Games reviewed… eventually
Bastion was one of my favourite games from its generation. Supergiant’s gorgeous, stunningly scored isometric action-RPG absolutely captured my heart when I played it, and of course Logan Cunningham’s rich narration helped seal the deal. And yet, Transistor has remained unplayed on my PS4 for years. I couldn’t tell you why at all. It’s time … Continue reading Transistor
Where do we draw the line between game and art? The debate is one which seems to attract divided responses, and perhaps one area which doesn’t help that conversation comes in the form of “art games”. Typically these seem to be games where the “game” part plays second fiddle to the “art”, but Bound seems … Continue reading Bound
I have a real soft spot for the hard-boiled grim detective trope in narratives. There’s something almost mystical about that image and its portrayals in games - from the cynical poetry of Max Payne’s dialogue to the jaded ultraviolence of Booker in Bioshock Infinite - tend to result in some of my favourite characters in … Continue reading The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Some games ask deep and meaningful questions about their players. Questions like “How much control do players have?”, and “Is the violence we express in games merely a symptom of our own, inherently cruel human condition?” Abzu shames all of these petty inquiries. Instead, it asks a truly monumental question of us as players. “What … Continue reading Abzu
Look, some days you’ve just got to play a really mad indie game about octopodes and fatherhood, right? Octodad: Dadliest Catch (Android, iOS, PC, PS4 (reviewed), PS Vita, Switch, Xbox One, Wii U) Released Jan 2014 | Developed / Published: Young Horses Meet Octodad. He’s an octopus who, for some reason, chooses to live among … Continue reading Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Kickstarter has a mixed reputation but sometimes it produces a darling. If there’s one thing that strikes my notice from successful Kickstarter games however, it’s that promising a product which tugs at nostalgia seems to be a sure-fire win. Shovel Knight (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4 [reviewed], PS Vita, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One) Released Jun … Continue reading Shovel Knight
There’s something beautiful about a game that you can play and beat in an afternoon. It’s so very refreshing in this era of huge, expansive 100-hour experiences. Furi lasted me a scant few hours one quiet afternoon but in that short time I played a tightly-constructed and fantastically intense game that was an instant hit … Continue reading Furi
I always feel slightly lost when it comes to indie games. There’s definitely this tiny subgenre of mostly-liked puzzle-platformers about some big-headed tiny child lost in a scary world full of dangers that seems to appeal to indie developers and rarely appeals to me. Stalwarts of the genre like Limbo, Fez and Braid (child protagonist … Continue reading Never Alone
Proper story’s supposed to start at the beginning. Ain’t so simple with this one. Now here’s a Kid whose whole world got twisted, leaving him stranded on a rock in the sky... Bastion (Switch, PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One [reviewed]) Released Jul 2011 | Developed: Supergiant Games | Published: Warner Bros. From … Continue reading Bastion
“Hi Plip! I’m the village Squizard!” Right, because he’s a squid… and he’s a wizard, you see? Yeah, it’s adorable. Squidlit (PC) Released Mar 2018 | Developed / Published: Squidlit Ink. Squidlit is an ode to the Nintendo Game Boy. It’s a love letter to Nintendo’s wonderful handheld, right down to the meticulously recreated limitations … Continue reading Squidlit
