The Unofficial Sega Saturn Collection Author – David Cameron (not that one) 📘 #BookReview #Retrogaming

The Sega Saturn is a console that I very much have a personal history with. A unique library of games that was bursting with originality, and is very much a system I often play to this day. David Cameron’s Unofficial Sega Saturn Collection is designed as a coffee table book to be leafed through and enjoyed as the reader picks up some titbits on favourite games – and perhaps even discovers some new gaming gold as they peruse.

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?

Hotel Renovator PS5 Review By Lowri 5.5/10 "If you're a fan of building and decorating games, then Hotel Renovator will probably be on your radar" 🪛🛠️ @2_Horizons #GameDev #IndieGame

If you're a fan of building and decorating games, then Hotel Renovator will probably be on your radar. In this game, you're tasked with remodelling a hotel, clearing away decades of junk and vermin to create a gleaming, stylish, and appealing space. With two modes - story mode and sandbox mode - you have the freedom to create the hotel of your dreams. 

X Layout X-Turbo Wrist Rest With Fan "Keeping Your Wrists Cool and Comfortable" 🌟🖱️🎮 @xlayoutofficial #Xlayout #XTurbo

 

The X-Turbo Wrist Rest With Fan is a unique accessory designed to enhance your typing and gaming experience. Whether you’re a professional gamer or spend long hours at the office, this wrist rest aims to keep you cool and comfortable. Let’s break down its features and performance.

RPM – Unofficial Retro PlayStation Magazine Review 📚📖 @2_Old_4_Gaming #PS1 #PS2 #PS3 #PSP #PSVita

I was recently alerted to a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for issue 3 of RPM – a Kickstarter that has since been wildly successful, good – and I was intrigued by the thought of a magazine that would focus on discontinued Sony consoles and systems.

Focusing on PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, and PSVita, RPM expertly mixes retrospectives, interviews, deep-dives, reviews and various other features on high quality A5, with expert layout courtesy of designer Jason Maddison (@PlaySushiUK).

The magazine feels robust and is a joy to read thanks to the design choices made and clarity of the text. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two issues, whilst the artwork and layout is fantastic, the real meat of the enjoyment for me was in the incredibly informative text, which cast fresh views on games I’ve long held dear, as well as well-researched interviews and features with nary an editorial wobble in sight.

The split of articles across each system means that there’s a lot covered in these pages, and the choice of each feature appeared to be genetically designed for me, with wonderful pieces on Syphon Filter (one of my favourite PS1 titles), Pursuit Force (one of my favourite PSP titles) and Gran Turismo (one of my favourite racing games!). If there are future pieces on The Runabout series or The Surf Coasters’ musical contributions to the PS series, COUNT. ME. IN.

With three issues being published a year, this really is a huge recommendation from us at GF, and issues can be picked up for as little as £3 via the Kickstarter page, which really is a steal as the quality on offer is exceptional, as is the production and editorial across the board.

A must for fans of Sony’s console back catalogue!

Sandeep Rai (2 Old 4 Gaming)

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.

Letters & Legends PC Review 9/10 "A Wonderful Twist on Classic Word Games" 🏹⚔️🅰️🅱️ @BowNArrowGames #IndieGame #GameDev

I live in a house of gamers. I’m lucky enough to have a partner and son that embrace video-gaming as much as I do, and through that love, I find myself playing a lot of very different genres of games, many different games – but never as many as I’d like, especially when it comes to word-based games.

The last time a word-based game really yanked my trousers down and gave me a fiver was probably Letter Quest: Grimm’s Journey back in 2015, the blending of English-centric action and fantasy gaming has been an interest of mine ever since discovering CAPCOM’s Quiz & Dragons MAME over twenty years ago, and so when a word-based games gets sent to GF HQ, my eyes light up.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 PS5 Review "Now a New Generation Can Enjoy Getting Urinated on By a Guard" 📦❗️

Bonfire night, 1998. I’m at a friend’s house for fireworks and, afterward, I watch him playing a new import with a weird name. He’s stuck in a prison cell and his only available weapon appears to be a bottle of ketchup.

I joke: “Why not squirt ketchup on the floor and lie in it so the guard thinks you’re dead?”. It works. A single shard of moonlight pierced the window to illuminate me. Trumpets played, angelic choirs sang. I had discovered Metal Gear Solid.

GEOMETRY SURVIVOR Xbox Series X Review 6.5/10 "Geometry Wars + Vampire Survivors" 🕹️ @brainseal #IndieGame #GameDev

Most people of a certain age remember the first Geometry Wars and/or its sequels. Classic twin-stick shooters in a wireframe world, the original was an Easter egg in Project Gotham Racing, back when developers occasionally did that sort of thing (Galaga on the loading screen for Tekken springs to mind).

Flash forward to today, where devs happily mine old and new concepts for inspiration. Geometry Survivor, at its most basic, is a mash-up of Geometry Wars and modern single-stick auto shooters. If you’ve played the excellent Brotato, or the quirky-yet-great Vampire Survivors then you know what I’m talking about. In fact, Geometry Wars plus Vampire Survivors gets you, well…you can see where I’m going with this.

Wipeout – CoLD SToRAGE: The Zero Gravity Soundtrack Review By Britt 💿🎶 @LapsusBarcelona #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

A truly seminal and timeless soundtrack, sought after for years, Wipeout has finally been brought into the hands of fans by Lapsus records, and it is absolutely worth the wait.

Composed by Tim Wright (A.K.A CoLD SToRAGE, a fellow Welshman) for the 1995 video game Wipeout, a futuristic racer with a heavy focus on music and atmosphere, the Wipeout soundtrack has some key tunes that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has played the game. It’s a creation of many iconic images, from the font through to the colouring, shape of the crafts that the player races, the names of each fictional company, the flow and weave of the in-game courses, and of course, the music. 

Persona 3 Reload PS5 Review 9.5/10 “A Kind of Magic” 🏫🎒 @Atlus_West #Persona3

Persona 3 was my first experience with the Persona franchise, I remember picking it up on release day, I had no idea what to expect but it was a JRPG - so it didn’t matter, for I consumed anything in that genre. What followed after playing it was a deep love, I thought it was awesome, stylish, cool, and featured a story that to me - at sixteen - felt very adult, tackling some deep issues through the lens of youth, and it resonated with me.

Then, eleven years later Persona 5 was released and it became one of my favourite gaming experiences ever, it is a top 3 game for me and I will gush about it any time I can. So, when this remake was announced I was beyond excited, it was going to be Persona 3 with the Persona 5 coat of paint - how could it not be awesome?

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 👇

West Hunt Nintendo Switch Review 6/10 🤠 @SnailGamesUSA #IndieGame #GameDev

There are plenty of online games out there for you to have fun -both solo or with multiple people -and I think with some many porting to handheld devices, you might get a bit flustered about which ones to choose from. Hopefully, after you see this review of West Hunt on the Nintendo Switch, you might have a clearer mind in terms of what you may choose.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Xbox Review 9/10 "The most fun I’ve had in a single player game in 2024" ⚔️🐲🔥👹 @DragonsDogma #DragonsDogma2

As someone who is – and will be forever – drawn towards single player RPGs, The last few months have been very, very fun. I’ve played three games that stand out in my mind for different reasons, and between them cover a lot of the main points that appeal to me about the genre at its core.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden won me over with its understated characters, music, atmospherics and earthiness, whilst Outcast: A New Beginning featured incredible traversal mechanics and lore, and now Dragon’s Dogma 2 – and out of the three, this is the title that I, by far, have the strongest history with – comes blazing out of the gate with its main strengths being in how much it embraces and excels at being a video game, completely nailing combat mechanics and explosive, immediate gameplay.

It’s a game that is a pleasure to write about, and I feel like I could just list all of my in-game experiences to get my point across because there are so many personal stories to tell, all through a design sentiment that eschews seriousness to put fun and gameplay at the absolute fore.

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.

Bitmap Books – The Unofficial N64: A Visual Compendium Review By Britt 📚📖 @bitmap_books #Retrogaming #N64

The last Bitmap Book release that we covered here at Games Freezer was the incredible From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror, a book that could very well be – and indeed is - one of the best gaming-related pieces of literature that I’ve ever had the pleasure of inhaling.

It’s a slight change of pace here, from the many forked branches of horror through to a visual compendium focused on the much beloved fan favourite Nintendo 64, whether through many a blistering, thumb-stick breaking multiplayer session of Goldeneye, marvelling at Mario in 3D, or zooming across Hyrule Fields in Zelda, there are millions of memories out there that began with that trusty trident controller in-hand.

Outcast: A New Beginning Xbox Review 7.5/10 "An Outcast No More" 💥🌴 @OutcastGame #IndieGame #GameDev

I’ve had a spotted history with Outcast, when it was originally released in 1999, I played it briefly over a friend’s house and was entranced by the world conjured and possibilities laid out. The unfortunate thing was, I didn’t have a PC that could really get the most out of it at the time, and I fell away from it – assuming that I’d return soon – but the next time I spent any time with the game was when I picked up Outcast: Second Contact in 2020, and, revisiting the game so long after release highlighted the sheer scope and imagination of developers Appeal Studios, along with the unavoidable fact that the design and mechanics were lodged in a transitory period of the third-person open-world genre, and had aged appropriately.

Thus, when I caught wind of this new entry in the franchise- pseudo-reboot, pseudo-revising, pseudo-revisiting pseudo-sequel – call it what you want – I was glad to discover that I feel that this I finally the most complete, accessible, and wonderful way to know the story of the impossibly named ‘Cutter Slade’, and appreciate the full scale of the dev’s vision. A vision set into motion almost thirty years ago.

Unstoppable PC Review 5/10 "You play a bicycle courier, tasked with delivering a mysterious package to a skyscraper" 🩸🔨 @unstoppable_go #IndieGame #GameDev

When I saw the trailer for Unstoppable, I thought “smacking things with hammers and crowbars until they die – right up my alley!” and eagerly volunteered to review the game.

But we all make mistakes. 

Welcome to ParadiZe Xbox Series X Review 6/10 "More PontinZ than ParadiZe" 🐘 #IndieGame #GameDev #PvE #Zombies

Welcome to Paradize promised a lot of zany zombie shenanigans through its trailer, but unfortunately the released game feels a watered down version of what could have been, and as the core gameplay loop is so well-worn, there’s not enough to really suck players in and chew the meat from the bones of their expectations.

I first caught wind of Welcome to Paradize a couple of months ago, and having been on a bit of an isometric / action run recently I was quite keen to start smashing and blasting some zombie heads, whilst the survival and crafting elements seemed accessible enough to have fun with, without getting bogged down in menus etc.