I really wanted to enjoy this game. I love the art style, and the positive take on the afterlife and the gameplay fits the theme rather well. I love the idea of filling a drawn world with light and colour as an indication of progress.

Sadly, it felt too slow and restrictive to be enjoyable. I found myself logging in every day for 30 minutes of gameplay before being told to come back tomorrow. This format does not fit a console very well, especially when it takes a few minutes to load. I had given up on the game after a week.

The NPCs share dialogue with lines like "It’s really important to make friends. What if you get sick and need to crowdfund your appendectomy?!" being shared by multiple characters, thus removing all humour and character.

The fetch quests felt monotonous with minimal rewards or progress. The system felt broken and unbalanced, when I could sell quartz gems for a fortune but I have to upgrade the shop for a boiled egg. I dug up a rare item and gave it to the museum, only to discover that it was required for a task after the fact.

I'll probably revisit the title after a few patches, as I have played the game quite close to its release. But in the state that I played it, I found it quite disappointing.

On its surface, Beyond Blue appears to be little more than an educational sim.

But as the game progresses, a profound story about family and the state of the planet creeps in. Providing an emotional backdrop to relaxing underwater exploration.

Beyond Blue is very well polished, with some fascinating documentaries as extras. Sea creatures provide a fun collectable element, as they provide viewable models when scanned. Many will leave this game with an appreciation of ocean conservation.

Although the game is rather short, it did not feel rushed. There is no "game over" or action, it's just a relaxing experience with a narrative. It does what it does well.

A game that masterfully balances openness with player progression, Stardew Valley redefines the farming sim genre with a variety of tasks and activities to explore.

The player can opt to complete the community centre, learning how to obtain a myriad of items as they go. Progress can also be bought through the Joja Community Development Form, foregoing tricky items but exploration and NPC friendship too.

There's no "right" way to do things. The farming element can be ditched in favour of exploring the mines or going fishing for cash. Of course, the fun of this game is customising your land with a variety of buildings and layouts.

There's a solid variety of maps to choose from, each offering benefits and hazards. Many will opt for a standard farm with a lot of land, but there are options of a Wilderness Farm that has monsters come out at night, as well as a beach farm that renders the convenient sprinklers useless. It's definitely a game that can be replayed in a variety of different ways.

As of the 1.5 update, players can now achieve "Perfection" through a list of endgame tasks with a surprise for those who manage to finish them. But the game can be played indefinitely, I've seen folks play dozens of in-game years.

The music is beautiful, with a variety of tunes that set the mood for each season. The game somehow captures the melancholy of fall and the sluggishness of summer.

I have very few gripes with this game. The variety of weapons feel redundant once a powerful sword comes into play quite early in the game. Many folks I have spoken to find the fishing to be quite tedious, with many putting it off for as long as possible (although, it didn't bother me personally). I feel that there were a few missed opportunities when it came to the effects of boots and rings, and I certainly would love to see more magical items with properties besides warping.

Other than my gripes, it's very easy to recommend Stardew Valley. It has the variety to be exciting whilst being laid back enough to be relaxing. Wholly recommended.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX feels like a game tied down by its predecessor. The game is a faithful recreation of the original, but the problem is that it's too faithful. Many of the faults of the original peek through the updated look.

The original game had many problems which haunt the DX version of the game. It is difficult to telegraph Alex's attacks as the punch hits at the end of the animation. There have been plenty of times where a mistimed punch resulted in a double KO with the enemy. Platforming is also slippery, as Alex will sometimes slide when landing, causing me to jump into an instant death pit through panic. It's difficult to change trajectory mid-jump, with the movement being only slowed by pushing in the opposite direction.

I have played the original Alex Kidd in Miracle World on the Master System II, but I wouldn't complete it until the release of the Sega Vintage Collection in 2012. That version had save states, which allowed me to circumvent many of the harsher design elements of the original game (like limited continues and instant-death puzzles). Unfortunately, Miracle World DX does not have save states.

The quality of life improvements are fleeting, as there is a new addition of unlimited continues and infinite lives at the cost of certain achievements (for the latter). There are new HUD elements, but these have proven to be more of a hazard than a benefit. Most of the time, I found myself with only a power bracelet (due to the constant death), making the interface redundant for the most part. But the HUD element remains, blocking the view of the top right corner of the screen. Later levels make use of this obscured space. In one area, the flashy prompt that notified me of the area blocked the view of the right side of the screen. This area has an instant death shower that required speed to break through blocks and escape.

This game sorely needs a redesign, as the areas that flow quickly can be rather fun. I've had great fun tearing through blocks on a motorcycle and working my way through well-designed areas that mix platforming and punching through blocks.

Unfortunately, the game is too frustrating for me as it currently is.

Terminator: Resistance is a simple game, but it masterfully achieves the atmosphere and tension of the “future-war” scenes featured in the first two Terminator movies. This game has been lovingly made with an understanding of what made the franchise so appealing, as it is littered with references and in-jokes that fans of the movies will appreciate. Despite being released a month prior to Dark Fate, the game itself is not just a tie-in.

Character progression is well balanced, as the player will gradually progress from a barely surviving scavenger to combating giant machines during the story. The “Resistance” part of the title is well deserved, as the game makes the player feel like they’re pushing back against the machines. The iconic T-800 enemies are more than just fodder, and pose a genuine threat to those foolhardy enough to take them on without preparation. There are many times where the player has to switch between stealthily taking out machines, and going all out to survive.

I’ve seen the game compared to Fallout with its scavenging elements, which is a fair comparison in the sense of exploration. The game has large areas to explore with weapons to discover, but it certainly isn’t an open-world game and each area has a set exit. Throughout the game, there are choices to be made that will effect the end of the story. I don’t want to spoil this moment, but it makes for genuinely heart wrenching end-game decisions as bonds are developed with each character. The romance options feel forced and awkward, but this is minor and laughable at worst.

The music borrows heavily from the original soundtrack of the first two Terminator movies, but this is perfectly integrated into the game. There is a sense of melancholy and an uncertain future as the Desert Suite from Terminator 2 plays. It genuinely makes the game feel like anything from Terminator 2 onward did not exist.

I have very few gripes with this game, as it does what it set out to do very well. Certain parts later in the game feel underwhelming, especially when hard-earned weapons start appearing everywhere at no cost. There aren’t enough points to fill out the entire-skill tree, so some may feel cheated when certain perks are locked out without warning.

Overall, I would recommend this game to fans of the Terminator franchise and people looking for a fun RPG shooter to demolish over a weekend.

Resident Evil 3 is easily the best worst game I've played in recent years.

Yes, the graphics are amazing and the controls are very smooth. The dodging mechanic is a welcomed new addition, as it serves to distance Jill's expertise from Leon and Claire's inexperience in Resident Evil 2.

The story has undergone many revisions from the original game, covering plot-holes (such as Mikhail knowing Jill's name without an introduction) and making the game more cohesive with its remade predecessors. The game reaches a more natural conclusion than the original, with an end-game area that makes more sense.

That being said, the game suffers greatly from being linear. The Nemesis, an iconic monster known for stalking its prey and defying load screens is scripted! The sense of urgency and surprise is lost when the player knows when the monster will appear, and that it can be easily downed with a certain item. The iconic stalker has easily been overtaken by the likes of Resident Evil 2’s Tyrant, which managed to surprise players and nudge them along in the game.

I have managed to complete this game (netting the trophies for not using the item box and healing in the process) over a weekend last year, and I’ve had no incentive to go back. I’m genuinely disappointed by the lack of ambition in this remake, as a larger Raccoon City and a smarter Nemesis would’ve made for a compelling game. There does appear to be elements of a larger game that has been shaved down. I recall one area being a large mass of blocked cars, with only one collectable giving the player a reason to visit. Instead, we received a game that safely ticked the boxes of a re-imagined story. A game so lacking, that many folks have suggested that it could’ve been DLC for Resident Evil 2.

I would only recommend this as an addition to the Resident Evil 2 remake, rather than a lone purchase.

A charming puzzle game that's short, sweet and unique.

Donut County has a similar charm to that of the Katamari games, but instead of adding objects to a mass, they're being taken away. This mechanic is well used, as causing objects to fall down the hole will grant the hole certain properties like a furnace that provides heat and lift.

The Trashopedia is hilarious and worth reading for the wisdom of the raccoon writing it.

Donut County is a fun distraction for a weekend, and something worth revisiting just for the charm of it all. Recommended.

Tetris Effect: Connected introduces interesting twists to a winning formula; a reactive environment and fluctuating gameplay.

In Journey Mode, some of the areas are relaxing whilst others are upbeat and quick. However, I found this to be hit-and-miss as there were spikes in difficulty due to suddenly maxing the speed. Sometimes, the flow into a more challenging game felt steady, whilst other times it felt like a punishing difficulty increase with nothing to learn from.

Whilst the music and visuals were charming, it did feel loaded with redundant elements, accidentally shifting the camera mid-game is annoying and serves no real purpose. I could complain that the visuals were somewhat distracting, but I guess that was the point of some of them.

Whilst free to play on Game Pass at the time of writing this review, I can't recommend it at full price. I can only recommend it to those who feel like the occasional lazy game of Tetris, but other (cheaper) options are available.

Kind Words isn't really a game, just a very well executed idea that takes the form of a game.

It's relaxing to send wholesome messages to a chill soundtrack. The community appears to be well moderated, as I've never experienced griefing in the two years I've played this game.

The stickers provide a nice incentive to share positive messages, whilst receiving unique options to decorate a chosen room.

Recommended as a nice distraction.

One of the better Dragon Ball Z games out there for people craving more exploration than games like Fighterz.

The game does suffer from some pacing issues, as there will be long cutscenes between brief fights. Some iconic scenes are reduced to a screenshot and a text summary. Despite the name, it felt more like Gohan's story than Goku's.

It was fun to explore the Dragon Ball world and find collectables. The fighting mechanics are fun, but things get repetitive towards the end of the very long story.

Whilst it is mostly a love letter to Dragon Ball Z fans, newcomers will find the story comprehensive.

Infernax has been a pleasant surprise. The art style made me expect a linear experience, so I was delightfully thrown off guard when I discovered how open the world is. It’s a loving homage to Castlevania 2 and improves upon many of the shortcomings found in that game.

The game has light Metroidvania elements and exploration, but where the game excels is the player choice and morality system. Most games suffer from presenting superficial choices that only nudge the player toward a specific ending at most. Infernax truly shines when choices lead to interesting consequences, and morality has an impact on gameplay.

For example, the first choice the player is presented with is to slay or help a possessed villager who is in pain. Mercy killing the villager results in the game continuing as normal. Try to help the villager, however, and he transforms into the first boss monster of the game. The decision may seem obvious; put the man out of his misery and avoid the apparent punishment of a boss fight. But things aren’t as clear as they first seem. Killing the villager ends the questline then and there. Trying to help him will introduce the player to the combat system and nets them XP for success. Later, the player can continue the questline and learn more about the boss they fought.

The morality system is highly impressive. Not all choices are vague, and it’s possible to deliberately make evil decisions. Do enough evil deeds, and Alcedor will switch weapons and gain access to new variants of spells. The endings also provide a nice reward in the form of cheat codes, which add fun modifiers to the game, as well as surprisingly fleshed-out alternative characters with their own choice of weapons.

The graphics, music and overall style of the game are fantastic. Infernax truly captures the classic elements of NES/8-bit games with modern conventions. There is a dark twist running through the game, with excessive gore and body horror. The shrieking sound effects are surprisingly effective in how disturbing they can be. The death screens are brilliantly done, with an ominous tune that halts when the silhouette of Alcedor meets a grizzly end. The environments have a nice variety to them, and every location feels like it has its own story.

Do I have any gripes? A few, but they are admittedly petty, given how much I’ve enjoyed the game. The potion system is weird, not broken, but weird. Upon death, HP and mana are fully restored but potions aren’t restocked. I found it better to spend mana to drag out my current life until I reached zero lives where I would crack out the potions to continue on a boss. I couldn’t help but feel that potions should be bought like spells and restocked at a save point for gold, instead of tediously going to an inn for a restock.

Progress felt a little confusing at times, but not massively so. The key system felt hit and miss, with the somewhat cruel punishment of a locked door for daring to go the wrong way the first time. Getting rewarded with a key for story progress made something of a mess early game, as it’s possible to spend it in the wrong dungeon. This forces the player to backtrack for an additional key so they have the correct amount. Love the exploration, dislike the punishment for exploration. On that note, a certain keep is summoned with a spell, this would’ve been great as a secret rather than a mandatory dungeon.

But as I said, this is petty when compared to the enjoyment I got from the rest of the game. It’s a fun experience with lots of replayability to get the alternative endings and fill the Demonology book. Wholly recommended for fans of Castlevania and folks looking for a gruesome Metroidvania to tear through in a week.

A fun little game that makes good use of its weather mechanic in various ways. The craft-like aesthetic makes for a charming experience.

Short enough to not outstay it's welcome, but with some frustrating glitches tied to the mechanics. There were times when I had to restart because objectives were pushed out of the play area.

Recommended as a fun weekend blast, but little else.