🖲️ Kinetic Edge | Ten minute Taster | PC | "Crazy Golf Neon Marble Madness" 🖲️ @KineticEdgeGame #IndieGames #GameDev

Kinetic Edge is a physics platformer based racing game where you have to figure out the best way to overcome obstacle courses with a shape of your choice.

🎮🕹️💻 Remembering My Childhood Video Game Store 🎮🕹️💻 #RetroGaming

Sitting down in lockdown 3 watching some rubbish on the TV whilst reading Retro Gamer Magazine late at night I was dreaming of the time when we could walk into shops and browse video games and then my mind wandered off to when I was an 11-year-old boy who would visit LOGIC Computers in Cheshunt Hertfordshire to buy my Atari XE/XL tapes and cartridges for my ATARI XEGS.

👁‍🗨 The Dark Eye : Chains Of Satinav | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Game that will please old school point n click enthusiasts but that may also put off newcomers to the genre" 👁‍🗨 @daedalic #IndieGames #GameDev

The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav was originally released by Daedalic Entertainment in 2012 on PC and has now come over to the Nintendo Switch.

The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav can definitely be defined as an old-school point-and-click adventure game and it's definitely entrenched in the design decisions that will please old school point n click enthusiasts but that may also put off newcomers to the genre as the frustration levels may increase unless you play with the assist / easy mode switched on.

🧞‍♂️ The Theme of the New Wonder Boy trailer is Pepelogoo 🧞‍♂️ @ININ_Games @pr_hound #IndieGames #GameDev

 

The theme of the new Wonder Boy trailer is Pepelogoo, Asha's trusted blue sidekick and one of the main characters in the game!

The trailer shows the two of them working together to overcome any obstacles. 

🖲️ Glyph | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Glyph is an expansive title that has a lot under it’s sleek hood" 🖲️ @PlayGlyph #IndieGame #GameDev #MadeWithUnity

A game based on fluid movement and exploration, Glyph is an expansive title that has a lot under its sleek hood but also isn’t shy when it comes to the difficulty curve.

👧🔫 Gal*Gun Returns | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Light Gun Would Light This Up" 👧🔫 @PQubeAsia #GalGun

Whilst I’m not familiar with the Gal*Gun series, my initial thought was that any rail-shooter that is to be controlled by anything other than a light gun would really suffer in the gameplay department and those worries were indeed well-founded. 

As well-presented as the game is, it feels to tame to be titillating and too repetitive to be engaging.

🐉⚔️ Nioh 2 : The Complete Edition | PC | Review | "Swinging Your Spiky Balls Around Has Never Been So Much Fun!" ⚔️🐉 #Nioh2

Nioh 2: The Complete Edition, was released on the 5th of Feb and I'm excited to be to tell it’s not only beautiful but it’s astonishingly good fun to play! For those unfamiliar with Nioh 2, you will get to Become a fully-fledged Samurai in a brutal action-packed adventure set in a reimagined magic-enthused Japan during the Sengoku period.

🛋️ Moving Out | Review | X Box Series X | 9/10 | "An extremely fun and silly party game that will clearly remain installed for a long time to come" 🛋️ @smgstudio #IndieGames #GameDev

Upon seeing the trailer for Moving Out, I initially assumed it was some sort of mobile port due to the top-down viewpoint and colourful aesthetic. 

I’m VERY glad that my intuition won out and I ended up playing the game, however, as it’s an extremely fun and silly party game that will clearly remain installed for a long time to come (especially as there is imminent DLC!).

👒 Evan’s Remains | PC | Review by Pixel Hunted | 2/10 | "Evan’s Remains is about hitting ‘A’ over and over and over (and over) again" 👒 @PixelHunted # Evansremains #GameDev #IndieGames

Evan’s Remains is about hitting ‘A’ over and over and over (and over) again. 

The game is 80% visual novel and 20% game: a barely interactive experience in which your participation is mostly jamming a button to cue up the next bit of bad writing.

⚔️🐲 Morbid: Seven Acolytes | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Lovecraftian Hack n' Slasher ARPG That is Really Punishing" ⚔️🐲 @MorbidTheGame #IndieGames #GameDev

A Lovecraftian hack n' slasher ARPG that is really punishing at first? 

That, reader, is the sound of my boxes being ticked.

Morbid: Seven Acolytes packs a ton of lore and gore into a very nice-looking package. The pixel-art graphics are really lovely and detailed, letting you see the frankly disgusting range of enemies and characters that populate the world of Mornia.

⛏️ Aground | Review (revisited) | XBox Series X | "One of The Best Games I Have Ever Played 10/10" ⛏️ @WhiteThornGames #GameDev #IndieGames

I first reviewed Aground in its initial PC incarnation back in July 2020 (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2020/07/aground-pc-review-best-2-d-crafting.html) and I absolutely adored it. Rich (my hateful, drunken boss) tends to cover a lot of the PC games we receive for review and I lean more towards console releases.

I mention in my original review that it was totally by chance that I picked it out for coverage when my Switch was being Animal Crossing-ed to death by someone who shall remain nameless* and I’m so glad that I was introduced to it.

🎮 Pre-order Boxed Physical Starts on 21st Feb - Speed Limit (PS4 & Switch) 🎮 @RealStrictlyLTD @HoundPicked #IndieGames #GameDev

Strictly Limited Games will be releasing an exclusive limited physical, boxed, version for pre-ordering commencing on 21st February for the out and out action title Speed Limit for PS4 and Switch.

The exclusive pre-order for this unforgettable arcade experience will start from Strictly Limited Games on February 21st.

💥 Turrican Flashback | Nintendo Switch | Review | "Turrican was a must-have video game and every kid at our school had it" 💥 @ININ_Games #RetroGaming #Turrican

In the days of the Commodore Amiga, Turrican was a must-have video game and every kid at our school had it. 

Turrican was famous for running and gunning your way through levels using creative weapons, destructive bombs and sometimes even a grappling hook! It was a great series and now you finally get the chance to relive this great series on one release from Inin Games.

🕵️‍♂️ Disjunction | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Cyberpunk is a Genre That Always Makes My Bronzed Fists Vibrate" 🕵️‍♂️ @soldout #IndieGames #GameDev

Cyberpunk is a genre that always makes my bronzed fists vibrate. You know there’ll be achingly beautiful music, towering cityscapes lit at night and a moody tale to tuck into, populated by shadowy characters.

Whilst stealth has often been a part of this, I believe that Disjunction is the first Cyberpunk game that I’ve played with such a heavy focus on the stealth aspect.

Whilst Disjunction is a solid game with a great, pixelated aesthetic and music, I couldn’t help but wish the focus was more on narrative as opposed to stage-by-stage sneakiness as I enjoyed the setting, audio and presentation so much.

⚔️🏰🐀 Hero U : Rogue To Redemption | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Hero U Combines Old School Point n Click Adventure Style Gameplay with a Harry Potter Style Storyline" ⚔️🏰🐀 @SilesiaGames #GameDev #IndieGames #PointNClick

Silesia Games brings us Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption and manages to somehow effortlessly combine old school point n click adventure style gameplay with an intriguing Harry Potter esque storyline which is set around a small but perfectly formed set of memorable characters and on the switch I feel that this game really comes into its own.

Hero-U is a spiritual sequel to a game series that was released in the ‘90s called Quest for Glory and after playing Hero-U Rogue To Redemption I’m intrigued by the Quest For Glory anthology of video games as I missed those titles the first time around.

🛸🚀 Habroxia 2 | Review | Nintendo Switch | "After a ‘mental reboot’, I realised the subtle genius of the design" 🛸🚀 @LillymoGames #GameDev #IndieGames

Upon initially playing Habroxia 2, the game didn’t quite click with me and it was very much my fault. 

After a ‘mental reboot’, I realised the subtle genius of the design and from that moment onwards, my trousers were very much down.

🕹️🎮📅 Name A Year and I Will Name 4 Video Games (1979 to 2020) 🕹️🎮📅 #RetroGaming #GamersUnite

I saw this cool trend on Twitter whereby you name 4 games from any requested year.

I thought it would be a good idea to compile my 4 games from every year of my life so far...so here goes!

🤜💥🤛 The King Of Fighters XIV | Review | PS4 | "Right I’m off to build my own fight stick out of a cardboard box and a banana" 🤜💥🤛 @SNKPofficial #KingOfFightersXIV

Released back in 2017 King Of Fighter XIV was the newest entry in the acclaimed THE KING OF FIGHTERS series of fighting games. 

The project was led by the legendary veteran creator of FATAL FURY Yasuyuki Oda.

KOFXIV took the classic fighting game gameplay that the series was known for and implemented lush new 3D visuals which were a first for a mainline entry in the series! 

The game comes with a massive roster of 50 characters in the base game along with 4 DLC characters, including both returning fan favourites and new characters.

It was billed as a perfect entry point for veterans and newcomers alike...

💥👽💥 Alien Scumbags | Review | PC | "A Fantastic 2D Pixel Art Horror Game Inspired by Doom and Duke Nukem" 💥👽💥 @KKindiegame @TristaBytes #GameDev #IndieGames

As you explore the dark corridors of an abandoned spaceship you stumble across a shotgun!

It’s just what you were looking for to fend off these alien Scumbags once and all for all.

The tannoy announcements play out loud as you tread carefully.

You hear a noise and jump into an empty locker to hide from the impending doom!

Nothing nasty comes along so you carefully make your way out of the locker and tiptoe along the corridor preying to avoid any trouble and maybe discover a health drop from a vending machine.

Then it hits you! “BAM!”

A massive Alien Scumbag lurches towards you with the intent of ripping your head off, so you unload a shotgun into its midriff and bring it to its knees and then finish it off with your final shotgun shell!

Meanwhile, the darkness and the foreboding atmosphere envelopes you as tread carefully forwards towards another impending scrap with an Alien nasty.

👽🖥️ Alien Function | PC | Review | "Vance Baryn might not have an eye for visuals but the guy can certainly put together a juicy set of adventure game puzzles!" 👽🖥️ @PixelHunted @StandOffGameDev #GameDev #IndieGames

Let’s get it out of the way: Alien Function looks like crap. Stand Off Software’s latest is a car crash of pre-made assets, outright ugly character models and fonts that should be prohibited under the Geneva Convention. 

The game puts its worst foot forward on the title screen, showing a badly animated alien pursuing what seems to be an NPC from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

🕹️🎮 Is Nintendo a Threat to The Top Dogs? 🕹️🎮

When it comes to the gaming industry, it is obvious that the two top dogs in the industry are Sony, who operate Playstation products, and Microsoft, who operate Xbox products. However, since the resurgence of the Japanese gaming conglomerate company, Nintendo, in early 2017, according to data presented by Find Betting Sites it is evident that they present a challenge to the industry giants.

👽💥 Alien Scumbags | Ten Minute Taster | PC | First 20 Minutes Gameplay | "Get Ready To Obliterate Some Alien Scumbags" 👽💥 @TristaBytes @KKindiegame #GameDev #IndieGames

Alien Scumbags is a sci-fi action platformer with a big slice of horror and a stack of pop culture references.

You'll run, hide and kill across several levels, collect items from capsule machines and unlock characters.

No checkpoints, if you die it will cost you your score to continue.

📱🕹️ The History of Mobile Gaming 📱🕹️

Many decades have passed since the first gaming console was released by Magnavox in 1972. This was a historic event, seeing as gaming would become one of the largest digital markets ever to be known.

The gaming industry took a turn for the best when the company Sony released the PlayStation 2 for the first time on the 4th of March in the year 2000. This is described by many as one of the most influential consoles in the history of gaming and was consequently one of the best sellers.

Thus, the gaming industry transformed because of these devices. By this time, IBM, an electronics manufacturer, already released the world's first smartphone with gaming capabilities referred to as the Simon personal communicator. 

Image by 梓坚 陈 from Pixabay

🎧 Gioteck TX50 Headset & VP1 Viper Cable Pack Review 🎧 @GioteckArmy #GamerHeadsetReview

Regular GF contributor Lee Manuel recently positively reviewed two other headsets from Gioteck, the HC2 Decal Edition and the XH100S - https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/01/headset-review-gioteck-hc2-decal.html – this, combined with the positive experiences that I have had with their controllers, mean that Gioteck is fast becoming the go-to brand at GF HQ for affordable accessories that don’t sacrifice quality. Good.

🤖👧 Encodya | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Tutorial & 30 Minutes Gameplay | No Commentary 👧🤖 @encodya #IndieGames #GameDev #pointandclickadventure

Encodya is a point & click adventure game that follows the sort of Tina and S.A.M - 53 through a Neo Berlin from the future.

🎮 Borderlands 3 | Review | X Box Series X | "My First Next-Gen Experience" 🎮 @Borderlands #XBOXSERIESX

This Borderlands 3 review may seem like a weird one as it’s effectively written for a game that’s well over a year old but the Borderlands series has always been an oddity for me.

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - Cartridges 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming

Well here's more of my bad art as this time I use MS Paint to create an idea I had for an article on Video Games cartridges.

I'll probably use it as inspiration to draw these by hand.

👹🐲 Earth Defence Force 5 | Review | PS4 | "These….these….MONSTERS!!" 👹🐲 @EDF_OFFICIAL #EDF5

I was a real latecomer to the Earth Defence Force series. With almost 10 titles under the EDF belt since the days of the PS2, 2015’s Earth Defence Force 4.1 (The Shadow of New Despair – natch) was my introduction. 

Back in those dark, dark times when local co-op games were rarer than a decent film directed by Albert Pyun, I picked this up for a bargain price in my favourite gaming store (Insane Games, Bridgwater) and settled down with some bourbon to give it a crack with GF cohort Co-Op Chris and we were HOOKED on the B-movie styling, dialogue and arcade action.

🍕🕹️ PAC-MAN: Birth Of An Icon | Gorgeous New Pac Man History Book Available For Pre Order! 🕹️🍕 @cookbeck #PacMan #RetroGaming

Here's some really exciting news for all you PAC fans out there!

The First-Ever Official History Book on PAC-MAN is Now Available For Pre-Order!

Cook and Becker have announced its gorgeous, hardcover retrospective, the first-ever history of PAC-MAN. 

PAC-MAN: Birth of an Icon is made in conjunction with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. and researched and written by Arjan Terpstra and Tim Lapetino. 

⚔️🌳 Ocean’s Heart | Review | PC | "Familiar Ground with Enough Heart to Recommend" ⚔️🌳 @OceansHeartgame #IndieGames #GameDev

A top-down adventure very much in the vein of Zelda’s 1992 Super Nintendo outing, Ocean’s Heart has its flaws but will definitely be one for fans of the genre and hopefully will see a port to Switch, which feels like a natural home for it.

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - 5. SEGA Genesis 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming #SEGA #SegaGenesis

Some days I find myself trying to draw stuff in MS Paint and those are the days when I manage to produce BADLY DRAWN VIDEO GAMES CONSOLES!

My plan is to draw as many badly drawn consoles as I can in 2021.

Let's see how far I get...

Rich

🐲⚔️🏹👹 Monster Hunter Rise | Demo | 20 Minutes Gameplay | Nintendo Switch | No Commentary 🐲⚔️🏹👹 #MonsterHunterRise #MonsterHunter

Monster Hunter Rise is the latest game in the Monster Hunter series! I've never played any of the Monster Hunter Games before but I decide to give the Demo a try on Nintendo Switch for Monster Hunter Rise and I have to say I am really into it!

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - 4. Nintendo Entertainment System 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming #NES

Some days I find myself trying to draw stuff in MS Paint and those are the days when I manage to produce BADLY DRAWN VIDEO GAMES CONSOLES!

My plan is to draw as many badly drawn consoles as I can in 2021.

Let's see how far I get...

Rich

🪔Here's the new trailer that shows off Asha in Monster World as it nears completion! ⚔️ #AshaInMonsterWorld

 

🪔Here's the new trailer that shows off Asha in Monster World as it nears completion! ⚔️

It's looking beautiful 😍#AshaInMonsterWorldhttps://t.co/xwvUrvXuU7 pic.twitter.com/2pKtgooQmY

— ❄️𝕲ames 𝕱reezer❄️💙NHS💙 (@gamesfreezer) January 25, 2021

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - 3. PlayStation 2 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming #PS2

 
Some days I find myself trying to draw stuff in MS Paint and those are the days when I manage to produce BADLY DRAWN VIDEO GAMES CONSOLES!

My plan is to draw as many badly drawn consoles as I can in 2021.

Let's see how far I get...

Rich

🎨🎮 Badly Drawn Video Games Consoles - 2. Atari 2600 🎨🎮 #Retrogaming #Atari2600

 

Some days I find myself trying to draw stuff in MS Paint and those are the days when I manage to produce BADLY DRAWN VIDEO GAMES CONSOLES!

My plan is to draw as many badly drawn consoles as I can in 2021.

Let's see how far I get...

(The last time I did this was in February 2020, hopefully, I will do more than one per year going forward!)

Rich

☄️🚀 Everspace 2 | PC | Ten Minute Taster | No Commentary | Early Access ☄️🚀 #Everspace2 #IndieGames #GameDev

In Everspace 2 you will...Discover alien species, unveil mysteries, find hidden treasures, and defend your valuables against outlaw gangs. But don’t get cocky: there will be some high-risk/high-reward areas waiting for you where grabbing that ultra-special gear and getting out alive will require some serious piloting skills and all your talent for improvisation.

🚀☄️🛸 Everspace 2 | Early Access | PC | First Impressions | "A Barrel Rolling Shooter Looter In Space" 🚀☄️🛸 @everspace_game @Rockfishgames #IndieGames #GameDev #Everspace2

EVERSPACE 2 pitches itself as a fast-paced single-player spaceship shooter with deep exploration elements, tons of loot, RPG elements, mining, and crafting. 

The devs, Rockfish Games, have tried to create an experience that is story led with plenty of secrets, puzzles, and enemies to face off against.

I’ve always loved the idea of a space exploration game where you tinker with your ship, do some exploring and follow a story but normally bounce off these games because they are too hard to just pick up and play and require hours of time investment just to learn the basics.

BUT I can safely say that Everspace 2 is for everyone!

📖🐙 The Innsmouth Case | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Open The Book and Join Me On A journey To Innsmouth" 📖🐙 @robot_pumpkin #TheInnsmouthCase #VisualNovels

A desperate mother, a missing girl and a mystical place - a case could hardly be more challenging. To solve the enigmatic disappearance of little Tabitha Marsh, however, the toughest and cleverest detective of all is wanted... but he does not have the time - and so the job goes to you. This mysterious assignment takes you to the remote fishing village of Innsmouth, where nothing is what it seems…

Save the girl, solve the case, survive Innsmouth!

The Innsmouth Case is a detective adventure in the style of an interactive book inspired by the fantastical works of horror legend H.P. Lovecraft. The unique mixture of horror and humour makes The Innsmouth Case the first scary-comedy-text-adventure of its kind. A game in which every decision counts, and there is far more than one way to successfully solve the case ... or fail miserably!

📖📚 Mean Machines Magazines - All The Video Games Reviews - Issue 0-24 "The Video Games Guide You Didn't Realise That You Wanted" 📖📚 @JazRignall @RetroGamerDaz @MaximumPowerUp #MeanMachines #Retrogaming

Well, I've gone and done something with my Mean Machines Magazine collection that I've always wanted to do but have never got round to doing until now.

For some reason, I wanted to catalogue all the reviews from Issue 0 to 24 so that if I ever need to refer to a physical edition of Mean Machines then I know exactly what issue I need to look at.

Yes it's nerdy and yes it is a bit silly but I think that it's something that you probably didn't realise you need but you do now!

⚔️ Immortals Fenyx Rising | Review | PS4 | "I Heart Elias Toufexis’ Voicebox" ⚔️ @FenyxRising #ImmortalsFenyxRising

As I‘ve personally come across multiple statements along the lines of ‘Immortals Fenyx Rising is Ubisoft does Zelda: Breath of the Wild’, I’m going to lay the groundwork for this review by opening with how I wasn’t particularly enamoured with Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which I played a few years ago on the Wii U. 

♟️🎲 🎮 The 10 Best Indoor Games To play With Your Kids At Home ♟️🎲 🎮 #lockdowngames

If you have been living with kids during lockdown then the weekends have been a challenge to find things to do that don’t always involve a walk in the local park or field so I have been keeping a track of all the Board Games and Video Games that I have been playing with my kids during lockdown to give you some insight on what games worked best for me and my family.

Here are 10 Games along with a few BONUS games for you to take a look at:

🚗💨 Absolute Drift: Zen Edition | Review | Nintendo Switch | Britt's Brief Bulletin | 6/10 - Melting | "Absolute Drift: Zen Edition makes a solid first impression" 🚗💨 @funselektor @AbsoluteDrift #IndieGames #GameDev

Absolute Drift: Zen Edition – 6/10

Nintendo Switch

A top-down drift racer with simple presentation and smooth visual style, Absolute Drift: Zen Edition makes a solid first impression.

🐙 The Innsmouth Case | Nintendo Switch | Britt's Brief Bulletin | 7/10 - Melting | 🐙 @robot_pumpkin #IndieGames #GameDev

Britt’s Brief Bulletin

The Innsmouth Case – 7/10

Nintendo Switch

A visual novel based on the world of HP Lovecraft presented with tongue firmly in cheek, The Innsmouth Case is a relatively fresh take on the miserable ones’ cosmic horror. That said, if the tone of humour doesn’t tickle your funny bone – as in my case – it can turn a quirky and breezily-written tale into a bit of a slog.

🧢 💥🤛Fatal Fury First Contact | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Pocket Sized Fighter That Packs A Massive Haymaker!" 🤜💥🧢 @SNKPofficial #FatalFury #NeoGeoPocket

Just before Christmas, it was announced that Fatal Fury First Contact from SNK was available to download on the Nintendo Switch.

I’d never come across this Fatal Fury game before and that would add up as this game only ever came out on the Neo Geo Pocket Colour in 1999.

When I heard about this I was excited to play a fighting game that I hadn't managed to get to from over 21 years ago.

🐶🐰 Sam & Max Save The World | Review | Nintendo Switch | Review By Dr Congo Fighting | "The World’s Best-Loved Anthropomorphic Dog and Rabbit Crime-Fighting Duo" 🐶🐰 @skunkape #IndieGames #GameDev

1993. The Midlands - a landlocked region of the UK, the historic home to heavy industry, heavy metal, and heavy accents resembling a large and very vocal cat in the throes of regret, having attempted to eat a toffee.

Zoom in to the window of a bungalow in a village on the edge of a green belt. Further, the camera in the room now as a thirteen-year-old Dr Fighting settles in front of his friend's PC.

A 486, DX2 66MHz, no less. The monitor lights his face, hair plentiful on the scalp, sparse on the chin. Time later decided that this was completely the wrong way around, and changed things accordingly.

The floppy disc is inserted. The mouse steadied. A command or two at the DOS prompt and Sam and Max Hit The Road boots up, brilliant colours filling the screen. The odyssey begins...I am in love with this game.