We can’t be the only ones who have a hankering for an old-school graphic adventure, one that takes the genre as seriously as Sierra Online did thirty years ago. Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders does that and more, delivering one of the most sensual and adult examples of recent years. Pssht, Sherlock has nothing on Magistrate Di Renjie.
6Souls is not ‘different’, then. If we were feeling unfair, we would say that it’s a perfect median of all the 2D pixel-art platformers that came before it. But while 6Souls may not be different, it is often better. It takes things simply but confidently, and delivers a generous adventure that isn’t just competent - it’s ruddy good fun.
There are people who will be suckered into Doodle Escape: Room Escape Game, like a moth to a 79p flame. We get it: they can barely feel the money leaving their bank account. But we worry about them: we worry about their wellbeing, should they play it, because it achieves a level of frustration that causes physical pain. It’s gaming tinnitus.Â
Games have moved on massively since the early 2000s and while BloodRayne 2: ReVamped is almost like a time capsule, it feels like a rushed port, with no real attempt made to tailor the game to the console market or controller even.
Epic Chef has the ingredients for a show stopping experience, but it requires a little more finesse. The repetitive, uneven nature of gameplay takes some of the shine off what is otherwise a charming little adventure.
Some may find Exo One to be a bit too strange, or just not interesting enough. The narrative might be too disparate and oblique to keep interest, and the gameplay may feel too similar throughout. But if you do begin to love Exo One, you’ll start to understand the draw; the great experience of travelling through wonderful magical alien worlds.
Zombo Buster Rising isn’t bad-bad. It’s not broken, it doesn’t stick around too long, and it’s not going to empty your wallet at a reasonable £4.19. But it hunts around within it’s tower-defence-meets-shooter gameplay for something resembling fun and can’t find it.
The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a charming little adventure that, despite the unassuming presentation, is hard not to like. Give this one a go, it may well grow on you.
890B is such an ominous title for the isometric 3D adventure from Eastasiasoft and Nerd Games. What exactly does 890B mean? Who knows at this point, but what we do know is that - according to the game’s official description - it’s going to offer a thought-provoking and impactful story involving the fate of humanity. Does 890B live up to its own promises, or are your chances of finding enjoyment as low as you actually saving the world?
Two Hundred Ways is a marked improvement over the original. Many of the new features work well and provide some variation, but there are still some - much like the game itself - which boil down to trial and error.
There’s a lot to recommend Nowhere Girl. In its looks and writing, there’s a craftsmanship that takes it beyond your average visual novel. The setup, too, is bonkers: an unlikely romance between ghost and software developer. But it’s the middle act, before things get equally bonkers at the end, that doesn’t quite coalesce.
You know those cheap and cheerful games that play better than many Triple-A offerings? A Short Hike is one of those games. It’s an experience that will put a smile on your face and even though it’s not particularly lengthy, it's one that comes across as the perfect length for the asking price.
Just Dance 2022 doesn’t change up the tried and tested formula of Just Dance too much but what it has added in terms of improved visuals has made for a more entertaining and immersive experience.
Wasteland 3: Cult of the Holy Detonation is a lot of fun to play through, if brutally hard at lower levels. The story is intriguing, and with the multitude of different characters to meet and interact with, and different factions to play off against each other, the DLC does more than enough to keep you playing.