Blue Estate The Game

Blue Estate The Game

Blue Estate is an on-rails shooter that is filled with violence, obscenities, and plenty of very politically incorrect humor. It is based on a comic book license, so if you are a fan of these and enjoy the genre, you will have a blast with the game. Unfortunately, it is relatively short, and its brand of humor will definitely not appeal to everyone. However, despite its flaws, it is certainly an entertaining title and addictive enough to keep us coming back for more, even after completing both the story and arcade modes.

Gameplay: Light gun games are not exactly common on PC, so if you have the right peripheral, you will have a blast with this one.

Graphics: The visuals are colorful, detailed, and quite humorous in places.

Sound: The voice acting is decent, and the soundtrack isn’t bad either

Psyvariar Delta

Psyvariar Delta

Psyvariar Delta is not just a brand new version of the arcade classic, but also comes packed with high definition remakes of Psyvariar Medium Unit as well as Psyvariar Revision. In addition, it comes with a slew of addition content that makes these titles more fun to play than ever before. It’s not the best looking bullet hell shooter by far, but thanks to buzz system, that sees you trying to skirt as close as possible to the deadly bullets you are supposed to dodge, it is definitely one of the most exciting. This mechanic also provides the game with a lot more depth than what is initially apparent, so there is definitely value for money here despite the higher than usual price tag. If you are a fan of the genre or still have fond memories of the original games, then Psyvariar Delta is an essential purchase.

Gameplay: A bullet hell shooter where you still have to dodge bullets, but if you want to level up you must do it in the most reckless way possible.

Graphics: The visuals are a definite improvement over the original titles, but still looks a little plain compared to more modern offerings.

Sound: The soundtrack is excellent and the sound effects pretty good too

THE VIDEOKID

THE VIDEOKID

THE VIDEOKID is an addictive and nostalgic homage to the eighties in general and Paperboy in particular. It is a lot more chaotic than Paperboy, though, and you will need quick reflexes if you want to make it to the end of your pirate video tape delivering run. It is a pity that the game only features a single level, but the randomized elements along with the huge amount of pop culture references keeps things entertaining. These cameos can become rather distracting, but that’s all part of the challenge. Considering the low price tag on THE VIDEOKID, there’s no reason not to add it to your collection.

Gameplay: Skate around a wacky eighties neighborhood while delivering pirated VHS tapes.

Graphics: The voxel art style looks great and allowed the developers to insert plenty of pop culture character cameos.

Sound: The soundtrack is nice and so is the sound effects, but things can become a little chaotic

The Hong Kong Massacre

The Hong Kong Massacre

The Hong Kong Massacre is a top-down shooter with an addictive blend of all-out action, slow-motion dives, and bloody destruction. It will receive a lot of comparisons to Hotline Miami and Max Payne, but the addictive gameplay and John Woo elements ensure that it makes its own mark on the genre. The cutscenes could be better, and the game lacks some polish here and there, but overall, it is a great shooter with plenty of thrills to offer for those who are up to the challenge.

Gameplay: The game is challenging and unforgiving but very addictive and rewarding.

Graphics: The Hong Kong Massacre features plenty of blood, destructible scenery, and interesting locations.

Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack and sound effects are good

Xenocide

Xenocide

Apart from an interesting gameplay gimmick on each of each five levels, Xenocide is a fairly basic and generic top down shooter. It only has five levels, a very limited selection of guns and a paltry amount of power-ups. Shooting waves of enemies while trying to stay alive is still fun for a short while, but it won’t take long to experience everything on offer and then grow bored of the repetition. While the basis for a good game is definitely there, Xenocide just never does anything to elevate it above the competition, which is a real pity as it had potential.

Gameplay: Running and shooting will always be fun, but the lack of weapons and variety results in repetition way too soon.

Graphics: The visuals are competent enough, but a little too bland.

Sound: Unimpressive sound effects, but the soundtrack at least sounds good

Major Mayhem

Major Mayhem

Save your girlfriend and the world in this addictive arcade cover shooter by Rocket Jump. Yes, it is another mobile port, but one that has lost none of its charm and addictiveness in the transition from mobile to PC. The action is frantic, the visuals charming and the whole experience is just a lot of fun. Although the 45 levels on offer can be completed rather quickly, there are plenty of mission objectives and game modes to lure you back. Overall, Major Mayhem is not perfect, but it far exceeded our expectations and we think that it will pleasantly surprise players.

Gameplay: Very simple, but also very addictive.

Graphics: Colorful and cartoonish, but there are only three different environment types.

Sound: The sound effects could have used some more punch and the music isn’t exactly memorable

Distance

Distance

Distance spent a long time in Early Access, but this has resulted in an addictive arcade racer that is as polished as it is entertaining. The game not only features a unique racing meets platformer style, but it is also brimming with content. With three short campaigns, an arcade section with multiple tracks and modes, multiplayer and even track editor with Steam Workshop integration means you’ll be coming back to this one again and again. It also features something that we wish more games would do in the form of actual in-game rewards for obtaining certain Steam Achievements. If you are a fan of arcade racers, then this one is not to be missed.

Gameplay: Extremely addictive and the game feature a ton of content to keep you busy.

Graphics: Stylish and sleek along with plenty of visual variety.

Sound: The soundtrack as well as sound effects are top notch

Jamestown

Jamestown

Jamestown is a great top down shooter with a really interesting setting and some gorgeous pixel art visuals. It is best enjoyed with three other friends crowded around the computer, but even solo players will enjoy the challenge. The fact that it only features five levels is disappointing, but they are all very good and there are plenty of other challenges and unlockables to keep you busy. Overall, this is a title that we can wholeheartedly recommend to fans of the genre, but it is worth mentioning that there appears to be no more support from the developers for this PC version of the game.

Gameplay: Challenging and addictive, especially when played with friends.

Graphics: The pixel art visuals look great and really captures the classic feel of the genre.

Sound: The soundtrack is incredible, although the sound effects could have been better

Euclidean

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

Caladrius Blaze

Caladrius Blaze

Take to the skies as one of eight different characters and blast your enemies to bits in this vertically scrolling shooter. It is heavy on fan service, and the visuals have not aged as well as we would have liked, but in terms of gameplay, Caladrius Blaze is still a very solid shooter. It has plenty of modes as well as an adjustable challenge that makes it accessible to players of all skill levels. The game does have a couple of issues, so make sure you know about these before purchasing.

Gameplay: The game can be as challenging as you want it to be and is quite addictive to boot.

Graphics: Nice character designs and plenty of fan service, but the 3D textures really show their age.

Sound: The audio features Japanese voiceovers and some nice background tunes