Life On Mars: Genesis is the next game from Kai Magazine Software, the company that brought us Metal Dragon. Whereas that game was a humorous run ‘n gun title, Life On Mars: Genesis takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping almost as much as RPGs on the system, Metroidvania. The Mega Drive was starved of several genres – and true sequels to Landstalker… - and the Metroidvania genre was certainly one of those.
27 Aug 2022
💥 Life on Mars - Genesis | "It takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping" 💥
Life On Mars: Genesis is the next game from Kai Magazine Software, the company that brought us Metal Dragon. Whereas that game was a humorous run ‘n gun title, Life On Mars: Genesis takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping almost as much as RPGs on the system, Metroidvania. The Mega Drive was starved of several genres – and true sequels to Landstalker… - and the Metroidvania genre was certainly one of those.
26 Aug 2022
⚔️🪓 Video Game Fables PC (Steam) Review 8/10 "Laugh as You Level" ⚔️🪓 @MomijiStudios #IndieGames #GameDev
It’s always a pleasure to come across a game that has been created as a labour of love, and Video Game fables is very much that.
Developed by one-man team Momiji Studios (with music provided by Levc EGM), Video Game Fables is primarily a turn-based RPG with an open-world structure, but is also packed with mini-games and asides – from the website:
"Video Game Fables" is a fun, light-hearted RPG adventure set in an abandoned RPG game world that hasn't had a player in decades.
The world's script gets completely ruined by someone calling herself "The Forsaken Princess."
It's up to Aru (the world's princess), Nate (an NPC aspiring to be a hero), and Tator (the villain's son) to get things back to normal...or maybe change everything forever.”
25 Aug 2022
🕹️🧦 Britt's Arcade Paradise Launch Day Diary - "As the whole experience was an almost surreal one, I thought I’d document it here" 🧦🕹️ @KingWashArcade
As mentioned before on the site, Arcade Paradise was quite a unique gaming experience for me, in that my band’s music was part of the game’s soundtrack, and so I couldn’t review the finished product, as I was too close to it (my editor Rich recently reviewed the game, however) but it did mean that I was invited to the launch party up in London in a venue located at the Leake Street Arches. As the whole experience was an almost surreal one, I thought I’d document it here, more from my perspective as a musician than a writer for GF.
24 Aug 2022
😼 Astro Aqua Kitty Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Mike, do you want to review Astro Aqua Kitty or Human Fall Flat?" "Oooh the cat one please!" 🙀 @TIKIPODltd #IndieGames #GameDev
Astro Aqua Kitty is significantly less traumatising than those two but still offers a pretty hefty challenge and a surprisingly deep RPG system for a game about adorable cats in their adorable submarines.
23 Aug 2022
💥 Bright Memory: Infinite Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 “The Little Console That Could” 💥 @FYQD_Studio #GameDev #IndieGames
The Switch will always have a place in my heart as “the little console that could”.
Many unlikely games have made their way to Nintendo’s smash dual-function console, with the ports of DOOM, DOOM: Eternity and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus all delivering intense first-person action in the palm of your hand (albeit with many technical cutbacks).
22 Aug 2022
⚔️ The Tale Of Bistun Xbox Review 6/10 "A little less conversation, a little more action…" ⚔️ @IMGNPRO @Bart_IMGN #GameDev #IndieGames
The Tale of Bistun appeared to be an interesting prospect. It’s a heavily narrative-driven adventure, and most that we Western audiences are exposed to commonly involve a modern setting and/or some sort of zombie apocalypse. So, this was certainly something new.
I can safely say that this is the first game I have played that is based on a Persian poem, namely Khosrow and Shirin, written by Nizami Ganjavi in the 12th century. I won’t go into what the poem is about because it unfolds in front of you as you play the game.
3 of the best FPS games in 2022
https://unsplash.com/photos/GfrWnNkzOkE |
Trust Gaming Back to School and Gaming Week Deals - Save Up To 50%
Trust Gaming are running promotions with deals of up to 50% off and there are plenty of options on gaming accessories and computer peripherals including ergonomic mice, 4K webcams, streaming microphones and gaming headsets and keyboards.
Build-up to Christmas with a Sonic the Hedgehog Figurine Builder calendars | "Figurines are for life not just for Christmas!" @NumskullDesigns
Those cheeky monkeys at NumSkull have released a Sonic The Hedgehog countdown calendar where you get to build the blue maestro piece by piece over the course of the Christmas Countdown!
💰 Top 4 Popular Online Casino Games in the World 💰
14 Aug 2022
🐑 Cult Of The Lamb Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay 🐑 @cultofthelamb #IndieGames #GameDev
In Cult Of The Lamb you can start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venture out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
13 Aug 2022
🧛 Vampire Survivors Adds 20 new ‘spells’ and a nifty Steam Deck feature... ♰ @poncle_vampire #IndieGames #GameDev
Creeping ever closer to v1.0 like a true creature of the night, Vampire Survivors has released patch 0.10.109
This update added a host of new cheat codes spells that can be used to unlock Arcanas (see below for the full list and a new trick to unlocking the secret menu), as well as an on-screen keyboard option in the Secrets menu so Steam Deck and Gamepad users can type them out.
12 Aug 2022
11 Aug 2022
🕹️👖🩲🩳🧦 Arcade Paradise PC Review 9.5/10 "The LaundCade Is Now OPEN!" 🕹️👖🩲🩳🧦 @WiredP @Withnailmarwood @nosebleedgames #IndieGames #GameDev
As soon as I was crawling around on a Laundrette floor searching for chewing gum and plastic bottles I knew Arcade Paradise had me by the trousers and it was wrenching them off me.
Arcade Paradise follows the story of a son who is given the opportunity to make something of himself by his dad by taking over the family laundrette business.
Every day you will drag your arse into the laundrette on the bus and then the day job will begin. You’ll be presented with the benign tasks of running a laundrette such as unblocking the toilet, emptying the cash hoppers, taking the rubbish out and filling the safe with last night's takings.
Once you’re done with that you’ll have to get as many washes on the go as you can and then be ready to pop those washes in the dryer as soon as the wash cycle ends. Once dried you’ll need to get those clothes back into the collection area for your customers to collect.
Spinning all these plates will ensure that your laundrette business keeps the money rolling in.
9 Aug 2022
🐢⚔️ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge XBOX Review 9/10 "It’s More Than Worth… 'Shelling Out' For!" 🐢⚔️ @PixelHunted @Dotemu #IndieGames #GameDev
Shameless nostalgia tweaking usually doesn’t do much for me. It’s self-indulgent, a crutch for lazy writing, and once the initial thrill of “ooh, I recognize that” is out of the way things rapidly get boring.
But Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a laser-guided missile of early 90s bliss aimed right at my heart, and I was powerless to resist.
8 Aug 2022
🎧EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Closed Acoustic Wireless Earbuds with Dongle 🎧 @eposaudiogaming
‘Leave the world behind with no compromise audio delivered by GTW 270 Hybrid wireless earbuds.
Its unique shape ensures a secure and comfortable fit for hours of high-end audio playback.
As an EPOS Hybrid product, the GTW 270 Hybrid delivers multiple connection options; Bluetooth® or aptX™ Low Latency connection with the USB-C dongle.
Escape to new worlds while on the go.’
7 Aug 2022
6 Aug 2022
🧟♀️ REDO! XBOX Review 5/10 "You are scratching a living as the last surviving human..." 🧟♀️ @REDO_99 #IndieGames #GameDev
REDO! is a 2D Metroidvania set in a dystopic future where you are scratching a living as the last surviving human.
That is until you receive a message from a mysterious person who wants to meet, kicking off your adventure.
5 Aug 2022
🚘🧳🧸 Car Boot Carnage Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay 🚘🧳🧸 @JCT600
4 Aug 2022
🩸📸 MADiSON PS5 Review 6.5/10 “Many Scares To Be Had, But Far Too Formulaic” 🩸📸 @transvaalgf @MADiSON_Game #IndieGames #GameDev
MadiSon is a first-person psychological horror game, in which you play as Luca, who wakes up to find his hands covered in blood, and his father screaming at him through a door, questioning how he could ‘do this to the people he loved.
It’s a very exciting and tense opening!
You manage to escape the room and now explore your grandparent’s home, where you learn its dark secrets and understand how Luca has come to be in this position.
3 Aug 2022
🥷 Shadow Gangs Dreamcast Review 8/10 "More Ninja Action Than You Can Shake a Katana At!" 🥷 @ShadowGangs @WaveGameStudios #IndieGames #GameDev
The next step on WAVE Game Studios’ quest for Dreamcast world domination, Shadow Gangs is a 2D platformer (mostly) that takes a lot of inspiration from the arcade classic Shinobi, in terms of visuals and gameplay.
You are Master Dan, a ninja master who sets out to take down a ninja army and rescue his family in a plot that’s so ninja-centric that it feels like it was written by Godfrey Ho. Good.
2 Aug 2022
👿🥧 Hell Pie Xbox Series X Review 7.5/10 "A wonderfully ghastly concoction straight from Satan’s kitchen" 👿🥧 @SluggerflyDev #GameDev #IndieGames
Warning lights flash in my mind whenever games go for humour - as so often cheap gags and lazy writing are brought to the fore at the cost of gameplay, or perhaps the humour doesn’t connect with you personally.
So every attempt at it elicits a sigh. However, the trailer for Hell Pie showed what seemed to the naked eye to be a surprisingly polished 3D platformer. Having fancied this genre for a while - the last I played was the sublime A Hat in Time - I thought I’d give Hell Pie a goosey, and by Jove, it was a wise move.
1 Aug 2022
🧛 Vampire Survivors PC Gameplay 🧛@poncle_games #IndieGames #GameDev
31 Jul 2022
🕷️⚔️ Baldur's Gate : Dark Alliance 2 Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay ⚔️🕷️
An unspeakable evil has returned to the legendary city of Baldur's Gate. A call for adventurers echoes through the embattled land. Cunning warriors and bold magic users are desperately needed to reclaim Baldur's Gate from dark sorcery that threatens all in its path.
30 Jul 2022
🕺 Human Fall Flat Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay "I Fall FLAT!" 🕺 @curvegames #IndieGames #GameDev
29 Jul 2022
💙 Safe In Our World #SafeMentaliTEE "The Greatest Moments of Our Retrogaming Journey" 💙 @SquaredSeven @SafeInOurWorld
It was about 10 years ago when I first had the thought.
I was bored with the daily grind of my life and how I was spending my free time. I was in a rut and I knew I wanted to do something to get out of that rut. It was time to do something for myself to enrich my life and feed the inner creativity that had been buried deep inside me.
The problem was that I didn't have a clue where to start or what to do.
28 Jul 2022
🎮 Gamedec Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "A Combat-Free Cyberpunk Tale" 🎮 @GamedecTheGame @AnsharStudios #GameDev #IndieGames
I’ve been following the development of Gamedec for a couple of years, playing the PC preview back in 2020 really gave me a taste for the thought of a choice-rich RPG that was bereft of any combat in the core gameplay.
I think at the time, I’d covered a handful of games with clunky combat and the thought of an RPG fully focussed on the dialogue / investigative side of things seemed a very cool way to go.
27 Jul 2022
🐲⚔️ Souldiers Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A Lot of Dungeon for Your Dollar" 🐲⚔️ @souldiersgame @plugindigital #IndieGames #GameDev
I’m not a completist. I’m not all about getting 100% on games. I didn’t even think about trying to hunt down all TWO HUNDRED pigeons hidden across the vast map of GTA4, for example, just for the sake of a fleeting smirk of satisfaction and a digital plaque on my avatar’s wall.
26 Jul 2022
🔪 The Quarry Xbox Series X Review 8.5/10 "The Best Supermassive Title Yet" 🔪 @SuperMGames #TheQuarry
We at GF – specifically, myself and Transvaal – are big fans of Supermassive Games’ approach to the horror genre, especially in the ‘one session and done’ The Dark Pictures Anthology series, which appears to be growing stronger with each release. And so we approached The Quarry with the (little) hope that we’d be in for a good time watching people have bad times, and that hope was rewarded with – what we believe to be – the best Supermassive Games release yet.
25 Jul 2022
🦋 Mothmen 1966 Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay 🦋 @ChorusWorldwide #IndieGames #GameDev
Mothmen 1966 is the first in a new series of interactive adventures: Pixel Pulps. Created by novelist Nico Saraintaris and artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel, Pixel Pulps are a fusion of exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics. The first volume comprises three games: Mothmen 1966, Varney Lake, and Bahnsen Knights.
📀💿 Immerse Yourself in Nostalgia with Video Game Music Essentials: Ben Briggs 📀💿 @bbriggsmusic @FiragaRecords @MateriaStore #VideoGameMusic
Firaga Records to celebrate talented artist Ben Briggs with a full spectrum album covering everything from Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Galaxy.
24 Jul 2022
📀💿 Britt’s Vinyl Fantasies #4 📀💿 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl
My last Vinyl Fantasies was back in April ‘22, and since then a lot of gold has been handed to me by my friendly neighbourhood postman, meaning that I have to talk about the wonderful albums that have been causing tiny revolutions to happen in my house over and over again.
As usual, the records are presented in no particular order.
23 Jul 2022
💿📀 Matt Gray Reformation LIMITED EDITION Vinyl Release Review 💿📀 @mattgrayc64 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl
22 Jul 2022
🏯Bright Memory: Infinite Xbox Series X Review 8/10 "I'm No Cosmologist" 🏯 @FYQD_Studio #IndieGame #GameDev
21 Jul 2022
🧛 Vampire Survivors Receives Patch 9.0 🧛 #IndieGames #GameDev
After 100,000 positive Steam user reviews (including classics like “3 dollar cocaine”)
Vampire Survivors receives Patch 9.0 on 21/07/22 (5 pm BST/ 2 pm EDT/9 am PDT)
This means they’re closing in on v1.0...🧛
Documentary Review: Goldenera The Legend of GoldenEye 007 Revealed 🎬🎮 @GoldenEraDoco #RetroGaming #007 #JamesBond
A full-length documentary about ‘the most important video game ever made’, Goldenera is a pretty robust documentary that covers the background, creation, release, and impact of Rare’s seminal 1997 title, Goldeneye.
A title that fuelled millions of hours of gaming upon its release, and for a lot of people, was the nucleus for some of their most treasured videogame memories.
20 Jul 2022
🛸👽 The Anacrusis PC Ten Minute Taster Gameplay 🛸👽 @anacrusisgame #IndieGame #GameDev
19 Jul 2022
📖✅ Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’em-Ups Review | "I’ll see you at the player select screen" #VideoGameBooks
💰 Fantastic Deals On Trust Gaming Gear! 💰
Even though Prime Day has passed here are some fantastic deals from gaming specialist Trust that are currently live on retailers Argos and Very, running up until the 2nd of August.
With up to fifty per cent off, there are great savings to be made on streaming mics, gaming headsets, gaming chairs, speakers and mice.
⚔️🐴🤖 Shared open-world RPG Tower of Fantasy Reveals New Trailer ⚔️🐴🤖 @ToF_EN_Official #ToF #Toweroffantasy
Level Infinite and Hotta Studios, the creators of the shared open-world adventure Tower of Fantasy, released a new character trailer today that introduces the vibrant and unique characters that will be featured in the game when it releases this year.
Premier Audio Brand EPOS Relaunches Wireless Gaming Earbuds with Highly Requested Mic Feature
The GTW 270 Hybrid wireless earbuds from premium audio company EPOS are stacked with key features sought out by gamers: low-latency wireless technology, closed acoustic sound, multifunctionality between devices and ergonomic shape for comfort.
18 Jul 2022
🤼♂️ Big Bang Pro Wrestling Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay 🤼♂️
Muscle-bound wrestlers take the stage for a bombastic all-out brawl! Easy controls allow you to pull off sick and devastating special moves from the push of a button!
-10 fighters to choose from including fledging newbies, masked wrestlers, and hulking heavyweights! The ring is calling you!
-Each wrestler comes with their own personalized Finishing Move. Fulfill the proper conditions and let it rip to win the fight!
-Change up the rules with exciting modes like Coffin Death Match where your goal is to toss your opponent into a coffin.
17 Jul 2022
🐝 APICO Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay 🐝@apico_game #InidieGames #GameDev
APICO is a laid-back beekeeping sim game about breeding, collecting, & conserving bees! Set in a series of lush environments, APICO uniquely combines resource gathering, biology, and beekeeping minigames, taking ideas from a mix of real-life and fantasy apiculture & floriculture.
16 Jul 2022
💿📀🎶 Wayo Records Interview (Jonathan Khersis) 💿📀🎶 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl
Established over a decade ago in Paris, French record label Wayô Records have made a name for themselves by releasing consistently high-quality albums such as Actraiser, Across the Worlds and Metal Slug X, to name but a few, as well as some truly gorgeous music boxes.
I caught up with Jonathan Khersis to find out the history of the label and it’s clear that this is very much a passion-driven company that goes far beyond standard releases.
15 Jul 2022
🚨👮 Autobahn Police Simulator 3 Review 4.5/10 "New ideas can’t paper over the issues that carry through the series" 🚔 @AerosoftGmbH #IndieGames #GameDev
I reviewed Autobahn Police Simulator 2 back at the end of 2020, and, whilst I enjoyed my time with the game, the unavoidable technical issues really hacked away at what was a solid premise with some great ideas floating around. In my review of the previous entry, I stated:
“Whilst Autobahn Police Simulator 2 is a tough one to recommend due to the above-mentioned issues, I really hope that a third game comes out and has more time spent on the basics such as camera work, animation, controls and overall smoothness.”
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
14 Jul 2022
🎧🖱️EKSA launches its Fenrir E7000 Gaming Headset and EM600 RGB Advanced PC Gaming Mouse for the 'Ultimate Gaming Setup' 🎧🖱️ @EKSAtech
With an eleven-year history of developing and manufacturing gaming products for top global brands, peripheral experts EKSA is pleased to announce the release of two new gaming products, the Fenrir E7000 Gaming Headset and 2022 Red Dot winning EM600 advanced PC gaming mouse.
The EKSA Fenrir E7000 Gaming Headset is available from the EKSA website, Amazon for $35.99 and Amazon UK £35.99 and the EM600 gaming mouse is available from the EKSA website, Amazon for $25.99 and Amazon UK £29.99.