23/02/2024
Golfinite Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "A surprisingly moreish golf title" 🏌️♂️⛳️ #IndieGame #GameDev @pmurph0305
07/02/2024
Pinball M Xbox Review 7.5/10 "The spookiest balls around" 👻 @zen_studios #IndieGame #GameDev
Zen Studios have release Pinball M, a game that delivers horror thrills to pinball-lovers around the world through a pretty cool mix of franchises:
– Wrath of the Elder Gods: Director’s Cut – experience the eldritch horror unrestricted for free
– Chucky’s Killer Pinball: Step into a twisted realm where the innocent becomes sinister, and the playful turns menacing. Navigate through an eerie playfield where Chucky lurks in the shadows, ready to pounce.
– The Thing Pinball: Use your pinball skills and battle against the shape-shifting alien through the arctic chill of U.S. Outpost #31. Can you trust anyone, even yourself?
– Dead by Daylight™️ Pinball: Become the hunter or even the hunted in a thrilling fusion of classic pinball and the excitement of one of the most popular horror games ever created.
– Duke Nukem’s Big Shot Pinball: Enjoy the biggest, grooviest, most BADASS pinball table ever made packed with guns and babes. Push start and play with balls of steel!
12/01/2024
Gothic 2 Classic Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "odd characters, amusing dialogue and locations" ⚔️ @gothicthegame @AlkimiaGameDev #IndieGame #GameDev
I’ve been a fan of Piranha Bytes since discovering the first Risen game back on the PS3. After completing that game, I was so taken by the rough ‘n ready (also slightly bizarre) style of the Piranha Bytes games that I worked backwards and picked up Gothic 3, also enjoying that title – but finding it a bit awkward to get to run on my PC, at the time.
Since moving on from both the Gothic and Risen series, Piranha Bytes are now working on their third ELEX game, a series that I’ve had a mixed opinion of, especially because of the game-breaking bugs I encountered when reviewing ELEX 2 last year.
Through all of this though, Gothic 2 is held as somewhat of a high watermark of their games in terms of narrative, quest design and atmosphere. Playing it on the Switch was my first time with the game, and whilst it is certainly showing its age in many areas, that janky charm and idiosyncratic approach to quests and dialogue does still feel fun and fresh, and kept me coming back for more, each evening.
13/12/2023
Dredge Pale Reach DLC PS5 Review By Reeg 7.5/10 "The ambient sound work in this expansion is nothing short of amazing." ⛵️🪝 @BlackSaltGames #GameDev #IndieGame
28/11/2023
Murder is Game Over XSX Review 7.5 / 10 "Pocket-sized Pixel Pondering" 🔪 #IndieGame #GameDev @HitherYonGames @RatalaikaGames
A budget title from Ratalaika, Murder is Game Over is a short and fun narrative horror made in RPG Maker, full of jaunty music and pixel detective action.
As detective Guy and his crime-solving dog Chloe, you’ll roam a mansion and the surrounding grounds in a bid to solve the murder of a world-renowned game designer.
There are eight suspects, and thirty bags of dog treats to find as you try to solve this dastardly crime, as well as a treasure-hunting side quest!
A game that cosily leads you through the mystery as opposed to getting your grey cells pulsating, Murder is Game Over is a fun and light-hearted way to spend an evening, satisfactorily wrapping up its plot in an hour or two, and a big high five for the awesome music, which I would quite happily purchase on vinyl, awesome stuff!
23/11/2023
The Crew Motorfest XSX Review 7.5/10 "Hawaii Five Oh!" 🌴🏎️🌴
The newest entry in The Crew franchise, The Crew Motorfest plonks drivers down in the paradise of Hawaii and lets them loose across the many locations of the island, from volcanos and mountain roads through dense foliage, absurd, spiralling racetracks, suburban areas and more.
After creating your driver and choosing your starting vehicle, you are free to roam around the island as you see fit. You can free roam or enter one of the myriad of ‘playlists’ (races) available, these range from drag races in highly-tuned performance cars to old camper vans, monster trucks, motorcycles and even planes.
There are currently well over 600 vehicles across these styles available, and each completed race will see you earning XP, unlocking extra vehicles and parts to replace and improve your various rides, in terms of both performance and vanity items.
There really is a huge amount of customisation available – as well as other micro-transactions that you can pay for to speed the process along, should you wish to do so …I personally avoid these like the plague, although it didn’t impinge on my enjoyment of the game as I was constantly unlocking and upgrading my garage of cars through normal play.
20/10/2023
Slaps and Beans 2 Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "Slaps that add up to more than a hill o’ beans!" 🫱🫘 @SchiaffiFagioli #GameDev #IndieGame
I remember seeing the first Slaps and Beans come out a few years ago, and I always fancied trying it out, but it was one of the many games that unfortunately slipped through the cracks, so I certainly wasn’t going to miss this one! I’m glad I didn’t, as this is a fun blast of fisticuffs – preferably with a friend.
For those who were unaware – myself included – Bud Spencer and Terence Hill – the protagonists of the games – were popular Italian comedians back in the ‘70s who made an array of action comedies and spaghetti westerns from the late ‘60s right up to the mid-’80s., much like the various comedy duos of the ages, one is a gruffer, larger man whilst the other is a wiry, quick-witted chap. Good.
14/10/2023
The Last Oricru – Final Cut XSX Review 7.5/10 "More fun than Starfield" ⚔️🛡️ @oricru #GameDev #IndieGame
I contacted Goldknights and was advised that an overhauled version of the game was due in a few weeks, and so I held off covering the game until then, and I’m very glad I did. I didn’t play the original release of The Last Oricru. Still, I can quite confidently say that I had much more fun in the 15 hours or so that I spent with The Last Oricru (and completed it) than the 40 hours I spent on Bethesda’s latest release (before giving up on it out of boredom).
12/10/2023
Night at the Gates of Hell Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "More grimy, gory gaming action from the purveyors of filth" 💀 @henryhoare8 #IndieGame #GameDev
We at GF have learned to look forward to new console releases from Torture Star Video, as their awesome brand of video (game) nasties always entertain, and have a dirty streak a mile wide. The last game published by Torture Star Video that I personally covered was No One Lives Under the Lighthouse, a Lovecraftian-inspired slow-burn tale that captivated me with its lo-fi visuals and bewilderingly saucy sound design.
Night at the Gates of Hell, however, does not have a subtle, slow-burn approach… it instead goes for an especially nasty Italian zombie horror vibe, which it absolutely nails down with rusty masonry nails in a bloody mess of viscera and gore.
05/10/2023
KeyWe Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "You'll quickly fall in love with the game's charming Kiwi bird protagonists" 🦃🦜 @stonewheat #IndieGame #GameDev
Looking for an adorable and entertaining game that's perfect for all ages? Look no further than KeyWe, a short co-op puzzle game featuring cute animal protagonists. While it looks like it is aimed at children, adults looking for a fun and engaging game will also enjoy it.
You'll quickly fall in love with the game's charming Kiwi bird protagonists - Jeff and Debra - but the chaotic puzzle platforming levels will keep you hooked. The levels are challenging and require teamwork, making it a great game to play with friends or family.
01/09/2023
Oxenfree 2Review 7.5/10 "All We Hear Is Radio Ga Gaaaaah!!" 📻👻 @nightschoolers #IndieGames #GameDev
This time around I got Oxenfree 2 on my mobile phone via the Netflix Games part of the Netflix mobile app. I was impressed that it was there and couldn't resist the opportunity to go back to the world of Oxenfree for more transistor radio high jinks!
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals feels like it is a worthy sequel to the beloved original indie adventure game Oxenfree and it also expands on the original game's strengths, whilst also introducing some neat new ideas to the formula.
10/08/2023
Peppa Pig: World Adventures (mini) Xbox Review 7.5/10 "Peppa Goes Global" 🐷 @Outright_Games #IndieGames #VideoGamesForKids #GameDev
Publisher Outright Games’ releases have had such a joyful impact on my 2-year-old that I actually sent them an email of thanks a few months ago. This new release continues the theme of incredibly accessible games with visuals and tonality that accurately reflects the franchise on which they are based, turning them into interactive experiences for all the family.
27/06/2023
Raging Bytes XSX Review 7.5/10 "A Byte-Sized Zombie Adventure" 🧟🧟♂️🧟♀️ @KEMCO_OFFICIAL @KEMCOGLOBAL
I feel like there will always be a place in my life for simple, turn-based JRPGs with 16-bit styled, top-down visuals. I’m not hot on the whimsy and light fantasy that a lot of the releases in the genre seem to focus on, but when a game instead has a grittier cyberpunk/steampunk/horror aesthetic my trousers instantly begin twirling in anticipation - as if they are a cane in the hands of song and dance man mid-performance in the 1920’s - as they did here upon initially seeing the trailer for KEMCO’s Raging Bytes a few weeks ago – and as always, my trousers were correct. (always trust the trouser - Ed)
19/06/2023
Despot's Game Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "Puny Humans" 👿 @Despotism_3k @tinyBuild #IndieGames #GameDev
27/04/2023
The Creepy Syndrome Xbox One Review 7.5/10 "Frightening Fun For Under a Fiver!" 👻 @JanduSoft @BoomfireGames #IndieGames #GameDev
I was lucky enough to cover Boomfire Games’ prior release - Cards of the Dead - back in 2021 around Halloween time. I was a big fan of the deck-based storytelling and simple, yet tense premise - escape from the zombie-ridden city without dying! In fact, I enjoyed the artwork and game so much that I backed the Kickstarter for the actual card game release of Cards of the Dead – and recently played through a few rounds of it during an extremely nerdy weekend board game retreat with a group of equally nerdy friends.
The game went down a storm, and I’m already keen to play again!
And so, a few months ago when Jandusoft began to tease the release of The Creepy Syndrome, my britches were full of twitches!
29/10/2022
🧱 LEGO Bricktales XSX Review 7.5/10 "Build Me Up, Buttercup" 🧱 #LEGOBrickTales #LEGO @Thunderfulgames
I’ve played quite a few LEGO games over the years – mostly in local multiplayer – and they’ve always had a lot to offer in terms of accessible fun.
Admittedly, the sheer amount of movie franchise-based games did get a bit wearying, but LEGO City Undercover and the more open-world, sandbox games were highlights, and so – when offered LEGO Bricktales to review, I just assumed that there would be an inherent quality to whatever approach was taken here (as I’d not heard of the game beforehand) and yes, LEGO has (mostly) woven their magic again, and this time in a game that feels the most traditional ‘LEGO’ game yet.
10/10/2022
😱 White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Xbox Series X 7.5/10 “Back to school, for a lesson in terror” 😱 @PQubeGames #IndieGames #GameDev
White Day was something of a legend for a long time, I would see many videos and articles talking about it, marking it as one of the scariest games to ever come out.
It was only available in Korea and was so scary that some people emailed the developer to ask them to make it less scary so that they could complete it.
Now, I have no idea how true all the legends are - but it’s always been a game I desperately wanted to experience.
02/08/2022
👿🥧 Hell Pie Xbox Series X Review 7.5/10 "A wonderfully ghastly concoction straight from Satan’s kitchen" 👿🥧 @SluggerflyDev #GameDev #IndieGames
Warning lights flash in my mind whenever games go for humour - as so often cheap gags and lazy writing are brought to the fore at the cost of gameplay, or perhaps the humour doesn’t connect with you personally.
So every attempt at it elicits a sigh. However, the trailer for Hell Pie showed what seemed to the naked eye to be a surprisingly polished 3D platformer. Having fancied this genre for a while - the last I played was the sublime A Hat in Time - I thought I’d give Hell Pie a goosey, and by Jove, it was a wise move.
28/07/2022
🎮 Gamedec Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "A Combat-Free Cyberpunk Tale" 🎮 @GamedecTheGame @AnsharStudios #GameDev #IndieGames
I’ve been following the development of Gamedec for a couple of years, playing the PC preview back in 2020 really gave me a taste for the thought of a choice-rich RPG that was bereft of any combat in the core gameplay.
I think at the time, I’d covered a handful of games with clunky combat and the thought of an RPG fully focussed on the dialogue / investigative side of things seemed a very cool way to go.
13/07/2022
📘📕 Mothmen 1966 Xbox Series X Review 7.5/10 "A pretty punchy pulpy paperback presented in pixels" 📘📕 @lcbgamestudio #GameDev #IndieGame
"Mothmen 1966 is a 'Pixel Pulp' - a visual novel featuring a fusion of exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics - set amongst the strange occurrences of the Leonid meteor shower of 1966."