Pumpkin Jack is a game that’s been on my radar for a while, a 3D platformer in the vein of MediEvil – with whom it also shares a graphical style – I sadly missed the opportunity to play it around Halloween but was delighted to find, upon receiving it for review in the run-up to Christmas, that a Santa costume has been implemented for Jack to sport throughout his quest, making things festive as well as fiendish!
11 Jan 2021
💙🎮💙 Gaming Your Blues Away? How It Can Help 💙🎮💙
Image source - pixabay - cco license
There is no denying that some people agree that gaming can be a form of escapism. Many people enjoy playing games, clearing their minds from stress and worries of the day and just concentrating on something else for a while.
Right now with everything that is going on in the world, gaming can be a great way to help you combat feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.
But how can it help?
Here are some of the ways gaming could help you enjoy some escapism for a while.
10 Jan 2021
🐺🌳 Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Punchy Visual Novel With Bite" 🐺🌳 @differenttales #GameDev #IndieGames
My history with visual novels is somewhat patchy and mostly linked to stories of high school anime girls bickering in glacial stories that roll on for dozens of hours.
To be honest, my interest in them was renewed only last year with Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York which, whilst flawed, told an interesting tale in a breezy manner that was rich in lore without being bogged down by it.
9 Jan 2021
👍🕹️ Sore Thumb Retro Games Subscription Box | @SoreThumbRetro | "Which box would you sign up for? Me?…I’m thinking Master System" 👍🕹️ #RetroGaming #LootBox
Having followed them for a while on Twitter via my @kingdomofcarts account, I was really intrigued when I caught a sniff of their monthly subscription idea and, after receiving samples through the post recently, it’s definitely a service that would benefit a lot of people, especially those starting off a collection or perhaps fancy dipping into gaming of a more retro nature.
8 Jan 2021
🌵🤠🐍 Boot Hill Heroes | Review | Nintendo Switch | "There's A Snake In My Boots!" 🌵🤠🐍 @ExpGamerStudios #GameDev #IndieGames
Let it be said that I’m a sucker for pixel art retro aesthetic graphics.
Let it also be said that I love the thought of a Wild West Fantasy RPG.
Let it be known that I think that I love Boot hill Heroes for its charm and simplicity (and it’s pixel art retro aesthetic graphics)
This is the second Boot Hill game to be released on the Nintendo Switch but in fact, it is the first game in the Boot Hill series…
Last year my dear friend and fellow inhabitant of the Freezer took a close look at Boot hill Bounties which is, in fact, the second in the Boot hill series but appeared on the Switch before Boot Hill Heroes… STAY WITH ME…
Anyway, I’m sure you will agree that my explanation of the Switch specific order of these games has nothing to do with the game and how it plays so lets cut to the chase, shall we?
7 Jan 2021
🐷🐴 Animal Farm | Review | PC | "Your worst-case scenario is mass death" 🐷🐴 @AnimalFarmGame @PixelHunted #IndieGames #GameDev
At first glance, George Orwell’s classic 1945 allegorical novel Animal Farm doesn’t seem like a great candidate for a video game.
The tale of rebellious animals seizing control of their farm, banishing humans and attempting to carve out a new society is an excellent satire but contains few action sequences, no hordes of monsters to blast your way through and, as far as I can remember from studying it in school, not a single high-octane car chase.
That’s where developer Nerial comes in.
6 Jan 2021
🧟♀️🧟♂️ Unturned | Review | PS4 | "a tough sell" 🧟♀️🧟♂️ @SDGNelson #IndieGames #GameDev
A free-to-play title on the PC gets a port to PS4 at a price tag of £19.99. I don’t usually tend to focus on price and when I do, it’s usually to point out that a mobile game has had a lazy Switch port and the paywall removed which massively unbalances the game (yaaaaaay) so in the case of Unturned, things are slightly different but that knowledge of it being free on a different platform does sting, especially when the game behind it feels so empty and in-progress.
5 Jan 2021
⌚️🐶 Watch Dogs: Legion | Review | PS4 | "Nothing to get too hacked off about" ⌚️🐶
My history with Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs series is one of highs and lows, whilst the first game didn’t set my trousers alight and cause me to ingest it so that it remained a physical part of me forever, I enjoyed the hacking mechanics and remember the driving feeling weighty and substantial, this, combined with the functional narrative ended up being a pretty fun jaunt, overall.
The second game was a different beast, however. I really struggled to get any enjoyment out of it as it was not only riddled with busywork but I found every character unbelievably irritating. I played the game for a few hours but my patience wore thin and I moved onto other games, games in which dialogue wasn’t as infuriating as a Hermes parcel delivery.
This, the third game in the series was really, really hyped. It seemed to be everywhere in the months leading up to release and, coming off the back of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – which made my end of the year list – it was not only on my radar but also a title I was looking forward to, brushing off my experiences with the second game and instead fondly remembering the good times I spent with Aiden Pearce all those years ago.
Alas, I just couldn’t click with this one.
4 Jan 2021
🌾🍚🍛 Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin | Review | PS4 | "Rice has never been this much fun" 🌾🍚🍛 @XSEEDGames #IndieGames #GameDev
I dived headlong into Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin with no preconceptions of what I was about to be in for and it didn’t take long for its charms to win me over and its depth to pull me in.
A title that pulls off quite an astonishing balancing act that all holds together and feels not only rewarding but vital to the narrative.
👥 Shady Part of Me | Review | PS4 | "great puzzles, music and visuals let down by narrative and voicework" 👥 @ShadyPartOfMe #GameDev #IndieGames
A wonderfully designed puzzle game that hits real highs in terms of aesthetic, sound and mood but the whining voicework and obfuscated narrative leak through the game and wore me down to the point that I genuinely wished the game was purely music and puzzle driven with silent protagonists.
2 Jan 2021
🎧 Headset review - Gioteck HC2 Decal Edition and XH100S by Lee Manuel 🎧 @GioteckArmy #GamingHeadset
Gioteck has come to market with a couple of great budget headsets – the HC2 clocks in at under £20 and the XH100S under £15.
1 Jan 2021
🦹♂️ Kunai | Review | PC | "Kunai might win the prize for best/worst bad guy name" 🦹♂️ @TurtleBlaze #GameDev #IndieGames
Kunai might win the prize for best/worst bad guy name.
The antagonist is an evil AI named Lemonkus.
I know!
Anyhow, Lemonkus has pretty much achieved Bender's dream of killing all humans, leaving the planet mostly populated by robots.
Your character is Tabby, a robot ninja with a tablet for a face, giving him a big range of expressions, from the default cheery grin to a full-on nutcase glare.
31 Dec 2020
🧭 Britt’s Brief Bulletin | Nintendo Switch | Review | ORD | 7/10 | "A stark, experimental text adventure" 🧭 #IndieGames #GameDev @RatalaikaGames
30 Dec 2020
👻🧛♂️ Othercide | PS4 | First 30 Minutes Gameplay | No Commentary | "A Turn-Based Game Oozing With Atmosphere" 👻🧛♂️ @OthercideGame #IndieGames #GameDev
As Humanity’s last hope, lead your army of Daughters to combat in an intricate dance of spectacular actions and counters and face fearsome bosses in epic battles.
Othercide is dark and brooding and oozes atmosphere. I can't tell you what's going on as I haven't got a clue but its sure as hell a cool video game!
Sit back and relax for the next 30 minutes as we take you through the first 30 minutes of gameplay from this sleeper hit of 2020!
29 Dec 2020
🏎️💨 Britts Brief Bulletin | Nintendo Switch | Review | Ramp Car Jumping | 6/10 | "Does what it says on the tin" 🏎️💨 @BoomBitGames #GameDev #IndieGames
28 Dec 2020
👹🐉 Monster Sanctuary | Ten Minute Taster | Nintendo Switch | "Stardew Valley Meets Pokemon" 👹🐉 @moi_rai_ #GameDev #IndieGames
Monster Sanctuary is a monster-taming RPG with party-based combat and Metroidvania-like exploration.
New monsters provide additional strategic options in combat and allow you to overcome obstacles to explore new areas and find hidden treasures.
The turn-based combat focuses on team synergy and combos, distinguishing Monster Sanctuary from other popular monster collecting games.
As the youngest heir of an ancient bloodline of proud Monster Keepers, you step out into the world to follow in your ancestors' footsteps. You will gather a party of monsters to grow and train.
Meanwhile, a series of unsettling events worry the experienced Keepers of the Monster Sanctuary.
This is the beginning of a journey to unravel the cause of a mystery that threatens the peace between humans and monsters.
27 Dec 2020
👾🛸 Space Invaders Forever | Ten Minute Taster | Nintendo Switch | "Time To Blast Those Invaders Forever" 👾🛸 #SpaceInvaders
Space Invaders Forever is out on the Nintendo Switch and I have been taking a look at it for Games Freezer.
When I first saw this I thought here we go, another attempt to cash in on one of legendary video games franchises from the history of this wonderful medium.
After playing this collection of 3 games I'm both surprised and a little disappointed with what is on offer here on the Nintendo Switch version of Space Invaders Forever.
26 Dec 2020
🧶 KATAMARI DAMACY REROLL | PS4 | Ten Minute Taster | "Roll Roll Roll The Boat" 🧶 #GameDev #IndieGame
Check out the remaster of the timeless roll-em-up action game and help restore all of the stars that the King of All Cosmos destroyed from the sky!
Roll the balls called Katamari, which grow by collecting a variety of items in their path, from pencils to cars, to people and much more!
Growing the Katamari will turn them back into stars and bring the night lights back.
Affiliate Game Link: https://amzn.to/2J8lcnS
25 Dec 2020
🥊 Worms Rumble | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Worms Get Ready To Rummmble!" 🥊 @WormsTeam17 #WormsRumble
24 Dec 2020
23 Dec 2020
🏎️💨 80s Overdrive | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Miami Vice Meets Outrun" 🏎️💨 @InsaneCode #80soverdrive #GameDev #IndieGames
22 Dec 2020
🏆 Rich's Games Of The Year (& Honourable Mentions) 2020 🏆 #IndieGames #GameDev #GamersUnite
21 Dec 2020
💰🏎️💨 Car Trader Simulator | PC | Review | Who would have thought the world of second-hand car trading could be so compelling? 💰🏎️💨 @livemotiongames @PixelHunted #GameDev #IndieGames
20 Dec 2020
🎮🎄 The Best Video Games Console Christmas Presents From 1979 to 2001 🎮🎄 #Retrogaming #GamersUnite
My sister got a Pong machine in the early 80s for Christmas and I can barely remember it but after that Christmas, I was always eager for a Christmas video game or a console to be popped into my Christmas stocking.
There was the classic Christmas when I was desperate for a ZX Spectrum +2 but Dad got me an ATARI XEGS but I loved it!
Christmas is a great time for a gamer as you seem to get that bit of extra downtime to play your new games before your next helping of cold turkey in a roll.
Let's kick off our Christmas look by hurtling back in time to December 1979...
19 Dec 2020
😎🎮 Britt's Brief Bulletin | Mini Review | Pixel Ripped 1995 | 8/10 | "A joyous jaunt in a virtual, ‘90s world" 😎🎮 @PixelRipped #GameDev #IndieGames #PSVR
18 Dec 2020
🏆 Britt’s Games of the Year (& Honourable Mentions) 2020 🏆 #IndieGames #GameDev #GamersUnite
This year has been a bit of a different one for me in that some titles that really drew me in were quite flawed and so playing through them was occasionally a bittersweet experience but they made a mark that I can’t ignore.
This isn’t a ‘top ten’ list in any order but rather a list of games that still spring to mind as we approach the end of a pretty challenging and tumultuous year.
Weather-wise, it’s a miserable day here in Cardiff so to brighten things up, let’s talk video games.
17 Dec 2020
🪔🧞♀️ Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World Coming 2021 🪔🧞♀️ @ININ_Games
ININ Games and STUDIOARTDINK have announced the pre-order start of three limited editions for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World.
All three limited editions are available for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, exclusively via the Strictly Limited Games Partner Store.
The limited editions as well as the retail editions of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World will be released in 2021.
16 Dec 2020
⚔️🛡️ Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A solid title that just misses the mark, for me" ⚔️🛡️ @cornfox #IndieGames #GameDev
Game Title: Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm
Platform Reviewed: Switch
Rating: 6.5/10
I’m always dubious about mobile ports to the Switch, having been burned by some pretty lazy examples in the past. With Oceanhorn 2, however, I was so taken by the trailer that I had to have a crack at it, as I fancied an open-world adventure that I could play on the move (well…in bed).
Whilst the game is pretty, runs well and appears to tick all the boxes, it, unfortunately, felt a touch bland and as such, I couldn’t get fully hips deep in the experience.
🎮 9 Video Game Features That Hook Gamers for Hours 🎮
Source: Pexel
Since COVID, online and mobile games are the most common way of leisure in 2020.
People are either tuned to their mobile screens or their gaming consoles for hours on games that are simple yet fun.
Ever wondered what keeps people tuned to their gaming devices?
Why do they spend so much time playing games?
And most importantly, what makes games like Flappy Bird create new gaming records?
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the most tempting game features that make people play an online game for endless hours.
Let's get started.
15 Dec 2020
👾🛸 Space Invaders Forever | Nintendo Switch | Review | "Time To Blast Those Invaders FOREVER!" 👾🛸 #SpaceInvaders
14 Dec 2020
💻 FUZE4 | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Nintendo Switch Coding 4 All" 💻 @FUZEArena #GameDev #IndieGames
13 Dec 2020
🎮🕹️💰 The Ultimate Games Freezer Retro Console & Computers eBay Sold Prices Guide 🎮🕹️💰 #RetroGaming #GamersUnite
I'm always on the lookout for retro gaming related items to buy, even though I haven't really got the room and I generally settle for emulation over physical hardware due to space constraints.
But sometimes I just like looking around eBay and fantasising about owning an AMSTRAD CPC and playing football manager 2 on it all day long.
12 Dec 2020
⛏️ Death Tales | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | "Cometh The Reaper" ⛏️ @ArcadeDistiller #GameDev #IndieGames
11 Dec 2020
⚔️🐲 Outward | Ten Minute Taster | PART II | PC Gameplay | "Lets Make A Character" ⚔️🐲 @deepsilver #GameDev #IndieGames
10 Dec 2020
⚔️🔥🍗 OUTWARD | Ten Minute Taster | PART I | PC | "Buckle Up For An Old School Adventure!" ⚔️🔥🍗 @Outwardgame #outwardgame #IndieGames #GameDev
9 Dec 2020
🎄🎁 Geeky Christmas Jumpers From Numskull | "Willy Wonka & Sonic The Hedgehog Join Forces!" 🎄🎁 @NumskullDesigns
8 Dec 2020
🎮🎮 XBOX SERIES X & S VENOM Single Dock Charging Station | Unboxing & Impressions 🎮🎮
XBOX SERIES X & S VENOM Single dock charging station complete with rechargeable battery pack
Powerful 850Mah rechargeable battery pack offers fast efficient charging and up to 15 hours of gameplay off one full charge
Drop and go design removes the need to connect fiddly wires
Designed to aesthetically complement the Xbox One series x console
front LED charge indicator glows red when charging before turning Green when power is fully Restored
Includes Detachable 2 metre USB cable to allow flexible placement
additional rear USB port to allow charging of other devices
Continues to charge when the console is placed in standby mode
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3q3RxwO
7 Dec 2020
🐲 Bubble Bobble 4 Friends | The Baron Is Back | Ten-minute Taster | "Pop Some Bubbles With Bub N Bob" 🐲 @TAITO
6 Dec 2020
🌉 Bridge Constructor The Walking Dead | PS4 | Ten Minute Taster | Zombie Lemmings 🌉 @HeadupGames #BCTWD #IndieGames #GameDev
5 Dec 2020
☢️🪓 Endzone: A World Apart | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | Part 2 | Tutorial ☢️🪓 @AssembleTeam #GameDev #IndieGames
4 Dec 2020
🛠️☢️ Endzone: A World Apart | Ten Minute Taster | PC | PART 1 "It's Time To Rebuild The World" ☢️🛠️ @AssembleTeam #IndieGames #GameDev
3 Dec 2020
🧠 Observer : System Redux | Gameplay | No Commentary | "Eat Their Dreams!" 🧠 @BlooberTeam #GameDev #IndieGames
Observer: System Redux
EAT THEIR DREAMS
Using a device known as the Dream Eater, hack into the minds of the dead and dying to relive their final moments, to explore their fears and obsessions. Delve into these twisted neural mazes and search for clues that will help you find the elusive killer. But beware: the deeper you go, the greater the risk of losing your own sanity.
2 Dec 2020
🧠 Observer: System Redux | Ten Minute Taster | PART II 🧠 @BlooberTeam #IndieGames #GameDev
BECOME A NEURAL DETECTIVE
You play as Daniel Lazarski, an elite investigator of the future portrayed by late cyberpunk icon Rutger Hauer. As an Observer, you hack into the minds of suspects to extract clues and evidence. Anything they felt, thought, or remembered can and will be used to solve your case.
1 Dec 2020
🧟♂️ Outbreak: The Nightmare Chronicles | Review | Nintendo Switch | "claustrophobic, early survival horror tropes return" 🧟♂️ @deaddropstudios #GameDev #IndieGames
Game Title: Outbreak: The Nightmare Chronicles
Developer: Dead Drop Studios LLC
Platform Reviewed: Switch
Having recently played the preceding titles in Dead Drop Studios LLC’s Outbreak series, I was keen to see how the third entry would play out. As it turns out, this is more akin to the first in the series – Outbreak: The New Nightmare – in that the fixed camera angles and more claustrophobic, early survival horror tropes return.
This is a good thing, though, as the studio has improved on a lot of irritations from that early game, although some issues do remain.
30 Nov 2020
🕹️ Britt Interviews: Robbie Collin - "Chief Film Critic At The Telegraph and Commodore 64 Le Mans Player At The Age Of 3" 🕹️ @robbiereviews #RetroGaming
Being chief film critic at The Telegraph for almost a decade, Robbie Collin certainly knows his Akira Kurosawa from his Al Cliver but I had no idea that he was also a fan of video games.
In a recent Twitter post, Robbie shared a picture of his children playing Daytona USA at The Heart of Gaming in London (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heart_of_Gaming) – good – and I leapt upon the opportunity to learn about a totally different facet of his life.
A facet completely removed from his career of film criticism, a facet in which, instead of looking at a screen, he looks at a screen whilst also moving his thumbs slightly.
29 Nov 2020
🕵️♀️ Observer : System Redux | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "The Neural Detective Is Back" 🕵️♀️ @BlooberTeam #IndieGames #GameDev
The year is 2084.
In a dark cyberpunk world shattered by plagues and wars, become a neural detective and hack into the minds of others.
Rebuilt and augmented for the next-generation, Observer: System Redux is the definitive vision of one of the most acclaimed cyberpunk stories in games.
27 Nov 2020
🍕 Lunch-a-Palooza Review By Lee, A & J | "Although there's no shortage of colourful party games at the moment, I'm always up for another one." 🍕 @AlternSoftware #GameDev #IndieGames
Although there's no shortage of colourful party games at the moment, I'm always up for another one.
In the far distant past when we were still allowed within a mile of our friends, a group of us would often get together and swear at each other while playing Heave Ho, Jackbox, and Wario Ware.
So I approached Lunch-a-Palooza expecting another one for the rotation.