Cat Goes Fishing

Cat Goes Fishing

Cat Goes Fishing is a simple fishing game featuring a bunch of fish with different behaviors. As players catch and sell fish they earn enough cash and experience to upgrade their gear and go after even bigger species. The game can be very grindy at times and catching some of the fish on “Realism” mode might make you want to pull your hair out, but overall it’s a decent game. It’s not the best looking or sounding fishing game on the market, but it is easy to pick up and play. Beware, though, as it is also easy to get hooked and spent hours trying to catch some of the more elusive fish.

Gameplay: Simple, but quite addictive.

Graphics: Nothing to write home about, but the 2D sprites are not without charm.

Sound: Decent enough, but eventually the music does become repetitive

STAR WARS™: The Force Unleashed™ II

STAR WARS™: The Force Unleashed™ II

The Force Unleashed 2 is set a few months after the original game but offers a very disappointing continuation of the story. Playing as an overpowered Jedi that can annihilate everything in sight is quite fun initially, but once the novelty wears off the game becomes quite repetitive. Even worse, despite being very short the game has very limited environments and features lots of unnecessary padding. Worst of all the PC port is rife with bugs and annoyances that sap even more fun out of the experience. Hardcore Star Wars fans might still enjoy the game, but it definitely does not live up to its potential.

Gameplay: Fun at times, but ultimately very repetitive.

Graphics: The game can look great, but has a lot of technical issues.

Sound: The soundtrack and sound effects are very authentic

Tunnel of Doom Launching Q2 2021

Tunnel of Doom Launching Q2 2021

Indie publisher Digerati recently announced that they have a brand new action rogue-lite launching soon. Titled Tunnel of Doom, it also combines real-time tower defense with melee and ranged combat gameplay

Sakura Beach 2

Sakura Beach 2

Sakura Beach 2 is a continuation of the first game starring the same characters and pretty much recycling all the art and music. The addition of a new character could have made things a little more interesting, but unfortunately, the story still falls flat in every aspect. Even though the Sakura series isn’t exactly known for deep storylines or compelling characters Sakura Beach 2 is a low point.

Gameplay: A rather mundane story with meaningless choices.

Graphics: Not bad, but most of it is recycled from the first game.

Sound: The same repetitive songs as the first game

Gris

Gris

Gris is a beautiful platform adventure with wonderful level designs and interesting puzzles. It is a very serene experience, though, as there is no threat of death or fear of danger. Some players will enjoy this casual experience as they explore the world and engage in light puzzle solving, but others might find it a little too easy and boring.

Gameplay: The game is very easy, but exploring the environments is enjoyable.

Graphics: Gris features a beautiful art style and great animations.

Sound: The audio consists of an incredible soundtrack and great sound effects

Rot Gut

Rot Gut

Rot Gut is a very short platformer featuring a gun-totting agent taking down bad guys during the American Prohibition. There’s virtually nothing in the way of a storyline and each of the six levels on offer can be completed in a matter of minutes. The art style is unique, though, and the soundtrack pretty decent, but even with the cheap price-tag, there’s not a lot of value for money to be found here.

Gameplay: Lots of jumping and shooting, but it’s over before you know it.

Graphics: The noir pixel art aesthetic is not too bad actually.

Sound: The chiptune jazz soundtrack is the highlight of the game

Radiant One

Radiant One

Radiant One is a short, casual title about a man who has to deal with the fallout of his lucid dreams becoming nightmares. It was originally a mobile title, so the gameplay is extremely basic, but the interesting story and detailed visuals help to draw players in. It can still be completed in one sitting, though, so while fun this is not a title for players in search of a challenge or a lengthy story.

Gameplay: Interesting, but very simple and short.

Graphics: Detailed and well animated.

Sound: Both the soundtrack and sound effects are very good

House of Caravan

House of Caravan

House of Caravan is a first-person exploration and puzzle game set entirely in a small, deserted mansion. The limited amount of puzzles are disappointing, to say the least, and slowly creeping through the mansion opening every cabinet and drawer grows old very quickly. Thankfully, the game can be completed in less than 90 minutes, provided you manage to avoid the bugs and wonky physics. This game could have done a lot more with the story and setting but ended up falling far short in all areas.

Gameplay: Slow, tedious, and boring.

Graphics: Decent enough, but very dark.

Sound: Stilted voice acting and unmemorable music

Zenge

Zenge

Zenge is a simple, straightforward puzzle game combining tangrams and sliding blocks. The minimalist art style is easy on the eyes, and while the game is short, it keeps introducing new mechanics to keep the gameplay interesting. It is also as affordable as its mobile counterpart, so there’s no reason to miss out if you want to play it on your PC instead of your phone.

Gameplay: Playing the game is simple, straightforward, and quite relaxing.

Graphics: Visually, it is minimalist, but the story artwork is neat.

Sound: The audio consists of soothing piano tunes

Need for Speed™ Rivals

Need for Speed™ Rivals

Need For Speed: Rivals fuses some of the best elements of Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted. The exotic cars and scenic open-world setting of Rivals make for exhilarating races and chases while the ability to play as either racers or cops adds some variety to the mix. The locked framerate can be overcome, but it’s still a baffling inclusion and the heavy emphasis on online play will also be an annoyance to solo players. However, despite the flaws, this is still a great entry in the series and a lot of fun to play.

Gameplay: Fast and frantic, but some players might find it a little too easy.

Graphics: The Frostbite 3 engine is used to great effect in this game.

Sound: Decent soundtrack, overly dramatic voice acting, and good sound effects