Giraffe and Annika is not a good game, which is a sad thing, as it feels like there is something missing. It's very rough, and is reminiscent it is one of those Unreal Engine 4 demos made by students. There are some redeeming qualities, like the charming character design, and a unique battle system for bosses, but it's so overshadowed by technical bizarreness and a lack of cohesive feeling that it's simply impossible to recommend to anyone but the biggest fans of Annika's design.

Can cute/sexy anime girls be mixed with the dark fantasy world of Dark Souls and the like? Sure… but that's no promise of a fine product. Now, there are many indies out there that try to sell through fanservice alone, but Lost Ruins is actually not one of those. Yes, it has waifu bosses with big bouncy assets, and they drop swimsuits as the reward, but to be perfectly honest this isn't the main thing here. Actual effort has been made during this title's creation, with the fanservice (or whatever you want to call it) being just the cherry on top of it all. It's just that the end result isn't really a good, or finely polished game, with the slow, cumbersome combat definitely taking the biscuit.

Aside from the relatively minor issues of movement, and how the various endings are discovered, The Kids We Were is a captivating nostalgic trip for those who lived in the '80s regardless of if that was spent in Japan, and a worthy education for those born in later years. The finely balanced mix of humour and seriousness of the issues explored, coupled with the cute style makes it feel at home on Nintendo Switch. Having collectables provide a reason to replay it for completionists, and the intricacy of the plot with the highly likeable characters make replaying it a strong possibility for others just to experience the heartfelt story once more.

The combination of an atmospheric musical score, eye-pleasing graphics, remaining true to the original novel and adding well timed humour and melodrama, makes MazM: The Phantom of the Opera a captivating puzzle adventure on Nintendo Switch. The ability to play it in handheld mode or on the TV makes it even easier to continue playing the at times nail-bitingly tense thriller, which is hard to put down once started.

Like a lot of the DLC packs for Total War: Three Kingdoms Fates Divided does not add anything that fundamentally changes things, rather it is a lot of smaller tweaks to gameplay and a few additions that add a touch of spice to the campaign. There is a new faction here, some new units there and a bundle of new mechanics and tools to strategise with. Some could be disappointed, but for £7.99 it feels like a fair price for what it includes.

Demon Turf scratches the collectathon itch, but very mildly. Apart from its somewhat unique, quirky art style and setting, this is mostly a mediocre-to-good 3D platformer, with nothing really special about it, and plenty of small (and thankfully not game-breaking) flaws that decrease the fun factor quite a bit. Try it out only if really, really thirsty for a game of its kind.

A love letter to the Donkey Kong Country series, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair goes beyond a standard homage, and crafts something beautiful of its own. Fantastic challenging platforming, spanning across 40 imaginative levels, and a charming graphical art style. This is an essential 2D platformer that should not be missed, even more so by the fact that it is being sold for budget point.

10tons has taken their titles to another level with Tesla vs Lovecraft by replicating the twin-stick shooter of their previous Tesla outing, and incorporating the roguelike elements has made this the ultimate Tesla & Lovecraftian crossover thus far. Plus, the addition of two characters, Mary Shelley and Marie Curie both bring their unique flavours with regards to playstyle, Tesla vs Lovecraft promises a lot of hours spent grinding out runs. The 'Doomsday Clock' keeps the AI a tricky beast to tame, as they slowly begin to climb in difficulty throughout the run, culminating in the end boss fight that differs in difficulty based on how quickly or slowly it took to get there. The visual display that is on show when the enemies become quite sporadic and overwhelming, only to then get destroyed by Tesla in a mech suit is one of the more exciting and riveting experiences that makes this adventure worth going back to.

Unexpectedly, Gears Tactics is quite a competent and enjoyable tactical strategy game. The roots of what make a good tactics game are embedded in the DNA, combat is fun and yet somewhat familiar. However, Gears Tactics falls into the trap of laying down a great foundation with awesome mechanics but it does feel that the few creative ideas showcased begin to feel repetitive after the thirty plus hour campaign. That isn't to say that Gears Tactics is devoid of ideas either, Gears fans will be impressed with how the title pushes forward the narrative and newcomers will also be left in awe at how good the characterisation and cutscenes are, which are just as good as Gears 5, from a graphical and presentation standpoint. This is a great foundation into what should become a great spin-off series, should it continue.

The danger of playing with nostalgia and doing it injustice means that the high bar that was set before it is the bare minimum that needs to be achieved to be even deemed worthwhile. There are a lot of call backs to Crazy Taxi in this review and that is due to the derivative nature that Taxi Chaos borrows its concept from. The sub-par graphics, generic map, bland soundtrack and lack of new ideas or the ability to even replicate what came before it has destined Taxi Chaos to the copycats of shame bin. If, even after reading this review there is still some urge to play Taxi Chaos then it is highly recommended to go and track down a copy of Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 and play these instead.

This collection is fun simple because the old games are good, but the real problem is that there is zero extra content added to the package. No quality-of-life improvements, no graphics updates, nothing that make the two games more accessible. The old games are essentially great, but the package itself is non-existent and feels half-hearted. This is such a huge waste and a missed opportunity, unfortunately it drags down what could have been an outstanding experience.

Shinrai Broken Beyond Despair was a pleasant surprise given its comparison to far-better funded titles in the visual novel genre. While there are some obvious issues such as graphics that never go past being simplistic and bigger issues of pacing problems, the core tale is oddly intriguing. The mystery is fun to sit through, and perhaps the only real criticism is the core narrative should have taken longer, and the various 'side stories' take far too long and detract from the main story.

If there is one problem with Caligula Effect 2 it is pacing. The beginning hits incredibly hard, with great characterization and drawing the player into the plot. The hours-long plodding dungeons and 'slice of life' sections kill what otherwise is actually a pretty cool story. Much like the first game, the core experience of fights and story is solid, but it is absolutely buried in detail which is unfortunate as it makes it far less accessible.

Eastward absolutely radiates heart, which is why it is tough to be hard on it. So many little things, from random sprite movements, to the cooking, or RPG mini-game, are charming, yet, the core element of the game - the story - takes far, far too long for any payoff. Instead, it drones on and on in meaninglessness that torpedoes the pacing of the game. While the action and exploration are interesting, it's slowed down too much by banality.

When the story hits some of its high points, AI: The Somnium Files is really good, and feels like the same kind of high 999 gave… but it is largely crippled by just how slow and repetitious it all is. Random slapstick and outright unrealistic scenes draws players out very quickly from the attempt at being a serious plot. It goes nowhere fast, and the whiplash between attempts at humour and serious moments are too ham-fisted. The overall plot could easily be cut by more than half, and the overall experience would be better for it.

These remakes are totally serviceable and a very good time for any Pokémon fan out there. There is however a nagging sense that more perhaps could have been done, especially for fully priced releases. The Pokémon franchise is big, the company behind these games makes millions off of these and yet there is a feeling time and time again that we're not getting the full AAA experience that such selling numbers should warrant, and this is seen very plainly in how technically dated these games look, even if artistically speaking they are still super cute. We are pleased with these remakes for sure, they're jolly good fun... but we're not impressed and this has to change in the future for the franchise!

These remakes are totally serviceable and a very good time for any Pokémon fan out there. There is however a nagging sense that more perhaps could have been done, especially for fully priced releases. The Pokémon franchise is big, the company behind these games makes millions off of these and yet there is a feeling time and time again that we're not getting the full AAA experience that such selling numbers should warrant, and this is seen very plainly in how technically dated these games look, even if artistically speaking they are still super cute. We are pleased with these remakes for sure, they're jolly good fun... but we're not impressed and this has to change in the future for the franchise!

While Tandem: A Tale of Shadows does feel like it runs out of a bit of steam by the end, overall this is still a fairly entertaining little puzzle adventure. There are plenty of places for improvement, and both the story and the gameplay really could have used a bit more refinement if this was to become something truly special. But even if it is a little rough around the edges, the biggest impression the game is going to leave behind is just how clever its puzzles are. It is the core gameplay that saves the game, even if the stuff around it might not be all that impressive. Even when the game starts to drag and become a bit more predictable, the puzzle platforming is fun enough to warrant seeing everything through until the end.

While any content added to Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is obviously welcomed, the Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack sadly falls far short of what is to be expected, considering the significant cost of the additions. With just two headline gameplay features and no change to how the base game operates, this is very much a disappointing development. It would be great if Koei took stock at this point on just where the series is at in comparison with some heavy competition in this genre, and went all out to make the RTK franchise what it deserves to be.

Abomi Nation actually plays better than it looks. What really holds it back is simply optimization and settings that largely don't work. The combat is simplistic, with many moves being useless. One of the advantages is a story that actually is better than might be deigned simply from the pictures. Fans of the challenge mode will likely enjoy it, and with a few patches under them, expect the experience to improve. Other than those looking for something exactly like this, most will be put off by too many other things.

Danganronpa Decadence bundles together the 3 main entries in the series, along with the original Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp. While Danganronpa S is undeniably the weakest of the titles, the other 3 entries hold up wonderfully by virtue of their exceedingly well-constructed plots and strong writing. They run great on the Switch, as well, making this bundle an excellent purchase for those who haven't yet experienced the gripping tales of despair that only the Danganronpa franchise can tell.

The low-poly graphics may not appeal to everyone, and various mechanics can make gameplay feel a bit on the slow side, but those who love the cute aesthetic are guaranteed to have fun helping Fennel settle into his new town of Button City with the bright colours and entertaining characters. The range of mini-games means there is something for everyone to enjoy from racing to rhythm games, and the plethora of side quests add to the post game content. The almost non-stop humour aside from the moments where gravitas is required make it more than just a game. It focuses on and excels at showing the nature of friendship within small groups, and also the wider social structure of what it takes to be in a community.

It is highly satisfying completing a story arc or traversing the world and finding things that you felt that other players might not have stumbled across due to the nature of the open world and its use of way finders. The lack of load times on Xbox Series S is truly impressive given the nature of environments, landscape, and elements that are present on screen. There were a few issues from characters floating in mid-air, bizarre enemy AI, and straight up freezes, although these were far and few between given the scope of it all. Intuitive and varied combat help keep things fresh, even if it does take a fair few hours of gameplay to really get going. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a thoroughly enjoyable, open-world RPG that is an absolute must for Xbox owners.

Dead, fountain pen shaped birds and big reveals are the main motivations to play Inked: A Tale of Love. There is a lot of good stuff here to like no question, particularly with some story beats, and the whole relaxed tone that embodies the experience, when it's not drawing out a vibration of two. It is hampered by some minor presentation issues, and, much worse, control issues that require the patience of a saint if playing in docked mode - but it really is unique to itself, except for perhaps maybe… Comix Zone? Like Gary Coleman, short and quite easy, but there is some replay value here too with collectible paintings that are scattered and hidden around each chapter. These paintings can be an added incentive to go back and enjoy the art; or perhaps it is the love, the sacrifice, muse, or obsession that one should pay heed to.

The rearranged soundtrack coupled to new compositions is stunningly awesome, as Yuzo Koshiro recaptures brilliantly the spirit of the original and the gameplay of the side-scrolling sections is even better than in the original. However, the questionable choices in the art direction, the bugs, poor performance and the, at times, way too wordy expanded script, mar the experience in such a way that what should have been the masterful return of a masterpiece instead turns out to be a nice introduction to the classic for new audiences, but not much more. There's no shaking the feeling that this re-release was not treated with all the care that such an important landmark title deserved. The extra content sweetens the deal somewhat, and encourages fans of the original to come back for more, but the price of admission for such an end result is a bit too much perhaps.

It's definitely a good thing that Blade of Darkness exists, therefore its 2021 update is more than welcome, despite the fact that it is an extremely conservative remaster that hasn't really "fixed" the game. Flaws put aside, though, this is not one of those titles that belong in the past and are best left there to collect dust. It's not a title to recommend to just anyone, especially to those with an aversion to its heavy "retro" sensibilities, but those who can get past the clunky and slightly unreliable controls, and stomach the occasionally repetitive gameplay, will immediately get immersed to the strong atmosphere of this Conan the Barbarian-meets-Dark Souls fantasy land of sword and sorcery. And death. Plenty, and plenty of bloody death.

Assuming the player has an Aim controller this could be the definitive way to experience the story and world of DOOM 3 out of all of the ports and versions. The minute-to-minute gameplay is satisfying and punchy accentuated by the player being face first in the action and horror. Highly recommended to horror lovers who are in search of an action-oriented VR experience.

Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster is a stunning update that sings with the bells and whistles of a more modern pixel rendering style. Hindered only by bad font and a small technical issue this is an experience Final Fantasy fans need to have. The story of Cecil is easy to get sucked into, it is backed by some insanely sublime music and the gameplay is a joy, even if it is dated. Only a fool would pass this up!