PaleMimic

There are a fair number of horror games out there. Many of them, to be candid, are fairly bad if not downright awful. The issue being that a lot of the time games in this genre seem to want to follow a set list. There is somewhat a rigid rulebook on how horror games are meant to be, but these rules aren’t supposed to be one hundred percent abided by. Developers can and should, for the most part, make up the rules and experiment as much as they want. At the end of the day I find that it’s the somewhat unique games that capture people’s attention. Now I’m not saying Detention is unique, I mean let’s face it what is unique nowadays? However it does like to throw in its own little rulebook. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The summary of the plot is; you are start off the game as a male student named Wei who falls asleep in class. Hours later he wakes up alone in a dark and obviously quite spooky school. After sometime exploring he comes across a girl sitting asleep on the school stage. He wakes her up and things start really kicking off. A lot of weird stuff starts happening around the school and creatures called Lingered start appearing. These seem to be undead students and teachers and are the first enemies you come across. They’re slow creature which, like the rest of the enemies in the game, seem to have a hunger for anything that breathes. Luckily there’s a useful mechanic that can help with that. By clicking the right mouse button, or whichever button it’s been mapped to, Wei or Ray will hold their breath. This allows for you to scamper on past the Lingered without them attacking, however you will have to catch your breath if you hold for too long. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Detention plays out as a point and click horror game where you will need to solve puzzles in order to progress. Some of the puzzles can be fairly straight forward, for example using an umbrella to fetch a key from a ventilation shaft. But others require a bit of thought to them. One example was where I had to look at three clock faces. Two had hands and the one in the middle didn’t. There was then three pictures, each with a bloody symbol on them. These symbols represented the clock hands and once I’d adjusted the clocks to the correct times the door that was previously locked opened. Some puzzles do require certain items to complete them. These items aren’t too difficult to come across, you just need to be a little bit observant. The puzzles themselves don’t feel too tedious or pointless. There’s always a valid reason to complete them and most of the time it’s to move the story forward. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphics wise I’d say detention has an unusual but very well done art style. It’s clear the artist took a lot of time to add in as much detail as possible to give the game a sense of reality. Each area is well drawn, with clear distinctions from the odd dark world, with it’s grainy overly, to the creepy school at night. The characters and enemies are defined too. With Wei and Ray wearing very white school uniforms and the enemies seemingly very dark and shadowy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In conclusion I think Detention is horror game that tries to break the mould of the genres standards. But does it? Yes and no. There are a few things that really shine for me in Detention. The story is pretty complex but welcome, as I know of many horror games that have little to no story at all. Also I like the various stealth mechanics that are introduced for the number of enemies you have to face. It does throw in the odd jumpscare here and there, but I mean what horror games doesn’t. It’s got puzzles of varying difficulties and an eerie soundtrack that fits the game’s quite chilling atmosphere. All in all if you love horror games and want something a little different than the norm then I’d suggest giving Detention a go. And even if you don’t want it for the horror aspect, it’s full of puzzles to test your wits too. Good Day!

As someone who never played the original Gauntlet titles I was curious to see what made it such a popular series. With 9 titles exisiting dating way back to 1985 I felt I needed to experience this title which dated back through the decades. Now this iteration of the game, as is customary with the other 9 games in the series (or so the wikipedia page tells me), is a hack'n'slash, dungeon crawler. A formula that I somewhat enjoy, having played things like Torchlight as well as Path of Exile, alongside several other games. In this title there are a four different classes to choose from, including a warrior (bashy bashy type class), a valkyrie (sort of like the warrior but with a Captain America-like shield which can be thrown), an Elf (who can shoot stuff and throw bombs) and finally a wizard (who has a range of spells and I've also spent most the time playing). Their skills sets are all fairly versatile ranging from the mere axe swinging antics of the warrior to room clearing fireballs with the wizard. You can also buy upgrades for each class by collecting enough gold in each dungeon level. These upgrades range from several relics, which all classes can use, and vary from radial freezing abilities to summoning gargoyles to fight with you. Alongside the relics you can also buy new weapons which grant your character different abilities, class dependant of course. And of course you can buy cosmetic items to change the look of your class. Do you feel the wizard isn't Gandalf-y enough for you? Buy him a pointy hat. Or is the warrior too scantily clad for your tastes? Then buy him some armour. Each class has about three different cosmetic options for both the head and the body. Armours, hoods, capes and hats. Take your pick. You can also unlock capes by beating numerous waves of enemies in the colosseum, which I tell you now is no easy feat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall I'd say this latest iteration of Gauntlet has many of the elements that dungeon crawling, hack'n'slash titles have and need. If you've played the other Gauntlet titles or have played titles such as Torchlight or Diablo etc this is definitley worth a look. Good day!

Okay let's just get straight to the point here. There are a number of games out there which are, to be subtle about it, seriously awful. This game surprisingly actually isn't. Okay so the graphics look like something from a 90s arcade game and the gameplay itself is no different either. The physics system doesn't seem to know whether it's coming or going. But it's not all that bad. There are some interesting and slightly entertaining moments to be had throughout most of the game, although some are fairly disturbing. Take for example one level you are forced to microwave a cat and another you cut one to pieces with a chainsaw, which I'm sure the RSPCA with have a thing or two to say about. To be fair the game is somewhat unique, which some might argue isn't a good thing. But I'm afraid this game gets a down vote from me. Mainly because there are numerous games out there that very similar to Bad Rats but execute the idea a lot better. Games that are cheaper and aren't as infuriating and frustrating to play. Overall I would say that if you do want a physics based puzzle game look elsewhere. But if you want to brutally murder furry felines and end up with a hole through your screen, go ahead, buy bad rats. But seriously I don't recommend you do. Good day!

It's somewhat a rarity that I say this, when it comes down to walking simulator type games, but Dear Esther was quite a joy to play. With a fairly good story that has a sad but slightly uplifting ending, but I'd rather not spoil it. The island you explore throughout the game, although I use that term loosely, is somewhat beautiful and enchanting. There are mysterious caves to explore and quite breathtaking coastlines adorned with shipwrecks. As you explore the island you also quickly realize you are not quite alone. Strange figures stand watching you from a distance giving you a slight sense of unease. The game itself isn't all that long, taking just over half an hour to complete, that is of course if you don't go off exploring. There are several landmarks dotted around the island which serve little purpose other than to take screenshots of. But really it's best to stick to the main trail. Overall the game follows a fairly interesting narrative and combines it with a quite beautiful setting. It is of course a walking simulator and so there is very little to do other than explore the island, but if walking sims are your cup of tea then go ahead and give Dear Esther a go. But I only recommend it for those who enjoy narratives and exploration. Good day!

Trine is a rare gem ****. Combining platforming with puzzling and setting it in a beautiful fantasy world. It's a 2D platfomer where you can either play with friends in 3 player co-op or alone. You have a choice of 3 fairly unique characters that have their own set of skills that can also be leveled up, more on that later. There is the Pontius the knight who wields a sword and shield, who is probably the best character to use when fighting off the hordes of undead. Then there's Zoya the thief who has a bow and arrow, which can be used to both kill undead or shoot switches and buttons. Finally we have Amadeus the wizard who can conjure up boxes and platform and levitate them, alongside several other objects in the game. This trio of heroes are what you are given in order to solve puzzles and progress through the game. You can also level up these characters as you make your way through the story. Collecting experience orbs which will eventually grant you with a level up upon reaching 50 orbs, which grants you 1 point for use on a skill. Save the points up and you can afford my expensive, more valuable skills. The range from things like the knight's sword to set ablaze to things like Zoya being able to fire ice arrows or the wizard picking up and throwing enemies. Graphically the game looks fantastic. Beautifully detailled backgrounds, which lovingly sets the scene and along with the music that nicely sets the atmosphere. In my opinion it's a lot more fun to play with friends than by yourself. But overall a fantastic game that does so many things right and brings back memories of the classic platforming games of old. Worth a look if you want something co-op that's enjoyable and somewhat nostalgic. Good Day!

Trine 2 is undoubtedly the sequel Trine deserves. Stepping up and changing several things to make the game somewhat different than it's predecessor. Let's begin with the graphics, for a start. The back drops for each level provide each stage with variety. From lush green woodlands to a witches' home scattered with books, potions etc. Each stage is different and unique. Providing different puzzles and secrets to find. The puzzles are very similar to the first game. Using Amadeus the wizard to move blocks and Zoya to climb up to otherwise unreachable areas, and of course Pontius just killing stuff for the most part. The puzzles do sometimes have a certain level of challenge but for the most part can be solved by knocking heads with your friend(s) and working it out. As I mentioned in the previous review of Trine, this is undoubtedly a series that is best played friends, for the full experience. But if you do happen to be somewhat of a Billy no mates then you can play alone, which does however make the puzzle solving seem a little more difficult. The characters, as previously mentioned are the same as the first game; Zoya the Thief, Amadeus the Wizard and Pontius the knight all with their signature qualities. The level up system still exists as well allowing you to gain various useful abilities to help you solve particular puzzles or just kill enemies quicker. The characters themselves also seem fairly three dimensional, in terms of personality, compared to the first game. Pontius is a kind hearted yet fairly clueless knight. Zoya is a strong willed thief and Amadeus is a fairly cowardly wizard, who at times comes across as a bit of a perv too. Trine 2 is definitely worth a look if you've played the previous iteration of the series or enjoy the challenge of platforming and puzzling. A wonderfully looking game and definitely worth a look. Good Day!

For a cheap game Paradise Island isn't all that bad. There are much worse games out there for a similar price, but also much better games as well. Paradise Island follows the story of the ghost of someone trapped on the island. In order to escape they must collect 70 apples and 70 shells, like some tedious Easter egg hunt. To be honest the being a ghost part is probably not true. It's just the fact that you can pass through most of the terrain, including trees, some walls and most ladders. Not to mention all of the wildlife seems to ignore you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphically the game is fairly beautiful. Golden sandy beaches, clear turquoise seas and lush green trees and plants. There are several landmarks dotted around the island too. Including a large Buddha statue, a small lighthouse and a few other places to note. Travelling from landmark to landmark can be fairly exciting and gives the game something of interest to aim for. But after a while you lose interest. The island, for the most part, looks very samey in places. The same rock formations dot opposite ends of the coast, along with several small boats washed up on the shore. Pointless books sit scattered around the island on pedestals talking about some pointless nonsense that, to be quite honest, no one really cares about. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the most part Paradise is an interesting, if not short lived, walking sim. While collecting the shells and apples dotted around can be fairly exciting, it does get boring very quickly. To be honest, if you want a decent walking sim with a generous amount of freedom, then I'd go for something else. The vanishing of Ethan Carter is a fairly good example, or if you want a game set on island as well, then Salt is a better option. With a cheap price tag, Paradise Island is worth a go, even for a few minutes, but if you want something that lasts longer, and is more enjoyable I suggest looking elsewhere. Good Day!

Trine 3 is quite a strange little game, taking a completely different direction from the previous games in the series. There are some features that the game retains. The platforming being one of them, the characters being another and of course the beautifully enchanting visuals. Now there are a number of things that sets Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power apart from it's predecessors. The first being that there's no leveling system, all of the skills learnt in the previous games e.g Pontius' shield gliding ability and Zoya's fire arrows, to note two, are now given to you from the very start. Another difference, and quite a major one, is the camera angle(s). No longer are you bound to a 2D plane, you can now wander freely in 3D world. This does make the game more interesting, and puts the puzzling elements through their paces, Although at times it can be hard to judge the distance between certain platforms and how far away enemies are. One quite important thing to note is that this iteration of the game does seems to lack the amount of puzzles that the previous games in the series had. Also, not to mention, the difficulty seems to have been ramped up a little, not helped by the fact that it can't be changed, also unlike the previous two games. There are a number of moments in the game where it becomes incredibly frustrating, with the scarce number of checkpoints and the fairly annoying, and pointless, side quests that pit you against multiple waves of foes. Although retaining some of the original traits of the previous games, Trine 3 is sadly a bit of a disappointment. With bugs and glitches scattered around each level and the constant demand to battle enemies in order to progress, this game just feels like it's missing the original charm. The story is fairly well put together, however, and the characters are still as charming as ever. But sadly, for the most part Trine 3 is too lacking in what the series is known for. As a fan of the other two games, it saddens me to have to down vote this game. If you want to play the whole series then you have to play The Artifacts of Power. But if you want a puzzle based platformer that's very much like the previous two in the series, then I suggest looking elsewhere. Good Day!

If you want something to play that'll pass the time or crave a game with the classic RPG feeling to it, then Hero Siege is the perfect game for you. It's, in my opinion, a fantastic little gem ****. Gameplay wise it feels as though the developer stuffed Diablo’s more reserved brother into a blender with The Binding of Issac, and added in a pinch of Killing Floor for good measure. In more sensible terms, it’s got a great number of rogue-like and RPG elements to it. There are a number of different levels, ranging from forests to snowy tundras, deserts and many more. At the end of each of these levels you can collect random pieces of loot, or relics as they’re called, which grant you varying stats and abilities. These relics come in four different flavours; weapon enhancing ones, which, as the name suggests, enhances your weapon giving it extra powers. For example an item called the Basilisk's Tooth makes it so that you have a 2% chance to turn enemies to stone. There are also passive relics as well, which improve your character’s skills. One example is the Cactus, which periodically spawns a cactus on the nearest enemy. The third relic type is active, which, after pressing the use key, will activate the effect of the relic. The Candy Crusher, one example of an active relic, launches candy in a ring around the player that explodes on landing. And the last relic type is orbiting, which float around the player and help during fights. One example is the Almighty Fedora which rapidly shoots projectiles. All these and many more can be obtained by progressing through the game, and surviving the large waves of enemies the game throws at you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talking about enemies, there are a large number of different types. Ranging from axe throwing skeletons to towering yeti-like beasts. Also there are several “elite” type enemies that have particular skills that happen once they die. For example creating a large laser that spins in a circle or an X shaped explosion, which both appear where the “elite” was slain. There are also a number of RPG elements in the game too. For one, there are unique skill trees for each class, providing varying passive and active abilities, depending on which class you choose out of the possible seven, or ten (depending on whether you own the DLC). They also all have their own sort of personalities and quotes as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphically the game looks a lot like your typical indie, rogue-like affair. But it fits nicely. The characters are easily distinguishable from each other and the varying levels all look pixel pretty with their individual themes and settings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall the game feels enjoyable to play. The classes and their skills vary enough for the game to be replayed time and time again. Not to mention the seemingly endless number of experience levels you can rack up on a single class. The enemies vary in difficultly, depending on the level, and the boss battles, for the most part, feel fairly satisfying once they eventually kick the bucket. To Conclude, I’d say that Hero Siege is worth a play, whether it’s a rogue-like or an RPG you're after, or just a quick bit of fun. It’s a satisfying game to play and well worth a go. Good Day

Moon Hunters is a fairly intriguing, story based indie game, with several RPG and rogue-like elements. It is, however, a fairly short game but it makes up for it in the fact that is has a lot of replay value. You take on the role of a member of the Moon Cult who worship the Pale Dancer, the goddess of the moon. However, the moon has mysteriously disappeared and you are tasked with finding it. Alongside this you discover the Sun Cult, your enemies, are trying to take over the world. And so you are tasked with defeating the leader of the Sun Cult, "King" Mardokh, as well as recovering the moon. There are four classes to choose from when you first start the game, however there are two more which can be acquired via certain events in the story. The four classes are; Druid, Occultist, Witch and Spellblade. Each of these classes have their own unique skills, the Druid can transform into a wolf, the Occultist can create small worm holes, the Witch can shoot lasers and the Spellblade can use whirlwind attacks. These skills can also be upgraded stats like damage, stamina cost or ability duration. There are also several stats that can be upgraded, depending on how you approach certain situations and how you choose to spend the night. To name a few, you’ve got; endurance, which increases the amount of health you have, there’s also strength, which increases your physical damage and charm, which increases your leadership, making it so people will listen to you can fall for your charms, and yes flirting is also an option at some points. These are to just name a few and it’s fairly obvious how they help you out in the fray. Speaking of which, combat in Moon Hunters is fairly simple. Face the direction you wish to attack in and press the attack button, dodge with the designated key and use your special ability with the other. Enemies are also unique per area, with giant lion beasts in the desert to tiny beetle creatures in the forest. They all have different attack patterns and sometimes require you to take a different approach in order to take them out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphically the game has a beautiful pixel art style combined with the wonderfully hand drawn characters shown in dialogue sections. The colour scheme used is bright and pleasing to the eye, providing a clear distinction between each setting. Which fits nicely alongside the fantastic soundtrack, which wonderfully expresses the fantasy vibe. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Moon Hunters is a lovingly crafted fantasy experience with distinct RPG and rogue-like elements which can be played in both Single player and Co-op. Despite the short story it still has a lot of replay value and each time you replay you’ll discover something completely different. I’d highly recommend this game to anyone, if you love RPG games then it’s a must. But whatever the case it’s a game that’s clearly has had a lot of effort and time put into it and well worth a look. Good Day!

Depths of Fear: Knossos is a very intriguing game, to say the least. Why? you might ask, well bear with me and I shall reveal all. To begin with let’s talk about the overall gameplay. The game is more or a less a Greek themed, first person, stealth like game with several rogue-like elements thrown in as well. You take on the role of Theseus, a name many may recognize from the Greek story, Theseus and the Minotaur. DOF:K takes on a very similar premise to the story, being that you must fight your way through a labyrinth, or rather various ones in this case. There are eight different labyrinths altogether, all containing a variety of mythological Greek beasts, including manticores, gorgons, centaurs and Cerberus, to name just a few. You can either choose to fight these creatures, granted that you have a weapon which can be acquired once you have enough gold to afford one, or you can also avoid the creatures by using the, fairly simplistic, stealth mechanics the game provides. You can hide in the shadows, by turning off your torch or hide inside little cupboards, which are built into some of the walls. Once you’ve completed each of the labyrinth areas you have to battle against the boss of that area. The creature you have to fight is dependent on which doorway you went through to begin with. If there was a scorpion above the door, then it’s the manticore. If it was a snake, then it would be the hydra, and so on and so forth. Once you’ve defeated the boss, one of the eight symbols on the door of the main room will light. You need to light up all eight in order to advance to the main labyrinth. As previously mentioned there are a number of weapons that you can buy. However you will need to find gold, which is scattered around each labyrinth, in order to purchase them. You can get simple clubs, long swords, tridents and crossbow, alongside several other weapon too. These can be used to eliminate the dangerous creatures that inhabit the various labyrinths and defeat the bosses and the end. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphically the game look fairly simplistic. Basic stony textures and checkerboard patterns cover the walls and floors of practically every stage in the game. The creatures themselves also are very basic in design, although it clear what sort of creature you’re facing, the models themselves aren’t all that textual or physically impressive. However their attack patterns and their animations all seem fairly unique. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mechanically the game feels fairly simple. The stealth mechanics, although basic, do work very well when trying to evade the creatures. Turning off the torch and hiding behind objects or inside cupboards, makes it feel tense, especially when facing a minotaur than can one hit kill you. Finding the key and escaping each labyrinth feels fairly rewarding, particularly if you were successful in evading the creatures. Then there’s the combat, which feels like one of the weakest points of the game. Although stealth is a probably one of the more key ways to play DOF:K, combat does play a large part when at the boss stages. You simply spam the attack key until either you kill the beast or you die. There’s no real strategy to it, other than to simple jump about and avoid getting hit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall though Depth of Fear: Knossos is an unusual rogue-like game. It fits the indie, rogue-like thematic well, much like The Binding of Issac and Eldritch, to name a couple. It does have a certain horror vibe to it and the general feeling you get when playing it is satisfying. The combat does let it down a bit, along with the graphics too, but those are more or less a couple of minor things that only affect the game a little bit. To end with, I’ll say that if you’re looking for a rogue-like game or something with a little bit of stealth, then DOF:K is a great buy. For the price though, it’s always worth having a look if you want something different to play or want something to pass the time. Good Day!

I’m going to start this review by pointing out how fitting the title is for What the Heck, Dude? because within the first five to ten minutes of playing that’s exactly what I was thinking. It’s an odd game to say the least. With no real explanation to why you should be playing it. The AI is shoddy, the controls are off and you could spend hours doing not really anything of note. Let’s explain. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The premise of What the Heck, Dude? is that you’re tasked with killing everyone in each level. Why, I have no idea. But from what the description on Steam’s store front said you’re drunk and so everyone has to die, as you can tell in terms of story it’s certainly up there with some of the greats. All sarcasm aside, there isn’t really all that much to What the Heck, Dude? You punch people with left click, which causes all the zombie like people of the level to waddle toward you, groaning and farting as they go. You have to then spend a fair amount of time trying to kill them and not get yourself killed in the process. It might sound quite straightforward, but sadly the hit-boxes seem off. Sometimes you might be standing directly in front of the enemy and somehow miss them, usually resulting in a quick death. The best strategy, and use that word very loosely here, is to hit and run. Basically punch one enemy and then let the rest of the horde form an orderly queue behind you. It’s like a really rubbish conga with no music, no dancing and lots of death. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So far I feel like I’ve slagged off the game, with good reason. But I’d like to point out that What the Heck, Dude? does have something going for it, the graphics. The colours and textures are very simple, but it’s a welcome thing. The geometric shapes used for the various objects and player models are pleasing to the eye, along with the bright colours. If graphics were what made a game then What the Heck, Dude? would certainly have gained some positive feedback. Also there’s a bit of variety to each level. From prisons to graveyards to office restrooms, they all contain different assets and area sizes, making it a little more difficult to create the desired conga affect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sadly though the sounds and gameplay, if that’s even what you can call it, really knock What the Heck, Dude? down. There may have been some big idea behind this game, but clearly the transfer between paper and actual application differed a fair bit. What the Heck, Dude? literally feels pointless. I, alongside many other people, might’ve overlooked the point to the game, but it’s unlikely. A lot of time and effort might’ve been put into making this game and I credit the developer for that. But I doubt there was any actual testing involved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall I’d have to say there’s very little I can say to big up this game. The graphics are quite nice, but that’s not exactly a selling point. Unsurprisingly I found it drunkenly clawing it’s way out of the depths of the Steam store. What the Heck, Dude? is glaringly a very pointless game. There’s no real reason to even play it. The controls are awkward, the sounds are weird, and the story, well let’s not even go there. Good Day!

Flat Kingdom Paper's Cut Edition or FKPCE or maybe Flat Kingdom, whatever the name, it’s a side scrolling, platformer made by an indie developer by the name of Fat Panda Games. Upon first glance at the game, the Paper Mario series might spring to mind. You wouldn’t be completely wrong on thinking that, the games does share several features of the Paper Mario games, but not many. The graphical style has the paper-made-world idea set out pretty well and the music fits well with each stage, feeling cheery when traversing the colourful world and dangerous when fighting against bosses. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mechanically however, the game doesn’t quite hit the spot. The idea of transforming between different shapes to fight off the varies enemies is a nice idea and fairly unique at that. The puzzles are fairly easy but are a welcome challenge to help players get to grips with the shape transformations. On the other hand there can be some fairly pointless puzzles that seem to serve no real purpose, and some sort of expect you to understand what the developer was thinking to solve them. Also on the rare occasion you can find enemies that you think were square, for example, only to realize they’re actually circular and you just wasted one of your precious hearts. Boss battles are another thing that seems to be on the iffy side. It takes several attempts to figure out what to do, if you can work it out at all, and you sometimes have to be in the mind of the developer to fully understand what’s supposed to happen. I’ll give the developers credit though, their enemy dies are fairly different, including the bosses. Triangular rats, spherical fish and a killer whale called Hank. The various stages are all thematically different ranging from cardboard caverns to volcanoes of paper (God knows how that works). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flat Kingdom is fun game that tries too hard at some junctures but at the same time feels unique. The art style is very reminiscent of the Paper Mario series and it’s great. The mechanics are iffy at times but for the most part they work in the games favor. Overall I’d recommend playing Flat Kingdom even if it’s for a quick platforming fix. It’s different and fun and well worth a look. Good Day!

Submerged is a game created by Uppercut Games Pty Ltd, three gamers who set it upon themselves to make fun games for most if not every platform currently out there. In fact check out their website to find out all about the trio and support them, if you want: ****/ . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enough about the developers though. Submerged is a game without combat or death or voices for that matter. Every moment of the game is framed by music from award winning composer Jeff van Dyck, who some might know produced the music for Alien: Isolation, several Total War titles and, one game I myself enjoy, Hand of Fate. The soundtrack that plays throughout the game is beautifully calm and brings about a sense of wonder as you travel and explore the sunken city. The city itself is wonderfully detailed, with vines climbing the sides of the submerged **** and landmarks, and various creatures swimming beneath the water. There is a sense of mystery about the city and a constant question that you will ask every time you travel out on you small boat; “What happened here?”. As you progress you can find boxes and notes dotted about the city that will give a brief hint about the goings on before you came to the city. Collect every note and you will uncover the truth. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mechanically the game flows fairly smoothly. There aren’t all that many complex or difficult things to get your head around, which is great seeing as the game is more or less purely focused on exploration. You, as Miku, can climb the various structures in the sunken city and travel to the very tops of ****, and take in the beautiful view. You travel around in a small, but stable, wooden boat which make you almost feel like your playing The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker. As you speed through the waves you’ll come across various creatures that have been changed by the strange aura that seems to surround the city. Huge, moss covered whales will swim past you, launching jets of water into the air and green and blue dolphins will leap out of the water whilst chittering and squeaking. Everything feels natural and calm, along with the music it’s a great atmosphere. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story-wise, the game, doesn’t really have a huge in-depth plot line. Apart from gathering resources to save your ill younger brother, there isn’t really all that much to it. Granted the cities story is a fascinating mystery to uncover, making you almost want to play until you unfold the entire tale. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To conclude, I’d say Uppercut Games have created a beautiful and original exploration game. With wonderfully detailed graphics, a huge sunken city to explore and a fantastic soundtrack there’s little to not love about Submerged. Good Day!

There are a number of indie, puzzle games out there, most of them very similar in both concept and functionality. A lot of the time using a simple graphical style, with a mostly basic story-line and more often than not, reusing the same puzzles and mechanics. So what sets See No Evil apart from the endless stream of clones and failures. To begin with I’ll start by mentioning the fact that it’s not too dissimilar from a lot of games in the genre. The puzzles are somewhat familiar; pushing boxes, standing on switches all to reach the level’s exit. There is a bit of twist, however. Sound plays a very important part in the puzzles, in some more than others. Blind but dangerous enemies patrol some of the levels. If they hear your footsteps or your shouting they will hunt you down. Standing still can sometimes help you survive, but very rarely. This gives See No Evil a slight stealth feeling to it. Watching the enemies patrols and waiting for the right moment to move can feel very sneaky sneaky. You can distract them too with bell flowers or huge horns, allowing for you to tiptoe past while they check what’s going on. Some of the puzzles are quite complex and take time to think about before actually setting things into motion. Some blocks will lower when the matching pressure plate is pressed, which in turn can raise other blocks instead. Sometimes enemy patrols will prevent you from getting to where you need to be. There are a number of different obstacles to overcome in order to reach the exit, and as you progress through the game things gets tougher and a lot more complex. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphically the game has a charming, hand drawn style to it. Levels are mostly simple, with an obvious theme running through them. Whether its through a crumbling castle, a lush, green woodland or an abandoned factory the style is somewhat refreshing. As well as that, it’s not overly cluttered or distracting, allowing the player to easily see the sound indications as well as which objects can be interacted with and not. The sound effects are very clear as is the music. Each area has a different music track, which at times can get a little bit grating as it plays on a constant loop. But it has a somewhat retro or classic feel to it, along with most of the game for that matter. Even though the game has a dark and foreboding story running through it, the music almost lightens the mood. Talking of the story, you play as a Seer, whatever that is, and are guided by a journal left in your prison cell. You’re opposed by a group of blind evil doers that are afraid of what they don’t know. It’s not all that in-depth, to be fair, but it stops the game from feeling dry and emotionless, not to mention it helps with that feeling of progression. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lastly lets talk about the games mechanics. There are always small problems with indie games, when it comes down to mechanics. Sometimes they’re things not even worth mentioning. But there are some that affect a game in such a way that they can’t be overlooked. In See No Evil there are a small number of glaring mechanical problems. Interactions with certain object require the player to be in a particular spot for it to actually work, which can be frustrating when you might be against the clock or trying to avoid an enemy patrol. Alongside that, some of the walls seem to be made of glue as the player might find themselves getting stuck to said walls. This doesn’t count for every wall, infact I found it to be a rare occurrence, although it was a small annoyance when it did happen. Lastly it would be nice if the player were able to move even a smidgen faster. Moving about the levels seems to take a long time, a small sprint function or maybe just an increase in movement speed would be a welcome thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But, to conclude, I’d say See No Evil feels almost original in its ideas. The graphical style is pleasing to look at and the music is refreshing to boot. The story is lacking however, but I guess you can’t have everything. If you want a different angle on the indie, puzzle genre then See No Evil might be worth your time. Good Day!

Run and gun action? Check. Heaps of unlockables? Check. Absolute chaos? Check. Rogue Stormers does many things, but it doesn’t disappoint. It’s an action-packed, rogue-like that you just can’t put down. There are various characters to choose from. Numerous perks and unlockables to bag. Oh and did I mention there’s pandemonium at every turn? Here’s a proper run down of what Black Forest Games’ latest creation has to offer. Lets start by talking about the story. It’s a somewhat simple one to be fair. An army of orcs and goblins is attacking the town of Ravensdale. You’re job is to kill them all and defeat their leader, Hector von Garg, which is not an easy feat I can tell you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The game consists of seven levels, each with a different boss at the end. Sometimes you will have to face off against a gate keeper, a sort of floating metal ball that fires lasers and energy orbs. Then on some stages you’ll have to fight against one of the various mini-bosses. There’s a large robot who jumps around and fires lasers and bullets everywhere. Or a strange black octopus creature that launches purple and black orbs at you. Once you get used to the attack patterns of the various mini-bosses it’s fairly simple to take them down, providing you live long enough to figure it out. The levels themselves start off fairly simple. Shoot goblins/orcs and find the way out, along with bagging yourself some loot along the way. You pick up money as you progress allowing for you to purchase air drops or buy unlocks in the shops, which are usually placed somewhere in each level. The air drops come in two flavours; cheap purple ones, which give you health, gold or xp, or more expensive yellow ones which drop xp, health, gold or even secondary weapons. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Secondary weapons what are those? You might be wondering. Well let me explain. Each character has two weapons, the primary one, which you start off with, and the secondary weapon which you can pick up from chests or from rescuing the captured townsfolk. I’ll go into more detail on the primaries once we get into characters. But first let me tell you about the secondary weapons. These can range from a simple handcannon, which fires a large bullet, knocking enemies back, to two weapons in one. Ever wanted a sniper rifle that could create a black hole when fired? Well now you can. It’s fairly in depth stuff and I’d be here for hours going into full details. But I’d say it’s very cool and leave it at that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are five characters altogether. Ranging from an arsonist opera singer to a psychotic barmaid called Stabbygale. They all have different primary weapons, shotguns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles etc. as well as their own unique skills. My personal favourite is the Ripsaw, which is part of Stabbygale’s twisted arsenal. Basically you throw out saw blade which hooks onto enemies, pulling them towards you for a satisfying blast to the face. The slimetastic Camille has an ability that fires a missile barrage, homing in on nearby enemies, blowing them to smithereens. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lastly I’m going to talk about overall gameplay, graphics and mechanics, that sort of thing. Graphically Rogue Stormers is fairly pleasing to look at. Each level has highly detailed backdrops. The enemies are all very easy to point out, even in the high amounts of chaos that ensue, as well as that, you can easily see where you are within the chaos. The gameplay itself feels reasonably smooth, the jitters and frame jumps are very rare if not non-existent. Then there’s also the controls which feel quite fluid, whether you’re using a mouse and keyboard or a controller. There are some bugs here and there though. Enemies being inside the walls for example, but that did rarely happen, as well as not being able to block missiles even though I used the shield. But those are things I can overlook. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall I’d recommend Rogue Stormers to anyone. Within the first 20 minutes of playing I was completely hooked. It’s fun, crazy and full of content. If you need something new to play and love chaos, I mean lets face it who doesn’t, then Rogue Stormers is a must buy. Good Day!