There’s a lack of variety in the way you play Serial Cleaner which makes things disappointing. You move around, hide in cupboards, clean up the blood, and carry the bodies back to your car. The only real option you have beyond that is setting up a noise distraction which will cause nearby guards to come running. Cleaning is a dangerous, yet apparently mundane job, but someone has to do it.

Get Even is one of the most atmospheric games I have played. The music and sound effects do a remarkable job in setting the tone and the story proceeds nicely as your detective skills and memories build the narrative. It is primarily built around exploration and discovery, but does it in a way that is wonderfully entertaining. The combat elements work well, and the sleuthing and stealth all combine to make the game a fulfilling experience, one that has you sitting on the edge of your seat until you reach the conclusion.

I respect that Micro Machines World Series is an ambitious game that attempt some legitimately cool ideas, some of which bring it pretty close to being a really cool game. I do believe that there was a legitimately high amount of thought that went into this game, and it’s a shame that most all of these good ideas are ultimately fruitless due to the nature of the game itself, buckling under its own design. Perhaps if there was a more lively online community it’d be worth finding a group of friends to develop some tactics and strategy with, but as it stands this is a title that’s going to be disappointing for most.

In reality, there’s nothing new to be found in Next Jump: Shmup Tactics. It has very basic turn based combat, and a space traversal system that lacks the options and variety of FTL: Faster Than Light’s five year old method. It’s cheap though, so it could be worth a couple of hours of your time if you’re looking for a quick blast of action.

While the game’s art is decent, if not particularly exceptional, the level and environmental designs suffer from a drought of creativity. Things change a bit in each of the game’s few different areas, but none are particularly interesting or unique. Environmental obstacles, a core part of the platforming experience, don’t fair any better. For example, there’s open electricity everywhere.. I had to sit and ponder a few moments what to even call the things, because they aren’t real things. They aren’t even electrified floor tiles or fence. They’re just two little protrusions that can be on just about any surface, always uniformly spaced, with open electricity flowing between them. I understand that it seems like a strange, small thing to get caught up on, but in a platformer the environments and obstacles are a major part of the experience, and having the screen constantly flooded with lazy, uninspired obstacles grew tired before I even got through the tutorial level. Tangentially, speaking of presentation and design, the writing’s pretty rough. The story, focused around a mad scientist that controls people through addiction, is fine, but the dialogue extremely unnatural, and there are a number of grammar and word errors that I spotted. The humor didn’t hit for me either, rarely getting funnier than Hey there, how good does my hair look?

If I was to give Crimson Earth any praise, the gore and dismembering effects are rather satisfying. Chunks of zombie flesh will fly off individual limbs in a surprising amount of detail. However, this is a miniscule glimmer of hope in a product that just shouldn’t be sold. There might be a possibility of future updates, but it isn’t an Early Access title, so I wouldn’t keep your hopes up.

Given the problems especially with flight physics modelling and the focus on shooting, I cannot say that I enjoyed my time with the game very much. There’s no joy in flying when the plane does not behave as it should behave and you don’t get to land and take off the pretty things. On the other hand, I can see this title having potential: a few fixes here and there and proper flight stick support for my Thrustmaster T.16000m (and other joysticks) and this could become a very nice game. Unfortunately, it is not there at the moment and I am reviewing the product as it is here and now - as it is, there are other flight combat games out there that are more enjoyable to play, even if they lack the kind of story Iron Wings offers.

Rising Storm 2, like its predecessors, is a tight, realistic multiplayer shooter with a robust community of players and balanced asymmetrical gameplay that feels fair. The sound design creates a suspenseful atmosphere while the iconic rock music of the era sets you squarely in the time period. Graphically, the game is not the best looking title around, but it's good enough not to adversely affect one’s enjoyment of the action. While not exactly noob friendly, the community will help you get your swamp legs and, as a team-based game, you will have to communicate with others if you don’t want to simply be in the way. If you are looking for something more realistic than Call of Duty or Battlefield, but faster than Arma, look no further than Rising Storm 2. I will see you in my sights.

Were it not for the use of echolocation, Perception would be indistinguishable from the hordes of horror games that have seemingly flooded the market in recent memory. But that central mechanic fails to create an impact in the gameplay, making Perception a well constructed game that lacks in scares and surprises.

I want the readers to take this score with a grain of salt. I went with what I thought was fair without letting my complete lack of fun butcher the score. It's functional, and I can see how those who have run out of challenges would love to run through this gambit. But it's just not for me. It's not fun for me at all, not due to poor design but due to there being only so much I can take before I throw in the towel. Tormentor X Punisher, you win. You brought out the anger in me. Now please, get off my computer.

From a pure driving standpoint though, it’s tough to beat Dirt 4. It’s a niche style of racing, but it’s one with a lot of positives that the majority of people can enjoy. If you’re into competition and bumping into other drivers as you race, there are modes for you, but there are better options out there if that’s all you’re looking for. Dirt 4 is for the people who love the simulation aspect. They want to be challenged. They want to ‘Scandinavian Flick’ their way around dense forests at night time with the fog and rain closing in. It’s dirty, but it’s glorious.

Forts has been well designed and implemented. The controls and gameplay are simple and the levels are generally quite engaging. Having the three difficulty settings will no doubt allow gamers of all ages and skill levels to enjoy themselves as they watch the enemy fort explode into countless pieces. The Campaign mode can get a little familiar by the time you hit the middle levels, but the variation in visual settings and secondary goals does make it more interesting. And the developers have been patching and adding new features to the game, and it is great to see that they are quick to fix any issues that the community is having whilst adding their own improvements to the game. With the fun visuals and dialogue, Forts is a great game for everyone in the family.

As charming as it looks, Bounty Train feels a bit empty and uncomplicated. It’s an arrangement of potentially fun mechanics that just fail to gel together into something that is entertaining for more than a few hours. If you don’t mind the idea of mindlessly going from town to town vending your wares, you may still want to pick this up. If you want more, I’d let this train leave the station without you.

Tekken 7 is almost perfect as a fighting game. The story is so-so, but let's be honest...it is a fighting game, does there really need to be a story? The game play and controls are practically flawless, and that is of utmost importance when you're attempting to knock out your opponent. The basic combos are simple to learn, whilst if you take the time to learn the more complex combos, they can pay off big time. The visuals are clear and crisp with some wonderful locales. Going through the images, there has been a marked improvement in visual quality since the last game in the series and the music sets the mood wonderfully. My excitement at being able to once again perform in the Iron Fist Tournament has definitely been fulfilled with Tekken 7.

Conarium is labour of love, for its inability to strike a similar sense of wonder the written work did, it makes up for in sheer presentation; like a wonderful catalogue for enthusiasts to drool over. Horror fans might find it somewhat lacking in the scares department where monster interaction is kept to a minimum, but fortunately it never presents itself as a horror game. Fundamentally it provides a wonderful introduction to the visual themes of H.P. Lovecraft, which hopefully, will encourage many players to pick up the books and delve deeper into this world.

Regalia is a game of surprises, giving me much more than I expected from a small, first time publisher. There’s certainly a bit of room for improvement, but most of that melts away to a game that’s funny, challenging, and full of backstory and lore. A very diverse cast of characters and dialogue that’s delivered with the timing and heart it deserves elevate this stereotypical-on-paper experience from another dime-a-dozen indie fantasy game to something well worth exploring.

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.

Rezrog is a solid idea for a game, taking what would be generic characters and turning them into fun, customizable classes that pair well with the miniature visuals. Yet the repetitive nature of the game, coupled with the absence of a story and the slow introduction, make Rezrog a tedious experience that is difficult to enjoy.

It's always ambitious to take this route, and for that much I have to at least congratulate the developer on daring to tread this difficult subgenre. I can see what was supposed to be, and how if it was able to be pulled off, could've become one of the greats of indie horror games. Luckily the memories themselves are interesting enough that I kept pushing forward, even if the 'here and now' aspect of the game left me feeling wanting. It's perhaps those alone that keep Inner Voices from falling out of my favor. Those moments are what save the day and bring the game out on the other side as a decent journey for a low price.

Overall the game is beyond simplistic, but perhaps that's for the best. Overcomplicating things might have made it less fun in the grand scheme of things, and while I can't say for certain if I'll be playing this game a year from now, I do know I can affectionately call it my frightening summer fling for multiplayer. Illfonics has set the stage, it's time for them to keep improving upon this great idea, and for other companies to take the hint and follow in their footsteps. This is asymmetric multiplayer at its most addicting, and horror in one of its purest forms.

The performance, happiness and stability issues drag down a game that could have received a perfect score. If I had a choice, I’d roll back to the previous patch to at least have a stable game again, but that’s not an option. Fortunately there are ways to win the game without having a large portion of the map in your back pocket. When the turns are processing, battles are resolved smoothly and revolts remain manageable, Endless Space 2 is an absolutely magnificent game. There is so much to discover, so much to do and so many different ways to do it, it’s dazzling when you get started. But once you have the basics under control and start noticing the many intricate ways in which the game allows you to manage and fine-tune your empire, it is hard not to be impressed.

Between the lack of balance and the lack of feedback, it feels like Dawn of Andromeda left Early Access too early. The game just doesn’t feel like it is done which is doubly disappointing because I can see its potential. There are some good ideas, like the reputation system that is tied - among other things - into mini quests that keep you entertained when things are peaceful. Still, there is little depth and there are definitely a few rough edges that need to be smoothed out before one could call this a ‘good’ game. If the above gives you the impression that it is a bad game, it is not. It’s playable and there is some fun to be had, but it’s just not where it should be as a full release.

Like far-East philosophical quotes spread around the environment promote, Boikido: Heartfelt Reunion is a game about relaxation and going with the flow. Anyone looking for a directed, structured experience isn’t going to find what they’re looking for here, but those with some time to unwind here are there will be pleasantly surprised with a well-designed game that runs well and sets out what it accomplishes to do.

Control and stability issues aside, Block’hood is quite a lovely game to play around in. The graphics are simple, yet charming, and the music does a great job of relaxing you as you puzzle through how best you’re going to keep the animals in your neighbourhood happy while also setting up multiple Internet cafes. The sense of progression isn’t as great as in other city building games, but putting together an efficient neighbourhood where everyone lives in harmony is definitely a rewarding experience.

The Surge is a surprise, utilizing its near future sci-fi setting to create a unique world that is a wonder to explore and uncover. Though its story fails to take off, the awesome combat and engaging crafting and upgrade system are more than enough to make the game stand out amidst the increasing gaming landscape.

Prey sure did change between its original inception and the new one, and honestly I'd say it's almost entirely for the better. The original Prey didn't stick with me, or much of the gaming community, and seemed to fade away quietly. While die hard fans of the original game may claim that this reboot is only Prey in name alone, I would argue that this is what Prey should've been in the first place. It's not perfect, but it is engrossing and stole quite a few hours of my life between start to finish. Here's hoping for a sequel that builds upon the solid ideas here, and improves them much in the same way Arkane did for their Dishonored series.

While it does have some issues presenting the backstory itself; feeling a bit more like an experiment than a complete game, the moment-to-moment of exploration is unique and unforgettable. Hopefully this will soon get VR support considering it looks perfect for the platform.

Crow’s Eye just doesn’t hold up to the greats. The juxtaposition of horror mystery against puzzle-platformer gameplay is jarring; as if gameplay and storyline were drawn up independently and then forced together during early design meeting. Perhaps the first-person puzzles were the intended focus of the title, but horror-genre theatrics proved more popular during limited focus testing, steering the development team’s world building and scripting down a weirdly counterintuitive path. I will admit that does seem like an oddly sceptical look at the game’s make-up, but it simply doesn’t feel organic. Serviceable gameplay mechanics are clouded by a confusing and unimpressive horror aesthetic that do little to elevate the proceedings above a quaint distraction.