Publisher Ultimate Games are best known for their line of simulators – with previous works including Demolish & Build, Aquarist, Castle Flipper, Fishing Simulator, and the disastrous Deadliest Catch: The Game – yet, and as the name suggests, Anthology of Fear takes the form of a psychological horror adventure. Stepping outside of their comfort zone …
Inception, the 2010 grown-up blockbuster, is the best comparison I’ve got for Cocoon. Not just because they have similar mind-bending worlds-within-worlds structures, but both credit their audience with a good dose of intelligence, and trust that they can keep up. If anything, Cocoon is the more mind-bending, and the clever of the two. There’s no …
Thanks to the self-explanatory title, the premise of this pixel art tower defence battler doesn’t need much elaboration. A trio of mechs located on the left on the screen must protect a shielded wall, ergo the citizens behind it, from the kaiju monsters that emerge from the right. Think Plants vs. Zombies only super-sized and …
Camelot, of Arthurian legend, has fallen. A great thirst for power, the collection of the mythical Holy Grail, and a cataclysm of giants unleashed. They defeat the knights of the Round Table, even Lancelot who’s the best one. In his quest to put things right, Merlin transports Camelot to an in-between realm – The Astral …
What’s the opposite of a precision platformer? An ‘imprecise platformer’ would be the logical answer, but that doesn’t seem the correct terminology, almost suggesting a game’s controls are in some way loose. Whatever the correct answer may be, it describes Bang-On Balls perfectly. This 3D platformer is set in vast and vivid open worlds, where …
Admittedly, I’m a little jealous about the vast number of wholesome games aimed at the younger generation nowadays. Growing up in the ‘90s, choices were limited – if you asked a game store clerk for “something wholesome” they’d probably suggest pre-ordering The California Raisins on NES. The good news is that most modern wholesome games …
Peru-based Bamtang Games only have the Nickelodeon Kart Racers titles to their name – a series where each installment has seen improvement over the last. When it comes to working this newfound expertise into another Nickelodeon franchise, a lot has been asked of the developer, we feel. Quest for Balance falls into a completely different genre, …
It’s a good idea: an arcade racer based on NASCAR. And there are other good ideas: hugely exaggerated tracks based on real locations; over-the-top vehicle and driver options; a neat boost system. But that’s all superficial, and what’s underneath is basic, bland, and borderline boring. The main issue is the handling, which is twitchy with …
Let’s not beat around the bush. Everhood: Eternity Edition is brazenly influenced by Undertale, featuring similar kookie characters, the same dorky sense of humour, pixel art laid on predominantly black backgrounds, and an identical choice of font. There’s no disputing this whatsoever– “Is Everhood connected to Undertale?” is the top Google result. It’s able to …
In July we looked at the first episode of The Expanse – the latest episodic series from veterans Telltale, with future episodes spaced a fortnight apart. With the series now concluded, it’s time to cast our critical eye over the whole thing and round up our thoughts. Minor spoilers are ahead, so skip to the …
This hack ‘n slash RPG hybrid was originally released on the PSP in 2012. You might not have heard of it until now, and that’s because it was never translated and brought to the West. With the success of the Switch making portable and smaller scale RPGs viable again, developer Falcom has decided to fancy-up …
Known as ‘Osyaberi! Horijyo! Gekihori: Anna Holinski saves the universe, alright?!‘ in full, this Japanese horizontal shooter lathers on gimmicks thickly, to the point where every single element has either a subtle twist or breaks convention. As shooters go, it’s also both messy and chaotic – with the screen filled with copious amounts of enemies …
Step into the enchanting world of Alchemy Garden, a charming blend of farming and shop management simulation genres that invites you to nurture your own mystical garden and concoct magical potions for lucrative returns. After some basic character customisation, we are thrust into the first day of our journey as a garden alchemist. Our humble …
We can thank Ronald Regan, America’s 40th president, for MythForce – albeit in a roundabout way. In the early ‘80s, the Regan administration deregulated advertising, meaning companies could market directly to children through cartoons and other mediums. If you’ve ever wondered why the ‘80s gave us so much wild stuff that’s still ingrained in pop …
It’s inevitable that Starfield will send you hurtling back to 2015 at some point, recalling playing Fallout 4 for the first time while a launch model Xbox One or PS4 hums in the background. For me, this phenomenon occurred when I wasn’t playing – leave the controller alone for a while and the camera automatically …