Wartales Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 "A GOTY Contender Crippled by Technical Issues" 🛡️ @Wartales_Game @shirogames #GameDev #IndieGame

It pains me to write this review of Wartales, as I so desperately wanted it to be a better experience, I was clutching my ageing Switch and willing it to somehow have a burst of strength and run Wartales more smoothly and less clunkily, but alas, I was getting the exact same vibes I did when I played Dragon Age: Inquisition on my PS3 over a decade ago – either the Switch is showing its age, or Shiro games really needs to patch the game up ASAP, as what could be one of the best gaming experiences of the year is at present a mere shadow of what it could be.

Daymare: 1994 - Sandcastle PS5 Review 6.5/10 "Backtracking to the ‘90s" 🧟 @transvaalgf @InvaderDevs #IndieGame #GameDev

The original Daymare lives in infamy to me. When originally reading about it, the developer had published a list of features for the game and within said list was ‘backtracking’. I found it very amusing, as although I loved old school horror, I never had nostalgia for running back through areas I had already been through, but to my surprise, when I finally joined Twitter and engaged with Twitter horror gaming fans I found that yes, people did indeed love a bit of backtracking!

If you search for ‘horror game backtracking’ on Google, Reddit pops up with a lot of pro-backtracking articles, and the third hit is a thread entitled ‘I love backtracking (especially in horror games)’ so I realise that, although it is something I have never thought about, it was genuinely a feature to some and in the case of Daymare - a very important one, as the game is completely sold on nostalgia. Its biggest selling point is it’s going to try to take you back to the good ol’ days of survival horror.

Rainbow Skies Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 “One For The Die Hard Fans” 🌈 @RainbowSkiesRPG #GameDev #IndieGame

Rainbow Skies is a strategy RPG and a sequel to 2012’s Rainbow Moon. Rainbow Skies was originally released in 2018 but has now been ported to the Nintendo Switch. I somehow managed to miss both of these games on the PS Vita, which is weird as I’ve owned the console since 2012 and I’m a fan of JRPGS - and there are only about six games available for the Vita - so I’m bewildered at how they got past me!

I was a bit sad that I wasn't picking up my dusty old Vita and bringing it out of retirement, but instead, I picked up the Nintendo Switch and set out to see what I had been missing out on for a number of years. 

Brave Soldier: Invasion of Cyborgs XSX Review 6.5/10 "Cyborgs Schmyborgs" 🤖 @eastasiasoft #IndieGames #GameDev

Brave Soldier – Invasion of Cyborgs is a pretty direct run ‘n-gun shooter in a 16-bit style. The game sees – as you would assume from the title – cyborgs invade Earth, and (for some reason) only you can stop them.

Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart XSX Review 6.5/10 "A Simple Racer, Perfect For Hatchlings" 🦖 @3DClouds @Outright_Games #IndieGames #GameDev

Based on the French educational TV series Gigantosaurus, Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart puts the main characters of Rocky, Bill, Tiny, and Mazu – along with a  host of their friends – into various pre-historic kart-type vehicles and sets them speeding around their world through 15 different tracks, avoiding hazards such as steam blasts, chasms, rockslides and, of course – Giganto himself!

Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart is a game aimed at very young children, as is its TV show counterpart. So straight off the bat, it’s worth getting out of the way that this title – even on its hardest difficulty setting – isn’t going to be a challenge for those adult karting veterans out there.

That said, the way in which Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart caters to the younger demographic is impressive and made it possible for even my two-year-old to have enormous fun joining in the races.

Arcana of Paradise - The Tower Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 “A game full of charm that just needs more variety” 🗼 @TheTowerEN #IndieGames #GameDev

I picked this game purely on the strength of its trailer and the interesting concept. Several children suffering from amnesia are stuck on top of a gargantuan tower, the top of the tower is in ruin and the kids are barely surviving, but in their minds lies a thought that if they can reach the bottom of the tower and escape - they will enter paradise. It’s an interesting set-up, so I was eager to play, I then learned it was a roguelike deck-builder, which are two words I understand but have never seen together, so I was excited to dive in.

Right out of the gate, Arcana of Paradise has a very ethereal feel thanks to its wonderful art style and gorgeous music. You feel you are in a strange - almost dreamlike - world, the combination of both really paints a vivid picture, and I was sucked into its vision very quickly. 

King of the Arcade XSX Review 6.5/10 "A fun, mini-game-laden budget title" 🕹️ @SuperVillainDev #IndieGame #GameDev

King of the Arcade casts the player as a once-adored arcade master that has now fallen to the lows of living in his mum’s basement, with zero cash and mounting debt. In a last-ditch attempt to get a job, he applies at the local arcade, where the owner recognises him from his glorious gaming past.

Sworn to a life out of the limelight, our protagonist is dragged into a situation where he must once again waggle his joystick better than anyone else, as he strives to best the thugs from a competing arcade at their chosen games…or not, as the case may be.

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers XSX Review 6.5 / 10 "Finally, a police simulator with promise!" 🚔🚨👮‍♀️ @PolSimulator @AesirInteractiv #IndieGames #GameDev

Those who have followed my reviews over the last few years may remember my odd fascination with Autobahn Police Simulator 2, a game that -  whilst not scoring highly due to the numerous technical issues - ignited my passion for a police simulation title that focused on the basics of the job.

There was clearly a lot of fuel in the tank in pottering around handing out tickets, catching crooks and generally doing pretty standard police work. I was genuinely disheartened when Autobahn Police Simulator 3 failed to capitalise on what could have been a wonderfully quirky game based on typical police work…

BUT... then along came Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, and whilst this admittedly isn’t a super-high-scoring-rootin’-tootin’-Frozen-In-Time-Games-Freezer-10/10-recommendation… there really is a lot to appreciate here, and again – patch up and build on, hopefully, end up with a pretty top-class game, although that does feel some ways down the line.

Batora: Lost Haven XSX Review 6.5/10 🌳🎋 @stormindgames #IndieGames #GameDev

Batora: Lost Haven was a game that really caught my eye when I first saw the trailer, I hadn’t played an ARPG in some time and fancied getting hips deep into some demon-killing action, and if there was a narrative to suck me in, all the better! 

🧑‍🎓 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? XSX Review 6.5/10 "well...are you?" 🧑‍🎓 @MassiveMiniteam #IndieGames #GameDev

I think I’ve only ever played one truly awful quiz game – downloaded from the Nintendo eShop, natch – and so it almost feels like it’s impossible to make a bad game based on the quiz show format.

That said, it is very much possible to make games that don’t stand out from the crowd – and that’s kind of the high-wire on which Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader teeters.

🩸📸 MADiSON PS5 Review 6.5/10 “Many Scares To Be Had, But Far Too Formulaic” 🩸📸 @transvaalgf @MADiSON_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

MadiSon is a first-person psychological horror game, in which you play as Luca, who wakes up to find his hands covered in blood, and his father screaming at him through a door, questioning how he could ‘do this to the people he loved.

It’s a very exciting and tense opening!

You manage to escape the room and now explore your grandparent’s home, where you learn its dark secrets and understand how Luca has come to be in this position.

😎 Foreclosed | XSX | Review | 6.5/10 | ‘Metal Gear Solid for the Hipster Generation’ 😎 @showmemagic #IndieGame #IndieGameDev @MergeGamesLtd

I’ve already sunk several hours into Cyberpunk 2077, so I’m going into this review hot and ready to be entertained. Unfortunately, I’ve already lost interest in the aforementioned game, so let’s see how Foreclosed holds out. Don’t worry, I won’t be making any comparisons, that’s just unfair. It’s just good to know I’m in the futurist zone and keen to play this game. It has, how the French would half-say, ‘piqued my interest’.

Foreclosed is a sleek, stylish interactive graphic novel and immersive narrative-driven action-shooter with the difficulty default setting of Hard-Boiled! I like my games to be sunny-side up - but sod it, I’m in the mood for a challenge. Le regret?

🦖Elex II | XSX Review | 6.5/10 | "More RPG action from the team behind the Gothic and Risen series" 🦖 @Piranha_Bytes #IndieGame #IndieGameDev

When I came across Elex in 2017, it really made an impact on me. I resonated with the dry humour that was scattered throughout the game and, whilst it had technical issues, the sense of character that ran throughout made it stand out from the crowd, despite not being a graphical showcase.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this sequel and, whilst it retains the humour and fixes some problems that were present in the first game, I couldn’t quite relax fully, due to some vague mission design and implementation which ultimately marred the experience.

😼 Astro Aqua Kitty | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6.5/10 | "Is it the cat's meow?" 😼 @TIKIPODltd #IndieGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Astro Aqua Kitty is the action RPG shmup follow-up to the well-received, Aqua Kitty!

As adorable as the kitties are in Astro Aqua Kitty, the hidden difficulty is very much not adorable. Not that difficult shmups are anything new or different. But kitties in an aquatic-space shmup, with RPG elements, do separate them from the pack.

🌕 Jettomero: Hero of the Universe | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6.5/10 | "I’m stompin’ around, move out of my way" 🌕 @GhostTimeGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Having so recently been completely enamoured with the GOTY contender Tux and Fanny, I delved into Jettomero, the previous title from Ghost Time Games. Whilst it didn’t grab me in the same way that Tux and Fanny did, there are some real highs here but they are unfortunately offset by some points that ultimately heavily detract from the experience.

📮 Lake | Xbox Series X | Review | 6.5/10 | "A Break From The City That’s Maybe Too Mellow" 📮 @Lake_The_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

Lake was a game that really stood out to me when I watched a showcase from the publisher last year. The trailer depicts a woman (Meredith Weiss) taking a two-week break from her busy computing job in a city - the game is set in 1986, so there’s some cool, old tech kicking around - to cover her postman father’s job back in her hometown of Providence Oaks.

🐴 Rustler | Review | Xbox Series X | 6.5/10 | "A Horse That May Have Bolted Too Soon" 🐴 @jutsugames #GameDev #IndieGames

The premise of a top-down GTA game that is set in Medieval times is a winner on paper and Rustler really does have its moments but unfortunately, some fundamental issues that are present throughout limit the enjoyment.

As an all-around rogue Guy, Rustler has you working for a man named Herb as a horse thief, but – unbeknownst to him - you plan to escape your life of poverty by winning a grand tournament. The only problem? You need 5000 gold to enter.

🏌️‍♂️ Golf Club Wasteland | Review | Xbox Series X | 6.5/10 | "On earth, no-one can hear you miss a birdie" 🏌️‍♂️ @UntoldTalesHQ #IndieGames #GameDev

I was HIPS DEEP when I saw the trailer for Golf Club Wasteland. The striking, pastel visuals and dreamy music combined with basic gameplay seemed really captivating.

Having played the game, however, whilst there’s a lot that appealed to me, I  really, really wish I’d connected with the style of progression and the general direction that Golf Club Wasteland takes a lot more.

🤡 Ayo the Clown | Nintendo Switch Review | 6.5/10 | "Pastel Palettes, Twinkly Music and a Cast of Toy-like Side Characters" 🤡 @cloudm1 #IndieGames #GameDev

Ayo the Clown was given to me as a game my kids might enjoy. Having watched the trailer I was inclined to agree, the younger one anyway (the older one is currently obsessed with Zelda and recently finished Breath of the Wild, so might need a bit more challenge). 

The trailer is narrated by a soft-voiced American who sounds like a kids' TV host and introduces us to the word of Ayo. He's a clown who has lost his best friend, his dog Bo. You accompany Ayo through multiple brightly coloured levels, taking on a host of enemies in order to get Bo back.

👍🚗💨 Hitchhiker | Review | XBOX SERIES X | 6.5/10 | "A Slightly Surreal Trip With Some Bumps in The Road" @MadAboutPandas 👍🚗💨 @Hitchhiker_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

Hitchhiker is a great premise; you are a mysterious passenger trying to piece together your past through surreal journeys with a mix of drivers. The enclosed space meaning that puzzles must be inventive to be interesting and the idea of working out your history and motives from rolling conversations that come from possibly unreliable narrators is a solid start.

Unfortunately, Hitchhiker unravels slightly around the halfway mark, meaning that the last ninety minutes or so don’t stand up to the initial intrigue that propels the game forwards.