Treat Your Ears To An Orchestral Re-Imagining of The Symphony of The Night Soundtrack This Halloween

Treat Your Ears To An Orchestral Re-Imagining of The Symphony of The Night Soundtrack This Halloween

If ever there was a reason for contrasting emotions it would be the news that the iconic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night soundtrack has received an orchestral arrangement album courtesy of Materia Collective. On the one hand, it is very exciting news as Michiru Yamane’s classic soundtrack is incredible to begin with and perfect for an orchestral re-imagining. On the other, the release is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which makes us feel old. However, listening to the album, titled Resurrection of the Night, quickly banished any lingering gloom of feeling old

Gentle Love Jazzes Up Video Game Battle Themes With Fight For Your Dreams Album

Gentle Love Jazzes Up Video Game Battle Themes With Fight For Your Dreams Album

We’ve certainly had our fair share of video game battles keeping us up way past bedtime, but never before have they lulled us to sleep. Games like Mega Man 2, Final Fantasy IV, Yoshi’s Island, Dark Souls and Super Metroid not only feature challenging enemies, but also some adrenaline pumping tunes to back up the action. Now, in an ironic twist, the battle themes from these same games could just be what is needed to get a restful night of sleep. If this sounds rather implausible, then clearly you are not familiar with the Prescription For Sleep series by GENTLE LOVE

A Hat in Time

A Hat in Time

Help Hat Girl retrieve the time pieces that fuel her spaceship in this colorful and charming 3D platformer. It is definitely a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre and offers a rip-roaring adventure across large, colorful levels. The hat swapping antics and the way in which the game constantly switches things up certainly makes for an engrossing experience. It is not without its flaws and could have benefited from a bit more polish, but what is on offer should definitely not be missed if you have fond memories of classic 3D platformers.

Gameplay: Solid 3D platforming action and plenty of variety.

Graphics: Bright, colorful and more than delivers on its promise of being “cute-as-heck.”

Sound: The soundtrack is great and the game even features some nice voice acting

Home Run Solitaire

Home Run Solitaire

Home Run Solitaire is a baseball themed take on the genre that knocks it out of the park with its polished presentation and addictive gameplay. You don’t have to be a fan of the sport to have fun either as the game is packed with 180 “innings” of Solitaire and a handful of mini-games. With a fully voiced story mode as well as the option to play Freeplay, TriPeaks or Five Peaks, Home Run Solitaire definitely doesn’t drop the ball. The Revills Games have a good reputation when it comes to Solitaire games and this one does nothing to break that streak.

Gameplay: Still addictive and has enough content to keep you busy for ages.

Graphics: The baseball theme is nice and colorful.

Sound: Good voice acting, great sound effects and some nice mellow tunes

Press X to Not Die

Press X to Not Die

Press X To Not Die is quick-time laden FMV game with b-movie levels of acting and effects. While this sounds pretty terrible in theory, it is actually quite entertaining when you sit down and play it. Unfortunately the game isn’t very long, but it is a lot of fun while it lasts and there is some replay value thanks to the branching storyline and the multitude of ways you can die. The game also sells for pocket change, so if you are in the mood for thirty minutes of goofball entertainment, then you can’t go wrong with Press X To Not Die.

Gameplay: Press “X” (and a few other keys depending on the difficulty setting) to not die (and perform a few other actions.)

Graphics: The visuals consist purely of HD GoPro footage.

Sound: The acting is as cringe-worthy as one would expect from an interactive movie, but this just adds to the entertainment

Pinball FX3 – Universal Classics™ Pinball

Pinball FX3 – Universal Classics™ Pinball

With tables based around Back to The Future, Jaws and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Universal Classics Pinball pack is a must have for fans of the genre. All three of the tables on offer look great and are a lot of fun to play. The table designers have done an admirable job with fusing these licenses with pinball instead of simply using images based on the films. Unfortunately, none of the tables feature licensed music, which is really a pity for films like these that has such iconic soundtracks. However, apart from the music there is very little to fault here and these tables offer a nice break from all the Marvel and Star Wars tables available for the platform.

Gameplay: Three tables with great designs that are a lot of fun to play.

Graphics: Each table features plenty of visual elements from the films as well as some great looking 3D models.

Sound: The sound effects and voice acting are decent enough, but the lack of licensed music is a bummer

Packed 4th Quarter For Artifex Mundi

Packed 4th Quarter For Artifex Mundi

Popular hidden object puzzle adventure publisher, Artifex Mundi, has revealed their release schedule for the fall / winter season and it is packed to say the least. In addition to a couple of brand new titles, the publisher has also set their sights on making more of their older titles available for consoles. In addition, fans of their existing franchises can also look forward to brand new adventures for their favorite characters

Eventide 3: Legacy of Legends

Eventide 3: Legacy of Legends

Mary the botanist is back and this time it is her brother that is in need of rescuing. This means another adventure through exotic locations while encountering interesting creatures from Slavic mythology. Like previous titles in the series, Eventide 3 isn’t the longest or most challenging example of the genre, but makes up for it with its unique setting. Newcomers to the genre will get the most out of this game as it features quite a few minigames that are very familiar to veterans, but makes up for it with some nice hidden object scenes. The lush visuals and imaginative scenes also set this game apart from other titles. If you are a fan of the genre and want a relaxing adventure that will keep you busy for an evening or two, then Eventide 3 should be high on your wishlist.

Gameplay: Not that challenging and the minigames could have benefited from some more originality, but the hidden object scenes are good.

Graphics: The series has a reputation for great visuals and Eventide 3 doesn’t disappoint in this regard.

Sound: Decent voice acting and some nice tunes

Iceberg Interactive Publisher Weekend On Steam

Iceberg Interactive Publisher Weekend On Steam

Do you enjoy spine tingling horror games or does your tastes lie more towards hi-octane action? Perhaps you are a fan of simulator games or even strategy titles. If the answer is yes, then chances are you are already familiar with Iceberg Interactive. This independent video game publisher has been responsible for a number of titles in these genres over the past eight years. If you are not familiar with the games they have published or know about them, but want to fill a few gaps in your library there is no better time than now. That’s because their Publisher Weekend is in full swing on Steam and their entire Steam catalog is on sale

Pinball FX3

Pinball FX3

Pinball FX 3 is not just a small update compared to Pinball FX 2, but feels like a brand new game. It comes with a range of new features that are aimed at drawing in newcomers as well as keeping veterans busy for longer. Not only does the older tables look better than ever before, but the brand new challenges and cross-platform features provide added incentives to return to them. It is a pity that not all the Pinball FX 2 tables could make the transition to the new game, it is a relief that the majority can be imported to the new game without having to pay for them again. Pinball FX 3 is without a doubt one of the best pinball games available on the market and definitely doesn’t disappoint if you are a fan of the genre.

Gameplay: Plenty of new features that make it worth moving over from Pinball FX 2.

Graphics: Thanks to real-time lighting and shadow projection the tables look better than ever.

Sound: The guide can become a little annoying, but fortunately the game features plenty of audio options to customize your experience