Close to the Sun

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

Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren`s Call

Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren`s Call

Nightmares From The Deep 2 is a worthy follow up to the first game and once again stars the plucky museum curator, Sarah Black. This time Sarah has to contend with an isolated town full of cursed people who are slowly turning into sea critters. To break the curse Sarah will have to take down the corrupt mayor of the town, which is easier said than done seeing as he made a pact with Davy Jones. Fans of the original game will love Nightmares From The Deep 2 as it offers the same type of enjoyable and polished experience.

Gameplay: Not that hard, but very enjoyable.

Graphics: The backgrounds look great and the animations have been improved compared to the original.

Sound: Great music and sound effects, but the voice acting could have been better in some spots

Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat X

As long as you get your hands on the XL version of Mortal Kombat X you are in for a great time. The game features plenty of characters and enough content to keep solo players or online multi-player fans busy for a long time. The story mode was not quite as compelling this time round and the roster lacked a couple of fan favorites, but the visuals look great and the fighting is as brutal as ever. The gore is also a bit more realistic now compared to the previous game, especially in regards to character injuries during fights, although the occasional goofy fatalities still crop up. All in all, this is a great game for fans of the series and a solid title for all fans of the genre.

Gameplay: Fast, bloody and filled with plenty of challenges.

Graphics: Plenty of character as well as background detail.

Sound: Decent voice acting and some nice tunes

Dark Arcana: The Carnival

Dark Arcana: The Carnival

Dark Arcana: The Carnival is a hidden object game where you step into the shoes of a detective tasked with locating a young mother who went missing at a carnival. Evidence seems to suggest that the manager might be involved, but it quickly becomes apparent that it is not an ordinary missing persons case. If you like hidden object games with creepy locations and interesting twists, then you’ll enjoy this one. Just be warned that none of the puzzles or mini-games are particularly challenging and the game is quite short overall.

Gameplay: Interesting, but relatively short.

Graphics: The artwork is decent, but cut-scenes and animations definitely show their age.

Sound: The voice acting isn’t great, but the music and sound effects are good

SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy

SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy

Don’t approach SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy expecting an indepth move list and longevity. Instead, it is a very newcomer-friendly brawler with a firm emphasis on fan service. The customization options are nice, but not as extensive as we would have liked and the story mode is unlikely to keep players hooked for very long. The game is undeniably fun, especially if you don’t have the time to practice endlessly just to become proficient with certain characters, but sadly this also means that you’ll tire of it quite soon.

Gameplay: Very newcomer-friendly, but can’t hold a candle to some of the bigger titles available.

Graphics: Characters look great and the outfits are eye-catching, but the backgrounds could have been much better.

Sound: Nothing remarkable about the music, but the Japanese voice acting is very fitting

ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

Ace Combat 7 offers a superb selection of aircraft and a campaign spanning twenty missions to use them in. The controls feel great, and there are enough settings to ensure that even total newcomers can have fun. However, the game can sometimes get frustrating, and the lack of support from the rest of your squad is a bit annoying. In addition, the multiplayer component of the game feels a bit lacking. Despite these issues, the game is very solid and offers an action-packed experience that is hard to beat.

Gameplay: A little frustrating at times, but overall the experience is action-packed and a lot of fun.

Graphics: All of the planes in this game look great, and the amount of detail is also impressive.

Sound: Decent voice acting and a superb soundtrack complement the action nicely

Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition

Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition

Devil May Cry 4 does a much better job than the usual shoddy console ports and is hugely entertaining to play as well. You will want to invest in a good gamepad to get the most out of the game and the amount of backtracking is a bit disappointing, but overall this is a solid offering.

Gameplay: Nero makes for a nice change but Dante is still playable.

Graphics: Much better looking than the usual console ports.

Sound: Good voice acting although the music can become slightly repetitive

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

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

Warhammer: Chaosbane (Eko Software)

Warhammer: Chaosbane (Eko Software)

Considering the source material, it really is surprising that the upcoming Warhammer: Chaosbane is the first every hack and slash set in this universe. Of course, there was Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr a while back, but Chaosbane is the first to use the Warhammer Fantasy world, which is honestly a much better fit for the genre. We were fortunate enough to try out the VIP beta of the game, which included the first act as well as two out of the four playable characters

Dead Effect

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