Unlike Dead Cell’s plucky protagonist – a failed alchemist, incarcerated under mysterious circumstances – developer Motion Twin has successfully managed to forge solid gold by skilfully combining all the right raw elements. It takes ideas from games as old as Metroid and Castlevania, mixes them with modern-day classics such as Dark Souls, and adds a …
This four-player co-op shooter is the gaming equivalent of store brand Coca-Cola. The creators have tried to replicate a highly successful formula – in this case, Valve’s classic Left 4 Dead series – but when it comes to sampling its delights, those accustomed to the real-deal will instantly notice something a little off. Perhaps ‘store …
I’m currently 30 hours into Puyo Puyo Tetris with my wife. She keeps beating me. I see Puyo Puyo’s fall across my vision as I sleep at night. Her nonchalant face, as she beats me for the fifth time in a row, causes sweat to form on my brow as I slumber. I awake in …
It’s funny how one small feature can give a game an identity. What makes Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon feel like a Castlevania game of yore isn’t the long-reaching whip attack, or the items nonsensically hidden inside floating candles, but rather the fiddly to navigate staircases. They were a nuisance in Castlevania – requiring diagonal …
TT Games’ latest family-friendly endeavour commences in an identical manner to The Incredibles II, kicking off with a battle against The Underminer – the villain who appeared during the original’s cliff-hanger ending. Those wanting to play through the experience in order (LEGO The Incredibles covers both films) have no choice but to wait until part …
It’s not often game journos unanimously agree on something. The original State of Decay – which highlighted MS’ 2013 Summer of Arcade promotion – was a rare exception, becoming the very definition of a diamond in the rough. By putting the focus on establishing a friendly community it was unlike most zombie games, and for …
Essentially Mr. Tickle: The Game – or Plastic Man, if you prefer – this physics-based puzzler involves guiding a constantly extending arm around hazard-filled environments in order to grab precariously placed bottles. There’s a paper-thin plot in place, covering the nameless lead character’s life story as they reach out to grab bottles as a baby, …
Some games are about war. Some games are about exceptionalism and individual struggle. A few games are about fascism. Most games, however, are about numbers going up. It sounds simple, numbers going up, but Dungeon Rushers proves that it’s a subtle mechanic, and one that’s easy to get wrong. Let’s start with the basics. Dungeon …
Chances are even Capcom themselves would admit the first Street Fighter was downright terrible. An exercise in sheer frustration, it suffered from jerky animation, unreliable controls, and botched mechanics. Special moves, which rarely worked, could remove 70% of an opponent’s health in one swoop, making the regular kicks and punches almost redundant. It’s a series …
Retro compilations tend to fall into one of two camps. Some are genuine labours of love, filled to the brim with celebrated classics and a bounty of bonus features; a rare chance for long-running publishers to revel in self-indulgence and share their biggest past hits with gamers new and old. Others, meanwhile, are little more …
Please pay attention to the following public service announcement: Ikaruga is out now for the Nintendo Switch and you should definitely buy it. Ikaruga is, quite simply, brilliant. In case you’re new to Treasure’s celebrated classic, it takes the form of a vertical ‘bullet hell’ shoot-em-up, where you fly a spaceship around trying to dodge bullets and enemies …
Often edging on the side of experimental, STAY is a tricky game to explain. After being forcibly abducted from his home during the early hours of the morning, the mild-mannered Quinn finds himself trapped inside a dark and filthy room. An old computer is the only thing nearby that still works, and so Quinn – …
SEGA surprised everyone a couple of weeks ago by announcing that Football Manager was not only coming to the Switch but that it was available immediately. It seems a slightly odd time to launch as the season is almost over. That said, if you support a team that’s performed poorly this season it does provide …
The eponymous Bertram Fiddle made his debut on PC a few years ago. Making sense to start at the beginning, the first part of this on-going episodic adventure has now found its way onto the Switch eShop. A point ‘n clicker with a decidedly British sense of humour, TAOBFEOADB (as we’ll be calling it from …
The ZX Spectrum gained hundreds of weird and wonderful games during its lifetime. It was an era where developers would have a stab at turning just about anything into a video game. Low development costs also allowed creators to take risks, hoping to break into untapped markets or accidentally stumble on ‘the next big thing’. …