The Cursed Legacy SEGA Mega Drive Review 8/10 "Run n’ Gun? Metroidvania? Mini-games? The Cursed Legacy has you covered!" 💥 @Goodgamestudios @Broke_Studio #IndieGame #GameDev

The last game I played from GGS Studio was The Cursed Knight back in 2022, an awesome title that was also distributed through broke Studio. The Cursed Legacy is again a Mega Drive release that continues the high quality production values laid down by Broke Studio, as well as classic retro gameplay from GGS, and again continues their quirk of mixing up genres, in this instance those genres being run n’ gun, metroidvania, and riffs on classic mini-games.

The Blue Prince Xbox Series X Review 10/10 "A Labyrinth of Love" 🩵 @dogubomb @RawFury #IndieGame #GameDev

I’ve had my peepers on Blue Prince since it appeared as the cover article in issue 6 of Debug, a narrative-led puzzle title, it certainly sparked my intrigue.

The young nephew of a recently departed uncle, the protagonist has been tasked with locating the 46th room deep in the heart of a sprawling mansion that resets its rooms each day. 

The setup and premise – as well as the future revelations and key moments - are delivered perfectly, with every aspect of the game seeming a perfect fit with the other. For example, the rich, graphic-novel style visuals dovetail with the lilting, curious audio in a way that really pulls you into the game as you delve further and further into the mansion, collecting coins, jewels and more incremental permanent unlockables as you do so. 

Care Bears: Unlock The Magic Nintendo Switch Review 4.5/10 (also available on PS4/5) "lacking charm and magic" 🐻🐻‍❄️🐼 @MaximumEntmt

As a man in my forties, The Care Bears were very much a part of my childhood, and I watched show a lot as a kid, I was convinced that there was a Care Bears game on the C64, but in researching this article, I have very much been proven wrong, as the first released Care Bears title was in 2004! (WTF!!! - ed)

Regardless of my foggy memories, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic is unfortunately a charmless dud that feels like a half-finished game that had the Care Bears licensing slapped on during development, and really doesn’t feel that it’s taking full advantage of the rich, generation-spanning Care Bears heritage.

Effectively a single-player collection of mini-games, with an included digital art book, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic has an adventure mode that has you dancing along a 3D board in a 3D take on Snake, driving the Care Bear bus to pick up hearts in a simple vehicular section, pogoing across rivers, popping coloured bubbles a la Puzzle Bobble, and several more derivative mini-games that combine to allow you to make your way across the overworld game board, of which certain section are blocked by thunderstorms that require a certain amount of points to pass. The music is gentle and lilting, the frame rate 60fps, and the mini-games do ramp up in difficulty – so this isn’t a mindless trudge - but they always felt arbitrary, and there was no sense of charm or a love for the licence at hand.

SUMMARY

At it’s current price, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic is a tough game to recommend as it just feels like a compilation of forgettable – yet competent – mini-games that feel more at home on a mobile device. It was far too slight to engage me as an adult, and my four year old had no interest in the game, so unless you have a youngster that really has a connection with the franchise, this is a game that makes me dress up in my Grumpy Bear costume and sulkily fold my arms.

4.5/10

💧MELTED💧

🔗Care Bears: Unlock The Magic | Nintendo Switch games | Games | Nintendo UK