Abathor Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A golden throwback to 16-bit co-op classics" ⚔️ @Abathor_Game @JanduSoft

I’ve covered hundreds of games during my time at The Might GF, and some can pop up seemingly out of nowhere and blow me away, some can be stewing for months and months, as I hungrily follow every dev post on social media, my appetite whetting ever further...and then the final game gets slopped on the floor in front of me in a steaming mess, leaving me smoking enigmatically up at the night sky, wondering what could have been as Bohren & Der Club of Gore play sexily in the background, the minimalist jazz soundtrack to my burgeoning disappointment.

Sometimes, though – I’ll stumble across a game that looks funky – like Abathor – and each tease or online trailer will have me adjusting my tie as steam comically toots through my collar. Good. 

From the early days of its inception, developer Pow Pixel Games promised to deliver us a throwback platformer, and by Jove, did they ever!

Britt's Vinyl Fantasies 6 | 💿 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

It’s been almost a year since the last Vinyl Fantasies post, it’s been extremely busy here at GF HQ, and in that time we’ve covered some incredible records, which I’d like to shine a light on here.

As usual, the list is in no particular order, if the record was previously covered in a full article, a link will be included should you wish to know more.

Hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed listening!

Crow Country XBOX Review 7.5/10 "A throwback survival horror with narrative depth" 🐦‍⬛🌎 @SFBTom @SFBDim #GameDev #IndieGame

I’ve enjoyed the recent spate of games harking back to the visual style of the PS1 – albeit with the juddering, flat polygons and tedious loading screens removed – as it’s not only a style that feels as yet pretty un-mined but is also rich with nostalgia – as well as being suited to lo-fi horror with the low polygon vibes setting the imagination alight. 

With this in mind, getting my hands on Crow Country was a delight, and the fact that the game offers two primary modes – one more combat-centric, whilst the other eschews combat in turn of a more story-based approach – made the game even more appealing, due to its openness and accessibility for players who enjoy both styles.

The year is 1990, and we are introduced to the protagonist of the story - Mara Forest – approaching a seemingly abandoned amusement park called Crow Country, she claims to be a special agent with memory issues, and is determined to locate the missing owner of Crow Country… Edward Crow – for unknown reasons. 

What follows is a solid and intriguing few hours of pretty classic gameplay, in that you’ll find yourself scavenging for ammo, reading lots of lore, and working your way through both environmental and inventory-based puzzles. 

Whilst the crunchy polygons and incredible aural atmosphere (courtesy of composer Ockeroid) carry the game pretty far, as the combat and puzzles get a bit tired, it’s the narrative that will hook you through to the games’ end. 

That said, if you want the ability to play at a more leisurely pace, the aforementioned ability to remove the combat gives a breezier approach, leaving you to fully focus on the atmosphere and unfolding, twisting story. Don’t worry, there’ll still be some scares!

SUMMARY
A tasty PS1-esque survival horror title with a far more engaging and involved narrative than you’d expect, SFB Games have come out swinging with this, and for lovers of vintage survival horror, it’s time to get a ticket to Crow Country.