28 Nov 2024
49 Keys Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 ๐️ @2Pcom @49chiavi
Set in 1520, your character travels to a distant abbey - following the last wishes of your former master - on a quest to unveil the secrets held within. Presented as if in the form of an ancient manuscript, 49 keys features incredibly evocative writing, crisp visuals and puzzles that will get your grey matter pulsating. Keening, aching music will accompany you as you make your way around the island, collecting items and taking notes – all the while getting closer to the centre of the mystery.
1 Oct 2024
Horror Tales: The Beggar | Xbox Review 8/10 “It’s Morvin Time” ๐ฝ @CarlosGameDev #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev
Horror tales: The Beggar begins with introducing the titular Beggar a human(ish) creature who has been locked away. Now freed by a helpful robot he claims he will guide you out and help you on your way.
You notice very quickly the world is broken and has been for a very long time, you will find little sign of life, unluckily for the Beggar there is one being that follows him Morvin a product of his own imagination who isn't particularly friendly and will happily attack you on sight, luckily you have powers which are introduced as the game goes on, so you aren't completely helpless when old Morvin turns up, you have the power of telekinesis so not only can you move objects that are in your way, you can also hurl objects at your stalker, which after you have hurled enough objects at him you will get some respite and can continue traversing the fractured world.
24 Sept 2024
Rewind or Die PS5 Review 8/10 “The Good Stuff” ๐ผ @PuppetCombo @torturestar #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev #HorrorCommunity
Puppet Combo games have been my jam, I think I have reviewed one of their games every month for the last several months (I have another in the pipeline already, for next month).
I’ve enjoyed every game, and the last few releases have been some of their most diverse - with Lakeview Cabin Collection being a side scroller and The Glass Staircase being a PS2 zombie horror inspired by classic Italian films.
Rewind or Die gets back to what I imagine when I think of Puppet Combo - A grubby, dirty slasher-inspired romp with PS1 style graphics mixed with VHS. It’s not only what I think of… it’s what I love.
13 Sept 2024
CONSCRIPT Xbox Review 8/10 "It captures the grinding, stifling atmosphere of war really, really well" ☠️ @ConscriptGame #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev
10 Sept 2024
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Xbox Review 8/10 "Satisfying Combat and more frowning men than you can shake a stick at" ⚔️ @Focus_entmt #SpaceMarine2
30 Aug 2024
Just Crow Things Xbox Review 8/10 "Welcome to the Poopy Party" ๐ฆ⬛ @UnboundCreation #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev
From Unbound Creations – the team behind Rain On Your Parade – Just Crow Things ostensibly casts you in the role of a young crow that is on a quest to get her sunglasses back from bullies, but the real meat of the game is just having fun and causing carnage throughout the game’s stages.
30 Jul 2024
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III Xbox Review 8/10 "Twirl that parasol!" ⛱️ #Retrogaming
Released by Taito in 1991, Parasol Stars - the sequel to Bubble Bobble (1986), and Rainbow Islands (1987)– stuck closer to the formula of the original with single-screen action, this time with brighter visuals, larger sprites, and advanced audio – and yes, the soundtrack is absolutely as much of an earworm as the original!
17 Jul 2024
RoboCop: Rogue City PS5 Review 8/10 "Oh, how I miss squibs!" ๐ค @TeyonGames #IndieGame #GameDev
RoboCop: Rogue City developer Teyon clearly feels the same way. This is a game almost entirely about blasting sneering criminals with high-powered weaponry and every thumping shot sends beautiful fountains of the red stuff spiralling through the air and onto the scenery. If this somehow isn’t enough, the game offers a “More Gore” weapon upgrade to truly paint the town red. Paul Verhoeven would be proud.
26 Jun 2024
Echo Generation: Midnight Edition Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "Slightly Stranger Things" ๐ช๐งข @cococucumberco #IndieGame #GameDev
Not that I have an issue with it at all, my point is purely that I’m not burned out on it like I know others are. I am burned out on anime style visuals, however. Voxels - I continue to inhale as much as possible.
25 Jun 2024
Death and Taxes PS5 Review 8/10 “Only two things in life are certain” ๐๐ @PlaceholderGW #IndieGame #GameDev
Have you ever been envious of the Grim Reapers job? walking around with a big scythe, getting to meet a lot of interesting - before taking their souls? sounds like a great job! Sadly, just like most jobs in the modern age it’s now a desk job with lots of bureaucracy - and no big scythes.
13 Jun 2024
Horizon Chase 2 Xbox Review 8/10 "Why did the frog cross the road?" ๐ธ๐️ @HorizonChase #IndieGame #GameDev
Why did the frog cross the road?
One of the oldest questions never asked, perhaps because everyone’s talking about that damn chicken. And I’m not about to answer that question as this is not Amphibian Psychology 101. I’m here to talk about HOW the frog crossed the road and how this (loosely) relates to Horizon Chase 2, new to Xbox.
7 Jun 2024
Loretta Xbox Series X Review 8/10 “Spiralling Down” ☠️๐ถ @yabutuzoff #IndieGame #GameDev
Set in 1947, you control Loretta - a housewife who has murdered her husband, having finally had enough of his drinking, gambling, cheating ways - and decided to take matters into her own hands.
The game opens with a detective investigating his disappearance, he has come to question Loretta and have a look around the farm and it is here where we gain control of the titular character.
Early on you are presented with the choices that will shape her fate, I made the decision to try and poison the detective and… well… let’s just say it ‘didn’t go well’.
Throughout your time with this game you will get the chance to make important decisions such as should you higher your kill count or resist your murderous temptations and see if you can break free, and escape your current predicament.
5 Jun 2024
KUDZU Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "A great title with Game Boy Roots" ๐น️ @PFBStudios #IndieGame #GameDev
The player takes control of tea-loving gardener protagonist Max, who goes off on a quest in search of his master, Zoen, who has seemingly lost his mind and wandered off into the ever-expanding fields of Kudzu that surround their home town.
11 Apr 2024
Bang On Balls - Chronicles Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "a unique, content-packed, open-world sandbox adventure" ๐๐๐ @bangonballs #IndieGame #GameDev
If so, then Bang-On Balls: Chronicles may be just what you need.
It is a unique, content-packed, open-world sandbox adventure that offers multiple elements such as combat, platforming, character customization, and a scavenger hunting experience.
13 Mar 2024
WWE2K24 PS5 Review 8/10 “Time to play the Game” ๐คผ♂️
Yearly wrestling games - and yearly games in general - have always had a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ problem. In years’ past, match types and modes would be added in just to be removed in the next instalment, so this year’s edition has rolled around, and I was very eager to see if we were still heading forward… or if we were about to take an unfortunate step back.
Well, it may not be a huge stride forward but I’m pleased to say the WWE2K series is moving forward. Now, if you looked at the gameplay it will feel very similar to last years’ game aside from a couple of small tweaks such as super finishers and the ever-popular ability to throw weapons being added, but largely it remains the same and as DDP would say, “it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing”. The base gameplay is good, the lighting and character models are great, some gimmicks are outdated - but that's going to happen with how much wrestlers change in a year. The matches and combat have been a highlight since 2K22, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
14 Feb 2024
Sims 4: Home Chef Hustle Pack Review 8/10 "This pack is well worth the investment" ๐ก๐
One of the most exciting features of this pack is the small gameplay element that allows you to run your own food stall. This feature adds a new level of interactivity to the game, and it was a lot of fun to experiment with different recipes and see how they would sell. The pack also comes with a range of new cooking equipment, including a pizza oven, a mixing bowl, and a waffle maker, which are great additions to the game.
9 Feb 2024
The Monty Mole Collection Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "Modern Monty Mole Maniacal Manoeuvring" ๐ป❄️ @pixelgamesuk #GameDev #IndieGame
The 8-bit home computing platforming scene is something of a golden era to a lot of people. Filled with extremely challenging games, great music, and a very ‘British’ sense of humour (and social commentary).
Whilst I have played Monty Mole - many years ago - I associate the games more with Rob Hubbard’s astonishing score than the gameplay itself, and so I was keen to delve into this collection and experience them for the first time, on a modern system.
11 Jan 2024
Cookie Cutter XBOX Review 8/10 " My Cherry Amour " ๐ค @maxharvey79 @Rogue_Co #IndieGames #GameDev
Cherry was cheery. She was an android with a lovely girlfriend, and life was good. But you know the old story – girl bot meets girl bot, girl bots fall in love, bad guy steals girl bot and stomps the other to a pulp. A tale as old as time. And so it’s not surprising that Cherry’s demeanour switches from joyful to rageful pretty quickly.
21 Dec 2023
Fate/Samurai Remnant PS5 Review 8/10 “There can be only one” ⚔️ @FateSR_Official @TransvaalGF #IndieGame #GameDev
20 Dec 2023
Christmas Massacre PS5 Review 8/10 “Bad Santa” ๐ ๐ช @PuppetCombo #GameDev #IndieGame @transvaalgf
Puppet Combo has been a revelation this year, Stay Out of the House and Night at the Gates of Hell have been real highlights of 2023, which is saying something when taking into account how great 2023 has been for gaming.
Seeing that Christmas Massacre had been ported to the PS5 was a nice, early Christmas present, one filled with screams, horror and a very eager, bloodthirsty Christmas tree.