🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️ Heaven Dust 2 | Nintendo Switch | Review | 7/10 | "A charming but flawed love letter to Resident Evil" 🧟🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️ #IndieGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Over the past twelve months, I’ve played several games that are effectively love letters to Resident Evil, only one really captured the essence of the early survival horror. Heaven Dust 2 does capture some of the spirit and certain aspects do make it stand out, but at its core, it sticks so closely to the Resident Evil formula that it just becomes a facsimile without its own identity.

🏌️‍♂️⛳️ Pixel Pro Golf | iOS | Review | 7.5/10 | "A Delicious Slice Of Retro Arcade Golf" 🏌️‍♂️⛳️ @PixelProGolf @pixamogames #IndieGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Golf has always been my comfort food genre for video games. I’ve grown up playing classic golf games such as World Class Leaderboard, Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Holes, PGA European Tour, Sensible Golf, Everybody’s Golf, Neo Turf Masters and Tiger Woods on the PS2, Xbox 360 and the PSP to name just a few.

Recently I stumbled across Pixel Pro Golf on my iPhone and it’s been my go-to toilet break game for the last month or so when I have a few spare moments to play something on my phone. 

👔 The Company Man | Nintendo Switch | Gameplay | Ten Minute Taster | "Keyboard Bashing Fun!" 👔 @ForustStudio #GameDev #IndieGames

 

The Company Man is a classic action platformer where you play as average salaryman Jim. Hit your crazy coworkers with a keyboard, shoot your evil bosses with emails, and buff up with coffee beans at the Good Water Company. Survive the struggles of working life and fulfil your lifelong quest to be CEO

🎮 GameSir T4 Pro | £30 Wireless & Wired Controller | For Android + iOS + Nintendo Switch & PC 🎮 @mygamesir

Rich takes a look at the GameSir T4 Pro and takes it for a spin.

🖱️⌨️ Use Keyboard and Mouse Controls With Your Console | GameSir | VX2 Aimbox | Unboxing 🖱️⌨️ @mygamesir

 

The GameSir VX2 AimBox has become one of the most popular adapters for console gamers to control FPS games with a mouse & keyboard. This is the 2nd version of the VX2 AimBox and it now comes with a built-in 3.5mm audio jack and PS5, PS4, XBOX One, Xbox Series X, X Box Series S and Nintendo Switch games support. Through the GameSir App, you’re able to fine-tune in-game settings such as mouse, ADS, key binds, joysticks and lighting effects. Join Rich as he takes a look at this cool piece of kit!

🔥 POSTAL™ is coming to Dreamcast on June 2nd 2022! | WAVE Game Studios | @WaveGameStudios 🔥#RetroGaming

POSTAL™, the classic twin-stick shooter originally released in 1997, is due for release on the Dreamcast video games console on June 2, 2022!

Retro gaming fans will be able to experience the rapid-fire action enjoyed by millions of PC gamers later this year when WAVE Game Studios releases this officially licensed port of the classic title on Dreamcast, marking the franchise’s first appearance on the console.

🏚️👻 Insomnis | PC | Review | 3/10 | "a series of supernatural inconveniences" 🏚️👻 @Path_Games @PixelHunted #IndieGames #GameDev

For anyone born after 1980 the prospect of inheriting a haunted house doesn’t hold the fear that it did for older generations. Sure, you’re now the custodian of a dilapidated mansion with peeling wallpaper, bloodstained carpets, spooky dolls scattered everywhere, and a minor infestation of ghost kids, but if it’s a choice between that and living under the thumb of a landlord I’ll pick the ghost kids anytime.

🚂 Nostalgic Train | XSX Review | 7/10 | "A Mystical and Relaxing Walking Simulator" 🚂 #IndieGames #GameDev

Being a person that spends a lot of their time covering video games and the various paraphernalia that comes along with them, sometimes I really like to kick back and let games wash over me. I’d say that every month or so, I actively seek out a new walking simulator, a game that I can casually breeze through, relax and enjoy. Amata Games’ Nostalgic Train coasted into view and – as it was ‘that time’ – I really looked forward to getting in a bottle of wine and spending an evening or so getting lost in its charms.

💿📀 Dying Light 2 | Original Game Soundtrack | Vinyl | Composed by Olivier Deriviere | @oderiviere 💿📀 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Black Screen Records

https://blackscreenrecords.com/dying-light-2

The original Dying Light - released by Techland in 2015 - is a game that I’m very familiar with, having completed it twice (once solo and once in co-op), as well as making my way through the DLC. I always secretly pined for a vinyl release of the OST for the original as the audio was memorable, harked back to the synthtastic ‘80s and had some gorgeous melodies.

Sadly, it was not to be and so Black Screen Records announcing pre-orders for the Dying Light 2 soundtrack within a few days of the game itself being launched is very much welcomed as it’s a very strong and emotive OST that Olivier Deriviere (A Plague Tale, Streets of Rage 4) is clearly very proud of, and rightly so.

💀 Kingdom Of the Dead | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Run,Chop & Gun!" 💀 @KOTDGAME #IndieGames #GameDev

Immerse yourself in the Kingdom Of Dead, a dreadful hand-drawn horror world and push Death’s armies back to the underworld with your Shotgun, Pistol and Sword!

🎮 Can I play That on XBOX Game Pass? 🎮 #XboxGamePass

What games are on XBOX Game Pass is a phrase I often ask myself as I try and work out what to play the next.

There is so much choice now when deciding what to play next and there is also the question around should I buy my next game or should I join Game Pass?

Well, with Game Pass games changing on a regular basis it can be tough to try and work out exactly where you should get your next game from.

🕹️ History of Video Games – Bristol | "I had a quick search for anything gamey-gamey in Bristol and came across the HOVG" 🕹️ #Retrogaming #Arcade

"Whilst driving through Bristol my car doors and associated bodywork fell off exposing just me and my driver's seat!"

www.historyofvideogames.co.uk

After recently spending a hundred million ice ages in cryogenic isolation following myself and my immediate family contracting Covid, we decided a family trip was in order to get back out into the world and spent a couple of days in Bristol.

Naturally, as part of the trip planning, I had a quick search for anything gamey-gamey in Bristol and came across the HOVG, and I’m glad I did – as we had an awesome afternoon there!

🐱 Kukoos | Lost Pets | PC | Early Access | Review | "A 3D Platformer Made With Love" 🐱 #GameDev #IndieGames #IndieGame

 

Kukoos is a 3D platformer that is a clear love letter to the classic 3D platformers that have come before it but also with enough of its own magic to really bring alive the genre again on this PC release.

Kukoos is currently in Early Access on Steam and I have been lucky enough to play the game after the devs fired over a copy a couple of weeks ago for us to take a look at.

Review: Darkest Dungeon 2

The first part of Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios appeared in 2016, becoming for many gamers a real revelation. It surprised literally with everything: stylish (albeit cartoonish) drawings, high complexity, and the abundance of random events that can affect the gameplay. My initial introduction to the game was on the PlayStation Vita. And it was one of the best games on Sony's dead handheld console! Neither microscopic fonts nor FPS sagging at the most dynamic moments was a hindrance.

🎧 Syn Buds Core by Roccat | Review 🎧 @ROCCAT

It’s been a while since I used wired earphones/earbuds and – whilst the £19.99 RRP is fair, the Roccat Syn Buds Core highlight why I moved away from in-ear, noise-cancelling buds and towards over-ear / wireless versions. That said, these proved to be at their best when gaming whilst in a sedentary position.

As stated above, the Roccat Syn Buds Core come with on-wire controls and their own cloth case, very cool to include in your Switch case or to throw in your pocket as protection when on the move or possibly commuting through public transport.

🦗Flea! : Special Edition | SEGA Dreamcast | Review | 7/10 | "On the face of it that sounds quite grim" 🦗 @WaveGameStudios #GameDev #IndieGames #SEGA

Flea! is an upbeat little platformer that was originally released by its developer Lowtek Games with a very limited run for the NES and Dreamcast in 2020. This month saw the game re-released for the Dreamcast as a ‘special edition’ by the Norwich-based publisher WAVE Game Studios, complete with a separate soundtrack CD and all wrapped up in a jewel case with a PAL-style design. 

💥 SHINORUBI | PC | Review | 4/10 | "I Am A Basic Bitch When It Comes To Shmups" 💥 #IndieGame #GameDev #SHMUPS @LastBoss88 @PixelHunted

I am a basic bitch when it comes to shmups. I’ve played Treasure classics Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga, Jeff Minter’s neon ungulate work, and dabbled in a few Cave shooters. This is like being into music and only having listened to The Beatles, and vast swathes of bullet hell games have passed me by in a blizzard of neon, clashing colours, and J-rock soundtracks.

Consequently, bullet hell is a genre I admire from a distance. Deep in my bones I know I’m never going to be good at it but I can appreciate what works and what doesn’t.

All of which brings me to indie dev Last Boss 88’s SHINORUBI, a new early access title “inspired by classic shooting games”. You know the drill, pick your ship and jump into a vertically scrolling battlefield teeming with enemies, power-ups and thousands of bullets. The developers promise “all the best aspects of Japanese bullet hell games” in super shiny Ultra HD.

👹 A Gremlin In The Works | 1983-2015 | by Bitmap Books | "Quite Frankly - Bitmap Books Have Done It Again." 👹 @hardistymark @bitmap_books

https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/products/a-gremlin-in-the-works

When I previously covered Bitmap Books’ A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/10/bitmap-books-guide-to-japanese-role.html) I felt quite certain that I had read the definitive ‘gaming book’.

It was so rich with information and so well-presented and researched that I couldn’t imagine it really being bettered. It was a pleasant surprise then, when receiving A Gremlin in the Works, as the book had a totally different and arguably bigger impact on me as I read through it.

It’s extremely early days, but following my time with the book, I can very much imagine this ending up in my year-end list for 2022…and it’s currently January.

💻 What are some of the best platforms for game development? 💻

 

Designs graphics and developing a crucial part in the product and gaming industry. In any case, to make a decent game, you want the right platform and devices.

This article will address the absolute best platforms for gaming application development.

You can check here to hire a game developer.

Any excited individual making portable applications will genuinely cherish and like these developers and tools, we are going to introduce.

🏚️ House of Ashes | XSX | Review | 7.5/10 | "The Dark Pictures Anthology Continues…" 🏚️ @TheDarkPictures #GameDev #IndieGame #DarkPictures Anthology

Three games into the ongoing Dark Pictures anthology and, whilst it plays like the best entry so far, some creaky gameplay already feels like it may need updating to get the best of what this intriguing - and most of all, fun - series can offer.