Tiny Barbarian DX

Tiny Barbarian DX

Tiny Barbarian DX does not set out to revolutionize the genre but instead offers a solid and enjoyable platform romp steeped in 8-bit nostalgia. The game is a joy to play, especially if you can remember the heyday of the NES platform era. It also packs quite a challenge but remains fun throughout.

Gameplay: The game features platforming action with a hefty dose of nostalgia.

Graphics: The visuals look like they are straight out of the 8-bit era.

Sound: Tiny Barbarian DX features a rocking chiptune soundtrack

LOST ORBIT

LOST ORBIT

Hang on to your jetpack and dodge the perils standing between you and your home system in this action packed game from PixelNAUTS. The controls are responsive, the story interesting and flying through gauntlets of obstacles is simply exhilarating. The game is also quite easy on the eyes and features a great soundtrack to boot. Unfortunately, the 40 levels on offer fly past way too fast, but overall Lost Orbit is an easy game to recommend.

Gameplay: Boosting through space while swerving around obstacles and making use of whatever you can find to increase your speed is a lot of fun.

Graphics: Colorful and very polished.

Sound: Great voice acting and an even better soundtrack

The Mysterious Cities of Gold

The Mysterious Cities of Gold

Nostalgia obviously plays a huge role when it comes to such a classic license, but this game is good enough to stand out on its own. The basic gameplay is engaging, but with a gentle difficulty curve that makes it suitable for younger players. Experienced players can aim for all the optional goals to up the challenge.

Gameplay: The puzzle solving provides a challenge for players of all ages.

Graphics: The visuals stay true to the animated series.

Sound: Authentic voice acting and catchy tunes

Grimm

Grimm

Grimm offers a very unique look at some classic fairy tales and with 23 episodes there is something for everyone. The episodes are short enough to remain fun despite the repetition and the gruesome visual transformations are still impressive. The budget price also makes it an attractive package for players who missed the original release.

Gameplay: Very easy to pick up and play.

Graphics: The way everything transfers from light to dark is pretty impressive.

Sound: Good voice acting and some very suitable music

Incoming DLC for DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours

Incoming DLC for DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours

We have some good news for fans of DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours as its publisher, Degica, announced some brand new DLC for the game. First up is the Darius Odyssey art book, which was previously available exclusively on the PS4. PC owners will soon be able to grab it for $14.99 USD or along with the base game for $59.99 USD

NOOZh by WANNABE

NOOZh by WANNABE

At one point or another in our lives, we have all had that dream of being chased by something horrible. For some these are once off occurrences, but for the less fortunate these types of nightmares can become a regular occurrence. Also, while adults can typically shrug off these dreams, it is often harder for children to deal with something so terrifying

Mushihimesama

Mushihimesama

Mushihimesama is showing its age a bit, but the stellar gameplay is as good as always. The game is a bullet hell shooter, so expect a tough as nails challenge, but it is always fair and remains addictive throughout. Although it only features five levels, the multitude of modes and difficulties ensures that there is plenty of value for money. An online co-op mode would have been nice, but even with just the local co-op it remains a blast. If you are a fan of the genre don’t hesitate to pick it up, but novices beware, Mushihimesama packs a mean challenge.

Gameplay: The game doesn’t show any mercy, but practice pays off.

Graphics: Definitely not state of the art, but still charming despite the age of the game.

Sound: The soundtrack is great, but the sound effects could have benefited from a bit more oomph

Penumbra: Black Plague

Penumbra: Black Plague

Black Plague focusses on the best parts of the original game (the creepy atmosphere and physics based puzzles) while trimming the worst parts (the combat) making it a better experience overall. Playing the original is still required to make the most out of it and it is a little on the short side but it made me jump quite a few times which is commendable.

Gameplay: Removing combat ramps up the atmosphere considerably.

Graphics: Better looking and featuring more detail than the original.

Sound: Solid voice acting and lots of creepy ambience

Goat Simulator

Goat Simulator

Goat Simulator might be a joke, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a lot of fun. There is a surprising amount of things to do considering the small playing area and tons of secrets to discover. If you like messing around in a sandbox environment you will get your moneys’ worth out of this game, but it remains to be seen how much Steam Workshop content will be released to increase the longevity.

Gameplay: Buggy, glitchy and lots of fun while it lasts.

Graphics: Nice visuals, but intentionally bad animations.

Sound: Decent sound effects and one extremely catchy tune

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas

Obsidian has clearly spent all their time and energy on the story and characters instead of on the game engine, but it is a trade off that long time Fallout fans might appreciate. While this game could have been awesome as a full blown sequel on a new engine, it still works great and comes highly recommended to all Fallout fans.

Gameplay: Despite some annoying bugs the gameplay still shines.

Graphics: The Gamebryo engine still has its moments but is really starting to show its age.

Sound: Good stuff