With 2.5 hours under the belt, I can say the ending was sudden, surprising , and not fulfilling by any means. It did not strike a chord that rang in success or failure. In fact, thanks to the stiff animation of the scene, I actually blurted out a laugh. The setting, the lore behind it, they’re ultimately squandered as far as horror goes, or even as adventure. What Through The Woods ultimately boils down to, is a couple hour walking simulator with an interesting narrative trying to be played out by the most unlikeable character I’ve ever seen in a game.

Despite a promising aesthetic style, the game’s formulaic story, lacklustre gameplay, and buggy mechanics make for an experience that is difficult to recommend. Better, more interesting titles in the genre are a dime a dozen, but unfortunately, not many of them offer local co-op. I will therefore conclude by saying that you should pick this game up only if you’re specifically looking for a couch multiplayer game to play with your friends and family. If you’re looking for a single-player experience, you’ll be better off looking somewhere else.

When it comes down to it, Rise & Shine is unable to create an engaging experience by itself, with mechanics that are not utilized to the best extent. Worse, the game feels like a chore to play, as I felt that I had to rely predominantly on luck in order to advance through much of the game. For all the strength of its graphics and introductory stages, Rise & Shine is unable to create a compelling experience worth playing.

Technically, it’s not particularly well made either. Beyond the poor collision detection and weird invisible walls, I encountered multiple bugs.

Worlds of Magic would have been passable had it not been so buggy.

I wish Pizza Connection 3 would have matched the excitement I had for it since it was first announced, but it doesn’t even come close. I can live with the bugs, but it doesn’t capture what made the original Pizza Tycoon so fantastic, it’s just not... personal enough. It’s almost as if development of the game stopped when it became technically functional, and then they forgot to put the actual game in.

Ultimately, Shock Tactics is a bland and forgettable game that did little to engender itself to me in any way, shape or form. While the AI is particularly bad, the rest of the game does not try and elevate its mechanics and presentation into something that is more than just a copy of XCOM.

Stretched out levels, punishing design, and imprecise controls make for an experience best avoided. It is a shame because there are some great ideas here, they just need a little more time and development to become consistently fun.

For now, Motorama needs to stay in the garage like the rusty jalopies it so closely resembles.

I do think it’s worth commending We Are Chicago for its noble intent, even if that intent largely results in an endeavor that is unable to harness the enormity of its subject matter into something meaningful and digestible for its audience. I think there’s definitely room out there for games that explore real human issues, and We Are Chicago seems to have had the best intentions behind it. The story buried behind the bland presentation and emotionless dialogue is one worth telling, but it’s one worth telling in a way that can better represent the truth behind it.

I can see how doing “more” than competitor Farming Simulator would be a goal to attract players, but it’s destroying the game. Farm Expert needs to do less, and do what it does better.

The crux of the issue is simply this: Gods Will Be Watching thinks it is smarter than it actually is. It tries to weave commentary into its story but only succeeds in imparting pessimism.

In the end, it all boils down to the pacing. The story moves at glacial pace, and the interactive moments are too few and far between. The unfortunate result is that playing Icebound feels like watching snow melt.

Stealth games are meant to be challenging and should feel like a tense, punishing experience. But Alekhine’s Gun is stretch too far and instead punishes you because of its poor mechanics and terrible AI.

Unknown Fate could have been a decent game but it is let down by lack of development. A decent level designer would have pointed out that the game’s levels don’t work.

There are some interesting concepts that are introduced but only minimally explored, and I found myself confused by the unfulfilled promise of a sprawling narrative. I’d be interested to return to this world again in a more fleshed-out game, but right now there’s not enough here to justify a purchase for most.

Hexodius is the kind of game that you’re likely to forget a week after finishing it. That is, if you're not bored to tears by the time you do finish it. Trust me when I say that there are many more experiences that are better worth your time and money, because this is the kind of game that will make you ask yourself “Why did I buy this again?”

Between the ugly presentation and the poor gameplay, there just isn’t anything here to make it worth a recommendation, even for fighting game and kung fu movie aficionados.

After finishing my time with Dream Alone I didn’t really find myself satisfied with anything that it was trying to do or be. It’s got the makings of a nice little horror story, but there isn’t enough actual story to live up to its opening’s promise.

Apartment Story is two ideas mixed together, and one of them works really well while the other drags the experience down quite severely. I can't help but imagine that the core concepts of an interactive home invasion that asks the player to make choices and deal with the consequences couldn't have made for an enjoyable and tense experience if it weren't for the confusingly repetitive and out-of-place sim elements that necessitate walking and waiting in-between everything interesting. At the end of the day, the good parts don't quite seem worth the bad, and it's difficult to recommend the title when technical issues are also holding things back.

I ended my time with Realms of Ruin feeling like it was a game stuck between two genres. It has the combat rules, unit counts, and sluggish movement of a pure tactics game, set on a map scaled for an RTS, but it also forgot to bring either tactics or strategy in a meaningful way. In some respect it feels like a strategy game from before they were "figured out" in the 90s. It's a game of rock paper scissors, where each player knows what the other is throwing, and has but a single counter to it. There just isn't enough there, and for a game that is asking a premium price, I think the bar is much more visible, if not higher. And this is without taking into account the other, better, Warhammer strategy games already on the market. Just like its full title, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar - Realms of Ruin is a tad exhausting, a bit confusing, and could benefit from losing about 60% off the top.

I really wanted to like Giant Machines 2017. I really, really did. It’s unfortunate that a game that can make me feel like I’m entering a darned megazord one minute can so completely turn me off the next.

With effort, dedication, and a painstaking amount of man hours, it is plain to see that Nether could become a game to rival the likes of DayZ and Rust. As it stands, I cannot suggest this game to anyone looking for a unique survival experience.

Forspoken is not worth either your money, or your time. Even were it offered for free, perhaps as part of a free weekend promotion on Steam, or as one of the rotating weekly free game giveaways on the Epic Games Store, it would still be too high a price to pay, as the time investment costs far outweigh the doubtful pleasure of experiencing what little Forspoken has to offer.

Writing a negative review can feel cathartic when it’s in response to lazy, sleazy, or greedy game design, but this isn’t one of those reviews. Of Bird and Cage is very clearly a passion project that aims to do something new and exciting, and, while it does a few things very well, it just doesn’t have a solid enough foundation to make it fun to play. I love the music and I like the story that they were trying to tell, but sloppy game mechanics, poorly developed narrative beats, and disappointing visuals make this a game I can’t recommend for most.

Kill the Bad Guy is a game that would feel right at home as a budget priced game on a tablet considering the basic mechanics on show. On a PC it looks boring, isn’t particularly fun to play, and there’s not enough content to merit the price tag.

If this game were still in early access, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. But with the state it’s in now as a “finished” product, I can’t say it’s worth your time, or your money.

Cast VR’s technical issues make it difficult to recommend. With a flawed approach to gameplay, numerous bugs, and animation errors that ruin the immersion, its let down by Humble Sage Games’ execution. There’s no denying that the spellcasting proves quite enjoyable and the premise had me intrigued. On its own though, that’s just not enough and its clear Cast VR would’ve benefitted from further refinement.