Game Reviews
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The Flame In The Flood – Review
There’s something strangely serene about The Flame In The Flood. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tough as nails, brutally harsh and unforgiving. However, the way it presents itself and the loneliness of your situation gives way to some really affecting moments in between the time you’re fighting the elements and nature itself. At its core, The Flame In The Flood is a procedurally generated survival game, where you play as a young girl and her dog companion. You’re trying to stay alive after a river floods vast sections of the mainland. The nature of the flooding or the river itself is never really made clear. Society and infrastructure seems to have crumbled, and you need to forage in order to sustain yourself. Since most of the land has been taken over by the river, small islands have cropped up...
Cat Quest – Review
Cat Quest is an immediately catchy game. It looks and feels great, even with its initial simplicity. And it builds up on early foundations in impressive ways to keep the game enjoyable till the very end. Cat Quest is an technically an open world role playing game, but with a much tighter focus. You set forth into Felingrad in search of your kidnapped sister. Along the way you meet many colorful characters across varied locations, all brimming with charm and wonder. However, don’t let the beauty of the world deceive you, because Cat Quest is heavy on combat, and tons of RPG mechanics. You have your regular hack and slash weapons, complimented by magical spells. Spells regenerate as you use melee combat, and this leads to a great mix of magic and melee, all the while dodging and weaving betw...
Slayaway Camp – Review
Slayaway Camp revels in its old school horror tropes mixed with a vibrant aesthetic that gives way to a fantastic puzzle game. Available now for the PC, PS4 and mobile devices, Slayaway Camp is developed by Blue Wizard Digital. You play as Skullface, a serial murderer, intent on killing innocent victims at Slayaway Camp. You slide your way around levels, trying to reach your targets, and then make your way out via a portal. The game gradually introduces new twists and interesting mechanics that keep the gameplay interesting. Even when you feel like you’ve figured out what the game is all about, the developers manage to throw in some new ideas your way. You’ll eventually be taking on multiple targets, while trying to avoid cops, and it becomes a lot like navigating a maze. While the game sh...
High Speed Stumble – Sonic Forces – Review
Sonic Forces is a strange mash-up of great ideas with poor execution. The premise is simple, and definitely shows signs of excellence. You play as your own custom made character, and set out to defeat Eggman. And Sonic Forces sure has a great look to it, and truly feels inspired. Sadly, where the game lets you down is in its speed – it’s a bit too fast for it’s own good. Let’s talk about the good first, because there is a lot here to really like about Sonic Forces. The character customization is really well done. There are a good variety of options to pick from, and the level of customization is outright wacky. So wacky in-fact that you’d find it hard to make a plain looking character. Tinkering with the character creator and making my own Sonic themed character is an absolute deligh...
Absolver – Review
Of all the fighting games I’ve played so far, Absolver stands out in many ways. And just to make it clear, Absolver is not a fighting game like Street Fighter, but more like For Honor, only with a greater focus on hand to hand combat rather than weapons. It’s purely melee based combat. What makes it stand out is the immense depth to its combat system, and the sheer satisfaction in trying to learn and master it. You play as one of many prospects who has been tasked to go forth and fight bosses in the world. You pick a class of fighting and keep learning new skills and moves that compliment your style of combat. The single player campaign is short, and the story is confusing. It’s essentially a lengthy training mission, and does an excellent job of teaching you the intricacies of Absolver’s ...
Hidden Agenda – Review
To those acquainted with Supermassive’s previous title, Until Dawn, some elements of Hidden Agenda are instantly familiar. It’s a choice driven game, with a strong emphasis on the story, and rather impressive motion capture. However, Hidden Agenda is also a game that you can play with friends, and the primary way of controlling it is through your smartphone. As part of the PlayLink suite of games, Hidden Agenda requires you to install a companion app, which controls and navigates the game. You can play the game solo if you want to, or you can play it with friends, with everyone making choices via their phones. The app is really easy to install and the overall setup is fairly simple. This makes this a compelling party game, where players can easily join in, and player choices shape the game...
Forza Motorsport 7 – Review
In many ways Forza Motorsport 7 feels like a true return to form for the franchise. After seeing decline in quality over the past few entries, Forza Motorsport 7 fixes any complaints that fans have had, while also going the extra mile in adding new features and overall improvements that greatly benefit the franchise. The driving is the obvious star of the show and is among the best in class simulation racing you could find right now. Everything down to the very last detail has been painfully recreated, and a lot of it can be vastly customized. The incredible roster of cars and tracks not only feels great but also looks stunning. There are a few missed opportunities, especially the decision to stick only with real life tracks, which detract from the overall experience. After this many year...
L.A. Noire Remastered – Review
I remember when I first played L.A. Noire on my Playstation 3 back in 2011, and being blown away simply by the way Cole Phelps’ flashlight illuminated the dark alleyways. Everything about the game’s depiction of late 40’s Los Angeles is absolutely fascinating, both in part to the ‘noir’ theme and the incredibly detailed city itself. Surprisingly enough, the game still holds up fairly well in 2017 on current gen consoles. You play as Cole Phelps, recently returned from war, still fairly young, seemingly undamaged and idealistic. You join the police force and, after a brief stint as a patrol officer, move up the ranks as detective. L.A. Noire’s portrayal of the police force and the city seedy underbelly is utterly brilliant, and the way these two, supposedly opposing, segments of society int...
Hand Of Fate 2 – Review
Released in 2015, the original Hand Of Fate was an interesting mix of tabletop RPGs with deck building elements. It was a really enjoyable game, but there were definite areas where it could have been improved, especially in terms of player agency. The recently released sequel, Hand Of Fate 2, succeeds in making significant improvements, and offering a more compelling and tighter gameplay experience, making you feel in control while also trying to trip you up at every step. You have a dealer that lays out the encounter for you, and you get to decide how the encounter plays out by choosing from a deck of cards. The mission is presented as a sequence of cards, and you progress by turning over and playing out one card at a time. The Dealer sets up the encounter, and you can make choices and de...
Project Cars 2 – Review
This year has been absolutely fantastic for racing game fans, especially those with the bent for simulations. Gran Turismo Sport, Forza Motorsport 7 and Project Cars 2 are the major titles, all touting the best simulated racing experience, with meticulous details poured into all three of them. However, Project cars 2 somehow manages to come ahead in the race simply because of the sheer obsession it shows when it comes to delivering a realistic racing experience. There’s a wide range of customization available to you right from the get go. Everything from dynamic weather effects to the smallest details of the car you drive can be tweaked to your preference. The beauty, however, lies in the fact that no matter how much you customize, when it comes to racing cars at fast speeds, you’re never ...
Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood – Review
Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood instantly catches the eye. The quick initial plot shows young Max coming home to get immediately annoyed by his younger brother, Felix. In his frustration he reads out a spell, that magically comes into effect – a portal opens, and a monster grabs Felix. You jump in after them, and the story then follows Max on his journey to rescue his brother in a fantastical kingdom. The plot is simple, and honestly never reaches any great heights. However, the visuals are fantastic. Everything looks vibrant and bright, full of detail. There were many moments, even when I had something chasing me, that I would stop or want to stop and simply taking in the sights. The game is a looker, and that holds true even in 2017. The level design and vistas are gorgeous, and ...
Oure – Review
Announced and released at Sony’s press conference at Paris Games Week 2017, Oure is the new game by Heavy Spectrum. At a glance it’s reminiscent of games like Journey, Rime, and even a little bit of Shadow of the Colossus, and in many ways it sits among the same category of games. You play as a girl with the power of dragons, who seeks to revive ancient powers. You soar across the skies in search of Titans who can restore life to the land that been overshadowed with misery and gloom. It’s a vague yet intriguing premise, and the game soon sets you free to discover its secrets. For the most part of the game you’ll be soaring across the skies seeking your objectives. The controls take a while to get used to, but are intuitive and feel good. The game has a vibrant color palette, and everything...