I don’t think a week goes by without at least a dozen new releases on Nintendo Switch, and almost always with at least a few real gems among them. April was no exception, with headline acts like Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack, New Pokemon Snap (review incoming!), and SaGa Frontier …
There’s a lot going on in Project Starship X. Even by shoot-’em-up standards, it’s a game of sensory overload, full of bright colours and flashing lights, overwhelming attack patterns, and eccentric character designs. In contrast to the precision and mastery that a finely-crafted bullet hell demands, this is a game …
Often when someone opts to make a retro-styled shoot-’em-up, there’s a deliberate choice to carry that inspiration through all aspects of the design. An old-school aesthetic comes with game systems that overtly channel those of yesterday’s classics, and the technical constraints they were built within. There’s plenty of appeal in …
The line between a soothing, relaxing puzzle game is often a thin one. The design of the puzzle obviously contributes most to that, but the right setting and atmosphere can create a relaxing experience out of even the most obtuse puzzles. The Pillar: Puzzle Escape is a good example of …
Disclosure: I did some freelance work for publisher eastasiasoft on the PS4 port of Rainbow Moon. I’ve had no involvement with the development of Rainbow Skies. Rainbow Moon was a strange beast. It was a game of epic proportions in a genre known for its storytelling, but the grandiosity of …
Ghost Blade HD goes back to the roots of the bullet hell genre, and what it lacks in originality it makes up for in polish. There’s an impressive amount of innovation in the bullet hell shoot ‘em up space. It’s such a niche genre that developers are always looking for …
Disclosure: I previously worked with eastasiasoft in a freelance capacity on Rainbow Moon. I have had no involvement in the development of Lost Sea. Lost Sea is the sort of game that reminds me why I don’t really like roguelikes all that much – because of both what it does well …
