Kyle Nicol

“Is Highguard a bad game? Debatable. It’s not the worst game ever and the absolutely hateful reviews the game has received from people who haven’t even played it are baffling, but it is… remarkably unremarkable.”

“It’s a mostly triumphant return for this long-dormant franchise, one that makes excellent use of VR to enhance immersion and really makes you feel like a master thief. Though it’s not perfect, and a few issues hold it back. Whilst, as a franchise fan, I wouldn’t recommend fellow fans to run out and buy a headset for this release, it is one I can easily recommend to longtime Thief fans and newcomers that also happen to have a VR headset.”

“Code Violet is simultaneously a game that should be way better than it is, but also surprisingly a game that could have been so much worse as well. It’s a broken and uninteresting slog that doesn’t come close to even matching the potential for a dinosaur action-horror title.”

“I’m not going to lie, it hurts that I didn’t like A.I.L.A. as much as I wanted to. Beyond the wildly inventive, genre-blending scenarios that create something unique and interesting, there’s not a lot here. Every chapter feels undercooked, and the horror falls flat most of the time. There is potential for something great here, and I hope Pulsatrix can expand on this in future entries, especially if we get more moments like those towards the end of the Castle chapter.”

“The Hitman: World of Assassination has always been a great collection. It combines IOI’s newest Hitman trilogy into one cohesive experience. With over a dozen unique locations, each with dozens of ways to complete them, it’s a complete package and an incredibly easy game to recommend. However, in its current launch state, I’d suggest waiting for a few patches. It is an impressive showcase for a new portable, don’t get me wrong, but it still needs some extra tinkering to truly become a must-have.”

“Despite some good ideas that could have made Among The Whispers: Provocation a compelling addition to the ghost hunting horror subgenre, there are a lot of messy elements scattered throughout all of its corners. It does have a solid foundation, and being single-player does differentiate it from its sources of inspiration, but at the end of the day, the source of inspiration is still a better experience. It does lack variety and becomes tedious very quickly.”

“Skin Deep is a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s an immeowsive-sim game that doesn’t take itself seriously at all, leading to a unique and exciting stealth adventure. The responsive system drives the game, giving you a ton of flexibility in otherwise limiting scenarios, which leads to some hilarious shenanigans. Also, cats!”

“I wanted to like Post Trauma more than I did. A survival horror game that emphasises exploration and puzzle solving in a desolate world sounds like it should have been a good time. However, a weak plot and lacklustre combat make Post Trauma an uneven game that would be tough to recommend if it weren’t for its incredibly reasonable asking price. Though you could also always wait for a midyear sale if you want to…”

“DreadOut: Remastered Collection is not a perfect series, and this remaster still shows that time hasn’t been kind to it. However, I have a soft spot for horror games based on Asian Folklore, and this Fatal Frame-inspired adventure is at the very least worth a go. Full of charm and interesting ideas, but often stumbling in execution. Just be prepared for a game that is occasionally frustrating.”

“As a whole, Threshold is a delightfully bizarre and engaging little game, but the odd pacing and structure might not be to everyone’s liking. The core main gameplay loop borders on tedious, and there’s a frustrating amount of bugs, however, it’s getting to the bottom of that mystery that makes it an utterly engaging experience. If you’re looking for weirdness, you should give this one a go.”

“I wanted to like Hollowbody more than I did. It’s a game clearly made with a lot of passion for the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil. A classic-style survival horror. There’s a fair bit to like, however lacklustre encounter design and a disappointing final boss let down some excellent world-building and a really tense atmosphere that lasts throughout the whole game.”

“MudRunner VR sees a fairly successful conversion to the VR space. The Meta/Oculus Quest 2 hardware is really starting to show its age, though. It’s incapable of larger scale maps or high fidelity visuals. What MudRunner VR does exceptionally well is recapture the core into a more bite-sized look into the MudRunner gameplay. Hopefully, this is the stepping stone to a more feature-rich VR title.”

“Buckshot Roulette is a very short experience, but one that is worth trying out. A uniquely interesting premise that will keep you busy for a couple of hours. Hopefully the developer can expand on this some more, as there is potential for expansion here.”

“If it wasn’t clear already, Shines Over: The Damned is a really bad game, which isn’t worth your money or your time, even if it lasts just half an hour. It’s a short, but definitely not sweet experience, completely lacking in scares, story, atmosphere, or neat ideas. To make matters worse, it costs way too much for something so short. The easy platinum trophy you can get from it is not worth the pricetag. At its worst, it was a frustrating gameplay experience. At its best, it was an experimental snorefest.”

“Phantom Abyss is an interesting temple runner game that provides fast paced platformer gameplay and an ever escalating level of traps as you move from biome to biome. Despite having interesting ideas that should have spoken to me and my tastes, I didn’t find myself hooked into the game as much as I thought I would. Nothing about it, from its online systems to some of its later levels, did enough to make it worthwhile.”

“The Finals is one of the most interesting PvP shooters in a long time. A truly unique and refreshingly simple concept that worked out for the better. It is fast paced without being annoying and puts solid teamwork at the forefront of its main game mode. Although there is a lack of content and balance isn’t perfect, The Finals is well worth trying.”

“Anthology of Fear is one of the most mind-numbing and unremarkable horror games that I’ve played this year. It’s nothing more than a walking simulator, with very few actual moments of tension or effective scares. Not to mention a story that only serves to frustrate and confuse. There are so many better choices out there, so I recommend steering clear of this one.”

“Thief Simulator 2 is not a bad game, per se. Far from it in fact, with its engaging central premise and core ideas giving a satisfying stealth experience that we don’t see often. However, everything feels surface level and just a little too janky. It reuses way too much of the original and doesn’t making any significant improvements where it was really needed. But there is still some fun to be had with it, if you’re looking for a basic stealth experience.”

“You Will Die Here Tonight is a fascinating twist on the survival horror genre, taking inspiration from one of the most niche games in the Resident Evil franchise: Gaiden. It has fantastic level designs and almost no hand-holding whatsoever. However, not all these ideas work, leaving You Will Die Here Tonight with a fun, but not entirely solid, spin on the retro horror genre.”

“If like me, you have been itching for another Splinter Cell, then No Sun to Worship will scratch that itch. The unforgiving slow-paced stealth gameplay is worth experiencing, however, its short playtime left me wanting so much more. There’s a solid foundation here that could easily be expanded upon. I look forward to seeing more projects from Antonio Freyre in the future!”