Saya no Uta ~ The Song of Saya (2019) PC Game Reviews

Saya no Uta ~ The Song of Saya (2019)

The new remastered version of Saya no Uta ~ The Song of Saya updates this classic visual novel without messing with the things that have made it so popular. It is still as disturbing as ever, although Steam players will have to spring for the adult patch to get the full experience. The original artwork looks great in high definition and the new engine means it’s no longer a hassle to try and run the game on modern hardware. It’s also good to see that the already great translation has been polished even more. If you can handle disturbing content, and enjoy the genre, then we cannot recommend Saya no Uta ~ The Song of Saya enough.

Gameplay: Not a lot of choices, but the story is so good that you won’t mind.

Graphics: Still very disturbing, especially when played uncensored.

Sound: The soundtrack is excellent and so is the voice acting

Close to the Sun PC Game Reviews

Close to the Sun

Close to the Sun puts you in the boots of Rose Archer, a reporter exploring the quarantined depths of the Helios research ship to find her sister. The Helios is the creation of Tesla as a haven for the greatest scientific minds, but right from the start it is clear that something went terribly wrong. Close to the Sun is inevitably going to draw some comparisons to the Bioshock titles, but it is more of a walking simulator that has a few puzzles and chase sequences sprinkled in for good measure. It’s not a bad game, but does feature a few annoying bits and never reaches the heights it could have.

Gameplay: Slowly walk through beautiful surroundings while solving puzzles and running away from the occasional foe.

Graphics: The levels look great, but the character models and animations let things down slightly.

Sound: Decent music and the voice acting isn’t too bad either

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice PC Game Reviews

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice might not have the best combat or puzzles in the genre, but it is hard to beat in terms of storytelling and immersion. There are not many other games on the market that can hold a candle to it when it comes to visuals and animation, while the way it realistically portrays psychosis is also groundbreaking. The game still features plenty of combat, but it is not the primary focus, so players expecting something closer to previous Ninja Theory titles will probably be a little disappointed. However, if you can appreciate something with a strong narrative focus and willingness to tackle subjects that few others dare, then Hellblade is your game.

Gameplay: The combat and puzzles are a bit weak, but the overall experience is superb.

Graphics: Although the game is very bleak overall, the detail and animations are top notch.

Sound: This is definitely a game that must be played with headphones thanks to the awesome binaural sounds

Dead Effect PC Game Reviews

Dead Effect

Dead Effect is a first person shooter where you play as yet another space marine who has to clear out a zombie infestation on board a spaceship. Shooting zombies is quite satisfying, but the levels feel cramped and generic while the story is laughably cliched. The game does offer a ton of content for a very small price, but with so many better games available, it is hard to recommend this one.

Gameplay: Entertaining in parts, but overall a little lacking.

Graphics: Not bad for a game that started out on mobile, but definitely not cutting edge.

Sound: The voice acting is bad and the music unremarkable, but the sound effects are surprisingly good

Knock-knock PC Game Reviews

Knock-knock

Knock-Knock is not a very conventional game, which is both a blessing and a curse. It is a title that can easily confuse and frustrate players as it is not very forthcoming with what exactly it expects from you. However, once you figure out the gameplay mechanics, you’ll find that it can be an engrossing and creepy experience. Wandering around a house in the dark while fixing lights and hiding from ghosts may not sound very original, but the way in which Knock-Knock does things certainly is. In the end, it is another one of those love it or hate it games, which makes it hard to recommend to everyone.

Gameplay: Frequently frustrating and quite repetitive, but also strangely compelling.

Graphics: The 2D art is very unique and looks great.

Sound: Not much in the way of music, but the sound effects are excellent

Five Nights at Freddy’s PC Game Reviews

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Animatronic mascots are on the prowl at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and it is your job to keep an eye on them. Unfortunately, the are more than capable of killing you since you have no means of fighting back. Instead, you have to make use of your dwindling supply of electricity to monitor security cameras and lock the doors to your office before it is too late. You will have to be careful, though, because if you run out of electricity before morning the chances are very good that someone will find your body stuffed into the jagged interior of an animatronic animal mascot suit. FNAF suffers from some technical limitations, but excels at jumpscares and keeping players on edge.

Gameplay: Your interaction with the gameworld is limited, but this just adds to the atmosphere.

Graphics: You are mostly looking at static renders, but the visuals still manages to be very creepy.

Sound: Not much in the way of music, but the sound effects are superb

Euclidean PC Game Reviews

Euclidean

Euclidean is a game of geometric horror that tries very hard to make use of Lovecraftian elements to inspire dread, but only manages frustration instead. Not only is it hard to see what is going on around you, but the controls are also sluggish to the point of feeling useless. Instant death is very common, forcing players to restart the level, but mercifully the levels are short and there are only nine of them. Unless you are a huge fan of Lovecraft, can handle frustration and can find this game on sale, it is not really recommended.

Gameplay: Fall down very slowly while battling sluggish controls in order to avoid enemies.

Graphics: Enemies are far from scary and the whole thing is just too dark and foggy for its own good.

Sound: The ambient soundtrack is good, but the taunting voice can become repetitive

Dead Space™ 2 PC Game Reviews

Dead Space™ 2

Dead Space 2 is a thrill a minute rollercoaster ride through an infected space station and while some people might be put off by all the action it does make for a very gripping game. The frights are less this time round, but the tension is still high and as far as sequels go this one is good.

Gameplay: The same core gameplay as the first game just way more action packed.

Graphics: While not the best I’ve seen the art style is good and the locations way more varied and interesting.

Sound: Ominous

Tokyo Dark PC Game Reviews

Tokyo Dark

Explore the sinister side of Toyko in this compelling point & click adventure / visual novel hybrid. When detective Ayami Itō is confronted by a seemingly supernatural opponent she must put her job and her sanity on the line to figure out what is going. Tokyo Dark features an engrossing storyline and a unique system where every choice and action has an influence on your sanity, professionalism, investigation and investigation. You also have the option to be as professional or reckless as you would like to be, which can alter the story and lead to more than ten different endings. While the game has some minor flaws, these do not detract from the overall experience and Tokyo Dark definitely lives up to expectations.

Gameplay: The storyline is compelling and the game has buckets of replay value.

Graphics: Interesting characters and locations.

Sound: Full voice acting would have been great, but the music and sound effects are great

>observer_ PC Game Reviews

>observer_

Observer is a slow-paced, cyberpunk themed thriller from the same developers that brought us Layers of Fear. Despite the change of setting, Observer shares a lot of similarities with LOF, especially during the surreal hacking sequences where you invade the thoughts of other people and experience their worst fears. The incredibly detailed visuals and gripping environments make Observer a game that is hard to put down, but the slower pace and lack of control beyond observing your surroundings and scanning things might deter the action crowd. Overall, it is a title that all fans of the cyberpunk genre will enjoy and it offers an enthralling experience despite some technical issues.

Gameplay: There is little to do apart from exploring your surroundings and scanning things for clues, but the game remains engrossing nonetheless.

Graphics: The abundance of post-processing effects might be a bit much for some players, but there is no faulting the highly detailed visuals.

Sound: The soundtrack is just as tense as you’d expect from a title like this and it is great to hear Rutger Hauer lending his vocals to the lead character