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.
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.
With its retro looks, Reventure ($9.99) may not be the first game off the shelf for some gamers out there, but this player certainly wants to give it a go soon. Hey, 100 endings are what, something 99% of games don’t have and hell, I just want to play this for the blocky visual style because I sometimes like to see what can be done with the fewest pixels possible. Here are the trailer and some screens for your viewing enjoyment:
Malaga, Spain-based indie dev Pixelatto is onto something cool here, I think. In addition to the Switch version that’s right around the corner, there’s a PC version that’s been out for a few months on Steam that’s packing loads of positive reviews. Check it out here.
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We’ll be back in a few with a few of those endings.
So yeah, I’ve been playing Invader Studios’ (with aid from Destructive Creations and All In! Games) fun and scary Daymere: 1998 on STEAM for a short while and it’s pretty darn good (and thankfully, also coming to PS4 and Xbox One gamers at some point), although the story and character models could use a little polishing up. The game is so far, a decent enough mimic/response to Capcom’s much praised classic Resident Evil 2 so much so that it looks and feels at times like a newer entry, but intentionally filled with a certain old-school style that make it feel purposely nostalgic.
Here’s a game trailer to peruse:
While the human character models need a bit of work, the assorted undead are all appropriately creepy and the scares are timed to make you jump out of your skin when you’re caught off guard. There’s some method to the madness on display, as the game certainly gets the feelings of fright going on a few fronts. Granted, yes, it does start off initially slow as you get your bearings and yes, the UI could be a lot more intuitive. The game also has a few intentionally draggy moments in spots. But when you’re least expecting it (or because you will be), the tension is definitely there in the quietest of spaces when you think you can take a breather. Overall, it all blends into a horror-fest that’s pretty enjoyable, warts and all.
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The hammy voice acting is well done (funny how that works, right?) and I liked that some animations are a bit clunky, but these elements both fit the era in question. In it’s current form, it’s good, but a few patches away from greatness, I think. That and the game is in need of critical response that appreciates what’s going on here rather than attempting to bash the game for its particular weaknesses where an homage is clearly intended. As a fan of some horror games, this one’s not a bad way to whittle away a few hours on a rainy weekend with. Hey, I like this one a lot, stuff that needs work and all. The overall spirit is what’s important in a project like this and that’s going on in spades here.
In addition to the Blacksad news I posted a few days back, it’s going to be a pretty busy time going forwards for Microïds, that’s for sure. Let’s see now:
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Roman Rumble in Las Vegum (Asterix & Obelix XXL2)has arrived on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $29.99. This one’s a remastered sequel to a PS2 game from 2003 that first got a sequel three years later and now it lands on the consoles above sporting new visuals and a wealth of gameplay improvements over the 2006 version. New dev team Osome Studios has taken Etranges Libellules‘ work and powered it up to the next level.
I’m ancient enough to remember reading many of the old and brilliant Goscinny and Uderzo comics as a kid, so this one will be plenty of nostalgic fun and a game that’s going to be acceptable for gamers of all ages. Check out the game trailer below for what to expect (I’m cracking up because the game riffs on a number of pop culture elements here and there) Viva lost wages! This one should be fun for a few laughs. Check it out:
Here we go again, because the original Kickstarter only ran for a week and left a few folks out of the loop. Now you have a second chance to get in on this crowdfunding action thanks to a new push to get in those folks who felt left out. Head below the jump for the press release and a few more screens.
RedDeerGames‘ interesting looking mash-up Cyber Protocol ($9.99) had me at the cool neon aesthetic and what looks to be some tough retro arcade gameplay. 100 levels await and the game’s visuals certainly have some nice nostalgic vibes appreciated by my old ancient self. Take a peek at the game’s trailer and some screens below:
A little game description goes a long a long way, right?:
Cyber Protocol is an arcade puzzle game set in a Cyberpunk scenario with strong and dynamic gameplay. You play as the main hero, whose mission is to bring his Android friend (G0X6) back to life by activating the protocol to revive him.
That looks pretty awesome, doesn’t it? As for screens, see for yourself:
POW! From publisher/port home BlitWorks and solo developer SebaGamesDev (or sebagamesdev) comes this fun-looking throwback that’s landed on Switch and Xbox One as of the 26th (and is also set for a PS4 release) for a mere $19.99. Here’s the trailer, but try to keep from grinning broadly so much because it really brings back memories of the old arcade days:
“Some day, a real rain wi…” no, wait, oops, wrong Taxi Driver reference!
Well, this is different. I’ve downloaded the free Neo Cab demo onto my Switch (there’s a PC demo for STEAM users here) and will say I’m more than impressed with what’s here so far. The art style is pleasant to look at, the writing is fine and there are elements to the gameplay that just simply work really well. As Lina, one of the last human drivers-for-hire on the streets of Los Ojos, you’ll find yourself caught up in a friend’s disappearance after she takes what’s supposed to be a short detour. Developer ChanceAgency has a few things going on here, all of which gel into a memorable game so far.
Trapped in the city she hates for a few reasons, Lina is forced to keep driving in order to keep her Star rating up and her sanity up, as she more or less has to love in her ride thanks to having to more or less live in her car until she finds out what happened pt her missing roommate. The demo is enough of a solid tease to make me stop here and let the developer tale the floor for a bit: Well, after the trailer and below the jump.
In the “Ooh, this looks wonderfully depressing” front, this weeks release of The Executioner on STEAM sprung me to life even though the current Russian to English translation is a bit iffy in it’s current form. Still, I do like the dark ideas found in this one, so I can at least pull the string for a patch that addresses the translation issues and also hope that a console port is in the works somewhere. Fingers crossed that the translation is fixed and, wait for it… well executed (ba-dum-bum, says the head, rolling to the floor).
Here’s a trailer to pore over that shows off a bit of the gameplay:
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 