Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/lumo/

''I won’t deny that I was disappointed by the game not even looking close to the cute cover art it has, but I was able to look past that in favour of finding a capable modern isometric adventure. The isometric perspective was handled fairly well for the most part, only working against me in a minimal amount of situations. While the main character wasn’t really capable of much himself, the different amount of puzzle rooms and references to other forms of media kept the game mostly fresh. The quality of the puzzles themselves were alright, but I really disliked how the game forced arbitrary waiting on you very often. While far from required, this game is definitely anti-completionist with no backtracking and a lot of one-chance moments. Combine that with a map that is just not good and my experience overall ended up being frustrating not necessarily because of the gameplay itself, but because of how punishing it is towards people who want to do everything the game has to offer.''

Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/road-redemption/

''Road Redemption is a game that I had a lot of fun with. The combat felt fun and satisfying with a good variety in weapons and even guns, and it kept you on your toes at all times when there were multiple enemies. This was further amplified by the broad amount of different racers, each having their own fun perks and even unique playstyles. The same can’t be said about the bikes unfortunately, and that also brings me to the main question of this review: are you looking for a deep racing game, or a combat game? Because if it’s the former, you won’t find it here. Racing mechanics are very simplistic, and the tracks themselves don’t stand out either. The main issue with the game is that it’s a roguelike which fails at replayability because of these tracks not changing at all. It definitely tries to encourage you to play the game multiple times but honestly, you’ve seen pretty much everything the game has to offer after a playthrough or two. Then again, if you’re here just for a few playthroughs? That’s when the game does shine.''

Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/xanadu-next/

''Nihon Falcom shows us yet again how they are able to create an intriguing adventure through their expertise in world-building. The constant motivation to explore these unknown lands and learn more about the places you visit through optional conversations and lore lives up to my expectations, though people who don’t care about world-building won’t be left in the dust either. And since the world-building goes hand-in-hand with the exploration, that part of the game is also very fun to execute. There’s a lot of secrets to be found in this interconnected world, and new areas unlock occasionally after finding a new tool to help you progress just like how Metroidvanias handle them. The combat is perhaps the weakest point of the game though, limiting you in playstyle due to how armour- and weapons require a specific stat spread, and also having only swords and two-handed swords as weapons to choose from. I personally have no issue with combat whatsoever, but it is something to keep in mind.''

Full review on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/superhot/

''It’s very clear from that start that SUPERHOT is a game that’s very much self-aware in how it handles the story. It is handled pretty well through the ASCII design of the main menu, but also through the gameplay itself. Since this may-or-may-not be a ”game”, it is important that the player knows what to do right away, which is accomplished through the minimalistic design. That said, however: while the gameplay is solid, the game barely evolves past what it introduces to you at first. This isn’t an issue overall because the game has a perfect length for it, but it didn’t encourage me to try out the post-game content too much. Endless mode is fine on its own, but challenges only restrict the player without any changes made to the exact same levels of the campaign that you’re going through. I did have a good amount of fun with the main campaign, but I feel the magic of what made the game fun wasn’t able to shine in anything other than the main campaign.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/bomberman-quest/

''This game is right up my alley. I absolutely love exploring everything on the map, capturing all monsters and using the items they drop to explore even more of the map. There are a ton of secrets, and an especially large arsenal of items that both function for exploration and combat itself. Combat feels good overall, though it does get a slightly rough start due to the arenas being open and enemies having mostly free movement. My compliments are also definitely reserved for the amount of charm the game has, with every monster having unique dialogue and attacks. However, Bomberman Quest has one fatal problem: technical limitations. Due to the big arsenal Bomberman has, you’ll be spending quite a lot of time in the menu to switch items, just to switch it again on the next screen. No upgrade aside from the bombs is ever permanent, so this will keep being a problem throughout the entire game. And though I personally didn’t mind it, there are little to no hints when you’re stuck. Neither of these issues makes the core game worse, but they’re definitely annoyances that probably could have been dealt with better.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/paperball/

''It’s fascinating to not just see indie developers having an inspiration for their game, but also perfectly understanding what makes the inspiration so good and adapting it into their own game. Paperball is a very good example of this, taking elements from multiple Super Monkey Ball games to create an experience the fans can indulge into. And not just the fans either, because this is arguably one of the more accessible ball-rolling games that does not sacrifice its difficult nature to appeal to newcomers. There are a lot of different modes, and all of them apply to the same- or different gamers. Rush mode makes you race against a time limit for example, while Rush mode gives the ability to jump without a life system to worry about. The gameplay is spot-on with weight and physics, introducing the player slowly to what they can expect with the first levels before all of the unique stages with fun gimmicks show up. If the worst I can say about the game is that the inspiration being almost too obvious (which I don’t personally see as a problem), then you know we have a good game on our hands.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu-and-eevee/

''Pokémon Let’s Go’s biggest asset- and flaw is that it’s catered towards a specific audience, which makes it a tough game to recommend to multiple people despite its unique take on the franchise. For a series veteran, it was great to see the game that started it all in 3D with an art style that I consider to fit the games the most. The overall presentation of the story was pleasant to see as well with multiple characters getting a bigger spotlight, and even though I hate the friendly rival myself, I don’t think the target audience would have an issue with him. Especially the relationship you build with your main companion Pokémon has been handled better than ever before, but that’s also where I have to end most of my compliments unfortunately. I do think the new catching mechanic is not as bad as many people make it out to be (even if it really sucks when Pokémon start moving around like crazy), but it makes the whole game pathetically easy due to how easy it is to get experience from it that’s shared across the entire team. There is actual challenge to be found in the post-game, but it’s now more clear than ever that the Pokémon franchise needs to start introducing difficulty modes because this is even too easy for the target audience. And while I do genuinely enjoy (shiny) hunting specific Pokémon in the post-game, limiting online features does more harm to the game than what was probably intended. I do still consider the games to be good, but I’ll probably stick with the originals or the GBA remakes.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/magicat/

''Playing MagiCat feels like opening a Christmas calendar every day of the month; for each one that you open, there’s a new level with unique gimmicks- and puzzles. This completely negates the effect of the game feeling repetitive over time, though unfortunately, it doesn’t do enough to prevent the levels from becoming formulaic–even if they are well designed. In a way, they are all structured the same with three screens and a boss, with the gimmicks differentiating them from others. The enemies also barely change over the course of the game and are not fun to fight against as a result, with the mini-bosses being slightly better due to them using the stage gimmicks in their fight. That said, the ”formulaic” level structure also makes speedrunning a joy, which is encouraged with each level having a time trial and the flexible overworld allowing the player to skip levels. The controls being satisfying further helps in making this game a fun one to speedrun. Finally, MagiCat does a good job at allowing the user to select their difficulty without a difficulty mode being involved, encouraging them not to use the dash but not restricting or punishing them in any way for doing so. While I probably won’t revisit this game quickly for completion again, I am definitely not objected to speedrunning this adventure in the future.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/sonic-generations/

''Sonic Generations definitely is a game that would be enjoyed most by actual fans of the franchise, but I’m of the opinion that newcomers can also have a great time. This is because more than anything, both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic are very fun to control which is accompanied by great level design encouraging alternate pathways. The former doesn’t exactly control as he did in the Genesis era due to a difference in physics, but I had a lot of fun playing as him still. The skill shop also definitely had an influence over how much fun I had controlling these characters, sometimes making a major difference. Fans of the franchise will have an even better time due to the amount of references made to past games, with the levels all being from games all across the Sonic timeline, and challenges taking place in said levels but usually referencing other games in one way or another. Doing these challenges also unlock music that can replace any level music, which is an underappreciated feature I highly enjoy. Sonic Generations is unfortunately on the shorter side though, which is a shame because I really wanted to see more. Fortunately for me and many others, replayability is high due to how fun speedrunning is and how active the modding community is on PC. The latter isn’t necessarily a compliment to the game itself but hey, at least Sega acknowledges mods and fangames being a thing.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/arcade-moonlander/

''Arcade Moonlander is a fun casual pick-up-and-play game with an emphasis on gameplay that’s easy to understand, and hard to master. This is because the levels are both designed to be tough with many obstacles that you need to take your time for, but are ultimately designed around speedrunning, with many risky alleyways and shortcuts to take for the fastest time. Furthermore, the explorative crowd can also go wild as the levels have secrets in them, though don’t expect to be rewarded for your curiosity. That’s what we have the Adventure mode for fortunately, which is one big map with multiple ways to your destination. Though unfortunately, it is also the only map, and I definitely would have liked to see more as the game itself isn’t very long. And despite the game being focused on speedrunning, there are few in-game options that would benefit speedrunners. The leaderboards are only in the Steam client for example, and there are no ghosts to race against or for the purpose of training. But the game has seen updates in the past few years as well as a new mode called Procedural mode that randomly generates new stages so who knows what more is in store for us? But regardless of what’s ahead, you can’t go wrong with this short charming arcade title.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/yakuza-0/

''This was my first endeavour into the Yakuza franchise, and what a sublime experience it was, providing me with a feeling like there is nothing else like it on the market. And this feeling all has to do with multiple strong points that synergize really well with each other. The game had a constantly engaging story that wasn’t just written really well, but also had plot twists around every corner that did not feel forced at all. It is further complemented by the colourful characters that are not only part of the story, but also of the substories that show the more characteristic side of the franchise. And really, I cannot understate how much character this game has, from the super-serious moments to the hilariously awkward cutscenes that blend seemingly well together. Not to mention the lively cities of Kamurucho and Sotenbori, filled with activities such as minigames around every corner, or thugs looking for a fight in the solid beat ’em up gameplay style with many beautiful gory heat actions. Going for completion did make me look more critically at minigames, specifically for the western audience as the western board games have very poor in-game explanations to them, but I don’t feel the issues I had with the minigames were enough to hinder the overall pleasure I had completing this game. I just wouldn’t quickly do it all over again, but given that I am very hyped now to explore more of this franchise, that will happen… sooner or later.''

Full review over on my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/the-messenger/

''While The Messenger may look like your regular ”indie game inspired by the classics at first”, the complete package easily surpasses that expectation. This is mostly because the argument can be made that the game changes how it progresses halfway through. At first, it already satisfied me with a platformer that had fun level design, boss fights that kept getting better, and especially the smooth controls that feel satisfying to master. Upgrades to the kit of our ninja were relevant at all times, all working together to make cloud stepping work very well. And the game also gives you enough opportunity to master the mechanics, with minimal punishment on death and unlockable abilities that… may be a bit too helpful, and also very cheap to unlock with the in-game currency. Halfway through the game however, progression switches from a level-to-level basis to a 16-bit Metroidvania with time travel. This gave us the ability to revisit all of the levels but in our own desired order, which was generally fun to do as they hadn’t seen just a graphical upgrade, but entire layout changes. However, the Metroidvania aspect of the game isn’t very good, mostly due to the world being linear instead of interconnected, forcing us to go through entire stages just to reach a destination. It also didn’t really give much of an incentive to explore beyond the required story-locked upgrades that are only used in a specific part of the world. Granted, I did still have a lot of fun exploring these levels again, especially with the reward gained from the free DLC that, in its own right, was a fun experience for those looking for more content from this game.''

Full review over at: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/aggelos/

''Aggelos is a title inspired by the good ol’ Wonder Boy games, and it succeeds exceedingly well at capturing the feel of this era in gaming. This world is a joy to explore, with secrets to find around every corner and it being generally easy to navigate even without fast travelling. Everything regarding combat is pretty simple to understand, but that’s how it should be for games like these. The collectable elements also add a nice variety to the combat, specifically for the fun and challenging boss battles. In general, I can say that the game is fairly challenging, but some of it is also artificial due to the purchase of new gear which turns it all around. I would say that the light RPG elements also help turn around the difficulty, but I honestly couldn’t tell because this game has some issues when it comes to the UI. There is no status screen indicating what levelling actually does beyond guessing that my stats increase, and the map is good looking but not even functional in the slightest. The Steam port makes it even worse as accessing the menu feels scary to do with it constantly feeling like it’s going to crash. All of these are definitely valid issues, but fortunately didn’t hamper the overall enjoyment too much.''

Full review over at my website: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/kirby-and-the-amazing-mirror/

''Kirby & The Amazing Mirror was an interestingly fun attempt at an open-world structure, though my initial confusion will linger in the back of my head. This doesn’t only have to do with some admittedly baffling design choices, but also with the game wanting to be something else without taking into account the limitations the core franchise has. The platforming, ability-based gameplay is still here in its full glory, but the level-to-level structure has been replaced by an open-world where ability management is a bit more important. It absolutely sucks losing an ability that is required for an optional path after taking one measly hit, especially if a replacement isn’t nearby or it’s locked behind a one-way room. The worst part is that you don’t know when a one-way room happens because the map is a complete mess, only slightly improved when finding the map item in an area. But wherever they are is not only a mystery, but I didn’t even feel encouraged hunting for chests because the reward was either just some food items, or collectable items that are locked on a screen not even selectable while in-game. These are all definite issues, but don’t misunderstand my criticism: I still had a lot of fun with the game, especially when the world is completely open after the first boss has been beaten. This game feels like one that will become more fun on consecutive playthroughs, simply because I can work around these initial confusions I had. The replayability is definitely there at the very least!''

Full review over at my site: https://www.nepikigaming.com/reviews/the-twisted-tales-of-spike-mcfang/

''A casual, fun and characteristic experience is how I would love to describe The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang, yet the gameplay doesn’t always reflect the casual side. That’s for the simple reason that underneath that cute appearance, you’ll be caught off-guard by a massive grind fest. And there is no option other than to accept it because the levelling system makes it so that the damage done and taken is drastically adjusted with every single level. No matter how skillful you may be, even a random enemy can take minutes to kill when underlevelled, compared to a few seconds when being only a few levels higher. And while I don’t dislike grinding, the main issues here are that grinding is not only inconvenient to do because of inconsistent save point placements with no healing, but also because it’s the majority of an already short adventure. And that it a massive shame because the adventure itself, ignoring the grinding, was really fun. It is really charming when it comes to the humour, and our cute protagonist controls smoothly with a lot of useful magic spells to cast. I will always have fond memories of those humourous charming moments, but unfortunately I will also always be reminded of what could have been versus what the game actually is.''