Abathor Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A golden throwback to 16-bit co-op classics" ⚔️ @Abathor_Game @JanduSoft

I’ve covered hundreds of games during my time at The Might GF, and some can pop up seemingly out of nowhere and blow me away, some can be stewing for months and months, as I hungrily follow every dev post on social media, my appetite whetting ever further...and then the final game gets slopped on the floor in front of me in a steaming mess, leaving me smoking enigmatically up at the night sky, wondering what could have been as Bohren & Der Club of Gore play sexily in the background, the minimalist jazz soundtrack to my burgeoning disappointment.

Sometimes, though – I’ll stumble across a game that looks funky – like Abathor – and each tease or online trailer will have me adjusting my tie as steam comically toots through my collar. Good. 

From the early days of its inception, developer Pow Pixel Games promised to deliver us a throwback platformer, and by Jove, did they ever!

Crow Country XBOX Review 7.5/10 "A throwback survival horror with narrative depth" 🐦‍⬛🌎 @SFBTom @SFBDim #GameDev #IndieGame

I’ve enjoyed the recent spate of games harking back to the visual style of the PS1 – albeit with the juddering, flat polygons and tedious loading screens removed – as it’s not only a style that feels as yet pretty un-mined but is also rich with nostalgia – as well as being suited to lo-fi horror with the low polygon vibes setting the imagination alight. 

With this in mind, getting my hands on Crow Country was a delight, and the fact that the game offers two primary modes – one more combat-centric, whilst the other eschews combat in turn of a more story-based approach – made the game even more appealing, due to its openness and accessibility for players who enjoy both styles.

The year is 1990, and we are introduced to the protagonist of the story - Mara Forest – approaching a seemingly abandoned amusement park called Crow Country, she claims to be a special agent with memory issues, and is determined to locate the missing owner of Crow Country… Edward Crow – for unknown reasons. 

What follows is a solid and intriguing few hours of pretty classic gameplay, in that you’ll find yourself scavenging for ammo, reading lots of lore, and working your way through both environmental and inventory-based puzzles. 

Whilst the crunchy polygons and incredible aural atmosphere (courtesy of composer Ockeroid) carry the game pretty far, as the combat and puzzles get a bit tired, it’s the narrative that will hook you through to the games’ end. 

That said, if you want the ability to play at a more leisurely pace, the aforementioned ability to remove the combat gives a breezier approach, leaving you to fully focus on the atmosphere and unfolding, twisting story. Don’t worry, there’ll still be some scares!

SUMMARY
A tasty PS1-esque survival horror title with a far more engaging and involved narrative than you’d expect, SFB Games have come out swinging with this, and for lovers of vintage survival horror, it’s time to get a ticket to Crow Country.

Justice League: Cosmic Chaos Xbox Review 7.5/10 "A fun, family-friendly title with surprisingly cool music" 🦇 @PHLCollective @Outright_Games #GameDev #IndieGame

As a fan of Batman in most of his incarnations through the decades, I’ve always leaned towards the darker interpretations of his character. That said, as the father of a young boy just discovering video games, the fact that I can get hips deep into some Diedrich Bader-voiced Batman action aimed at a younger audience is very, very fine indeed with me.

The story here is that life in Happy Harbor is turned upside-down by Mr. Mxyzplk, who usurps the current Mayor of the town by using Starro’s mind control powers to take control of members of the Justice League, leaving Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman – with a little help from some very super friends – to restore order to the idyllic town.

RoboCop: Rogue City PS5 Review 8/10 "Oh, how I miss squibs!" 🤖 @TeyonGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Oh, how I miss squibs. These days action movies simulate blood splatter from gunshots with CGI and, while now relatively convincing, it just doesn’t have the same visceral impact as detonating a small bag of fake blood. 

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.

Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries Xbox Review 7/10 "Werewolves and Ghosts, oh my!" 🐺👻 @RatalaikaGames #IndieGames #GameDev

A pair of titles featuring intrepid supernatural investigators Vera Blanc and Brendan Mackey, Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries centres around Ms Blanc, who – following a rather intense operation on her brain – is able to read the thoughts of others. 

Originally released in 2010, the games are mostly light visual novels with a very cool graphic novel art style, the core gameplay comes from multiple choice events – that can lead to instant deaths, so save often – and the optional word based / spot the difference puzzles that can be turned on and off with each play though, should you want a touch more interaction.

The characters are well-sketched without the game being too onerous with the text, and each tale moves along at a fair pace, with minimal audio work to add to the rising tensions. 

Whilst I preferred the first game in the series - as I am a sucker for werewolves – both are fun to get through, although the ghost story slightly alters the visuals and feels less exciting than the Bavarian werewolf adventure. 

SUMMARY

A bargain at the current price point and a solid evening’s entertainment (each case takes 1-2 hours to complete), Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries won’t tickle your grey matter, but it might just raise the hairs on your neck!

Purchase Link:

Ratalaika Games S.L.

Crime Boss: Rockay City (2024) XSX Review 7/10 "A kick-ass cast in a game that once got its ass kicked" 💥 @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.

The Glass Staircase PS5 Review 7.5/10 “Mind The Step” 🏚️ @PuppetCombo #IndieGame #GameDev

Puppet Combo was a revelation for me in 2023, I loved everything that they put out and had such joy playing them. Stay Out of the House was one of my games of the year, Christmas Massacre was an absolute delight and  it remains one of my favourite games, the talking Christmas tree brings a smile to my face every time I think about it, which - come December - will probably be a lot, but The Glass Staircase doesn't quite hit the highs of these games, it is still worth playing but I didn’t get the warm, dark-bloodstained, fuzzy feeling that the Puppet Combo releases usually produce.

Echo Generation: Midnight Edition Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "Slightly Stranger Things" 🪓🧢 @cococucumberco #IndieGame #GameDev

As a person who eschews the Savalas* and instead prefers movies, I’ve been spared the all-encompassing phenomenon that was Stranger Things and so the following tidal wave of ‘80s-tastic follow-ups very much didn’t pop up on my viewing radar, in fact – it’s been more through reviewing vinyl like the absolutely stunning Kingdom Eighties: Summer of Greed that the wave of ‘kids n’ kooky’ has trickled gently over my feet.

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.

Death and Taxes PS5 Review 8/10 “Only two things in life are certain” 💀📝 @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.

Horizon Chase 2 Xbox Review 8/10 "Why did the frog cross the road?" 🐸🏎️ @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.

Little Kitty, Big City XSX Review 7.5/10 "The purr-fect game to play with kids" 😸 🏙️ @LittleKittyGame #IndieGame #GameDev

It’s an interesting time in our household, as we have a three year old son who is just getting his feet wet in terms of gaming. I always keep an eye out for suitable releases to enjoy with him, and when we received the press release for Little Kitty, Big City, my dad-gaming eyes lit up. What we ended up enjoying was a wonderfully cute, fun game that wasn’t without its flaws, but the charm and family factor shines through, meaning that you’ll have a great time if you approach little Kitty, Big City with an open and curious mind...much like a kitten, in fact.

Little Kitty, Big City begins as very much a story of highs and lows, there you are – sunning yourself on your owner’s balcony when disaster strikes and you find yourself falling to street level, many floors below. Your quest? To get back to your favourite napping spot!

Loretta Xbox Series X Review 8/10 “Spiralling Down” ☠️🍶 @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.

KUDZU Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "A great title with Game Boy Roots" 🕹️ @PFBStudios #IndieGame #GameDev

Originally released as a physical Game Boy cartridge and now ported to the Switch, Kudzu – especially at its current price point – feels a steal for those who have a soft spot for adventures on Nintendo’s classic handheld.

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.

Bootleg Steamer PC Review 7.5/10 "Booze Overboard!" 🚢🍸🍷🍺 @TeamJunkfish #IndieGame #GameDev

Rich gives his verdict on the 1920s Prohibition Booze smuggling Sim Bootleg Steamer on the PC. Can he become liquor slinger and make a tidy profit?

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 “Quack the case!” 🦆 @happybroccgames #GameDev #IndieGame

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of short adventures that can be enjoyed of an evening, and, being a bit burned out on huge games at present, the case files of Eugene McQuacklin, duck detective extraordinaire was of huge appeal to me, I’m also a keen salami fan, so there was no way that Duck Detective: The Secret Salami couldn’t NOT be amazing, quite frankly.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Xbox Review 7/10 "A Sweet Suikoden Spiritual Sequel" 🔥⚔️ @eiyuden #IndieGame #GameDev

From the – sadly no longer with us – Yoshitaka Murayama, the creative mind behind the much-loved Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is very much a spiritual successor that has its feet firmly planted in more traditional gameplay, resulting in a title that feels comfortable and fun overall, but unfortunately a touch lacklustre in some key areas.

Our tale begins with Nowa, a young boy from a rural village who joins The Watch, a group of like-minded individuals who roam the lands, assisting the various denizens of the scattered villages and cities. Assisting them on this particular mission – to find a ‘Primal Lens’ - are hand-picked soldiers of the Empire, but whilst this motley crew work well together at present...what will happen when peace fails and they are sworn to fight against each other?

Cricket Through the Ages Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "The most realistic, in-depth cricket simulation ever made…some may say" 🏏🪨 @freelives @devolverdigital #GameDev #IndieGame

Free Lives have created some of my favourite games of the last decade in Broforce and Genital Jousting, very different from each other in some respects, but their games always feature a rich sense of humour that runs throughout their releases. 

And so, we have gone from controlling pastiches of action heroes, to willies….to those brave folks that have played cricket through the ages. From cavemen with rocks and sticks through to the denizens that litter a post-apocalyptic wasteland…with rocks and sticks.

Spear Master Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "Worth a Chuck" 🏹 @OsarionGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Clearly taking inspiration from arcade classic Pang!, Spear Master is a smooth, charming, and unfussy game that works just as well in solo play as it does with friends.

As the Spear Master, you are guided by your father in the ways of the spear, through over one hundred levels, you – and up to three other players – will traverse the islands, popping the bubble threat that invades your lands. 

Outer Terror Nintendo Switch Video Review 7/10 "A Set of Distorted Pixelated Nightmare Hellscapes" 📺 @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.

VIDEO REVIEW 👇

Bang On Balls - Chronicles Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "a unique, content-packed, open-world sandbox adventure" 🚀🌌🌎 @bangonballs #IndieGame #GameDev

Are you looking for a thrilling 3D game that you can enjoy with your friends?

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.