Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon could easily have ended up as a promotional novelty to tide players over until the release of Ritual of the Night, but thankfully this is not the case. Instead, Inti Creates has crafted a compelling and enjoyable title featuring everything that made the 8-bit Castlevania titles so great. It does veer dangerously close to the Castlevania license at times, but considering how Konami is doing nothing with the series, fans certainly won’t mind.

Gameplay: As close as you can get to the 8-bit Castlevania titles.

Graphics: Captures the 8-bit style perfectly.

Sound: Great, but not quite as memorable as the classic Castlevania tunes

My Friend Pedro

My Friend Pedro

My Friend Pedro is a violent platform shooter with an emphasis on stylish action. Taking down enemies in slow motion is a lot of fun and the game has no shortage of props like frying pans, skateboards, glass panes, zip-lines and more to make it look even more impressive. The last half of the game skews perhaps a bit too much towards puzzles and platforming instead of stylish mayhem, but apart from this the game is a blast to play.

Gameplay: Violent, over the top and lots of fun.

Graphics: A few wonky animations and generic backgrounds, but overall good.

Sound: Decent sound effects and a great soundtrack

Muse Dash

Muse Dash

Muse Dash might be a mobile port, but it is also one of the most adorable looking and addictive rhythm action games on PC. The art style is extremely polished and it also features an incredible soundtrack. The controls are basic enough to draw in newcomers to the genre, but playing some of the faster songs on higher difficulty settings can also provide veterans with a challenge. You also get an incredible amount of content for a very reasonable price, so don’t miss out on this game.

Gameplay: Simple to play, but incredibly addictive once you become hooked.

Graphics: The art style is colorful and adorable.

Sound: The soundtrack is catchy and features a diverse range of great tracks

Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep

Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep

Atlantis: Pearls of the Deep doesn’t have much of a story, but it does have plenty of levels to complete for fans of match-3 games. The fact that the spheres drop from the top of the screen is a refreshing change of pace for the genre and the physics-based elements also add an element of unpredictability. Overall, though, it is a very chill game that is perfect for players who just want to sit back and relax.

Gameplay: Very laid back and quite addictive.

Graphics: Polished, but rather basic.

Sound: A little limited, but quite soothing

When Our Journey Ends – A Visual Novel

When Our Journey Ends – A Visual Novel

When Our Journey Ends follows the adventure of Mariko, a high school student who ends up stranded at an unfamiliar train station on her way home one day. She quickly discovers that it is not an ordinary place and learns about the spirits that dwell there. This visual novel features a unique graphical style, with lovely animated backgrounds, but it is rather short and the main story is not as fleshed out as much as we would have liked. It does feature a number of side stories that take place after the main story, but even with these the game is over way too soon.

Gameplay: Short and lacking in meaningful choices.

Graphics: Interesting character spirits and beautiful animated backgrounds.

Sound: English voice acting for all the characters and a very decent soundtrack

Gatling Gears

Gatling Gears

Play as Max Brawley and take on the evil Empire from the cockpit of your Gatling Gear in this top down shooter by Vanguard Games. It features vibrant visuals, tons of explosions and plenty of action. Since the game pretty much only consists of shooting everything in sight, it can become a little repetitive, but blowing things up remains satisfying and with three difficulty levels, you can challenge yourself no matter what your skill level is. It’s not the most memorable or impressive title in the genre, but it is very solid and very enjoyable.

Gameplay: Blowing up everything in sight stays a blast right throughout.

Graphics: The levels are varied and packed with detail.

Sound: So-so music, but the sound effects are really good

Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! HD

Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! HD

Whether you already played The Fowl Fleet or fondly remember Nelly Cootalot from the freeware version, you definitely don’t want to miss out on this HD revival of Spoonbeaks Ahoy! It’s a charming point-and-click adventure with a wonderful protagonist and a cast of interesting characters. The humor is still great, and while the game is very short, it is also very cheap, so there is no reason to miss out if you are a fan of the genre.

Gameplay: The game is short but amusing and entertaining.

Graphics: The HD upgrade looks good, but the visuals are still very simple.

Sound: The soundtrack is decent, and the voice acting is much better than what we expected

Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest Collector’s Edition

Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest Collector’s Edition

Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest is the story of a mother who has to brave the Netheworld and rescue her daughter from an age old curse. It is definitely an intriguing story and the game also features tons of hidden object scenes as well as mini-games to keep players hooked. Thanks to the beautiful art style and atmospheric music, it is easy to get sucked into the gameworld, and a lot of effort clearly went into polishing the game to perfection. Darkarta has already won numerous awards and after completing it, it is obvious that all of them were deserved. If you are a fan of the genre, then this is a title that should not be missed.

Gameplay: A lengthy adventure with plenty of puzzles and mini-games to enjoy

Graphics: The art style is beautiful and the game is filled with scenic locations.

Sound: Decent voice acting and a the soundtrack isn’t bad either

Heroine of the Sniper

Heroine of the Sniper

Heroine of the Sniper is a very simple sniper game where you have to guide your little animated heroine through fifteen challenges. Most of these involve shooting at targets from a long range, although there are also a few levels where you get to move around a bit or where you man a machine gun while inside a vehicle. It’s not the most polished game on Steam and ends all too soon, but still manages to be quite entertaining while it lasts.

Gameplay: The challenges are fun and varied, but the game definitely needed a few more.

Graphics: The 2D animated heroine looks nice, but the 3D visuals are fairly simple and levels look very bare.

Sound: Unobtrusive music, but the sound effects are pretty good

Warhammer: Chaosbane

Warhammer: Chaosbane

Warhammer: Chaosbane is an isometric action role playing game that is set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battles Universe. It offers four diverse characters to play with and also allows players to join up three other friends either locally or online. The game is really enjoyable, but a bit rough in places, especially in terms of variety and loot. It is fun while it lasts, but currently the amount of end-game content that is available is not as good as it could have been. Hopefully future updates to the game will continue to build on its solid base, but until then it is bound to disappoint some players who expected more depth as well as variety.

Gameplay: Great selection of characters and plenty of skills to use on hordes of enemies.

Graphics: Very detailed, but it doesn’t take long to see everything the game has to offer.

Sound: Decent music, but some of the voices could have been much better