Is Samantha worth finding? Or was it really the friends we made along the way? (It wasn't.) Where's Samantha? may whet the appetite of hardcore platformer fanatics with its lovely aesthetic and intriguing manner of puzzle-solving. Though what it gains in intrigue, it loses in untapped potential. Best served as passable entertainment for a pleasant day of gaming, it doesn't quite hit the highs it wishes to through its star cameo and distinct visual style. In-between the extremes of either objective direction, it maintains a feeling of pleasant monotony—never moving, never ending.

All-in-all, Time on Frog Island isn't a bad game, but there is room for improvement. The story, location, and characters are certainly intriguing, but you're not really given much detail behind them to make you feel more invested, which feels like a missed opportunity. The gameplay concept is also good, but has flaws, such as the lack of mini map or task list to help you when you become lost. There's not much to complain about in the graphics and sound department; they match the game's theme well and are useful to the gameplay. In summary, if you like exploring and trading and meeting frog people, you should spend some Time on Frog Island.

The conclusion to this is a difficult one, as there are lots of good bits about this game. However, the further you progress, the less the good things shine through, and the more the bad things stand out. It’s marred by scattershot battle-mechanics, an uninteresting storyline, and, of course, very bad dialogue. If the good aspects really draw you in, then maybe it’s worth a shot, but if not it is hard to recommend. For such an imaginative game, it is often very dull.

POSTAL Redux didn't need to come to Nintendo Switch. But I guess part of what makes a game like this, that puts you in the role of a character hopefully none of us would emulate, is that it doesn't need to do anything. It just needs to let you shoot little guns at things and make the blood go everywhere. If that's what you're into, POSTAL Redux will let you do that from anywhere. But if you prefer a game with any amount of meaningful substance, keep looking elsewhere.

This game is the definition of a mixed bag for me. This game is what you get when you mix amazing talent (music, art) with a rushed timetable and an unremarkable story and writing style. There are a lot of aspects that made me feel I was playing an Early Access or Beta game, but this has been indeed released, and it's selling for 30 bucks. Considering the amount of content and the quality of the experience, the score suffers, because it does not live up to a $30 game. The bads are not terrible and luckily the goods are really good, so I can go slightly above 5 with this one. If you don't mind about bland story and bad dialogues and are itching for a short and sweet colossus fighter with aerial combat, then pick this one up. Although, maybe when it goes on sale.

The Lake House was a pretty big letdown overall. It simply did not succeed at anything it set out to do. It was not a thrilling or scary journey through a labyrinth. It wasn't a thrilling expansion of the world of the Remedy Connected Universe. Nor was it an effective teaser for Control 2. Instead, it was a largely boring side chapter that you can easily skim over.

The bites may be fresh, but what about the blood that pumps within? As much of a "definitive" edition Fresh Bites may be, BloodRayne Betrayal's 2021 revival doesn't manage to sink itself too deep into the collective necks of a wider player base. With its foot still planted on the pulse of its former hardcore fanbase, it beckons the coming crowd with promises of new additions—more accessible difficulty, voice acting! However, there's nothing about this repackaged version that's enough to entice people not already fond of the franchise or genre. If one was to choose between this and the 2011 original, this would be the better option. Unfortunately, it still doesn't feel like a good branching point for those looking to get into hack n' slashes.

This is well-rounded for a solo project and would serve as a great portfolio piece. However it is extremely short and the puzzle are not very fun or challenging to solve. On top of that there are sections that are full of unnecessary padding. Many of the concepts and designs show a cool sense of taste and are very fresh. However it will take a little more for this game to worth you spending your money on.

Crystal Dynamics had an ambitious idea with Marvel's Avengers. It attempts to seduce players into endless sessions of heroic carnage in a bloodthirsty hunt for increasingly satisfying gear. In reality, however, the loot drops are brutally bare, leaving the repetitious core without a shoulder to lean on. Somehow Marvel's Avengers finds itself packed with content but also feeling incomplete. Upcoming DLC characters may revive its fleeting heartbeat, but until then, the experience was a bit too depressing for me to enjoy.

While the existence of Warzone by itself shouldn't represent a threat to the franchise, Modern Warfare III is the ultimate proof of how Call of Duty's free battle royale mode is harming the main entries by turning them into Warzone spin-offs and diverting the series from what they have been re-constructing since 2019. Sadly, the enjoyable multiplayer mode doesn't compensate for the open-world mess the campaign and zombies mode represent for this wasted and mistreated sequel.

A tragic case of wasted potential, Dust & Neon renders its formidable run-and-gun mechanics powerless with repetitive missions, trivial upgrades, and a nonsensical difficulty curve. The simple satisfaction of blasting anything that moves might keep some players happy for a while, but ultimately this one would be hard to recommend at even a quarter of its current asking price.

Hearts Of Iron IV: Trial Of Allegiance is a perfectly adequate piece of DLC. Whilst it does add some decent content, what we get feels rather inconsistent. With some focus trees being full of variety and flavour. And others feel a little 'mid' at best and lacking at worst. With the overall thrust of most trees ultimately being nearly identical. Ultimately, unless you are playing as one of these nations, you'll never really notice the changes.

Mortal Shell: Complete Edition has the bones of a good Soulslike, but falls into the trap of being too ambitious for its own good and giving the impression that it's a lot more expansive than it is in reality. It does some things very well and is worth playing, but doesn't hold a candle to the game that it draws so much inspiration from.

Torchlight 3 was bland from the get-go and never picked up in my near 20 hours with the game. It fails to reach the heights of its predecessor in basically every way. Its origins as a free-to-play game shine through and it conveys an overall cheap feeling to the game. Certain aspects like class builds, area design, and combat have been dumbed down in this game. If you're looking for an average ARPG to play with your friends then it may be for you, but with the $40 price tag on its official launch out of Steam Early Access, it will be hard to recommend.

Gang Beasts will always be a game I enjoy to play, but the release on Nintendo Switch was definitely disappointing. Although I loved it prior to this, I can't help but feel put off from picking it up for a while. I wish there had been something new and exciting for this brilliant release, but I guess we just have to keep waiting.

There’s no denying that survival games are a well-liked genre, and for all its flaws, This Land is My Land does do some interesting things. Having a Native American protagonist, for instance, is a genuinely exciting prospect, although the developers could certainly have done more to work with the people they were trying to represent. In a lot of ways, this game feels like it’s on the verge of being something really worthwhile; the setting and the mechanics are both, in theory, really interesting to explore in a video game. It’s just truly frustrating to see them get lost amid the game’s indecisiveness on what it wants to be and the sheer uninviting nature it presents for new players.

I fear my childhood has prevented me from giving Nebuchadnezzar a fair chance. It was never going to meet my expectations because I was holding it up to a level of quality that few have been able to match in the past 20 years. This isn't a bad game; it just not one that you'll remember in a year, forget a decade. So instead of recommending this, I recommend you instead spend half as much and buy Pharoah instead.

Ravenlok is a game I desperately wanted to love but, in my short time with it, so many obstacles made that impossible. A fantastical world of whimsy and fantasy is unfortunately betrayed by the dull rendition of the Wonderland story and the empty characters who dwell within it. By far the biggest weakness, though, is that, in a desire to be more approachable, the combat is a spammy mess without depth, challenge or complexity and it taints the package. While Ravenlok may be beautiful it's only skin-deep and doesn't hide the strained, weak game below.

Intrepid Izzy isn't a bad game, but it's nowhere near as intrepid as the title suggests. It's a paint by numbers Metroidvania platformer that gets the job done and not much else. It's got colorful graphics and enjoyable gameplay, but it lacks originality. Blatantly copying other games only gets you so far.

Death Relives is a horror experience that confuses itself for an interactive history lesson at times. It may be filled with entertaining puzzles and an enjoyable intimidating antagonist, but It sadly doesn't justify the frequent bugs and frustrating stealth mechanics. I can see the vision the developers were going for but Death Relives definitely needed some more time in the oven. Hopefully in their next venture they'll learn what worked and what didn't, and maybe leave the AI generated content behind.

If you're looking for a simple puzzle game with some narrative on the side, Doctor Cat is something to consider giving a go. I have to admit, there are a few flaws and it does sometimes miss the mark in what it sets out to do, but I like the approach that's been taken with this game, making it something more than just a game with a few puzzles. Although there are things I would personally have done differently, the game does at least provide an interesting challenge, and at the end, you get to replay the puzzles in a more difficult mode.

I can't in good conscience recommend Silver Chains. It's not for a lack of effort; I'm sure that the development team worked very hard to ensure their vision. But it's a small package, and the Nintendo Switch isn't the best way to play the title. If you're looking to spend time in a fright-filled mansion that has an evil resident, there are other ways to scratch that itch. If you're looking for a scary game to play while safely tucked under your blankets, this would do the job for a couple of hours.

The first hour or so of Werewolf the Apocalypse - Earthblood had me intrigued. The story wasn't great, and there were plenty of issues, but I enjoyed the combat. After a while, the game became a slog with repetitive mission design, and no real incentive to do anything other than engaging in one-on-one combat had me longing for the credits to roll. Typically AA games have something to set them apart, but sadly it is not the case in Werewolf the Apocalypse - Earthblood.

Space Invaders Forever is a fine package. That's unfortunately all there is to it. For fans of the series, for players who will play with others, for those that don't mind touch screens, it's a great choice. But if any of those things are a problem, everything gets real old, real fast. This is the bare bones version of that massive Space Invaders Invincible Collection, and it isn't enough to satisfy.

Hell Architect: Prologue is a sales pitch for the full version of the game. And while that is not a bad thing by any measure, the experience playing just the prologue falls short. The fact that you can let the game run by itself says a lot and does not bode well for the full version. The current state of the game feels incomplete and buggy, as I ran into what seemed to be 2 random encounters while playing the prologue scenario, although they always happened at the same time on every playthrough and immediately resolved themselves, so it's like they never happened. I'm hoping to see some more of that on the final version of the game, maybe that's the missing piece. My curiosity is still piqued and I'm hoping the addition of more sinners to the game will make for a more complicated playthrough, and, no point in denying it, I also wanna see the rest of the tortures Woodland Games has prepared for us.

Ruinverse ended up being a middling entry in the KEMCO catalog. What it does, it does well, but the larger twist it was going for with the dual-soul feature doesn't really land as intended. For fans of the genre, it's a fine bone to chew on, but if you're looking for something more in your games, this isn't the one for you.

Poly Bridge 3 is a perfectly serviceable game for the niche audience it is aimed toward, though probably won't find much success outside of that. It's a game in an expansive genre that turns regular jobs into entertaining video games, though leans more into comedy and exaggeration for added fun, which definitely helps its cause over others in the genre.

Harvest Hunt pits you against a frustratingly unbalanced monster in a small village, and asks you to repeat this cycle over and over with very little changes in gameplay. Perhaps with some updates, Harvest Hunt can yield entertaining sessions. But for now, only certain players that love a formidable challenge will find something of value in Harvest Hunt's punishing gameplay. The story is surely one point, but for most, it is the only, and not enough.

While the gameplay is intact, the visual downgrade to Tropico 6 is so damaging to the game. Juggling different tasks is still fun, but now it all just looks worse. Due to the poor visuals, there are inevitable diminishing returns as your settlement gets bigger, which is the opposite of how it should be. The grander your achievement, the harder it is to actually see it.

Fall of Porcupine tells a wonderful and thought provoking tale, in particular following the impact of a real world pandemic on our healthcare systems. Yet the emotional experience is sometimes hindered by incorrectly labelled button prompts, inconsistencies in dialogue translation and an invisible torso. In spite of this, the wholesome characters and comfy storybook atmosphere combined with a selection of minigames create a memorable time in the town of Porcupine.

Bones of Halloween never tries to be anything more than it is. A simple survival game where you challenge yourself to get the highest number of points. It’s good for some short and simple fun, where you shoot skeletons and try out the different guns. Unfortunately, a lack of variety in gameplay means that you will quickly become bored. This isn’t a game that you will likely pick up again after the initial fun wears off.

James Pond: Codename Robocod is an odd beast. Whilst it is technically a rerelease it isn’t the game that many players will remember. And the game that we do end up getting here is fun enough; the core mechanics are solid and provide and decent challenge which is close enough to the original that this feels like a sequel of sorts. However the level design is slightly lacking. And the presentation of the game is rather poor, with bad sound design and poorly implemented sprites. People with nostalgia for the original may get a kick out of this. But it may be a harder sell for newer gamers.

All in all, I did enjoy my time with Infinite Abyss. A few tweaks, like maybe some more health or health/armor upgrades, less enemies or enemy damage, faster crate movement speed, or maybe a story, would have made the game much more enjoyable. However, at its current price tag, it's worth it. I've seen worse, but I've definitely seen better.

Ultimately, Time Loader is a beautiful-looking, wonderful-sounding game, with some fun gameplay. It's let down by a story that focuses on a character without making them engaging, the lack of challenge that comes with the puzzles, and everything being in service of the game's least engaging aspect. It is unfortunately quite a short game as well. My initial run-through clocked in at about 2.6 hours. So a recommendation here is really based on what you want for your money. If you're fine with slightly un-challenging, hand-holdy at times gameplay and a story that looks pretty but doesn't go anywhere, pick it up! If you want a little more bang for your buck, maybe wait it out to see if Flazm adds anything interesting. Honestly, this game has a lot of potential to be good, if they just rework the story and maybe add some challenge levels.

Although Speed 3: Grand Prix has an interesting gameplay concept, it fails to pull together the arcade and simulation sides of racing games in any memorable way. With a boring main tournament mode that recycles the same sort of gameplay over and over, not even solid visual design and a good soundtrack can save this game from being distinctly mediocre.

Syberia Remastered is not a bad remaster—but it is a timid one, and that is what hurts most. This world, this story, this legacy, deserved a revival that honored Benoît Sokal’s vision with boldness and confidence. Instead, we are left with something in between: a remaster that flickers with brilliance but too often fades back into mediocrity. For newcomers, it offers a glimpse of why Syberia became a classic. For longtime fans, it feels like a missed opportunity—a reminder of just how powerful this story could be if given the chance to truly shine again. Syberia Remastered is heartfelt but incomplete—a nostalgic return that touches the heart, but never fully captures the magic it tries to revive.

DETECTIVE - Rainy Night tries to be two different genres at once but never finds its focus. The result is a game that doesn't feel like mystery or horror, instead a rough combination of the two. You are only interested in seeing how the story ends and probably won't give the game much thought when it's over.

The Bad Son is an interesting game. It is a game which I am not sure I want to ever recommend but what it does well it really does well. The odd story along with its great atmosphere is really well done. Somehow the corny horror vibes are nailed down very well. While at the same time as a game it kind of fails through the fact that gameplay is bad and boring. It is odd, to say the least. That is what makes the game unique and a tough sell.

I walked away from Raven's Hike with a bitter taste in my mouth. It didn't feel like a challenge at the end, but a waste of time. However, looking back at it, Raven's Hike doesn't deserve to be called a bad game. The controls are smooth, and while it could explain things better, it is a very fair experience. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know, but use your discretion. If you're looking for a tough, but fair, puzzle-platformer then you could certainly do worse. For me, I found the game to be mediocre at best, and exhausting at worst. Still, the creativity on display is pretty cool.

The idea of fighting on a futuristic motorcycle seemed fun in the beginning, but there just wasn't much else going on with the game to keep you hooked to it for long. The story seems forced and the characters seem like random NPCs who you don't care about. The gameplay elements like the crew are not fully utilized and it feels like they just left it in between to focus on other things. If all of this is taken care of, I wouldn't mind trying Disintegration 2, if it ever comes out.

Summer In Mara does a well enough job in helping you fall in love with the Koa and the plethora of colorful characters. The underlying mystery of Mara and its inhabitants as well as the depth of lore leaves the player yearning for more. Unfortunately, in order to get the momentary tasty bits of story, the player must go through grueling and nearly infinite fetch questing. On top of that, several mechanics don't intermingle well with each other and often times make no sense whatsoever. Constant backtracking and waiting around plague an otherwise vibrant and compelling game.

I am mindful that this is a budget title. However, against It’s inspirations, it comes up short. I will say that I loved the art design and that playing through the areas and puzzles was solid, if unspectacular. I also appreciated it’s light-hearted moments. However, control could be very frustrating and specifically the audio was incredibly jarring throughout, from the stock nature sounds to non-existent music. The games tone also struck me as odd, undecided if wants to be heartfelt, whimsical or a tale of revenge. Regarding story, there's very little to engage with, even within the games' environments. The game also included bugs that required restarts, which I hope are fixed in due course. Having played Omno recently, the difference is night and day.

Paws and Soul does deliver in providing a story based around the Buddhist doctrine of rebirth and reincarnation, and I can see how it is quite atmospheric. Unfortunately, the story is far too depressing to make any of it relaxing. The gameplay is fun at first but quickly grows repetitive, and the only thing the game has going for it are the graphics and the vibrant environments. It’s a shame, because Paws and Soul could have been a really good indie game, but there too many vital aspects that haven't been executed well, and all of this combined seriously lets it down.

Atari Mania wants to be a love letter to the golden age of Atari. It wants to be a fresh spin on old games. The end result is the equivalent of trying to play an Atari 2600 on a modern TV. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The repetitive microgames and technical issues mar what should be a fun anniversary gift to a legendary company. This anniversary gift is a bit underwhelming.

Smilemo is primarily a game about challenging yourself to get past difficult obstacles. You will spend hours trying to complete stages, making small steps of progress. Your work can easily be undone by a few mistakes, and this will be frustrating for casual players. If you are looking for a challenging 2D platformer that will test the limits of your patience, this is the game for you. If you are a casual player looking for a fun game to relax, it would be better to look elsewhere.

I can’t recommend Witchcrafty because the bugs and mediocre gameplay make it almost unplayable. In fact, it’s one of the most bug-ridden games I’ve played all year. I can tell the game is filled with passion, but it misses the mark on too many occasions to be enjoyable. I could have fallen in love with Witchcrafty, but I wish there were more to it instead.

Stranded Deep has a great team of minds behind it, and the game definitely has the potential to excel in its field. But for Nintendo Switch, it just doesn't meet the criteria. Starting a new adventure is exciting, but there isn't really enough to keep me focused or compelled.

Android Hunter A has a lot going for it - great music, timeless gameplay, and tight controls, but it lacks originality. If it weren't for the bugs I encountered, I would feel much safer recommending this game, even though I have faith that DigiPlox is working hard to fix 'er up. I want to revisit the game once they have had time to iron out some of the creases, but for now, Android Hunter A falls short of its true potential and lofty ambitions.

Dark Alliance lacks in diversity, with bugs littered throughout making it near impossible to remain immersed for more than 10 minutes at a time, if that. You will undoubtedly expect either a successful homage to Dungeons and Dragons or a high-quality action RPG with influence from that scene - at this stage, it does not quite deliver either.

There’s plenty to like about League of Enthusiastic Losers, but there’s also a lot to improve upon. I could tell the developer wanted to make something worthwhile, but the gameplay and story don’t have enough substance to create a lasting impact. That being said, the creator has potential, and this is only the beginning of yookond. I can’t wait to see what else this developer has in store.

This was one of the most completely average titles I've played in quite some time. Nothing about Alphadia Genesis 2 was memorable, or very enjoyable. Your mileage may vary, especially if you're a fan of the work that EXE Create Inc. has done in the past, or if you like the Alphadia series. But if you're looking for a solid JRPG to spend some time in, you're better off looking elsewhere.

Dragon Forge has the makings of a solid base management game, providing a solid foundation for getting you started. However, having to wait for mana generation and awkward construction elements make base building harder than it needs to be. You are also thrown into the deep end when it comes to learning other parts of the game, such as combat or flight. The game has potential, but it seems to stop itself from being fun without realizing it.

Broken Pieces has potential as a psychological thriller. Unfortunately, it takes mechanics from the survival horror genre and tries to weave them in. The result is a game that’s fun to play at the beginning, but loses its momentum with a lackluster story. The game isn’t sure what kind of genre it wants to belong to, which hurts the game severely. While some fans may enjoy the gameplay experience, the psychological thriller is missing its story. Without it, it’s just a mediocre experience that doesn’t know what it wants to be.

Commandos 2 - HD Remaster takes a classic and spruces is up, without ever making it better. While there are sharper visuals to bring this game into the modern-day, there are also incredibly unintuitive controls that make almost every action more difficult than before. While finding solutions in a level is now more obvious, reaching that solution is more difficult. For every step forward this remaster takes, it takes an equal step backwards.

Spellbound Survivor is a great idea rolled into a new form, presenting the player with five maps, and multiple characters to choose from. As a stand alone title, it'll have you coming back for the entertaining gameplay, and constant upgrading. that being said, if you're a gamer who enjoys story and substance, then this may not be the title for you. It is a perfect down the middle of the road title that could be your next favorite, or something you blow through in under an hour! No matter how you choose to play, the road to the overlord awaits.

Town Adventures allowed me to have my first experience with a walking simulator game. While I do feel a tad underwhelmed, it might have been because I was expecting a lot more and I'm not familiar with these types of games. Saying this, Town Adventures does what it sets out to do: being an easy-going, charming walking simulator with hidden objects thrown in to give it that little something extra. If you like walking simulators, hidden objects games or both, then Town Adventures ticks these boxes.

There is a lot that could be said about Hearts Of Iron IV: Graveyard Of Empires. But in the end it all boils down to one key problem; it just isn't fun. Far too much time is spent doing nothing and waiting for things to tick along. And when things do happen you either have to rush to get them to work. Or they simply don't. And you are left feeling you've wasted your time. I know that HOIV is often called a "map painter". But this is that at its worst, as most time it feels like waiting for paint to dry rather than painting.

Picklock has a good game hidden within it. But unfortunately, it’s hidden well among the poor control scheme and localization. The parts of the game I enjoyed, like the music and light comedy of the story, lead me to think that this game could have been a good addition to the stealth genre. But fittingly, this is a game that will likely fly under the radar.

You know, I still don’t get how Lovecraft is included in this. The only connection I’ve spotted was the shape of a man’s nose on the loading screen. If the developers didn’t claim such credit, everything would be so much better. One cannot help but view this as a means to draw attention to a mediocre game. Such a pity, since it’s got great flow. A nice parody could be made, as I stated before. But alas, the developers are as serious as ever. I never thought that I would complain about that.

This title just doesn't bring enough to the indie market for the price it's being sold at. If at all possible, my final suggestion would be trying to get a mobile version up and running. I really think Eggcelerate! would crush it on the IOS and Android markets. However, as it stands now, the Winter Expansion doesn't really add enough to justify paying $8 for it, the base game feels more like trial-and-error than a test of skill, and there's little to no reason for me to beat the allotted time in this time trial racer. Pick it up if it seems fun, but I would recommend waiting for improvements.

When compared to its peers, Millions of Minions does little to stand out. A few strange design choices and the lack of an engaging combat loop and item economy leads to a rather underwhelming experience. With a few changes, the game could be improved into something worthy of a decent first attempt.

Disappointment. That is the singular word this game leaves me with. Somewhere, buried under a pile of glitches and bugs, is a competent, beautiful game, but I am just not patient enough to wade through all of it to find that game. Normally I'd consider a glitch or two as just an annoyance that I can look past, but I legitimately didn't want to finish this game because of some of the glitches. Supposedly there's a patch coming that may or may not address this, and if it shows up, maybe this is worth checking out. As stated, this game without the glitches would easily gain another two points on its score. If you're patient and don't mind constantly resetting the game, there's something enjoyable deep, DEEP inside, but I am not the person to dig it out.

The main point of a grand strategy game is to make interesting decisions and eventually conquer the whole map. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV remembered the latter and forgot the former. Thin diplomacy and little control over battles — the two main aspects of this game — mean that you rarely feel like your actually in charge of your kingdom. It's not an obviously bad game, it's just surprisingly dull. It’s a coin-operated puppet show, and one you’ve probably seen before.

Despite having a solid story plan, it is hidden behind awkward gameplay and slow paced speech. The game is not unplayable, but it is obvious that this was initially a PC game, with little effort given in creating more fluid controls for console. There is no way of keeping track of the story either. Therefore once you've solved the difficult puzzles, it is easy to have forgotten the relevant names and locations needed to proceed.

Xixo Game Studios' Enchanted Portals has given us some of the magic of Cuphead but not much else. Though its art style and boss fights capture the essence of its inspiration. The sluggish gameplay and mechanics completely let it down alongside its dull story and choice of presentation. With some polish Enchanted Portals could be the challenging platformer it wants to be. But currently it only achieves this for all the wrong reasons.

Plastic Rebellion’s gameplay premise is very promising. It encourages constant player involvement, setting it apart from traditional Tower Defense titles. Unfortunately, it is let down by inexcusably broken core mechanics that will prove immensely frustrating. There’s an undeniable charm to the presentation and gameplay (and jank) that ultimately makes the game reasonably enjoyable for most of the play through, despite its glaring problems.

Rune Factory 3: Special is far from one of the best games of 2023, or even within the farming game genre. Many of the core mechanics are there, but the proper execution is lacking. However, there are certain highlights to it that prevent it from being completely written off, mainly the unique characters you'll meet. Farming fans will get more out of this than anyone else, but they've no doubt played much better.

PERISH is one to four-player co-op FPS game with hints of rogue-lite. The game can be really fun and is mostly great to play with three to four other players. At the same time, the game crumbles under its many problems of bad matchmaking, bugs, bad objectives and bad enemy spawning. This game can oscillate from fun to frustrating throughout the experience. Buy it on a sale with your buddies.

Liberté is a deck-builder rogue-lite top-down game set during the French Revolution with a twist of a body horror eldritch monster lurking around. Liberté is a game with great ideas that are never fully fleshed out. The story concept is really great and the art is amazing but the game itself is a buggy mess which gets way too grindy to be enjoyable. The potential is there but sadly yet to be realized.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a crushing dissapointment given the pedigree of developer going into this. I am frankly baffled that a developer like Nintendo would think that any of this was a good idea. Slightly above average mini-games presented in a corporate wrapping that has all the appeal and flare of a wet school trip in the middle of November. I know this will seem hyperbolic, but this is probably the worst Nintendo game I have ever played.

Deceit 2 simply tried to fit in as much demonic and horror-related elements into the simple concept of a mafia-style game and ended up giving birth to an incohesive mess. All hope is not lost as the game does show small glimpses of potential but unfortunately, it is not enough to make up for all of its issues. All in all, this confusing experience is incredibly forgettable and bland. The game itself is underwhelming while the content is overwhelming, it's an incohesive paradox of a title that lacks any proper synergy, leaving new players puzzled and returning players disappointed.

Deadliest Catch: The Game tries to make sure that it captures the spirit of deep sea fishing. It does have some success because the process of fishing is accurate. Unfortunately, the main appeal of Deadliest Catch: The Game isn't present. The lack of danger breaks the immersion and reveals the game as nothing more than a crab-catching simulator. Without much of a story or goal behind it, it's unlikely you can get much enjoyment out of this game.

Even for a small price ($11.99), I don't feel Shred! 2 is worth buying on a console. It's just missing too many elements that a gamer who takes time out to sit in front of their console to play would notice. We want an experience that takes advantage of the console's power. It doesn't have to be a completely re-imagined port, but maybe it should be more than a direct copy from mobile to console? It's a game with design choices that you wouldn't notice when playing on the go on a mobile device. But on a console, I just expected more from it. It's a mobile game, not a console game.

Outpost Delta manages to stand out thanks to an enjoyable combination of Metroidvania and Twin-Stick shooter mechanics. Unfortunately, instances of poor design and numerous glitches keep this sci-fi romp from achieving its full potential. At a price point that is significantly higher than comparably better games in the genre, it is difficult to recommend Outpost Delta to anyone other than Metroidvania junkies. That said, if some time can be spent optimizing the issues, I believe Outpost Delta can be a decent addition to the genre.

Humanity is a very complex thing to define. Everyone has their own take on what it means to be human, but my personal take is that it involves living as your own individual being, striving to be your true, best self, not merely wanting to be a parasite or a carbon copy of someone else. Under this definition that I've pulled out of my ass, CRYMACHINA isn't very human, or very good. I wanted to like CRYMACHINA, I really did, but like some busted DIY project, none of it's various parts come together to form a cohesive whole.

Insomnis is a slow walking simulator that carries itself through its atmosphere and jump scares. The gameplay of the game takes a backseat to the story. But the story is not the best. Even with its very short running time, the game manages to be repetitive. If you enjoy jum scares with a shallow story and interesting atmosphere, then Insomnis is the same for you.

Yars Rising is a game of missed potential. An interesting idea and a unique spin on remakes ultimately undermined by poor execution. Everything on offer here is done much better in many other games. And the few highlights the game features have nothing to do with actually playing it. Look up the character designs online and listen to the soundtrack on YouTube, and you'll have experienced the best Yars Rising has to offer.

Kandria has a great premise, a fitting soundtrack, and impressive visuals. It’s unfortunate that most of that is ignored since you are forced to spend time through precision platforming. Rather than drawing strength from other aspects of gameplay, Kandria wants you to solve puzzles. The adventure sounds great on paper, but turns out to be a frustrating experience that isn’t worth embarking on.

Adventure Quest 8 Bit Dungeons and DoomKnights needs a lot more baking in the oven before it could reach its maximum potential. As an idea, its great to bring back the use of retro gameplay mechanics, and design. However in this title, we see not only what happens when its done with little regard for playability, but also a sad lack of story loop. Instead it packs itself with mini games, nostalgic memorabilia, and a hype train speeding towards its final destination to mediocrity.

Dull, expressionless character art and contrived strategy combat make for a bad impression right off the bat. I can respect what Pendragon tries to accomplish, but for a game that heavily relies on its procedural story telling and replayability, there is barely enough content here to justify a third run. The writing truly shines in the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, but the dialogue during the main chunk of the game is too interchangeable and devoid of personality to be engaging. Ironically, the attempt to tell a different story every time makes every playthrough feel the same.

I feel bad that I can't give this game a better score or review, but I can only do so based on my own experience, which unfortunately wasn't very good. It could just be that my game wasn't working properly, but it felt buggy and at times frustrating to play. It's a shame I wasn't able to reach the end, or had the patience to work through everything it had to offer. I don't know if it's just me and if anyone else has shared the same experience, but it would be much better if there was clearer direction, more hints for when you're stuck, and smoother controls. However, it should be noted that other reviewers seem to be having a better time and luck with this game, so it's probably something that's gone wrong for me or something that I'm doing wrong.

Tennis World Tour 2 is a game that could have been something special but holds itself back with its gameplay. In contrast, I was impressed with the menu's overall layout, the music that played as I got ready, and the speedy load times; all of that went away as soon as I had to start actually playing the game. One can hope that future tennis games will find the perfect balance between capturing the essence of the sport and providing fun gameplay to the consumer at home, but Tennis World Tour 2 could not do either.

Dead Man's Diary has the building blocks of a good game but sadly chooses to be too simplistic. It may provide wonderful visuals of a world abandoned but lacks in almost everything else. The Narrative needs more focus within the game's desire to be an adventure game with survival mechanics. And most importantly, a main character that doesn't make me want feed them to the mutants every chance I get.

The dream of a Super Smash Bros. game full of our favourite indie characters is one we will have to keep having. The premise, when announced, sure did pique a lot of interest. But the final product is genuinely one of the most disappointing games I’ve played in a very long time and doesn’t give me any desire to play this game again. Maybe a game can be redeemed as the combat gets tighter, with new characters to add different gameplay elements. But the foundation here is so bad that it seems irredeemable. Clunky, floaty, and shallow battles; poor frame-rates, muggy graphics, unpleasant UX, janky menus, and a complete lack of style mean that there is very little good to say about Bounty Battle, which sure is sad.

The current state of the XIII remake is vastly improved from the state that the game was released in back in 2020. With that said, this does not feel like a proper current-gen experience and is certainly not worth the £34.99 asking price. Whether you are a fan of the original, or are brand new to this title, you would be much better served picking up the original version for less than a fiver on Steam.

Hokko life falls flat in almost all it wanted to do. The game is slow and needlessly grindy. The quests, along with the grind, end up being buggy. The core gameplay is simplistic, mindless and boring, while the loading screens are also irritating. If you are looking for a good Animal Crossing clone, this is not it.

Sanity of Morris is an unfortunate case of an idea with promise that suffers due to the developers' lack of expertise with horror titles. It's clear that this game wants to be both scary and intriguing to players; however, throughout its 4-hour playtime, it fails to consistently scare or entertain with either gameplay or story.

Shines Over: The Damned is not the atmospheric and uneasy horror title I hoped it would be. It's not much of anything actually, offering no scares, no story, an eerie soundtrack that leaves as quickly as it starts, and some rough visual design. Despite it's brisk pace, I can confidently say your time is better spent elsewhere playing any other horror video game.

Postal 4 doesn’t do anything better than its counterparts. The gameplay is a mix of bad and mediocre and almost all the attempts at humour fell flat. Perhaps there's some guilty pleasure to be had if you're a die-hard Postal fan, however you're better off going back to Postal 2 or Postal Redux as you will likely find this too tame. When the game has been optimized and fixed it may have some entertainment, but for now this is a hard miss.

As a fan of detective games, DETECTIVE: Scene Crime was without a doubt the worst experience I've had at playing detective. This game has no intrigue, no world building, no soul, It’s just an uninspired example of lazy game development. Sure there's a unique variety of cases, but if each case can be solved before a single clue is found, it's not even worth me putting on my detective cap.