to get through Rise and Shine in its entirety but it was an enjoyable experience. With beautiful visuals and some exciting boss fights, there's plenty of flash to get your attention. The combat is interspersed between cool set pieces and interesting puzzles, which keep things fresh as you die your way through the game. The only hiccup was the finale where two fights accelerated the difficulty to such an extreme degree that playtime can nearly be doubled. That, combined with a hit and miss story, made this game a little weaker than it could have been. Ultimately, Rise and Shine is a game that fans of the genre and those looking for a quick experience will enjoy, but hesitant players may not find their experience worth the purchase.