Mike

About Mike

Mike gets all the racing games because he understands that stuff even though he doesn't drive.
What a weird thing Sorry We’re Closed is. Coming from al a mode games, this homage to survival horror coats it in a vibrant palette with a story heavily focused around love. It almost teeters into chaos but there’s enough craft on display to result in something unique. It’s stylish, […]

Sorry We’re Closed – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged al a mode games / androgyny / dutch angles / fetish / fixed perspective / killer7 / lgbt / loud aesthetic / love / romance / sorry we're closed / valve puzzles by
Recall: Empty Wishes is a narrative horror title from Puff Hook Studio. This is their first fully-fledged effort and, whilst it hasn’t quite resonated with me, there is an interesting story here and attempt to tell that story in an absorbing way. Unfortunately, it’s a very linear experience with simplistic […]

Recall: Empty Wishes – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged 2d perspective / grief / horror / psychological thriller / puff hook studio / recall empty wishes / schoolgirl / sealth / taiwan / trauma by
Ever 17: The Out of Infinity is another visual novel from KID that’s been given the remake treatment. Originally a 2002 release, this new version adds a lot of new art and an official English translation. Under the hood, it’s essentially the same game but the story and setting seems […]

Ever 17: The Out of Infinity – PS4 Review

 in PS4 / Reviews  tagged artificial intelligence / choose your own adventure / disaster / escape / ever 17 the out of infinity / fish facts / kid / sci fi / underwater park / visual novel by
Alright, back to the visual novel gulag. I’ve avoided them for a while but this one at least feels historic, in a sense. Never 7: The End of Infinity originally released in 2000 in Japan and was previously only available to Westerners via a fan translation. Now KID’s effort has […]

Never 7: The End of Infinity – PS4 Review

 in PS4 / Reviews  tagged choose your own adventure / kid / never 7 the end of infinity / romance / sci fi / stranded teenagers / time loop / visual novel by
It’s something of a shame that there’s some wonderful throwback first-person-shooters that don’t quite escape the PC’s gravitational pull. Even when some do make it across, I often wonder about the quality of the ports and controllers just don’t have the precision of a mouse. With that in mind, I […]

Turbo Overkill – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged apogee / boomer shooter / cyberpunk / fps / gore / platforming / trigger happy interactive / turbo overkill by
Have rhythm games left the stage or have they just transitioned into first-person shooters? I’ve seen a few now where shooting on the beat has been their gimmick but Robobeat is the first one I’ve had to a review. Coming from the mind of Simon Fredholm, this effort takes a […]

Robobeat – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged bounty hunting / first-person shooter / gun-fu / guns / parkour / parrying / rhythmic shooter / robobeat / roguelite / simon fredholm / technopunk by
I should probably stop calling this a revival. Beat ’em ups have been back for a while and it’s just become a genre developers are happy to return to. Big Helmet Heroes is the second effort from French outfit Exalted Studios. Expanding on from their similarly titled mobile game, this […]

Big Helmet Heroes – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged 2D brawler / Beat em up / belt scroller / big helmet heroes / co-op local multiplayer / combos / exalted studios / french / princess / sheep by
The belt scroller revival has been going on for a few years now. Digital Eclipse seem to be the right people for this work and the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge have beenwarmly received. Following in those footsteps is Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. This is […]

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged 2d sidescroller / angel grove / Beat em up / belt scroller / giant robots / martial arts / melee combat / mighty morphin power rangers / teenagers / time travel by
Aspyr’s been working hard at remastering Crystal Dynamics’ back catalogue. After the success of the Tomb Raider Remasters, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is next in line. It’s one of those series I’ve merely glanced at over the years. Playing them in 2024 has made me […]

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered – ...

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged aspyr / crystal dynamics / cut content / gothic / kain / legacy of kain soul reaver 1 and 2 remastered / melee combat / nosgoth / outtakes / platforming / puzzle solving / raziel / realm shifting / sarafan / vampires by
Another day, another search action game to check out. This time it’s Biomorph from Lucid Dreams Studio. I bet it’s hard to elevate one game within a packed genre. Thankfully, they’ve mostly been up to the task, providing some interesting twists on abilities with some smart choices around map design. […]

Biomorph – PS5 Review

 in PS5 / Reviews  tagged 2d / biomorph / cartoon aesthetic / exploration / graph paper maps / lucid dreams studio / melee combat / metroidvania / search action game / transformation by