This PlayStation 4 exclusive from Frost Monkey Games follows in the footsteps of This War of Mine, Bury me, My Love, and the recent Drowning, tackling a sensitive matter in order to raise awareness. In this case, the plight of Syrian refugees as they risk their lives to cross the border. While the subject is …
Even though Awesome Pea has the unmistakable look of an 8-bit Game Boy platformer, presented in gushingly glorious shades of grey and pea green (hence the unlikely hero), it feels a lot more contemporary. This is mostly due to its overall level of difficulty. The set-up of one-hit deaths, infinite retries, and no checkpoints recalls …
The name ‘Apex Legends’ may not inspire much confidence, sounding like an amateur wrestling league or an overpriced protein shake, but Respawn would doubtlessly face a backlash had they connected this spin-off directly to Titanfall. While set in the same universe, it strips away numerous core elements, including the ability to wall run and the …
If you’re going to name a game after someone, Amelia Earhart is a fine choice. Not only was she the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, but she also formed a feminist organisation, may have been a spy, and disappeared under mysterious circumstances. She was, as the children say, ‘lit’. Airheart developers Blindflug …
It takes just a spark to ignite a war. The same can also be said for turning a peaceful protest into a full-blown riot. A projectile lobbed too hard, a push becoming a shove, or some looney turning up to a quiet demonstration with a backpack full of fireworks. The police take aim with rubber …
Thanks to game creation tools becoming simpler and readily available, the size of a typical indie development team has significantly reduced over the years. This has allowed for smaller, more personal, experiences usually handled by teams barely into double figures. Heck, we’ve even seen some indie releases created by one-man teams. Polygonal Wolf’s Drowning is, …
Achievement/Trophy unlock ratios can be mildly fascinating. When researching our annual round-up of terrible games, for instance, we discovered most gamers gave up on the hellish adventure Agony before even reaching the second level. As for fellow 2018 flop Extinction, it seems that the majority could only stomach its inane repetition for a couple of …
From engaging in cannon battles to finding lost treasure, this 2D pirate simulator allows you to partake in all kinds of nautical activities. No one can accuse creator Sebastian Nigro of not being ambitious enough. You start by creating your pirate. The character creation screen is neat, with a diverse choice of options including gender, …
This horizontal shooter features more than a few gimmicks. The exact figure is up for debate – some are more predominant than others, while shoot’em up veterans may feel like some of its ideas are on the verge of becoming commonplace within the genre. We can probably all agree that the ability to concentrate fire …
Everyone loves a digger. Big, fun, burly machines with lumbering dirt-scoops. What’s not to like? If you’re so inclined, you can even visit one of four digger-based UK theme parks. Developers Atomicom are hoping the only thing that people will like more than diggers, are diggers on a hostile alien planet. Structured as an open-ended …
This single-button auto-runner isn’t one to play when mentally drained. The concept may sound simple enough, tasking you with keeping Odium – a demonic glowing red eye – airborne by tapping and holding the A button, but you’re constantly made to learn by mistakes and start anew. It’s definitely best suited for early morning game …
The subtitle for this fast-paced RTS is a reference to the hex-based terrain coating the game’s trio of hostile alien worlds. Under the surface dwell stripy insect-like creatures that rise from underground when a structure is destroyed. Their ferociousness makes us doubt they’d produce something as delightful as honey, but they do pack an almighty …
This crowd-funded action platformer is a remarkable collaboration between a father and his young daughter. A spiritual successor to Capcom’s seminal Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, it borrows more than a few ideas and mechanics, only here the relentless spear lobbing is accompanied by a side-line of elusive childhood innocence. The storyline is especially twee involving the …
Zarvot is an odd mix. It’s promoted as the story of two cubes getting a present for their cube friend. Though mostly it’s an isometric shooter. But really it’s both. And also not quite either. Plus a bit of fiddly other stuff. First, some reassurance: the story element works really nicely. My main fear was …
The original Energy Cycle gained a reputation within the trophy collecting community for being one of the fastest ways to bag a shiny platinum trophy, albeit by using one of the many video guides available online. Xbox One owners were belatedly treated to the same effortless experience too. The appeal of a sneaky gamerscore/silverware boost …