Everspace 2 Review (Switch 2)

Everspace 2 recently shadow dropped onto the Switch 2, always a bold move. It comes a few years after release on other systems and includes both the Titan and Wrath of the Ancients DLC. So, you are certainly getting a ton of content for your money. The first game in the series was a space combat-based Roguelike where you repeatedly followed the loop of launching, finding resources, lasting as long as you could, then repeating. This second game is a more linear story-based adventure.

The story follows a clone pilot who is hiding out among the various salvage and mining crews in the galaxy. As the action RPG unfolds your character gets discovered (of course), and a pretty sizable adventure ensues.

These sorts of space combat games always live or die by their controls. We are happy to report that this builds on the already solid model of the first game to provide an intuitive and responsive interface. You will quickly be able to dog fight with the best of them, while the customisation options in terms of what you can do with your ships gives players a good level of flexibility to play the game how they want to.

The space combat is excellent as well. The various ships are manoeuvrable, and you are quickly thrown into the thick of battle right from the off. We had very little trouble tracking targets for instance. There’s a good weight to guns and missiles as well and the feedback you get on screen gives a solid account of how much damage you are taking on. The controls are also good enough to cope with the numerous narrow sections of structures you’ll have to navigate through as well. It does take a little getting used to, but you’ll soon be zipping around comfortably.

Though the story is somewhat linear you do have a lot of freedom to zoom around the various systems. There are a host of side missions to follow and things to salvage. The game very much stays in the ship though with interactions on space stations kept to menus and dialogue boxes. There is a fair bit of zipping across the surface of planets though to keep the visuals interesting.

If there is a criticism its that the characters aren’t the most developed. The setting is also pretty much ‘generic space’ as well. It’s easy to overlook when the combat is so slick, but some may want more in terms of the narrative elements of an action RPG.

Overall, Everspace 2 is a comprehensive and enjoyable package. The move to the Switch 2 has worked well and the game still looks great. It can be played for long periods or in short bursts which works well with the portable nature of the device and you are getting around 50+ hours of game here for those that want to see everything. The Switch 2 also doesn’t have much else like this aside from Rebel Galaxy, but that doesn’t go as deep with its RPG elements. Despite the shadow drop, this is well worth playing.

Overall 8/10

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Review (Switch 2)

Moonlighter was a very much underrated indie game that created a great little loop of exploration and selling junk wrapped in a rogue-lite package. The original was a pixel art, top-down game that took inspiration from the original four-door, sealed room dungeon layout of early Zelda games. You dive in, survive as many rooms as possible then brought you loot back to sell in your shop.

Moonlighter 2 hasn’t moved far in terms of the core ideas, but a lot else has changed. You are still hunting for loot and then selling it in your shop. But now the game has moved to a 3D environment. Instead of doors leading off from a dungeon you now have sort of floating platform like arenas. You must kill all the monsters present and then you can move to the next, you’ll normally have a choice of two or three paths and aside from fighting there are opportunities to find power ups or other treasures along the way.

We found that the arenas did lack some of the character the original games rooms had and the colours are quite soft which can make it difficult to see everything on the screen. A fair few times we were being attacked by something we just didn’t see which isn’t ideal. They are also quite samey in each of the core areas which means after a few runs it can get a tad dull unless you’re progressing to other places.

Luckily the combat system is robust. You get a selection of different weapons to wield and upgrade, and they all carry weight and give a good level of feedback so at least you know you are hitting things. You also have a gun with a limited number of shots (recharged by melee attacks), which adds flexibility for taking on flying enemies and those just out of reach. Each weapon also has a chargeable special attack and when enemies are stunned you can also smash them over the edge of the island or into other creatures. It all works well and provides a satisfying experience.

When you inevitably die, you’ll be sent back to your hub down with any relics and items you have found along the way. These can then be sold in your shop with the money going towards any number of upgrades and perks. There’s a whole meta game in there about how to best store your objects in your backpack as well with certain ones ‘burning’ others or adding bonuses to them. It’s another system that works well, even if it does get a little repetitive after a while.

As you progress, you’ll expand your arsenal and shop, and more and more areas of the town will open offering different services. It’s a potentially addictive loop; however, we did find progress slow. We had run after run where little progress was made in the early going. It doesn’t quite get the balance right with difficulty to progression and that may see some players leave the game before they have really got into it. Once you start making breakthroughs though it finds its feet and you’ll be lost to it for hours.

Overall, this is a welcome return for the series. The new direction has worked well in most ways and if you get through some initial slowness you’ll be drawn in for hours on end. Even when things do get a bit repetitive there is enough charm present for players to see it through. For fans of the original, or those who need yet another Rogue-like this should be high on your list to check out.

Overall 8/10

CloverPit Review (Switch 2)

Making its jump from Steam, CloverPit arrives with an already established cult following. Promoted as the slot machine version of Balatro, the game is a roguelike built around the core concept of pulling a demonic leaver and trying to make enough money to survive to the next round.

In terms of aesthetic the game is minimalist but effective. You start locked inside a small room. Inside you can see a locked door, the fruit machine, a toilet, bin, a machine to buy charms from and the money machine. There are also a couple of information boards that display the odds of certain symbols showing up and the deal or no deal style phone which rings between rounds.

The aim of each round is to reach a continually increasing set number of coins. Spare coins can be put back into the coin machine to gain interest. You get three turns in each round and early on you’ll realise it’s a careful balance between getting coins and the tickets you need to get charms which alter things like the likelihood of certain symbols showing up or giving rewards for certain combinations.

All this said, the game still comes down to a lot of luck. Using the right charms can change the value of symbols and make things show up more often but if you get a bad run there isn’t much you can really do. This is frustrating as even when you know the way you need to go with a build you can still play every turn as well as is possible and still not get enough coins to get through. It means, unlike games like Balatro, it can become tiring as decision making is nowhere near as deep.

If you reach the end of a round without enough coins the floor gives way and you fall to your death and need to start again from scratch. The only permanent things you can add are when you gain a key to unlock a draw. When draws are unlocked it means items can be placed inside them to give options in late game or even carry certain things over to the next run. At this point you at least get a bit more of an ability to plan ahead.

Achieving the gold needed for a round has the player set a new and higher coin target to reach. After a while you will also activate the ‘666’ numbers, which, if they come on the slot machine will see you lose all gained coins for the round. Of course, this can also be changed with charms to turn the so called ‘curse’ on its head. Between rounds the ominous phone also rings. Answering it allows you to pick from three further upgrades. Sometimes though you’ll get a cursed call which, if you can ignore, will grant greater upgrades later.

There is also a small DLC available at launch. The Unholy Fusion add on allows for players to forge various charms together to create new effects. However, it’s not available until you unlock all the draws in the game (which requires four completions). It’s both very cheap to purchase and also fairly non-essential unless you have really rung everything else out of the game.

Overall, CloverPit is an interesting game. It starts out a bit confusing then you’ll start to work out how you are meant to play it. However, if you don’t start seeing success in yuir runs due to the luck element it’s hard to see players sticking with it as long term as over rogue style games. What’s here works pretty well, it just feels a bit light weight at times and may leave you looking for something with more depth.

Overall 7/10

Blue Prince Review (Switch)

It’s unusual for us to come across something unique, we’ve been around a while and played a lot of games. Blue Prince, combines a number of different elements to achieve that, mixing parts from visual novels, rogue likes, puzzle games and a good helping of a big old mystery.

The story goes that you have inherited the estate of your uncle. Or at least you will do if you can do something that no one else has – find the elusive room 46. But far from being a simple mystery you need to do this with the knowledge that at the end of every day all the rooms in the mansion will reset. There is a lot of lore in here as well about the games setting and why everything is so mysterious, but we’ll let players figure that out as it is drip fed through the various books and letters that you find along the way.

There are a lot of different elements to balance as you go about your investigation. The most pressing of these is the number of steps you have. Each room you enter knocks one step off your total of fifty. Once you run out the day ends and the rooms reset. As well as these you need to manage gems, keys and coins. Keys open locked doors and chests, gems are needed to draft certain rooms and coins can be used to purchase various things along the way. All these need to be found in the various rooms along with other items such as a magnifying glass, hammer or shovel.

Players have a blueprint which acts as a grid with which to draft their rooms. The initial sort of goal is to reach the ante chamber which is nine squares up at the top. It’s not a simple of that of course as you will soon find out. When you open a door, you are presented with three rooms which you can draw. Some may require gems to draft, and all will have different exit doors or other special features. You’ll soon learn as well that there are different colours for the rooms which denote different things.

Red rooms for instance, normally have some kind of negative effect such reducing your steps or removing your ability to see what you are drafting. Green rooms in contrast normally contain dig spot or other goodies. There are also bedrooms to help you restore some of your steps, hallways and shops of various kinds where you can get items, keys or food.

Away from these rooms there are rooms with specific puzzles or special qualities. The security room allow for the manipulation of cameras and security doors, while working out the boiler puzzle will then allow you to pump power through the house. There are also rooms like the lab and the observatory which can give you permanent upgrades. Gradually, as you progress, you’ll learn what it the most important to you and unlock a few permanent upgrades and areas along the way.

For what is effectively a game where you wander around and solve the occasional puzzles it’s remarkable how engaging the game is. The balancing of all the elements and trying not to put yourself into a dead end with you Tetris style rooms works very well. Add in the uncovering of the law and the gradual realisation of how different rooms work means you always feel like something new is happening each playthrough.

There are a few issues to think about though. The most pressing of these is the constant reliance on colour with the puzzles. If you have any form of colour blindness you are going to really struggle with this. There’s several puzzles which use six or seven colours of similar shades and sometime we had no idea what we were even looking at. We did get round it with a guide but otherwise we would have had no idea what was going on.

Also, you can get a number of runs were not that much seems to progress. The game could do with giving you a bit more in terms of keeping the progression loop going and give a bit more in terms of rewards when you solve a puzzle you’ve been working on for days. The biggest issue though is that a lot comes down to luck. You can stack the deck in your favour but sometimes you simply won’t get the room you need drafted for what you are trying to do in that run. All that said, we did keep going back again and again to it.

Overall, Blue Prince is a refreshing, interesting and original game. All the individual elements may be small, but when they are brought together it has created a high quality adventure game that will keep you curious and wanting to venture back in for one more go. It’s not perfect but its about as close to as we have seen for a fair while.

Overall 8/10

 

 

The Rogue Prince of Persia Review (Switch 2)

We didn’t have a Dead Cells inspired Prince of Persia rogue-like game on our prediction list but now it’s here we are certainly glad it exists. The team responsible for some of the Dead Cells DLC are behind the wheel here and while it is clear what the template is, it also does enough to stand out. It released digitally a while ago, but with the physical release on the horizon we decided to take a deeper look.

The story is that the kingdom is under siege from the Hun. The Prince is knocked out during a battle on the outskirts of the city and awakens three days later to find the city besieged. He now must make his way through to the inner palace to save the day. It follows the same sort of format as Dead Cells does. You enter an area, are allotted a standard weapon, a tool and an upgrade from the unlocked roster and then search for an exit to the next realm. There is normally more than one route you can discover to add some variety, and more can be added as you discover maps and information in your adventure.

There is a stronger story element than Dead Cells though. As you discover clues and information, you’ll get little mini quests to complete to further the plot. These are normally things like finding out who has been kidnapped or locating certain items, but they add another layer to the game and the gradual unravelling of events is entertaining. There are also NPC’s to talk to and some will return to the Oasis to offer services and more plot specific points. Away from this it’s the standard structure of push forward as far as you can, unlock as many permanent upgrades as possible and rinse and repeat until you win the day.

The pace of the game is also much faster than Dead Cells. The sense of inertia and momentum we now associate with the Prince of Persia has been captured beautifully. There are a whole host of zooms, walls run, wall jumps and other moves that keep the Prince bouncing around the levels, and the combat fits perfectly into the pace as well as you dodge and flip around. It’s clear a lot of thought and feedback has gone into getting this just right and it makes each run a fluid joy. As a result, the game is also far more platform heavy than Dead Cells to the point of being Super Meat Boy like with its traps and contraptions at times.

The ‘Sands of Time’ reversal mechanic is tied into the narrative this time by the fact that when the Prince dies, he reverses back to awakening in the starting Oasis. Only, any people he has rescued or story points he discovers return with him. You can’t rewind time when you make a mistake though, a good choice as that would clash with the genre conventions.

The look of the game is closer to the long-forgotten cell shaded Prince of Persia which came after the ‘Sands’ trilogy. It gives it a story book aesthetic which works well and allows for clear definition on the screen. We are also very grateful to see a host of colour-blind options that can be set - something Dead Cells really needed when we first played it. As a result, it means frustration is kept to your own limits of your skill set rather than things you can’t see on the screen.

Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia has been put together very well. This may seem like a strange source of a Rogue-like title but it in practice it works perfectly. There’s even an argument to be had here about it being better than the Metroidvania version of the Prince we got not so long ago. We are slightly surprised it wasn’t a piece of extended Dead Cells DLC, but it’s certainly been fleshed out into a rewarding and fun game. It’s very much worth playing if you are a fan of Dead Cells or Prince of Persia.

Overall 8/10

Astral Ascent Review (Switch)

 

There’s a couple of genres on the Switch that most people would agree probably have enough games already. The rogue-like would certainly be one of those and there seems to be a new one released every week. But as Hades proved, there’s always room for one more when they can be put together in a way that engages and draws you back in time after time.

In keeping with Hades, Astral Ascent is also a story about trying to escape from a celestial prison. In this case it’s a sort of Garden of Eden guarded by 12 zodiac gods. As you progress through the game, you’ll find memory fragments for the different characters which will slowly unfold the link between the gods and why the various prisoners are trapped there.

In terms of the structure this works like pretty much every other action rogue-like. In this case each of the environments you need to get through consists of twelve relatively short levels with a boss at the end. Levels are classified as exploration, where you can treat them like assault courses and just find the exit, or fight based which normally enclose you inside a locked arena until all enemies have been defeated. If you are lucky, you’ll come across rest rooms and shops to help you as well.

Along the way you’ll acquire more skills and buffs until you inevitably hit something too strong and get sent back to the start to try and do it all again. In this case there are also a host of permanent improvements that you can unlock slowly along the way which grant you more strength, hit points and things such as mana and magic.

In terms of when you are in a run you can pick up add-ons for your various spells known as gambits. There are an absolute ton of different gambits and range from simple attack increases to adding elemental statuses or poison. Coupling these with your ever-increasing spells list means you have will eventually end up with a huge arsenal at your disposal to customise your attacking options. On top of this you can also pick up auras which add further buffs to your character.

There are four characters in total with two being available from the start. All of them approach combat in almost completely different ways but all share the core move set of a standard attack that can be used to create combo’s, a jump, a dodge, four single spells that once used gradually recharge and a special attack. So, you are well equipped for what’s to come. All this means that when you are facing the multiple hordes that are trying to take you down that you always feel in control of your own destiny and death is always due to players not reacting rather than any innate unfairness. That said, it did take at least an hour of banging against a relative brick wall to start make small chunks of progress and to get out of the first area will likely take much longer than that.

The visuals are done in a glorious pixel visual style that captures the heavenly vibe particularly well. As lovely as they are though they are very small on the Switch when it’s in handheld mode. We didn’t find any other performance issues aside from this but when porting to the Switch, in an ideal world, more consideration should have been taken regarding this. Even if the text size could have been changed it would have made things a lot easier.

Overall, Astral Ascent doesn’t really do anything new or anything particularly innovative but the game plays so beautifully well that it won’t really bother you. It’s one of the more hardcore and complex rogue-likes as well so there’s something for veterans to challenge themselves with. If you’ve got room for one more of these games, then Astral Ascent is a good one to fill the gap with.

Overall 8/10

Replikator Review (Switch)

In the world of the roguelike the Switch is particularly well stocked. However, most of these games in recent times have been of the platform/Metroidvania mould. Enter the Gungeon, is of course one of the yard sticks of the top down shooter variety of roguelike but there is still plenty of room for more entrants in the arena. One you may well have overlooked is Replikator, an indie blaster that is very much in the hardcore category of the genre.

Players take the role of one of a handful of galactic mercenaries who are tasked with boarding a huge scientific complex where a project has gone wild and taken over. The different characters come with their own stats in areas such as speed and health and all have unique special skills. There is of course a wealth of areas to continually upgrade and enhance ranging from ammo and energy to how often your onboard equipment and weapon tables produce new items. There’s so much in fact that we can only imagine how many runs you would have to complete to get everything to top level.

In order to upgrade you need to gather data cubes which can be picked up from secret rooms or after defeating tougher enemies. There’s also a more traditional coin type currency to collect which can used to operate things such as med stations and ammo dispensers. Batteries can also be picked up to operate machinery and access cards which open certain doors. What we’re saying is there’s a lot to collect.

Away from personal upgrades you can pick up blueprints for weapons and other enhancements. The mass of upgrades and unlocks will likely overwhelm new players or those not familiar with the genre and it took us a good few hours to even begin to understand what was going on and make any sort of progress past the first stage.

One issue is that with everything that the game has going on it really needed a better way of explaining how things work. There is a training section which goes over the controls but everything else is very much left up to you to discover for better or for worse and there’s a lot to think about. Replikator runs with a dual stick shooting mechanic with players able to move between two weapons at a time. You also have a shock attack which is a low damage melee strike mainly used for breaking boxes. From a defensive point of view you can dash which also allows you to move through some ground based traps and other gun fire. There’s a host of other gadgets and tricks going on as well which are simply too extensive to list here.

Enemies take the form of robots and androids and come at you in every form imaginable. Some fly, some roll, some shoot, some explode and some are really damn big. Even in the early stages enemy variety is good with each new stage adding more and more creations to dispatch. Despite the mechanical carnage the aim of each level is actually to find a key which opens the terminal allowing progression to the next stage. Each exit allows the player to move to one of three new stages, each offering a different bonus. There is then a boss battle every few stages. Another thing to be aware of is that stages can be huge, so this isn’t a speed running approach to the genre.

Overall, Replikator is a bit rough around the edges but if you can stick with it then it becomes an incredibly deep and satisfying game. We certainly wouldn’t recommend it to someone as an entry point for this sort of game and you are going to need a solid amount of patience and determination to get the best out of it. Once you’ve broken through the initial barriers though this about as addictive and rewarding as they come. If you are a fan of the genre don’t overlook it.

Overall 8/10

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragon Review (Switch)

The Double Dragon franchise has certainly been trying to get back into the mainstream mindset of gamers during the last few years. We’ve had the awesome Double Dragon Neon and more traditional Double Dragon 4 as well as several Technos carts on the Evercade and a collection on the Switch. Double Dragon Gaiden is the first of these games to try and mix the up the formula though.

As a result, Gaiden has a more cartoon look to it, closer to the recent Teenage Ninja Turtles game or Scott Pilgrim than what you might normally associate with the franchise. Initially, it’s a bit off putting but soon settles into the madness of the game and fits the overall chaotic style well.

Along with the change in how the game looks extra elements have been added into the core gameplay. The first thing you’ll notice is that a tag team system is in play. You pick two from an initial four characters (more can be unlocked with collectable tokens), with each having their own styles and moves. During play your partner can be tagged in to extend combos or simply give your other character a rest from being pummelled. As well as this, each character also has three special moves which can be used when a meter is filled. Hitting enough enemies with these creates health drops and they prove key to getting through the game.

The next big change is the addition of a few rogue-like elements. You initially have four stages to pick from. Each area has a different theme and boss and can be tackled in any order. However, each level you complete adds another section to the next. So, the first area you take on will lead you straight to the boss, but the next will add another stage and mini boss in between, and then the next area will have two stages and two mini bosses etc. It’s an interesting approach and one that adds some variety to multiple play throughs as it’ll take a good few runs to see everything the game has to offer.

At the end of each area you can buy upgrades with the money collected from bashing the various goons along the way. These range from power ups to specific moves, new skills, tokens or simply taking the money. It’s important to consider what best fits your characters needs as the game gets rough late in the day. Any tokens you collect along the way can be sused to unlock extra features and the boss characters as playable as well, each of which dramatically alters your way of playing.

Overall, Double Dragon Gaiden is a departure from the normal format we have come to expect from the franchise but it’s one that works. If there are any small complaints, it’s that the game can become repetitive at times as it takes a while to get through each run. Over use of the special moves is also an issue as really the best way to get through each level is just to spam and recharge them via enemy take downs. That said this is a vibrant and fun take on Double Dragon and it’s certainly worth checking out for scrolling fighter fans or fans of the franchise in general.

Overall 8/10

Cursed to Golf Review (Switch)

Another day and another Indie Rogue-like appears. This one however is somewhat unique as it sees you as a golf player, struck down by lightning, needing to make it through 18 holes in order to escape from a cursed golf-based purgatory. While it takes the popular 2D platformer approach (but with golf?), we certainly haven’t played one like this before.

Awaking by the Eterni-Tee golf shop you are introduced to the spectre known as the Scotsman who explains the basics to you and that in order to escape, you’ll need to play a cursed and impossible 18 holes for all eternity. It’s a simple premise – complete each hole within par and if you fail you are dragged all the way back to the beginning hole, no matter how far along you are. It’s a good thing there’s a driving range to practice on.

Of course, these aren’t ordinary golf courses and are filled with traps, spikes, boxes of explosives and all manner of other things you’ll need to negotiate. Each course can be tackled in numerous ways and there are short cuts and teleporters all over the place. The Rogue element starts to kick in when you realise the courses are all remixed should you fail and need to start again. Later you’ll get the ability to set a checkpoint but even that only works for one death.

Along the way there are a number of things to help you. Within the courses there are totems which when struck add shots to your par counter, a golf based health pack if you will. There are also cards you can play which do everything from create multiple balls to turning your shot into a rocket. These cards can be picked up from the map screen or purchased from the shop in mystery packs and are vital to making any sort of substantial progress.

The holes themselves are fiendishly designed and you will see a change in environment as progress with areas like deserts providing extra sand traps for example. Each hole works as a kind of puzzle that players will need to check through for routes and totems in order to see the best way to progress. It’s just a shame that you’ll end up playing the first few areas much more than the later ones. The first time we got sent all the way back all we really wanted to do was go out and try the second areas courses again.

There are also boss battles of sorts where you must reach the hole before the guardian of the area. These are very tense and a highlight of the game. Here a new totem is added which when struck freezes the guardian for a turn, and you’ll need them. Once a boss is defeated, they remain so for future play throughs in a rare concession to giving the players a feint glimmer of relief.

Like most Rogue games the game will take time to click with most players. We found it was around round 6 where suddenly the games techniques clicked with us. From here we felt we had a good understanding of the three clubs, the need for cards and how to utilise the spin on the ball to make it change direction on the ground. Before that it really was a bit of a struggle.

There are some notable issues with the game though. First of all, trekking all the way back to hole 1 no matter how far through you are or what region you are in is a hard pill to swallow. Even Spelunky gives you short cuts to new areas but there’s no such option for players here. To compound this is the fact it takes a long time to get through holes. They are fairly lengthy and even fast forwarding, the number of animations you have to get through from setting, striking the ball, watching the ball, moving to the ball etc is just too much to keep things flowing quickly enough. When you start adding some issues with pixel placement of traps, more than once we have visually cleared a sand trap or made a ledge only for the ball to still fall foul due to the collision detection, it can put up quite a wall for players to try and break though.

Overall, Cursed to Golf is almost a very very good game. All the good stuff is here and all the minor issues with the game could be overlooked if there was of way of creating permanent shortcuts to the different areas. Of all the rogue games we have played this is one least suited to having to get through it all in one run as it takes so long to actually get through the holes. It’s fine to have it as an extra option but a simple permanent checkpoint in a couple of the areas would have turned this from a good game into an unmissable one. As it stands most players will likely give up long before the end.

Overall 7/10

Nintendo Switch Roundup 3: Roguelikes

Dead Cells

An early contender for the systems ‘indie darling’ Dead Cells has continued to expand and develop since its release. There is certainly a lot of game here for players that click with its action platform groove. The different areas are varied and offer just the right amount of risk reward to entice players to explore for hidden treasures (and probably die in the process). The only major issue we had with it was that the games frame rate stutters at times which can lead to confusion and often death. The bosses are also particularly challenging and will see many hit a substantial wall that stops them progressing on to see all it has to offer.

 

Moonlighter

For those that like their adventuring more from the top down point of view Moonlighter represents a charming time sink to get into. At night you explore one of four themed dungeons retrieving loot and slaying beasts and by day you put things on sale in your shop to raise gold. It creates a compelling loop that allows players to feel like they are progressing even when life in the dungeons isn’t going well. Even with upgrades to equipment there is still a good level of skill required to overcome the games gigantic bosses but the challenge is never overwhelming to the point that you are likely to give up and dedicated players will be onto new game+ before they know it. It’s a unique mix of styles that works well and should be sort out by the adventurous types out there.

 

Downwell

A simple, yet effective, platformer of sorts, Downwell is a pure shot of adrenaline which works perfectly in small sessions. Players have to guide themselves down a well while using there gun boots to blast away at rocks and the many enemies they encounter. A host of new power ups and styles are available and the action is always intense and fast moving. It’s also unbelievably cheap to get hold of (around £1.99), and really there is no excuse not to give it a try.

 

Void Bastards

Just to prove that rogue elements will work in just about any genre here we have a FPS take on it heavily inspired by system shock. Players must guide their ramshackle ship along a galaxy map stopping at derelict vessels to scavenge for food, fuel and parts to continue on. The cartoon style of the graphics and sharp script create a game both funny and terrifying in equal measure and help to ease the pain of the many deaths you will encounter. Creatures and ships are varied and fun to explore, though we did find ourselves in later levels running onto a ship, grabbing whichever part we needed and legging it a little too often. The occasional frame rate glitch is also present but in this case rarely causes a problem. It’s not overly long either which means you’ll be diving into the challenges and other extras while you are still hungry for more.

 

Black Future 88

If you like your roguelike set in a dystopian future inspired by Blade Runner then Black Future 88 may well be the game you’ve always dreamed of. Glowing neon and pounding synths accompany players as they have minutes to make it up a procedurally generated tower and topple the evil Duncan. The action is insanely intense and unrelenting as you blast and slash your way through a crazy assortment of enemies and bosses. There a numerous weapons and buffs that can be unlocked along the way and countless different systems you will have to balance out to have a decent shot at getting to the top in one piece. The only down side is that there is so much going on that when played in handheld mode it can get difficult to see at times. This really is an overlooked gem that everyone should experience.