Everreach: Project Eden (Elder Games)

Everreach: Project Eden (Elder Games)

2019 has been a great year for games and in addition to the titles that has already been released there are still a lot of upcoming ones to be excited about. September in particular looks like it is going to be leaving gamers with no spare time for anything else. However, one game that definitely should not be overlooked this September is Everreach: Project Eden by Elder Games. For those unfamiliar with Elder Games, it is an independent game development team that was founded by Ede Tarsoly and they have been around since 2007. Ede also handled most of the projects, along with external freelancers, up until 2016. It was after this that things changed, thanks to Everreach, which is their most ambitious title to date. Thanks to the size and scope of the game, the core team at Elder Games grew to five people and over a dozen external freelancers were also brought in to bring this ambitious title to life

The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart

The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart

The Princess, The Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart is a charming and humorous visual novel with a large cast of interesting characters. It opens with the protagonist, Nora Handa, encountering a girl claiming to be a princess of the netherworld, and events spiral further out of control from there. After encountering this newcomer, Nora has to decide whether he is falling in love with her or if his heart beats for one of the three other girls in his life. Of course, the fact that he has been cursed to change into a cat whenever he is kissed also complicates matters further. Overall, this is a great visual novel, but there are some gaping holes where all the adult content has been removed.

Gameplay: Completing all four of the routes in the game is a lengthy process but very enjoyable.

Graphics: The artwork is really good, but it is a pity that the adult content had to be removed.

Sound: Full voice acting for the characters, along with a varied soundtrack

Pure

Pure

Pure is a very underrated game which is a pity as it actually has some solid gameplay and plenty of adrenaline fueled races. You can fly through it if you are not interested in multi-player or achievements, but overall it is a good game.

Gameplay: Fast and frantic with some insane tricks.

Graphics: Detailed environments with stunning vistas and plenty of effects.

Sound: The sound effects are ok, but the voices can become a tad annoying

Alan Wake Special Two: The Writer

Alan Wake Special Two: The Writer

While it doesn’t wrap things up neatly, “The Writer” offers us another chance to experience the twisted world of Alan Wake. As far as DLC goes, this one has enough content to make it worthwhile, but don’t expect too many answers.

Gameplay: A little less combat, but that’s not a bad thing.

Graphics: Same engine obviously, but the twisted locations are great.

Sound: Solid as ever

TEN QUESTIONS WITH… Lucia Czemerinski Foos (BeautiFun Games)

TEN QUESTIONS WITH… Lucia Czemerinski Foos (BeautiFun Games)

We were pleasantly surprised by Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets, the recent frantic puzzle-adventure by BeautiFun Games. The game impressed us with well-designed puzzles, great creature designs and a wealth of content. To discover a little more about the game, we had a chat with Lucia Czemerinski Foos who was kind enough to answer our questions

TECHNOSPHERE RELOAD

TECHNOSPHERE RELOAD

Technosphere Reload is a great looking game, but don’t underestimate the challenge that it has to offer. While it might look like a casual title, completing it will take every ounce of skill and patience that you have. The game requires you to roll a sphere through a gauntlet of maze filled traps while figuring out some puzzles along the way. It will also put your platforming skills to the test, but beware as lives are limited and checkpoints few and far between. This is not a game for the easily frustrated, but it does look great and overcoming the odds that are stacked against you can be very rewarding.

Gameplay: Frequently frustrating and bogged down by needless elements like the energy meter, but rewarding if you can handle the challenge.

Graphics: The visuals look top notch, but can be blinding at times.

Audio: No soundtrack and the sound effects are serviceable at best

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets ( BeautiFun Games)

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets ( BeautiFun Games)

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets is set to launch on both Steam and the Nintendo Switch on July 11th, 2019. Players are handed control of the Professor’s personal intern, who have to deal with a space station full of adorable looking, but extremely deadly monsters. The setting for the adventure is the Aurora Space Station, which is in a state of chaos after a series of catastrophes caused the monsters to escape confinement

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance eschews stealth in favor of some over the top action. While Raiden can break out a cardboard box and sneak around like Snake, it is far more satisfying to slice enemies into bits using what has got to be the worlds sharpest sword. Unfortunately the game is rather short and the storyline not that gripping, but action fans should have a blast.

Gameplay: Action packed and completely over the top.

Graphics: Very nice, but the environments could have used some more variety.

Sound: Very fitting

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets

Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets is a fast-paced puzzle game with a great story and interesting enemies to outsmart. Playing as an intern trying to escape a doomed space station overrun by deadly alien pets is a lot of fun, and the solid narrative elements make it even better. The game also features a surprising amount of content and can keep players busy for a long time. Some more variety for the environments would have been nice, but the great monster designs make up for this, and their varied behaviors keep things fresh. Overall, this is one of our favorite puzzle games of the year and a must-have for any fan of the genre.

Gameplay: The game features five chapters with a 100 challenging, but entertaining, levels to conquer.

Graphics: The hand-drawn visuals and the monster designs are neat.

Sound: The audio is well-rounded, with a great soundtrack, decent sound effects, and even full voice acting

Alan Wake Special One: The Signal

Alan Wake Special One: The Signal

If you plan on playing this DLC episode in order to get some answers you are in for a disappointment. Alan is still battling his inner demons and in this episode they are out in full force. There are some interesting new ideas but don’t expect too many revelations.

Gameplay: A lot more action packed than the main game.

Graphics: The same as the main game, but the locations are twisted around.

Sound: Still good