Review: One Night Stand (PS4)

Posted on October 13, 2019 by geelw

“Back up for a sec. I did WHAT last night?”

Short and simple on the surface, Kinmoku and ever busy port-house and publisher Ratalaika Games present a nifty little surprise in the form of One Night Stand, ($4.99) a game practically guaranteed to tee some prudish or easily triggered folks off (such as those expecting the usual trophy hunt from the publisher. Oh, they’re here, but it they come with a bit of baggage some can’t or won’t handle). This one’s a “slice of life” game, a visual novel where the person you’re playing wakes up in bed with a girl he met the night before and has (well, it’s an option here, but who doesn’t like a mystery?) to put the pieces together as he attempts to find out a few things about her.

Yeah, yeah. “Ooh, cooties” and all that dopey nonsense some will chime like broken bells as they whine about this game being the end of the world or bottom of the barrel or whatever. But it’s actually a pretty decent experience overall if you free yourself from any prejudices you may have Like it or not, some people in the real world sleep with each other and they’re not married and pumping out children. You can say this game is a sort of representational reality in a way of some (DEFINITELY not all) of the effects.

Yeah, Let me choose (carefully, now!)…

Granted, waking up next to a total stranger is quite a change of pace (and how!) from this publisher of budget games, but it’s a risk that pays off big in little ways. As noted, the game is short (about 10 to 15 minutes per outcome), but replaying the scenario you get will extend the story across a few branches and yes, get you those trophies you’re after. As I like to note in my reviews of these games, Trophies are the last thing I think about and games like this are excellent ways to shake thing up.

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Qubic Games Is Having Quite A Sale

Posted on October 13, 2019 by geelw

Got a Switch? Scratch that itch! Get some fun games from this list.

Nice, and nicer if you like deals and have other Qubic Games titles on that Switch, you can get other Qubic titles not listed here for half off on the Nintendo eShop. Don’t wait, though – these sales are only up for a limited time.

Blazing Beaks
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
50% off
7.49 EUR
7.49 USD

Warlocks 2: God Slayers
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 12 – October 30)
66% off
5.99 EUR
5.99 USD

Mini Trains
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
50% off
2.99 EUR
2.99 EUR

#RaceDieRun
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
50% off
4.99 EUR
4.99 USD

Wreckin’ Ball Adventure
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
50% off
2.49 EUR
2.49 USD

Akane
EU only- (October 11 – November 7)
60% off
1.99 EUR

Shipped
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
25% off
4.49 EUR
4.49 USD

Puzzle Book
NA – (October 11 – October 31)
EU – (October 11 – October 30)
25% off
2.99 EUR
2.99 USD

-QubicGames Team

As noted, there are some good deals here, so get yourself something (but don’t forget the kids if you have them, of course).

-GW

Review: Reventure (Switch)

Posted on October 13, 2019 by geelw

One switch is an ending trap, one releases a trap (and another ending) and one might have something useful inside. Maybe…

And… here we go! Once again, it’s off to rescue a Princess from a demon’s well-guarded castle, but this time, I’m dying laughing thanks to the game I’m playing tossing many unexpected curve balls my way. Welcome to Reventure ($9.99), Pixellato’s fun and intense side-scrolling homage to among other games, The Legend of Zelda series, but with 100 endings to discover.

Most are abrupt surprises that send your character back to square one within a few minutes of play, but time is weirdly and intentionally presented here, so an outcome may send your hero into the distant future or later the same day. It all depends on the ending you get, and it’s very possible to drop a few hours here just exploring and figuring out the seemingly simple map that holds a lot of secrets (and quite a few traps). While that may sound boring to some, it makes for some downright hilarious moments based on your choices. That said, the game can also be (also intentionally) confusing to those who expect a straightforward speedrun or other type of one-note platformer.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EojVKCaHBA0&w=640&h=360 Continue reading →

Review: A Knight’s Quest (PS4)

Posted on October 10, 2019 by geelw

“I’m a little Rusty at this!”

While it treads familiar ground, it does so with enough winking and nodding to classic action platform and open world games to be quite smile-worthy. Developer Sky9 and Curve Digital present A Knight’s Quest ($24.99) a fun and mostly very pretty looking homage to some greats, Fun as it is, it could use a patch to fix a few issues. That said, it’s quite exciting to see a game reach for the stars like this, but it’s also painful to see a few stumbles that keep it from 100% potential greatness. As noted above, a few fixes will make it the stellar experience it needs to be. Still, Curve Digital has a little sleeper on its hands that old-school platformer fans will find a lot to love.

As Rusty, a hero who’s a bit on the clumsy side, you start out the game finding a wooden sword and shield in a cave you’re exploring before all hell breaks loose a few minutes into things. This sequence shows off some thrilling platforming and a bit of combat as the cave is escaped, and high marks here for a nifty start to things. Plot-wise, it’s a “find the legendary heroes, gain elemental magic from each one than will help you in each area” thing you’d expect, but with a dose of lighthearted humor and Rusty riffing on what he can. The weird mix of styles to the game world (which mixes a sort of medieval fantasy setting with stuff like radios and chain link fences in areas that can’t be accessed right away) seems a bit odd, but it’s worth saying it works after seen enough times while exploring.

Fire good! Uh, stop, drop, and roll dude.

Additionally, if you like collecting stuff, the game goes out of it’s way to get you to search for secrets in hidden places or heck, almost anywhere you happen to be. From hidden treasure caches to singing slugs to breakables of a few types, it offers quite a few secrets to discover. It all feels like a throwback to another time or a game that means to keep you as busy as possible for as long as you’re playing. An amusing thing here is the game references Sky9’s Flash adventure/RPG from a while back, so some jokes will go right over a few heads unless that game was played. I didn’t see a hidden version of that game here, but I wasn’t looking everywhere thanks to blazing through some later maps to get this post up. It’s too bad Sony considers the Vita a lost cause, as the game looks like it would be a fine diversion on the portable or even better, a bonus for console owners.

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Review: The Tiny Bang Story (Switch)

Posted on October 10, 2019 by geelw

“Ma’am, could you tell me where you keep the puzzle pieces, please?”

Want a teased brain and some very pleasant and relaxing tunes to chill out to? Do you like puzzles and hidden object games? Well, here’s a game for you, then. Colibri Games’ The Tiny Bang Story ($9.99) finally comes to Switch and while it’s quite lovely to look at, some older gamers (raises hand) might want to play it docked thanks to some very intricately detailed environments that make playing in portable mode a little tricky.

That’s not to say it’s unplayable undocked, mind you. This is a game where a larger TV screen not only shows off the great art to its fullest, some of the tiny details are harder to spot if you can’t see them (and there are a lot of tiny details here). I did make it through a hour or so through in portable mode before going docked and not looking back, but your own mileage may vary.

That and the onscreen pointer is super small, which helps seeing things, but also hinders things a bit because it’s so minuscule and you need to do a bit of hunting and pecking here. This is really the only “bad” thing about the game. Some of the search bits are yes, a lot of trial and error searching or tapping, but that’s par for the course in this sort of game. The puzzle portions are set up and balanced overall between those that make you think and a few where you might pull a few hairs figuring them out, but that’s also part of the deal you get with these games.

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Review: Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning (PS4)

Posted on October 9, 2019 by geelw

Oh, for now, it does, Larry…

Disclaimer: Zombies as portrayed in the media aren’t a real thing at all and if you’ve been paying attention, apocalypses (other than the cosmic variety) are kinda man-made messes these days.

That said, in Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning ($4.99, also on Switch, Xbox One, and PC) some really hilarious and crude content awaits in this game where an old cartoon rabbit called Hank and his younger mutt friend Larry, scam fellow animals to do their supply runs in this really fun and short (because it’s presented episodically) game from the fine folks at Entertainment Forge, GrabTheGames, and Ratalaika Games. The funky cartoon style and limited animation recall something you’d see in an underground comic or during Cartoon Network’s better years, the script is pretty funny, and the game is memorable enough that you’re left wanting more (and more is on the way).

As the game begins, a (or The) zombie apocalypse has started, and buddies Hank and Larry have plans to hole up with Hank’s storage of a year’s worth of food plus some movies to get by (and yes, some drugs). Four months later (oops), they’re out of supplies, the power has been turned off (it’s actually one of the first things that happens) and Hank and Larry have to brave the outside world to get new supplies, starting with the wrecked shop across the street from them. Poor Larry is the first guinea pig, as Hank’s a bit slow (and he’s got the binoculars) and he survives, only to run into a drunken parrot and two easily pissed-off bulls who demand they give up some of their hard-gained loot.

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The Tiny Bang Story Makes the Switch

Posted on October 6, 2019 by geelw

Time to be royally puzzled!

Russian developer Colibri Games and publisher Ellada Games have a neat puzzler for Switch owners with The Tiny Bang Story, a game that’s had some solid success on mobile. As I don’t play mobile games these days (I play way to many console and PC games and have quite the backlog here), it’s the first I’ve heard of this. But it sure looks mighty impressive and yes indeed, my Switch is humming for the chance to play this.

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The hand drawn artwork style is lovely here and the games wordless accessibility means just about anyone can enjoy what’s here. I’m into this, that’s for sure.

Here’s a trailer to tempt you with:

A review is in the cards, so check back for that, please.

-GW

Win a Switch Lite and Valfaris From Signature Edition Games

Posted on October 6, 2019 by geelw

Well, it’s a few clicks and about two or so minutes of work, but the prizes are cool if you win them. Signature Edition Games is running a little contest where you can win these:

Nice prizes you have there…

Which turns out to be an excellent way to get to poke around at their site and check out what else they have to offer, right? Anyway, go take a look at what else is in that Valfaris set here and hey, for the heck of it, see 25 minutes of boss fights from a pretty darn skilled player (WARNING: here there be spoilers!):

(Thanks, horheristo!)

-GW

A Knight’s Quest Trailer: This Looks Like Fun Stuff, Indeed

Posted on October 6, 2019 by geelw

From Canadian developer Sky9 Games and publisher Curve Digital comes A Knight’s Quest which definitely wears its 1990’s platform/RPG influences somewhat proudly on its sleeves for all to see. It’s coming soon to Epic Games store, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and has already arrived for Xbox One. Fun fact: the game seems derived and definitely different from the quest-filled 2D adventure game by the developer from a few years back.

Check out the PS4 trailer below and get set for its October 10th release on the platforms that don’t yet have it:

I just got a PS4 review code yesterday and an pretty pleased to report that so far, it’s quite good stuff. Familiar intentionally to some classics you may recall, but absolutely very fun stuff, indeed. You’ll have to wait a touch for the full review, but I’m really having a blast with this one. Who’d have thought a clumsy main character would be so fun to play as?

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-GW

Review: Neo Cab (PC)

Posted on October 6, 2019 by geelw

Here’s a ride worth taking.

Now, this was pretty cool one, and not a “honk” in sight.

Geez. Well, maybe if they have a lousy attitude like you, they might, lady…

Chance Agency’s excellent “survival adventure” game Neo Cab (also on Switch and Apple Arcade) feels to me like what would happen if the classic cyberpunk FASA game series Shadowrun got a first-person expansion focusing not on weapons or magic, but a human taxi driver who just took mostly normal and a few tech-enhanced passengers where they needed to go, listening or responding to their mundane stories along the way. There’s also a smidgen of a more recent game Night Call, minus the murder investigation aspect to contend with (there’s a taxi accident mentioned a few times that occurs off-screen integral to the plot, but the Teen-rated game doesn’t feature any violence). The people you meet as pax (passengers) here are a pretty interesting (and well-written) sort where if you have time over the game’s six-day period, you’ll want to pick a few up multiple times in order to find out more of their stories.

There’s replay value here because the game’s main story only lasts about four or hours and intentionally limits pickups to three (or four in cases where you decide to take a chance on an extra run) a day. Granted, the plot threads all link up at some point, but it’s impressive to see how it all comes together even if the finale tends to be a bit of an anticlimax on one front when compared to the bulk of the game. It’s not a bad ending, mind you. It just forces a particular choice at you until you pick what seems to be closure for some characters. While there’s no voice acting here, most of the “acting” here is nicely mimed and/or conveyed through what’s seen on-screen.