3 Sept 2024
Lakeview Cabin Collection PS5 Review 8.5/10 “A Love Letter To Classic Horror” ๐ช๐️ #indieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev
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.
16 Aug 2024
Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand Xbox Review 7.5 / 10 "Atlas falls, and rises again!" ⚔️ @Deck13_de @Focus_entmt #IndieGame #GameDev
Atlas Fallen is the newest release from Deck13 - the team behind Lords of the Fallen and the Surge series – and, whilst it was initially released in 2023 to mixed reviews, this free update to the Reign of Sand edition aims to fix some key issues that affected the initial release, namely:
- An expanded world
- New enemies and challenges
- Revamped progression
- New quests
- Reworked voice acting
- Additional difficulty mode and a New Game+ mode
I didn’t cover the initial release and so can’t really do direct comparisons; and so I’ll review the Reign of Sand version of Atlas Fallen completely on its own merits.
15 Aug 2024
Fading Afternoon Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A powerful game… for some" ⛅️ @shin_yeo #IndieGameDev #GameDev #IndieGame
Fading Afternoon was an oddly tough game to review because its unique blend of genres - life simulation & 2D brawling – and its player-driven gameplay (as opposed to narratively driven) can lead to a sense of aimless meandering as much as it can seem a deep and powerful experience.
12 Aug 2024
Retro Revengers Xbox Review 7/10 "Retro Revenge is Sweet" ๐น️ @shinyuden @RatalaikaGames #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev
7 Aug 2024
Over Horizon X Steel Empire Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "An MD Fave Returns!" ๐ฅ☄️ @ININ_Games #Retrogaming
6 Aug 2024
Project 13 PS5 Review 7/10 “Has that plant always been there?” ๐ชด @DRYBREAD_games #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev
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!
25 Jul 2024
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!
23 Jul 2024
Crow Country XBOX Review 7.5/10 "A throwback survival horror with narrative depth" ๐ฆ⬛๐ @SFBTom @SFBDim #GameDev #IndieGame
19 Jul 2024
Justice League: Cosmic Chaos Xbox Review 7.5/10 "A fun, family-friendly title with surprisingly cool music" ๐ฆ @PHLCollective @Outright_Games #GameDev #IndieGame
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.
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.
10 Jul 2024
Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries Xbox Review 7/10 "Werewolves and Ghosts, oh my!" ๐บ๐ป @RatalaikaGames #IndieGames #GameDev
8 Jul 2024
Crime Boss: Rockay City (2024) XSX Review 7/10 "A kick-ass cast in a game that once got its ass kicked" ๐ฅ @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.
2 Jul 2024
The Glass Staircase PS5 Review 7.5/10 “Mind The Step” ๐️ @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.
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.
11 Jun 2024
Little Kitty, Big City XSX Review 7.5/10 "The purr-fect game to play with kids" ๐ธ ๐️ @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!
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.