RYAN JOHNSON
The Rogue Prince of Persia (Switch) Review
The Rogue Prince of Persia is a title made by the PoP team with the pedigree of developers who worked on Dead Cells expansions. The title looks to be heading toward the awesomeness of Dead Cells and all of its expansions.
Vessels of Decay (Xbox) Review
Vessels of Decay is an intriguing story steeped in Scandinavian folklore that is very interesting, but some of its graphical and control scheme issues make it difficult to work through. If you approach it with a very Dark Souls “Git Gud” mentality, you may be able to overcome some of the frustration and appreciate the quality work underneath.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (Xbox Series) Review
Ender Magnolia is a sequel to Ender Lilies, and a wonderful Metroidvania that respects the time of the player by allowing for fast travel. The beautiful artwork and creative way that you can build your character using the abilities of the Hominculi make for an engaging video game that is worth a look.
Saviorless (Switch) Review
Saviorless is a game from a Cuban development company seven years in the making, utilizing beautiful hand-drawn art to create a puzzling yet action-packed game that tells a beautiful story in a unique way. The grim tale unfolds as you take control of three uniquely different characters.
Super Dungeon Maker (Nintendo Switch) Review
Super Dungeon Maker is exactly what it says on the box: a dungeon maker. Many have clamored for a “Zelda Maker” in the past. While this isn’t exactly it, this budget title does it’s section well: create amazing customized dungeons and have a lot of fun! But the limitations involved in it (even outside of the copyright avoidance) might help you see why Nintendo hasn’t done it just yet.
Yars: Recharged (PS5) Review
Yar’s Recharged is another game in the “Recharged” line, bringing classic games to modern times with enhanced graphics and gameplay. Yars’ Revenge lends itself well to the arcadey, shoot-em-up feel.
Kofi Quest (Switch) Review
Kofi Quest is a fun parody-style RPG that gets plenty of laughs, but some of the mechanics could use a little polish. The humor Kofi brings to the table is up there with the greats of parody and tribute comedy.
Freshly Frosted (Switch) Review
Freshly Frosted is what I think a utopian cell phone puzzle game would be. No freemium game will ever be able to respect your time, patience, and brain cells the same way.
Samurai Riot: Definitive Edition (Switch) Review
Samurai Riot offers classic brawler gameplay with a unique choice mechanism. Major events happen, and you have the choice to branch the storyline in one of eight directions. It is a welcome return to classic “couch co-op” fun.
Lamplight City (Switch) Review
Lamplight City is a point and click style mystery where you play as a detective out to discover his partner’s killer. The big twist is that cases can be truly failed, with no “game over” instance, which can drastically change the outcome of the case.
Lumberhill (Switch) Review
Lumberhill is a fast, frantic party game reminiscent of titles like Overcooked. It brings it’s own flair with random outdoorsy tasks to complete, but feels a bit more independent. You may be working on the same tasks but it often feels like you are doing it solo.
Rover Mechanic Simulator (Switch) Review
Rover Mechanic Simulator is one of the hardcore sim games, attempting to make it feel like you are truly in charge of repairing Mars rovers. It can get tedious at times, but that’s right up some gamer’s alleys.
2076: Midway Multiverse (Oculus Quest 2) Review
Many retro game revivals have happened over the course of the last few years. The best ones are able to make you feel as if you are playing through those original rose-colored glasses. You didn’t go back to the beginning, you went back to how you REMEMBER the beginning to be. Companies like Dotemu have done a great job with recent releases like Streets of Rage 4, Windjammers, and the upcoming Ninja Turtles hack and slash, Shredder’s Revenge. By incorporating a slick polish and drawing style, the old pixel based games feel fresh and new. Ivanovich Games is doing the same with classic shooter games by injecting a heavy dose of VR and all it’s benefits through 1976: Back to Midway and now it’s sequel: 2076: Midway Multiverse.
Vagante (Xbox One) Review
While it is nice to see a roguelike expand the feel of progression a bit more, it’s frustrating to put time and effort into that character to see them die easily. Vagante tries to do it’s best to bridge the gap and make levelling and progression fun while also maintaining the heart of a roguelike.
Windjammers 2 (Xbox One) Review
Windjammers 2 is a sequel decades in the making, and Dotemu does an excellent job of creating a new entry and giving it a modern twist. Players will find a true-life arcade experience in this title, which unfortunately means that they’ll have to figure out some things on their own. Presentation is amazing and learning the title will make it worth your while. Fans of the original will only find more to love.
Heavenly Bodies (PS5) Review
Heavenly Bodies is a bizarre game in which you haphazardly control a cosmonaut as they float weightless through a station to complete tasks. It becomes more fun the more people you have to enjoy it with.
Glyph (PC) Review
Glyph is a puzzle-platformer that definitely evokes the Monkey Ball feel set in a mysterious Egyptian desert setting. Definitely a fun puzzler, but it’s precision requirements leave some frustrated.
Ragnarock (Oculus) Review
Ragnarock is an excellent VR Rhythm game that deserves a place amongst the greats. A mix of Beat Saber and Guitar Hero, it offers a simpler pattern easily welcome for new VR players.
The Colonists (Xbox One) Review
The Colonists evokes classic city building and world constructing games like The Settlers. It feels like the classic games of old, but also comes with some of the classic problems inherent in the genre. True fans of the gameplay will be able to overlook such issues and enjoy a wonderful and well-made title.
Star Renegades (PS4) Review
Rougelikes and RPGs are a strange mix, as the reset style of a rougelike doesn’t sound like it would mix well with RPGs and their long-term growth and planning. Star Renegades tells a unique story of multidimensional battles, where people flat out DIE and the only choice is to let go of an entire dimension and move on to the next.