Need for Speed PC Game Reviews

Need for Speed

Need for Speed is back with a reboot of the series featuring new real-world icons, a greater emphasis on car modifications, and more than a passing nod at the Underground era. More care than usual has also been taken with this PC port, so players can expect unlocked frame rates and 4K support. Even with the icons and FMV cutscenes, the story is pretty forgettable, and the races feel rather mundane due to the laid-back police officers. The new setting of Ventura Bay fails to make much of an impression, and everything tends to blur together into a series of fist bumps and monster energy product placements. Need for Speed fans will still want to play through it at least once, but it is unlikely to be remembered as a highlight of the franchise.

Gameplay: There are plenty of cars to race and modify, but the police presence is somewhat lacking, and even with the different event styles, the races tend to feel fairly mundane.

Graphics: The game looks good, especially in 4K, but Ventura Bay is one of the least interesting settings in the series.

Sound: The game includes a few big names on the soundtrack, but the audio is serviceable rather than memorable

Star Sky 2 PC Game Reviews

Star Sky 2

Star Sky 2 is a very short, 2D walking simulator that takes players through a limited number of landscapes. Players can interact with the environments to see short animations. It improves on the original game with an additional character and the ability to loop through environments without having to restart. Actions in one path can also influence another, and the game has more choices but loses some of the original’s uniqueness. Fans of the original will enjoy it, but the short, basic nature of the game will limit its appeal for those who are not already big on walking simulators.

Gameplay: The game adds more choices and consequences to its simple formula but has lost some of the original’s charm.

Graphics: The visuals and animations are minimalist but do the job.

Sound: As with the original, the game features some nice ambient sound effects and soothing music

SCHiM PC Game Reviews

SCHiM

SCHiM is a unique 3D platformer where players must use shadows to traverse various everyday locations. The goal is to guide your little schim to its human, but the journey spans more than sixty levels set in and around the city. Jumping from shadow to shadow is fun, and the game features some clever ideas for traversing these shadows. However, despite the large number of levels, most play out in the same way, which can cause the game to feel repetitive. The charming visuals and quirky soundtrack are sure to draw in players, but we would have loved to see more done with the gameplay to keep things engaging right to the end.

Gameplay: SCHiM is not a typical 3D platformer, and navigating environments Frogger-style is quite fun until it becomes a little repetitive.

Graphics: The visuals look great, and the art style, along with the color palettes, makes the world feel vibrant despite the emphasis being on shadows.

Sound: SCHiM lacks voice-overs, but the soundtrack is quirky and easy on the ears

Monument Valley: Panoramic Edition PC Game Reviews

Monument Valley: Panoramic Edition

Monument Valley is a charming puzzle game with a gentle learning curve and beautiful M.C. Escher-style levels. Although light on challenge, the game is a lot of fun to play, and this Panormic Edition boasts beautiful visuals along with all of the content initially released for iOS. Puzzle veterans will likely find it too easy, but players looking for a more casual experience will enjoy Monument Valley.

Gameplay: The puzzles are very clever but relatively easy to figure out.

Graphics: Monument Valley has always been a stylish game, but the new panoramas make it look better than ever.

Sound: The soundtrack is very relaxing, and the sound effects are incorporated nicely with the music. 

God of Word PC Game Reviews

God of Word

God of Word is a word game with a Greek Mythology theme. Players must battle various monsters and bosses using their vocabulary to create as many words as possible from a set of seven random letters. Thanks to the inclusion of some mini-games and RPG elements, this ends up being a lot more engaging than it sounds, and God of Word has plenty of content to keep players busy for ages. It can become repetitive, but fans of word games will want to stick with this one until they have completed it.

Gameplay: Stringing together words to battle enemies is addictive, and the game also offers a multiplayer mode and mini-games. 

Graphics: The visuals are simple, but framing everything like a live production with puppets adds to the charm.

Sound: The audio is decent but doesn’t stand out in any particular area. 

The Fidelio Incident PC Game Reviews

The Fidelio Incident

The Fidelio Incident is a single-player first-person thriller that follows the aftermath of a plane crash. Taking control of Stanley, one of the two people onboard the plane, players must navigate a frozen island off the coast of Iceland to reach the other survivor, Leonore. Along the way, players must also find diary pages that chronicle the events that led up to the two Irish citizens’ predicament. While the game is a walking simulator, it does try to break free from some of the confines of the genre with a few puzzles and other interactive elements. The results are not always that great, but overall, the game delivers a gripping experience with an interesting story.

Gameplay: Despite some basic survival elements and a few puzzles, The Fidelio Incident is very much a walking simulator.

Graphics: The game features decent visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 4, and some scenes are quite beautiful.

Sound: The haunting soundtrack is really good, and the caliber of the voice acting is very high

McPixel PC Game Reviews

McPixel

McPixel is a puzzle game parody of MacGuyver in which players are given twenty seconds to save the day and disarm some type of explosive. The catch is that the solution is often illogical or bizarre and usually requires more luck or trial and error than puzzle-solving skills. Nevertheless, the game is entertaining and offers a ton of content, along with a level editor. While it won’t appeal to everyone, McPixel is far better than the visuals might make you think.

Gameplay: The game is a lot of fun but best played in short bursts.

Graphics: Even with the various filter options, the visuals won’t win any awards.

Sound: The soundtrack is catchy but highly repetitive

Clash Force PC Game Reviews

Clash Force

Clash Force is a retro-style platformer with three playable characters and gameplay that feels like a mix of Mega Man and Contra. Unfortunately, it is a very short and shallow experience with nothing new to offer fans of the genre. There is still some fun to be had with the game, but with so many better games available, it’s best to grab this one at a steep discount.

Gameplay: Clash Force is all about running and gunning while traversing a few platforms.

Graphics: The visuals look a little better than actual 8-bit titles but lack the charm of similar games.

Sound: The soundtrack is decent but unremarkable, and the audio options are a little lacking

The Little Acre PC Game Reviews

The Little Acre

The Little Acre is a charming hand-drawn point-and-click adventure with two playable characters and two very different settings. Players play as a young man named Aiden and his daughter Lily and must guide them around their home in 1950s Ireland and a strange alien world called Clonfira. However, the short duration and straightforward puzzles mean The Little Acre will be more appealing to newcomers to the genre and not so much to point-and-click adventure veterans.

Gameplay: The puzzles are logical, and the game is fun to play, but it is also very short, and the final part feels rushed.

Graphics: The hand-drawn animations are a highlight, but The Little Acre only has a few locations for players to explore.

Sound: The voice acting is decent for a small indie title, and the music is fitting but unmemorable

Zool Redimensioned PC Game Reviews

Zool Redimensioned

Zool returns after almost three decades of limbo in a reimagined version of his Megadrive outing. This retro platformer boasts a few improvements compared to the original, including more accessibility options, a zoomed-out view, and level select, but remains true to its roots. Zool Redimensioned also includes an emulated version of the Megadrive game as a bonus and a more challenging “Ultimate Ninja Mode.” Despite these, it is still a short-lived experience that will primarily appeal to fans of the original.

Gameplay: The game is short but offers a nice slice of retro-style platforming entertainment.

Graphics: The new zoomed-out view is great, but the levels still look very cluttered at times, making it hard to spot hazards.

Sound: The audio remains true to the original game with plenty of catchy tunes