10/07/2024
Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries Xbox Review 7/10 "Werewolves and Ghosts, oh my!" πΊπ» @RatalaikaGames #IndieGames #GameDev
08/07/2024
Crime Boss: Rockay City (2024) XSX Review 7/10 "A kick-ass cast in a game that once got its ass kicked" π₯ @ingame_studios @505_Games #IndieGame #GameDev
Upon its initial release in 2023, Crime Boss: Rockay City had a rough old time, with cutting reviews across the board. We didn’t cover it at the time here at GF, but as someone who grew up watching this – quite incredible – cast of actors in myriad movies over the decades, it was always on my mind, and I was intrigued as to how the game appeared to be such a misfire.
Fast forward a year and the game gets a massive overhaul for its Steam release. DLC is now included for free - and the developers have fixed a lot of the more glaring issues that plagued the game upon its initial release.
How does it fare in 2024? it’s a lot of fun, but the repetition at the heart of the game is hard to ignore.
13/06/2024
Sociable Soccer 24 | Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Sociable Soccer 24 isn't a serious soccer sim—it's a joyful, pixelated carnival ride." ⚽️ @Sociable_Soccer #IndieGame #GameDev
Ah, Sociable Soccer 24, the game that struts onto the pitch with all the subtlety of a neon-clad goalkeeper doing the running man.
Developed by Tower Studios, this is a wild carnival ride aiming to bring back the golden era of 90s footie gaming by lacing up those oversized boots, grabbing a nearby rattle and diving into the soccer fuelled chaos.
The gameplay loop in Sociable Soccer 24 is like a sugar rush after a 500ml can of Virgin Cola. It's fast, frantic, and utterly addictive. The controls are as simple as a two-button pass, but don't let that fool you. The game rewards timing and positioning with a dash of sheer luck. Once you get used to the passing mechanic you'll find yourself chaining passes together and scoring screamers with the glee of a kid who just discovered a hidden stash of cola cubes. It's like the '90s arcade soccer games never left us—only now, they've got a fresh coat of neon paint.
When you score, the game erupts into a pixelated fiesta. Players cartwheel, moonwalk, and even breakdance. It's like a discotheque invaded the penalty box. I half-expected a pixelated MC HAMMER to strut in with baggy trousers and point at the goal.
Now, here's the secret sauce: crank up the difficulty. The lower levels are as challenging as a Sunday kick about with your nan. But slide that difficulty slider to the right, and suddenly, you're facing AI opponents who channel their inner Messi. It's like playing chess against a caffeinated octopus. Trust me, it's where the real magic and challenge happens.
I love a good stat. But unfortunately Sociable Soccer 24 doesn’t give me much to work with. I’d like to see some player ratings, top scorer charts, league tables, heat maps, and a breakdown of my striker's biscuit consumption during halftime.
The refs in this game are like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're gonna get. One moment, they're waving play on as your defender performs a flying karate kick. The next, they're brandishing a red card because your goalie sneezed. Consistency? Nah, we're too busy breakdancing.
I appreciate the retro vibe, but I need more than one stadium type. It's like playing every match at Loftus Road. Give me a stadium with a giant kop at one end and some open corners, and I'll be happy.
SUMMARY
Sociable Soccer 24 isn't a serious soccer sim—it's a joyful, pixelated carnival ride. It's the spiritual cousin of Sensible Soccer, high-fiving it across the decades.
It’s also impressive how much this game has come along since I played it in its first incarnation a few years back.
So grab your joystick (yes, I said joystick), crank up the difficulty, and let the nostalgia wash over you. Just remember: stats are for nerds, celebrations are for legends, and the '90s never really left us.
Note:
This review was written while wearing oversized sunglasses and listening to "Wonderwall" by oasis.
@thegamesfreezer Sociable Soccer 24 Nintendo Switch Review #nintendoswitch #reviews #videogamereview #soccer #sensiblesoccer #videogame ♬ original sound ❄️ Games Freezer ❄️
14/05/2024
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Xbox Review 7/10 "A Sweet Suikoden Spiritual Sequel" π₯⚔️ @eiyuden #IndieGame #GameDev
02/05/2024
Cricket Through the Ages Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "The most realistic, in-depth cricket simulation ever made…some may say" ππͺ¨ @freelives @devolverdigital #GameDev #IndieGame
17/04/2024
Outer Terror Nintendo Switch Video Review 7/10 "A Set of Distorted Pixelated Nightmare Hellscapes" πΊ @VoxPopGames #IndieGame #GameDev
DON’T DIE as you assemble a ridiculous arsenal of weapons and desperately hold out against massive hordes of creatures pulled from a variety of classic horror genres reminiscent of 80s and 90s Golden Age comics and B-movies in this stylish action-packed arcade roguelite.
28/03/2024
Cybertrash STATYX Xbox Review 7/10 "A Fun Throwback in The Run ‘n Gun Genre" π₯ #IndieGame #GameDev
25/03/2024
Boiling Point: Road to Hell PC Review 7/10 "Arnold Vosloo Kicks Ass Once More" ππ₯ @playziggurat #IndieGame #GameDev
In quite a few of my reviews covering beloved (by me, at least) yet shonky games – usually open-world RPGs from the mid 2000’s – Boiling Point often crops up, alongside Xenus 2: White Gold (an oddly-named sequel to Boiling Point: Road to Hell), Precursers, and Hard Truck Apocalypse (which has AMAZING music).
The first two of which come from the same developer, Deep Shadows, a company that seem to have moved into hidden object and mobile titles, which is a shame, as they have real character and craft. If each game mentioned here had more time and money invested, they would be classics still talked of today.
21/03/2024
Cannibal Abduction Xbox Series X 7/10 “Leatherface Upstairs, Having a Quick 40 Winks” π @selewidev @transvaalgf #IndieGame #GameDev
Now, on the one hand it was nice of Henry to help, but personally I have a rule in life - if a house looks like Leatherface may be upstairs having a quick 40 winks, I refuse to enter and run as fast as I can in any direction to get as far away as I possibly can.
06/02/2024
Bahnsen Knights Xbox Review 7/10 "My trousers began to slowly unbuckle themselves in anticipation..." π΅️♂️ @lcbgamestudio #IndieGame #GameDev
The third in the initial trilogy of Pixel Pulp titles, Bahnsen Knights follows Mothmen 1966, and Varney Lake, visual novel titles – with a smattering of micro-games – in an 18-month period that has taken me on a journey that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed from a presentation and atmospheric perspective, but I can’t help but feel this most recent entry is the weakest of all.
24/01/2024
Crashy Laps Xbox Series X (mini-review) 7/10 π️π¨ @cheapeesoft @JanduSoft
Harking back to classic top-down / isometric racers such as Super Skidmarks, Crashy Laps by CheapeeSoft (which could have easily genuinely been a wonderfully 8-bit, British development house name back in the ‘80s!) is a budget title that aims to capture that vintage arcade-racing feel, with modern touches.
22/01/2024
Super Arcade Racing Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 π️π¨ @outofthebit #IndieGame #GameDev
I recently covered Full Void by OutOfTheBit, and in requesting a code for reviewing purposes, I noticed their previous release, Super Arcade Racing.
As a fan of top-down racers, I thought it would be fun to do a mini-review of this, as I hadn’t heard of it before stumbling across it on the developer’s website, and it takes a slightly different approach to its gameplay when compared to games of a similar ilk, in that it’s much more of a fun, unfolding narrative than simply disjointed races.
10/01/2024
Full Void Nintendo Switch Review 7 / 10 "A Slice of Cinematic Cyberpunk" π€ @outofthebit #IndieGame #GameDev
The cinematic platformer is a genre well-suited to Switch, as the impact of the pixel visuals works especially well in docked mode, when you can snuggle up in bed or in a comfy chair and dive into a genre that tends to never be overlong, by design, making them relaxing experiences over a night or two.
Developer OutOfTheBit Ltd have delivered a strong slice of such action, in a wonderfully wordless experience that clocks in at around a couple of hours, making it a breezy game to replay – in a similar vein to Devwill Too on MD, a game I routinely return to each year, for its brevity and melancholy.
22/11/2023
My Time At Sandrock Rich's Rapid Nintendo Switch Review πͺ¨⛏️ @MTaSandrock @PatheaGames #IndieGame #GameDev
17/11/2023
My Time At Sandrock Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Sandrock is a love letter to the life simulator genre" πͺ¨⛏️ @MTaSandrock #IndieGame #GameDev
My Time At Sandrock is the follow up to My time In Portia from Pathea Games
This review is for the Nintendo Switch version which we received from the developers for review purposes. I found the Switch version to have a few framerate issues but nothing that made the experience unplayable.
My time at Sandrock is a charming and engaging life simulator game that sets you down in the role of an aspiring builder tasked with rebuilding the bustling town of Sandrock. From the moment you step into the world, you're greeted by a vibrant and welcoming community filled with quirky characters, each with their own unique stories and personalities.
The game's art style is a delightful blend of cartoon style character graphics and watercolour-inspired hues, creating a visually captivating world that's both nostalgic and refreshing.
Hero Survival PS5 Review 7/10 "a fun rogue-like game with great music and weapon/item combinations" π₯ @dev_pigeon #IndieGame #GameDev
As we all know, there are many, many rogue-like games available. The one that I am covering today is Hero Survival on PS5 (it’s also available on all other major platforms).
Hero Survival is a classic survival game featuring enemies such as ghosts, werewolves, and jack-o-lanterns, etc. The objective is to progress through the 10 levels of each stage and then defeat the boss at the end. However, each stage takes roughly 20 minutes or more and surviving for that long is not an easy feat!
21/10/2023
Skater XL The Ultimate Skateboarding Game PS4 Review 7/10 "Do You Know Your Left Foot From Your Right Thumbstick?" πΉ @skater_xl #IndieGame #GameDev
16/10/2023
KillSquad Review By Regan 7/10 "Hack and slash? Check. Twin-stick-shooter? Check." ☠️ @killsquadgame #IndieGame #GameDev
enjoy Killsquad. The game offers a variety of unique characters with special weapons and
abilities, making it engaging and exciting to play. Whether you play solo or co-op, Killsquad
provides energetic action that will keep you on your toes.
As a bounty hunter, your job is to complete contracts that come your way, all whilst fighting through hordes of enemies and defeating bosses. You are a part of the Wahla Corporation, the organisation provides you with intel and once the job is all done will reward you with weapons or materials.
22/09/2023
Soulvars Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "a mobile port that’s actually worth playing" π₯ @ShueishaGamesJP #IndieGame #GameDev
SOULVARS is that rarest of things – a mobile port that’s actually worth playing. It’s got clear JRPG roots, with turn-based combat, and a pixel art style providing a nostalgia hit for the old-timers.
The game is the work of Ginolabo, a solo developer, which results in the double-edged sword of it being an impressive feat for one person (self-taught, too), but having some areas of the game where collaboration might have polished it up a little.
18/09/2023
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales PC Review 7/10 "Prepare to be tossed into the narrative deep end" π @bookwalkergame #IndieGame #GameDev @PixelHunted
The Bookwalker takes place in a world very much like our own, with the teensy difference that writers can not only conjure up entire worlds within books but travel into them and interact with their characters as if they were real people.
You play writer Etienne Quist, a writer serving a 30-year sentence (geddit?) of writer’s block for a mysterious crime. Etienne hopes to reduce his sentence by taking on “bookwalking” gigs, i.e. diving into various books to retrieve powerful items. For example, you’ll head into a fantasy world to swipe an Immortality Potion or venture into a gloomy robotic take on Norse mythology to get your hands on Mjolnir.