Nihilumbra

Nihilumbra

Nihilumbra is one of those games that is hard to put down once you start playing. The stylish hand painted visuals along with some excellent creature designs give the game a visual flair of its own while the brilliant narration and moody soundtrack sucks you into the gameworld. Things start off deceptively easy but, once you unlock Void mode, you better be prepared to put all your skills to the test.

Gameplay: A charming mixture of platforming and puzzle solving.

Graphics: The hand painted visuals are stylish and enhances the atmosphere.

Sound: Brilliant narration and a moody soundtrack

Jazzpunk

Jazzpunk

I’ll be the first to admit that the humor in Jazzpunk is not going to appeal to everyone, but you only need to check out the trailer to know if you’ll enjoy this game. It relentlessly spoofs all kinds of games and movies with gags coming at you thick and fast. There isn’t much of a challenge and the game is rather short but apart from that it is brilliant.

Gameplay: Open world exploration mixed in with some very humorous mini-games.

Graphics: Simple but very charming.

Sound: Very fitting

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

While there is no danger of this game dethroning the Diablo series it is a solid action role playing game set in a unique gameworld. The mixture of steampunk and gothic elements offer some bizarre enemies and interesting locations to explore while the action never lets up. The complete pack also adds some essential DLC for extending the longevity and variety of the game.

Gameplay: Traditional action role playing done right.

Graphics: The visual style is nice and the creature designs superb.

Sound: Great voice acting, meaty sound effects and some nice tunes

East Tower – Kurenai Now Available On Steam

East Tower – Kurenai Now Available On Steam

The fourth and final title in the East Tower series by roseVeRte is now available on Steam. Like the previous three titles, East Tower – Kurenai is a romance mystery visual novel based around a virtual game attraction. As Kurenai is the conclusion to the series and reveals the secret behind the “Dream World” it is recommended that players who have yet to play the previous titles in the series do so first

Full Bore

Full Bore

Full Bore is a sprawling adventure with plenty of puzzle based challenges to tackle while you are exploring. Apart from a few rare instances you are not racing against a clock or facing any type of enemies so you can progress at your own pace. Some players may find the experience too sedate while others will be hooked by the fascinating gameworld and tricky puzzles.

Gameplay: A block based puzzler with some very clever challenges.

Graphics: Lovely pixel art with some great animations and lighting effects.

Sound: An excellent glitch/blues soundtrack rounds off the package

Victor Vran

Victor Vran

Victor Vran is the latest contender for the action-RPG crown and actually offers a very enjoyable experience. Visually, it is a little similar to the Van Helsing titles, but thanks to its character customization options feels quite fresh. It also features non-stop action and plenty of challenges, so fans of the genre will really get their money’s worth with this one.

Gameplay: The relentless action can become a little repetitive, but the variety of weapons and powers keeps the combat interesting.

Graphics: The handcrafted levels look really nice and the lighting effects really stand out.

Sound: Good voice acting by some familiar voice actors and a good soundtrack as well

DuckTales: Remastered

DuckTales: Remastered

Wayforward definitely handled this remastered version with the respect that it deserves. The updated visuals look fantastic and the audio sounds great. It was also very nostalgic to hear the original voice actor for Scrooge reprising his role after all these years. If you loved the original you will have a blast with this one, but newcomers might wonder what all the fuss is about.

Gameplay: Very true to the original.

Graphics: The new character sprites are awesome, but I would have liked 2D backgrounds as well.

Sound: Nice renditions of the classic tunes

Castle of Illusion

Castle of Illusion

Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a polished and great looking update of a 16 bit classic but it is not without issues. The controls feel a bit too floaty and the whole experience can be over in one sitting. The updated visuals look fantastic however and fans of the mouse will appreciate the attention to detail that has gone into this game.

Gameplay: Captures the spirit of the original bit is a bit on the easy side.

Graphics: The highlight of the game.

Sound: The ability to switch between the original and remastered soundtrack is great

Skyhill (Mandragora)

Skyhill (Mandragora)

We’ve been keeping a close eye on Skyhill, the roguelike survival horror title from Mandragora, so naturally we couldn’t refuse the opportunity to try out a playable version of this title. The game opens with the protagonist, Perry Jason, booking into the VIP suite of the Skyhill hotel while on a business trip. From the 100th floor of the hotel Perry witnesses the biological attack on the city that turns everyone else into slavering monsters. Driven from his room by hunger, Perry only has one way to go, down

Quern – Undying Thoughts by Zadbox Entertainment

Quern – Undying Thoughts by Zadbox Entertainment

The point & click adventure genre has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to indie developers, but we haven’t seen many classic Myst-style puzzle adventures. This is about to change thanks to Zadbox Entertainment and their first major title, Quern – Undying Thoughts. Influenced by the works of Jules Verne and inspired by the visual style of the Myst series, Quern is a first person puzzle adventure where players get to explore a mysterious island