Bright Memory: Infinite is a conceptually fascinating, technologically impressive game: an intense sci-fi FPS with a hefty dose of Chinese mythology, playing out across some truly gorgeous sets based on real-world locations. But for all that promise, it also feels incomplete, like a prototype for something much more grandiose—a very …
Between Touhou Luna Nights and Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, Team Ladybug is onto something: with the right foundation, just about any property can make a compelling metroidvania. Case in point: I didn’t know a whole lot about Record of Lodoss War going into Wonder Labyrinth, and …
There’s too much stock put into “polish” as a metric of quality in a videogame. The assumption is that “polish” is an inherently good thing: that an unpolished game can only ever be good in spite of its rough edges, and never because of them; that high production values and …
Mark April 14 on your calendar, because this is when you’ll be able to play Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight, a gorgeous-looking 3D exploration platformer from Japanese industry veteran nocras and publisher Playism. Tasomachi sees you, as crash-landed explorer Yukumo, exploring a mysterious fantasy town inspired by East Asian art, culture, …
Last night, Nintendo shared its latest Indie World showcase to reveal a whole host of indie games making their way to Switch, including the likes of Among Us, Super Meat Boy Forever, Spelunky, and plenty of others. As usual, the broadcast came with a handful of “Surprise! It’s available right …
In what has been a big year for wholesome, feel-good videogames, Giraffe and Annika is up there with the best of them. Through a classic action-adventure framework with a dose of rhythm game, game and uses that to tell a beautiful, personal story about the ties that bind family together. …
I’ll be honest: I’ve never been that big of an Xbox fan. As a brand, it often seems to prioritise things that just don’t interest me all that much: shooters, sports games, multiplayer, technical performance. Sure, Ori and the Blind Forest is one of my favourite games of all time, …
Umurangi Generation, due for worldwide release on PC on 19 May, channels the Māori culture, Jet Set Radio, and turn-of-the-century anime to create a unique, stylized setting for its adventures in photography. Set in Tauranga against the backdrop of “a crisis event taking place in Aotearoa/New Zealand”, Umurangi Generation casts …
Originally released for PC in 2014, Astebreed is an attempt a more cinematic take on the scrolling shoot ’em up. That doesn’t necessarily mean more narrative-focused, but in lieu of the genre’s usual static side-on or top-down camera, Astebreed dances between different perspectives and employs camera cuts in a way …
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s played the first game, but La-Mulana 2 is hard. Tricky platforming and cryptic puzzles will stretch your reactions and problem-solving ability, while cruel traps await any adventurer who gets to reckless. La-Mulana 2 may be more streamlined in its design, but …
