Mining Mechs Xbox Review 7.5/10 "A budget title that drills down deep into the well of fun" ⛏️ @DelayedVictory_ @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

It’s always fun to cover smaller games that are under a fiver, as it’s always pleasant to be surprised by a game that may otherwise have passed me by. Mining Mechs is a game that was released on Steam in 2023 and has now been ported to consoles. I played Mining Mechs on the XSX, and was quite won over by the core gameplay loop, surprisingly catchy music, silly humour, and pixel visuals.

The Story of Thor: A Successor of The Light – Britt's Vinyl Review 💿📀 #vgm #videogamevinyl #vinyl #vinylrecords #OST

Originally released on the Sega Mega Drive back in 1994, as part of the 30-year celebrations, Wayo Records have released this deluxe 2-disc vinyl set, with audio captured as purely as possible for absolute authenticity.

Known as Beyond Oasis in North American markets, the game was Ancient’s take on the Zelda formula, and tells the story of Prince Ali, who has found a golden armlet and must travel the land of Oasis, visiting four spirits in order to gain the eventual powers and abilities to defeat a rising evil who has located the corresponding silver armlet.

The music for The Story of Thor was composed by the mighty Yuzo Koshiro, someone that Wayo Records have previously worked with in their release of ActRaiser, and I’m sure is a luminary that our readers here will be very much aware of from his incredible resume of solid gold on the 16-bit machines. Heck, we named our son after one of his characters!

Liberte Xbox Review 5/10 "A promising premise that has issues throughout" 🫡🗼 @LiberteGame #IndieGame #GameDev

A Lovecraftian action-adventure game with horror elements set in 17th century France, Liberte was subtly on my radar for a little while leading up to its release, and I was quite intrigued as it had been a while since I’d played a game in the action-adventure genre.

Unfortunately, Liberte has quite a few technical issues that bear down on a game that ends up feeling feels unrewarding and unfortunately – a missed opportunity.

Antank Gaming SiWiQu Nintendo Switch Dock S3 | Unboxing & Setup 🎮 @Antankgaming

Rich takes a look at the Antank Gaming SiWiQu Switch Dock S3 which is portable and Compact: The dock has the classic red and blue Switch colours and is only 100g(3.5oz) which makes it more portable and lightweight than the official switch dock. It’s the perfect replacement for Official Nintendo Switch Dock.

Product Link: https://antank.net/products/siwiqu-tv-dock-station-for-nintendo-switch

10% Product Discount code: antank

Bitmap Books – A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games | Britt's Review ⚽️📘 @bitmap_books #RetroGaming

Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com

We have covered many of Bitmap Books’ fine releases here at Games Freezer, with the most recent being Dave Cook’s rather wonderful Run ‘n’ Gun tome. This, their latest, is a very different beast, tackling a genre that has existed since the early ‘80s and was very much been twisting and morphing for decades before settling into (mostly) more sedate, incremental releases in recent years.

The book covers the football (or ‘soccer’ depending on your geographic location) genre from its nascency in the early ‘80s - when the games were effectively variations on the Pong theme - right up through the modern generations where the majority of the releases are ultra realistic and pretty – but perhaps lack the character and individuality that previously made the football genre a more interesting beast, with some incredible goals, some near misses...and some that deserved a red card, and a kicking in the car park.

GolfR | PC Game Preview By Rich ⛳️🤖 @GOLFR_the_game #IndieGame #GameDev

I was contacted by GolfR Indie Dev duo Andrew Laing and Karthik Subramanyam about an interesting new game that was described as an indie sci-fi robot golf game. As you can imagine, my socks flew off immediately (would my trousers follow?)

GOLFR is billed as a unique sci-fi golf action game published by Drivehead Games LTD. The game is set in the near future, the game follows a robot scout from Earth that crash-lands on an alien planet filled with ancient relics hidden beneath abandoned golf courses.

The game combines traditional golf mechanics with action elements, allowing you to drive, chip, and putt your way through multiple biomes while engaging in combat with hostile enemies.

EDGE OF SANITY Xbox Series X review 7/10 "Is that a horrible tentacled thing ahead?" 🐙 @Vixa_Games #GameDev #IndieGame

Edge of Sanity is a game that brings together those obvious bedfellows of Lovecraftian horror and inventory management.

I jest, slightly, given that this is a survival horror, which is very much in keeping with a lot of games inspired by HP himself. Set in the wilds of Alaska following a mysterious industrial accident, you play Carter, sent in by the company to find out what's happened and, possibly, save the day.

How Beginners Can Dip Their Toes into Online Gambling 🎰

 

Image credit

Are you wanting to get into making some money on esports, but worried whether or not it’ll be worth your time? What about making money online in general through gaming? Well, a lot of people actually look into online gambling (as it comes in various forms) as a way to have fun, do what they love (gaming), and hopefully make some extra money, too. But at the same time, it’s scary because you just don’t know what you’re doing at first, right? Plus, what about the money?

Well, that’s fair enough! It’s totally normal to want a little thrill without risking your hard-earned cash. Online casinos can look super tempting but also a bit scary when you’re just starting out. But believe it or not, you can keep it all low risk while dipping your toes. Because who knows, maybe you’ll hate it, maybe you’ll love it, but regardless, you don’t deserve to gamble away a bunch of cash for that risk!

Looney Tunes Wacky World of Sports Xbox Review 6.5/10 "Looney Tunes return (the serve)" 🏀🎾⚽️ @BamtangGames #IndieGame #GameDev

The premise of an anarchic Looney Tunes sports collection felt oddly nostalgic, and I was quite keen to dive into the game in multiplayer at home, as we are all familiar with the characters, and as the game supports up to four players locally,  numbers wouldn’t be an issue. Whilst the visuals, characters and functionality is there, the games all feel a little too flat to be a recommendation, unfortunately.

Purpose 1951 Xbox Review 5/10 "These boots are made for walkin’ (and simulatin’)" 🥾 @TongucBodur #IndieGame #GameDev

Purpose 1951 is a brief little game that blends walking simulation with extremely light puzzle elements. Clocking in at around an hour in length as the character muses about the situations that have arisen to bring him to his current predicament.

Presented in a 1st-person POV style, Purpose 1951 is a very slender game in a lot of ways, you follow a mostly linear path – with the only branches areas leading to what are effectively ‘trophy points’ - as the narrator monologues as you trek.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage Xbox Review 8.5/10 "Gory, gruesome, and great fun!" 😼🛹 @GoriCarnage @AngryDemonGames @wiredp #IndieGame #GameDev

I’d been following the development of Gori: Cuddly Carnage for a while, and was hoping that the promised blend of cutesy innocence and uber-violence, combined with the neon, graphic-novel visuals would scratch my turbo-arcade itch...and yes, yes it has.

5 Things You Should Try Playing After Baldur's Gate 3 🎲

Link - CC0 License

As it is one of the top games of 2023, a lot of people have been left with the craving for more of Larian’s roleplaying magnum opus, Baldur’s Gate 3. However, if you’ve already done just about every playthrough you can think of, you might find yourself wanting to look outside of it for more like it. Thankfully, there is a pretty vast world of roleplaying games out there, many of which are worth a closer look.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem Xbox Review 7/10 "Stunt fun for the young ‘uns" 🔥🛻 @GameMillEnt @3DClouds #Indie #GameDev

As the father of a three year old, I’m very familiar with Hot Wheels, and, whilst the Hot Wheels Unleashed games are a permanent fixture on my Xbox, the promise of a game more suited to the monster truck side of things – and with a simpler, more child-centric focus – was definitely tickling my gherkins.

Moving away from the primarily race-driven previous Hot Wheels games,  Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem instead leans towards – as the title suggests – stunts in various arenas.

The Total Joy Of Football Manager 2024 ⚽️↘️↙️

After a hiatus / self inflicted 2 year ban on me playing a Football Manager video game I have succumbed to my drug of choice and have entered the murky realm of Football Manager 2024. 

The problem is that it’s even more dangerous this time as I have begun playing FM24 on my mobile phone…

Pinball M Camp BloodBrook DLC Review "A Slashing Good Time!" 🔪⚪️ @zen_studios #IndieGame #GameDev

 

☝In this video we take a look at the Pinball M Camp BloodBrook DLC on the PC. 👆

Camp Bloodbrook is a thrilling pinball game that brings a slasher classic vibe from the 80s to life. It's part of the Pinball FX and Pinball M series, developed by Zen Studios.

In this game, you use your pinball skills to escape the clutches of Jacob Wells, also known as "The Wellbound" The game features various camp activities like nightly scavenger hunts, deadly hide and seek, and canoe adventures. It's available on multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Total Extreme Wrestling 9 PC Review 9/10 “A Wrestledream” 🤼 @TransvaalGF @ArlesGreyDog #IndieGame #GameDev #TEW9

I've always been a huge fan of GM (General Manager) mode, a mode that for some unknown reason comes and goes from WWE games. Luckily, it is currently back in the last few games and I have spent many hours living out my dream of being a wrestling booker. The main criticism these games have is the lack of features, things that have been taken out, or should be have been in from the start. TEW9 doesn't have this problem, it was my first time playing this series and wow! Was my mind blown.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A highlight reel of classic late ‘90s platformers" 🐲 @GamesVea #IndieGame #GameDev

I’d never heard of Nikoderiko: The Magical World before receiving it for review, but within seconds of playing, I knew exactly what treats I was in for. This is very much a game that tips its hat to titles such as Donkey Kong Country, and Crash Bandicoot, as we follow the adventurous mongoose duo Niko and Luna as they try to retrieve a magical artefact from the devious Grimbald and his army of ‘Cobrings’. 

Mega Cat Studios: - Britt’s Mega Drive Odyssey Part 2: L'Abbaye des Morts 🐱 @megacatstudios #IndieGame #IndieGameDev

Once again, I check out a game from Mega Cat Studios, this time, L’Abbaye des Morts, a game in which you play as Jean Raymond, a persecuted man who is chased into the titular ‘Abbey of Death’ and must find his way out.

This was a game that really stood out for me when I first played it, as it is a wonderfully presented – yet delightfully simple (yet HARD) – game that has some really saucy features whilst coming from a very 8-bit home computer-centric design philosophy in terms of the gameplay and mechanics.

It really nails a specific sweet spot in time that resonates with my nostalgia perfectly and feels quite unique in that sense in the Mega Drive library. Plus, it’s effectively a horror game, and the Mega Drive certainly needs more of those in its library!

PowerA Advantage Xbox Wired Controller - Fortnite Midas 🎮 @PowerA

Hot on the heels of our previous coverage of the PowerA Core Blush a little while back, we now take a look at the PowerA Fortnite Midas, a wired controller that makes an extremely stylish first impression.

Feeling similar to the Core Blush in how it fits in the hand, the first thing that struck me about the Midas was how it looked; the shiny detailing in the handprints, webs, skulls and flowers popping out from the matte plastic, and the ridged back of the controller providing grip for lengthier, more intense playing sessions.

The triggers are designed to be less spongy, shallower on the press than the official controller, so there’s a sense of snappiness in their use, giving more of an arcade vibe and a sense of quicker reaction time. This aspect is also adjustable, using the trigger locks on the rear to fine tune your experience.

Nintendo Switch REMATCH GLOW Wireless Controller: Boo Hoo Review By Britt 👻🎮 @PDPgaming

I’ve covered a fair few controllers for the Nintendo Switch here at GF, and I find myself rotating between a few old favourites every now and again, but the arrival of the Boo Hoo controller has thrown things into disarray here at the Welsh branch of GF HQ, and I found myself becoming quite entranced with it during usage, and it has now become my ‘go to’ controller when gaming on the Switch.