Elliot Attard

“Killing Floor 3 delivers the punch and the thrill that you'd expect from this well-renowned franchise. Upgraded with modern audiences in mind, the title could have easily been the next big release from a talented development studio. However, with too little focus on content and polish and too much focus on replicating games-as-a-service design philosophies, Killing Floor 3 falls short of its potential.”

“Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a smart sequel. It leans on the original's strongest elements in the aesthetic and stylistic choices, whilst moving the gameplay into a new and entertaining direction. It doesn't do anything groundbreaking, though it does succeed at producing a high-quality product that feels good to play. Thanks to an interesting upgrade system and in-built chance mechanics, The Eternal Die stands out on its own and proves to be a game absolutely worthy of your time.”

“Revenge of the Savage Planet offers cooperative fun in an alien environment worth exploring. A varied gameplay experience propels you around a dynamic world of wonder, amplified by vibrant visuals and punchy audio. Let down somewhat by its comedic tone and unpolished approach, this title falls short of its full potential but still finds ways to surprise and delight along the way.”

“With high-energy beats and an outlandish visual style, Everhood 2 is an unconventional title that strays far from the beaten path. Despite falling for some RPG trappings leading to padded content, this release still finds a way to surprise and delight with moments of hallucinogenic thrill and perplexing characters that'll leave you absorbed in the insanity.”

“Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap takes a now-established idea and gives it new life via a roguelike progression system. Whilst the foundation of the idea is still solid and provides many an hour of fun, the implementation is needlessly grindy and imperfectly scaled. Deathtrap is not the evolution of the series we wanted it to be. It's still a good amount of fun but falls short of its ultimate potential.”

“KILL KNIGHT is a devilishly impressive isometric shooter. There's a pure glee generated by the title's fast and ferocious combat working in perfect harmony with its hellish visuals and sound design. What may at first seem like an overly complicated system of mechanics quickly falls neatly into place and it becomes apparent just how superbly everything is designed to be cohesive and put the power into the player's hands. A deeper notion of progression could have helped the game to avoid that feeling of repetition so commonly associated with high score-based arcade games, but it's a minor critique in what is ultimately a skillfully crafted experience. Just one that may not be for the faint of heart.”

“The Cub is a fascinating romp through post-apocalyptic Earth. Balancing dark themes with delightful levity, the game finds a way to showcase both the best and worst of humanity with biting wit, vivid visuals, and impeccably implemented audio. It's all let down somewhat by gameplay sequences that can't maintain the same quality as the game's other elements. However, even with that rather big caveat, The Cub still manages to present a lovely package worth opening.”

“Bramble: The Mountain King finds ways to excel throughout the ~6-hour adventure. With superb audio design and some really satisfying and engaging storytelling centred around Nordic folklore, the game showcases glimpses of greatness and refuses to hold back from depicting the horrifying and grim world around you. It's a shame that every new enemy's introduction and build-up is undermined by the inevitable average boss fight. It's true there's obvious room for improvement with Bramble's gameplay, though the overall experience is certainly still worth uncovering, especially as the game goes from strength to strength with some seriously impactful core moments.”

“Perish offers a great world to explore and a surprising amount of graphical prowess for an indie roguelike. The setting is intriguing and the combat varied and engaging enough. The game stumbles with framerate drops and a gameplay loop that may not have been finetuned to perfection, though if you have a crew to play with, Perish still offers a good amount of fun that's worth your time.”

“LONE RUIN is a game that's simply too short for its own good. A lack of content means the experience is over long before it ever should be, and any additional difficulty modes and a survival mode don't do enough to justify the small scope. The experience is saved somewhat by good gameplay and a great spells/upgrades system, though not enough to call this one a real must-play.”

“Undoubtedly fun for a fright night with friends or a YouTube reaction video, Choo-Choo Charles will find its place comfortably as a not-so-serious meme game with some good horror ideas. There's a charm to the whole experience supported by the fact that its short runtime means it never overstays its welcome. However, the game's shortcomings are simply too obvious to overlook. Requiring more polish, depth, and variety, Choo-Choo Charles doesn't have the longevity needed to be anything more than a fleeting piece of sharable internet entertainment.”

“Wylde Flowers is what you get when you take a farming/life sim, such as Stardew Valley, and focus more heavily on the narrative and characters. A constant shift of events and huge amounts of voiced lines brings this world to life, even if that focus does mean the simulation aspects of the gameplay are reduced. With a lovingly detailed world and equally lovely examples of diversity, you could do a lot worse than spend your week playing Wylde Flowers.”

“Though Raft may lack content once you’ve reached its closing moments, the lead-up to that point is a surprisingly delightful and novel experience. The basic gameplay loop of collecting and crafting keeps you busy, whilst a set of on-foot areas to explore keeps the gameplay ever-evolving and gleefully varied. An absolute solid co-operative choice, there’s an ocean of content to be found on this humble raft.”

“Trolley Problem, Inc is a decent exploration of morality and philosophy, culminating in a provocative experience that will likely linger beyond its rather short playtime. It’s cleverly presented, even if it can verge on the side of overly simple. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t maintain the same level of intrigue generated by its opening questions, failing to include real-world politics in a satisfying way. It stumbles one too many times, with moments of brilliance being met in equal measure by disappointing shortcomings.”

“After 8 years of annual releases, The Jackbox Party Pack 8 certainly doesn’t feel as special as past games, but the entertainment found within is undeniable.”

“I really really enjoyed my time with Curse of the Dead Gods and am happy to call this a great game. It’s an idea that’s been done before, but Curse of the Dead Gods executes on that idea almost flawlessly. The game is polished and deep with a really solid amount of content that’ll keep players entertained for hours. For those seeking a challenging combat Roguelike game, you won’t be disappointed with this release.”

“I’m glad I was able to dive back into a game I genuinely consider to be one of my favourite shooters from back in the day. It feels a little more cliché now than it did back in 2007, but you can still see why Crysis was able to make such a name for itself. With more than serviceable gameplay and narrative, Crysis Remastered is worth a play for those who are yet to check this title out. Although with visuals that feel a little underwhelming, I wonder if those who already own the original would get much out of this remaster.”

“Risk of Rain 2 is definitely a content-rich experience. The game has ripened and matured throughout the Early Access process and has turned into a co-op game well worth experiencing. Even solo, the Roguelike elements keep things feeling fresh and fun with so much potential for satisfying chaos. Take a bit of time to get over the initial difficulty barrier of this game and you’re set for an incredibly cathartic experience.”

“...Deep Rock Galactic finds a way to create one of the most compelling co-op games I’ve had the pleasure of playing in recent memory.”

“Orangeblood throws you into an alternative history timeline where you control a party of girls taking on the dirty and corrupt underworld of a Japanese municipality. It’s a game that merges cultures and aesthetics in a uniquely interesting way, but also struggles to find its footing at the same time.”