Lazy Galaxy: Rebel Story fails to truly build upon any of its interesting ideas. There’s fun to be had, but these moments of excitement are oftentimes short lived due to the game’s play-it-safe formula. I don’t doubt that this will please die-hard fans of the shmups, but if you’re looking for the genre’s next big thing, this isn’t it. Lazy Galaxy is, at best, just another substandard bullet-hell adventure.

This is an arcade-perfect port that is fast, flashy and furious. Sadly, this also has no extra frills and struggles to justify an afternoon of play.

Mochi Mochi Boy is a decent game for its budget cost, but as with most things cheap, you really do get what you pay for. Whilst it’s fun by concept, and perhaps even exciting when new mechanics are introduced, repetition ultimately sinks in, and fast. This is very unlikely to blow your socks of, but it’s a serviceable journey nonetheless, and one that doesn’t take itself all that seriously.

Himno is a simple game designed to be played at any pace suited to the individual’s preferences or needs. Featuring relaxing sound effects, music and endless areas to explore, it certainly provides a tranquil experience but it isn’t particularly exciting so it won’t appeal to everyone. With no pressure to avoid enemies or harmful obstacles, Himno provides a calming escape from the stresses of everyday life and a relaxing time-free approach to gaming.

I hope you expected some running and gunning with a game called Guns N’ Runs because that is exactly what you get. Make no mistake though the challenge this game will bring you. Ultimately it was not the challenge that did it in for me but the blandness. While definitely retro inspired it was not an exciting experience that I would recommend to anyone other than those who love grinding out difficult games such as this.

Treadnauts is a fairly passable couch party-like game that houses some interesting ideas and design choices, but is fundamentally flawed as far as varied gameplay content is concerned. This is the definition of fun in short doses, though, tiresome and boring in the long-run. There’s enjoyment to be had through the use of the game’s various modifiers and maps, but that’s pretty much as compelling as it gets.

Orangeblood certainly has the style to draw players in but it sadly lacks the engagement of gameplay to keep us there. Fans of JRPG’s might be more willing to put up with it’s nonsense, but even then I suspect many will expect better these days. Mid level saving would have gone a long way to improving the experience, but confusing menus, boring and random-luck based combat and a story that fell straight out of a teenagers sketchbook all add up to an underwhelming finished product.

Whilst the depth and diversity of its content will be bolstered through post-launch community contribution, Animal Super Squad, at its core, feels far too bare for its own good. There’s nothing particularly wrong with its physics-based gameplay, and there’s certainly some fun to be had throughout. However, the big drawback here is that it’s just not exciting enough nor interesting enough to maintain traction in the long run.

Super Wiloo Demake is a fun platformer, primarily aimed at younger or more inexperienced players. There are enough levels, costumes and challenge to maintain some interest. But if you’re a more competent gamer, you will likely storm through the game in a few hours. Great if you’re after some easy achievements, but not so much if you’re after something to keep you going for a while.

Arcade Islands: Volume One is a bundle of over thirty borrowed ideas, spread across a range of themed islands that encompasses them. While some of these games do indeed relay a good degree of fun, several of them either handle poorly, serve as filler or prove to be more frustrating than they’re worth. There’s certainly some value and depth to this collection, but it’s a far cry from both quality and innovation.

If you were looking for the next big open-world racing game juggernaut, you’ll be sorely disappointed by Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. The dinginess of its Hong Kong setting leaves a lot to be desired, the racing events are uninspired even though the showrooms and the close-knit racing can be satisfying. Much of Solar Crown feels like a throwback to racing games at the start of the eighth generation, rather than a current force on current-gen hardware. Thus, Solar Crown doesn’t do much that’s wrong or egregious, it’s just uninspired and dull for the most part, and lacking in charisma or a sense of excitement. Such a blow for Test Drive Unlimited‘s return, but Solar Crown races with the reliability of a Porsche with a punctured set of wheels.

Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is a bland and repetitive brawler that tries too hard in the comedy department. Some good ideas are scattered throughout and the art is great, but it’s too little to really prop up the game. Short enough to get through in a couple of hours, however, the lack of co-op and the dull structure leaves a lot to be desired. Big Deez set out to rewrite history, but some things are best left alone.

Disjointed is the lingering feeling once all is set and done with Atomic Heart. The articulate opening and the immense effort made to craft an absorbing alternate-history World War II Russia is certainly appreciable and admirable. Dishearteningly though, the FPS experience is weighed down by an awful lot of busywork and obnoxiously annoying characters that it’s hard to feel wholly immersed. As an FPS it certainly has some aplomb going for it, but it gets lost in the shades of comparison with greater games. If Atomic Heart was able to carry the brilliance of its opening twenty minutes it would be an excellent game, but sadly we’re stuck with an entertaining enough but bland and by the numbers shooter.

At only a fiver Frightence is worth a look for those who fancy a short thrill ride, but the abrupt ending and slow pace of the game serve to undermine the decent world building and spooks Playstige did manage to squeeze in here.

BATS: Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad reminded me a little of Katana Zero, another fast-paced 2D action platformer, taking place inside various buildings where you have to quickly dispatch the enemies with melee attacks. You also have a less effective dodge move, and there’s no time-slowing experimental drug to be found anywhere. Instead of being a sharpened, polished katana, this is more like a rusty spork. Despite a lot of frustrating aspects, I had an alright time playing through it the first time – mostly due to the eye-catching pixel art and funny premise; however, I would probably feel differently if I had paid for this out of my own pocket. I think there are much better ways to spend $10, but if you’re truly interested in this I’d say wait for it to go on sale.

Time on Frog Island has some charm due to its appealing art style and frog NPCs, but Frog Island is not a locale that you want to book a trip to, let alone get shipwrecked at. Most of my time was spent wondering what the characters wanted me to do, and wandering around fetching items for them. There are some interesting mechanics in the game, but none of them are used anywhere close to their fullest extent in the game’s design. Unfortunately, I can’t get any of the time back that I spent on the game, but at least I can warn you to steer clear of this lackluster experience.

The story had me pretty hooked throughout even if it was a bit confusing at times, and the seeds of a decent idea in the time limited puzzle exploration scenes are there. But every time I started to find my rhythm with Of Bird and Cage I’d get tripped up by a scene, be it bugs or simply poor design choices, and end up feeling off tempo entirely.

Area 86 has some neat ideas and puzzle layouts, and its escape room premise is a good one. The awkward camera placement and sometimes finicky nature of the physics though mean that what should be a simple solution can end up frustratingly failing through no fault of our own. It’s worth a look, but don’t expect it to last you more than an evening’s play.

VED has a strong combat system, but its story doesn’t hold the rest of the components together, which is a fundamental flaw for a game so focussed on it.

Midnight Deluxe’s reliance on its singular mechanic only makes for a repetitive experience overall. The game is too laid back for its own good, so much so that what little creativity it offers is often lost in the midst of its simplicity. That said, there’s certainly some fleeting fun to be had here and I do credit the game for its decent visual and audio design. All in all, Midnight Deluxe is passable, at best.

Bleed 2 is an average bullet hell game that will be better appreciated by streamers and speedrunners. Those looking for a padded, in-depth, side-scrolling shooter, will be left in the cold. Despite some interesting gameplay design throughout the varying levels, Bleed 2 just doesn’t stand out. It’s worth the price of admission for its content alone, I’ll give it that, but it’s far from revolutionary and lacks originality.

Way of the Passive Fist is fun to begin with, and indeed offers a unique twist to the typical brawler formula. That being said it rapidly becomes repetitive, and the lack of content outside of the campaign leaves much to be desired. It’s a one-and-done sort of experience, one that doesn’t particularly go to great lengths to intrigue or innovate.

Ganbare! Super Strikers is a fun arcade-style tactical football RPG game. For those familiar, it is akin to playing a light version of Inazuma Eleven, but with little to no storyline. It is quite fun to play but it is incredibly short, though the option is there for you play this locally with a friend. This could be great for those that like tactical strategy RPGs, especially if you’re a football fan, and is very simple to pick up and play.

Overall, S.W.A.N.: Chernobyl Unexplored is a game that starts out really strong, but suddenly fades as if there is a lack of identity that’s taken over. Jump scares are relied upon too heavily throughout the game and whilst the puzzles aren’t bad at all, the enemies are appalling given the only real threat they pose is the radiation they give off which can be easily avoided. The idea of a dark scientific research project hidden within the radiation-contaminated depths of Chernobyl is certainly a money-making idea, but it has to be done right and sadly, this isn’t a game that ticks those boxes.

Think of the Children’s main drawback is that it utterly lacks any form of balance as far as its difficulty is concerned. The problem this creates is that when playing solo, you’re required to fulfill seemingly impossible objectives through large quantities of frustrating multitasking. The game does indeed shine much brighter with other players helping out, but not quite enough to justify an easy recommendation.

The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is as basic as they come. The theme and setting may well be intriguing in concept, but much less so in delivery. Nearly every gameplay element within has been tried and tested to a better degree elsewhere. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it doesn’t do much to separate itself from the crowd.

Beat Souls is an interesting take on the musical rhythm game genre. They have managed to inject platform game elements into it which work pretty well and are tricky to master. The bright colours and animation are very vibrant and immersive but I feel it was let down by the audio as the sound effects don’t blend with the music and the music itself is pretty bland.

It’s not going to change the gaming world, but 0 Degrees is a fun enough puzzle platformer that is worth the entry price, but not much more. It’s over a little too quickly but what’s there is worth checking out if you’ve an hour, and a fiver, to spare.