Blue Fire is a magpie with impeccable taste. It’s taken some of the best bits from some fantastic games, and it’s hard to to play it without being swept back to the times of playing Hollow Knight, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Souls-like games. But while it may be familiar, it has panache on tap, and all of these platforming, combat and Metroidvania elements come together to form something slick and enjoyable.
What NACON have done with an already great product needs to be commended. The RIG 700 PRO HX headset for Xbox is easily up there with the most comfortable headsets that we’ve ever worn, the wireless capabilities are rock solid and the latest amendments with this next-gen PRO version have all been for the better.
There’s not enough of a difference to materially change the experience that Synchro Hedgehogs offers versus the Butterfly games - it’s more of a slight tweak of the gameplay. As a result, the game has more than a strong sense of deja vu about it.
Should you fancy yourself as a commercial fisherman and want to prove it in the virtual world, Fishing: North Atlantic is the new game of choice. However, this is a very niche genre, the competition isn’t awfully strong, and saying that feels like faint praise.
If you’re looking for a family friendly take on the farming and zombie scene, Farm for your Life may well be of consideration; there is plenty to do and have fun with, both in terms of the story and endless mode. However, the price is a little bit high for what it is and whilst the gameplay all works fine, and the idea is sometimes addictive and rewarding, the controls are awkward and you’ll probably be left wishing for a mouse or touchscreen.
Anna’s Quest is a shrug of a graphic adventure. It goes to familiar fairy tale places for familiar fairy tale stories, but without the wit or edge to make it worth the re-telling. Not even a strong ending and a couple of high-concept digressions can pull it out of its safe rut.
Should you be looking for a simple, casual little playthrough in which interactions are kept to a minimum, the mysterious world of Beasts of Maravilla Island may just about keep you quiet for two hours tops. But don't expect to be wowed by what could have been a magical journey into the unknown.
The double offering of Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol makes a lot of sense if you are looking for a retro-styled challenge. It’s able to deliver all the difficulty of old-skool gaming, and all the challenge that entails, but in a modern setting that even allows saves to be made; the best of both worlds.
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and developed by USC Game Innovation Lab, Walden, a game is a narrative-driven open-world adventure with survival elements. Such elements are expected to be minimal though, as it attempts to create more of an educational and inspirational experience that’s accessible to a wider audience. Does the heavy focus on storytelling and discovery ensure Walden, a game is a must-play, or does artistic approach and potentially limited gameplay hinder the enjoyment?
Onirike is a unique action platforming adventure with a great premise and a weirdly wonderful narrative. The platforming is not always the best and having to plant flowers in order to find progress is initially tricky to get to grips with, but the puzzles are inventive and the design of the world is superb.
The AndaSeat Kaiser 2 Series Gaming Chair is definitely up there with the best gaming chairs we’ve used. The overall comfort is high, the price is in line with what we would expect, and the design is superb.
F1 2021 is probably the most in-depth, customisable and amendable F1 racer to date, so much so that there’s little that any fan of the sport could ever really want more of. Yes, it would have been nice to see Codemasters go deeper with their Braking Point story, yet it's extremely tricky to find anything too critical of what they've produced with F1 2021. After honing their skills with some glorious F1 racing experiences over the years, once again the latest edition manages to be the finest yet and should be the go-to racer for any fanatics of the sport.
Butterfly 2 brings almost nothing new to the table, providing more of the same platforming action as the first game. However, a lack of appetite to improve and evolve the game is disappointing, and makes it hard to recommend.
Smart Moves 2 serves up a near identical experience to the first game, so if you enjoyed that, then you’ll be happy with what’s on offer here. Conversely, if you didn’t then there’s nothing from the sequel to tempt you in, at all.
On one hand, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! delivers an unbelievably surprising, chilling and suspenseful story. On the other hand, it will be a slog for those who don’t enjoy sifting through dialogue for 3-4 hours. Regardless, this is a story every seasoned gamer should at least try to experience.
