🧭 Britt’s Brief Bulletin | Nintendo Switch | Review | ORD | 7/10 | "A stark, experimental text adventure" 🧭 #IndieGames #GameDev @RatalaikaGames

A stark, minimalist text adventure based around groups of three words, Ord is one of the more unusual takes on the genre that I’ve played in some time and, whilst almost experimental in nature, the amount it leaves to the imagination ‘works’ in how its subtle changes of font colour and ambient sounds hint as to the larger scope and deeper meanings behind your choices.

👻🧛‍♂️ Othercide | PS4 | First 30 Minutes Gameplay | No Commentary | "A Turn-Based Game Oozing With Atmosphere" 👻🧛‍♂️ @OthercideGame #IndieGames #GameDev

As Humanity’s last hope, lead your army of Daughters to combat in an intricate dance of spectacular actions and counters and face fearsome bosses in epic battles.

Othercide is dark and brooding and oozes atmosphere. I can't tell you what's going on as I haven't got a clue but its sure as hell a cool video game!

Sit back and relax for the next 30 minutes as we take you through the first 30 minutes of gameplay from this sleeper hit of 2020!

Game Link: https://www.focus-home.com/en-us/games/othercide

🏎️💨 Britts Brief Bulletin | Nintendo Switch | Review | Ramp Car Jumping | 6/10 | "Does what it says on the tin" 🏎️💨 @BoomBitGames #GameDev #IndieGames

I must admit that the title alone of this one gave me doubts about its level of quality. It sounds like how a caveman would describe a game at its most fundamental level. 

A mobile port (which supports touch-screen controls); I must admit that I actually enjoyed the game far more than I thought I would… up to a point.

👹🐉 Monster Sanctuary | Ten Minute Taster | Nintendo Switch | "Stardew Valley Meets Pokemon" 👹🐉 @moi_rai_ #GameDev #IndieGames

Monster Sanctuary is a monster-taming RPG with party-based combat and Metroidvania-like exploration. 

New monsters provide additional strategic options in combat and allow you to overcome obstacles to explore new areas and find hidden treasures. 

The turn-based combat focuses on team synergy and combos, distinguishing Monster Sanctuary from other popular monster collecting games. 

As the youngest heir of an ancient bloodline of proud Monster Keepers, you step out into the world to follow in your ancestors' footsteps. You will gather a party of monsters to grow and train. 

Meanwhile, a series of unsettling events worry the experienced Keepers of the Monster Sanctuary. 

This is the beginning of a journey to unravel the cause of a mystery that threatens the peace between humans and monsters.

http://monster-sanctuary.com/

👾🛸 Space Invaders Forever | Ten Minute Taster | Nintendo Switch | "Time To Blast Those Invaders Forever" 👾🛸 #SpaceInvaders

 

Space Invaders Forever is out on the Nintendo Switch and I have been taking a look at it for Games Freezer. 

When I first saw this I thought here we go, another attempt to cash in on one of legendary video games franchises from the history of this wonderful medium. 

After playing this collection of 3 games I'm both surprised and a little disappointed with what is on offer here on the Nintendo Switch version of Space Invaders Forever.

https://spaceinvaders.inin.games/#sector_trailer

🧶 KATAMARI DAMACY REROLL | PS4 | Ten Minute Taster | "Roll Roll Roll The Boat" 🧶 #GameDev #IndieGame

Check out the remaster of the timeless roll-em-up action game and help restore all of the stars that the King of All Cosmos destroyed from the sky!

Roll the balls called Katamari, which grow by collecting a variety of items in their path, from pencils to cars, to people and much more!

Growing the Katamari will turn them back into stars and bring the night lights back. 

Affiliate Game Link: https://amzn.to/2J8lcnS

🥊 Worms Rumble | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Worms Get Ready To Rummmble!" 🥊 @WormsTeam17 #WormsRumble

 

Worms Rumble is Worms like you’ve never played it before, with intense, real-time, arena-based 32 players cross-platform combat. Get ready for Deathmatch and the Last Worm Standing modes where you’re only ever a Holy Hand Grenade away from death!

Use a variety of fan-favourite weapons like the Bazooka and Shotgun plus all-new additions to the armoury to bring the pain to your invertebrate opponents as you climb the ranks. Customise your worm, take part in challenges and seasonal events and experiment with new ways to play in The Lab.

This is Worms, reinvented.

😎 Cyberpunk 2077 | First 30 Minutes | PC | Gameplay | Ten minute Taster 😎 #CyberPunk2077

 

Cyberpunk 2077 is finally out so I jump into a game of 2077 on the PC for the first-ever time.

🏎️💨 80s Overdrive | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Miami Vice Meets Outrun" 🏎️💨 @InsaneCode #80soverdrive #GameDev #IndieGames

80'S OVERDRIVE is a 2D pixel art racing game, designed to take you back in time to when 8 and 16-bit consoles and arcade games ruled the world.

Compete against opponents in career mode to unlock new races, buy new cars, and upgrade them with state-of-the-art technologies!

Try your skill in time attack mode and see how far you can get in this race against the clock! Create your own tracks with built-in track generator and easily share them with your friends!

GAME LINK:

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/80-s-OVERDRIVE-1778237.html

🏆 Rich's Games Of The Year (& Honourable Mentions) 2020 🏆 #IndieGames #GameDev #GamersUnite

Looking back at another year of video games and another year of Games Freezer is actually quite emotional when I sit here and try to unpack exactly what has happened.

This year I can safely say that I have played more video games than I have ever played in one single calendar year.

The world caught fire and yet video games were my rock and Games Freezer was my constant.

Britt remains a games playing machine of which I have never known the likes of.

It's important to remember that Britt and I both create content for Games Freezer as a hobby and yet here we are in our 7th year still going strong and with visions of further expanding what we do.

This year alone Britt and I have contributed to over 300 pieces of content on the site and have been supported by our regular irregular contributors in the guise of our friends PixelHunted, Lee Manuel, Dr Congo Fighting, Kingdom Of Carts along with many other lovely people who just love to play and write about video games.

We look forward to another year of Games Freezer as we become a truly respected member of the video games industry and keep on punching above our weight.

GF Forever...

Meanwhile back in GF HQ, I have pulled together 10 Video Games in no particular order that pretty much sums up my video gaming year. 

Hopefully, there's some in here that you haven't played so as you can go and check them out for yourself.

💰🏎️💨 Car Trader Simulator | PC | Review | Who would have thought the world of second-hand car trading could be so compelling? 💰🏎️💨 @livemotiongames @PixelHunted #GameDev #IndieGames

There’s a shiny new PlayStation 5 sitting under my TV with a copy of Demon’s Souls snugly nestled inside. 

A world of 4K, ray-traced, HDR goodness is just waiting for me… and here I am playing Car Trader Simulator.

🎮🎄 The Best Video Games Console Christmas Presents From 1979 to 2001 🎮🎄 #Retrogaming #GamersUnite

So as we hurtle towards another Christmas in 2020 I thought it would be good to take a look at the best video games related Christmas presents from down the years.

These are either cool machines from when I was alive (I was born in 1979) or they are machines that I was lucky enough to get for Christmas.

My sister got a Pong machine in the early 80s for Christmas and I can barely remember it but after that Christmas, I was always eager for a Christmas video game or a console to be popped into my Christmas stocking.

There was the classic Christmas when I was desperate for a ZX Spectrum +2 but Dad got me an ATARI XEGS but I loved it! 

Christmas is a great time for a gamer as you seem to get that bit of extra downtime to play your new games before your next helping of cold turkey in a roll.

Let's kick off our Christmas look by hurtling back in time to December 1979...

😎🎮 Britt's Brief Bulletin | Mini Review | Pixel Ripped 1995 | 8/10 | "A joyous jaunt in a virtual, ‘90s world" 😎🎮 @PixelRipped #GameDev #IndieGames #PSVR

A PSVR title that sees you taking control of several vignettes in the life of a young boy, Pixel Ripped 1995 stood out as one of the better PSVR titles I’ve played this year. 

Moving through several segments from your home – where you must distract your mum with a rubber dart gun so that you can continue to play an 8-bit video game, much to her dismay -

to a scene set inside a video game store and a pretty thrilling car ride home that involves gunning down pursuing aliens, the VR is put to fantastic use here and the retro aesthetic is captured perfectly. 

A solid running time of 4-5 hours and a nice variety of genres on offer that feel like a highlight reel of ‘90s gaming, not since Astro Bot Rescue mission game have I been so drawn into a childlike sense of wonder, definitely one for your VR collection!

8/10

🏆 Britt’s Games of the Year (& Honourable Mentions) 2020 🏆 #IndieGames #GameDev #GamersUnite

This year has been a bit of a different one for me in that some titles that really drew me in were quite flawed and so playing through them was occasionally a bittersweet experience but they made a mark that I can’t ignore.

This isn’t a ‘top ten’ list in any order but rather a list of games that still spring to mind as we approach the end of a pretty challenging and tumultuous year.

Weather-wise, it’s a miserable day here in Cardiff so to brighten things up, let’s talk video games.

🪔🧞‍♀️ Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World Coming 2021 🪔🧞‍♀️ @ININ_Games

ININ Games and STUDIOARTDINK have announced the pre-order start of three limited editions for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World. 

All three limited editions are available for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, exclusively via the Strictly Limited Games Partner Store. 

The limited editions as well as the retail editions of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World will be released in 2021. 

⚔️🛡️ Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A solid title that just misses the mark, for me" ⚔️🛡️ @cornfox #IndieGames #GameDev

Game Title: Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm

Platform Reviewed: Switch

Rating: 6.5/10

I’m always dubious about mobile ports to the Switch, having been burned by some pretty lazy examples in the past. With Oceanhorn 2, however, I was so taken by the trailer that I had to have a crack at it, as I fancied an open-world adventure that I could play on the move (well…in bed). 

Whilst the game is pretty, runs well and appears to tick all the boxes, it, unfortunately, felt a touch bland and as such, I couldn’t get fully hips deep in the experience.

🎮 9 Video Game Features That Hook Gamers for Hours 🎮

Source: Pexel

Since COVID, online and mobile games are the most common way of leisure in 2020. 

People are either tuned to their mobile screens or their gaming consoles for hours on games that are simple yet fun. 

Ever wondered what keeps people tuned to their gaming devices?

Why do they spend so much time playing games? 

And most importantly, what makes games like Flappy Bird create new gaming records?

In this article, we are going to discuss some of the most tempting game features that make people play an online game for endless hours.

Let's get started.

👾🛸 Space Invaders Forever | Nintendo Switch | Review | "Time To Blast Those Invaders FOREVER!" 👾🛸 #SpaceInvaders

Space Invaders Forever is out on the Nintendo Switch and I have been taking a look at it for Games Freezer. 

When I first saw this I thought here we go, another attempt to cash in on one of legendary video games franchises from the history of this wonderful medium. 

After playing this collection of 3 games I'm both surprised and a little disappointed with what is on offer here on the Nintendo Switch version of Space Invaders Forever.

💻 FUZE4 | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Nintendo Switch Coding 4 All" 💻 @FUZEArena #GameDev #IndieGames

FUZE4 Nintendo Switch is a coding application for Nintendo Switch. It has been designed and developed by a team of experienced gamers, programmers, artists and educators. 

The end result is a language ideally suited to coding games and apps for absolute beginners and seasoned programmers alike.

🎮🕹️💰 The Ultimate Games Freezer Retro Console & Computers eBay Sold Prices Guide 🎮🕹️💰 #RetroGaming #GamersUnite

I'm always on the lookout for retro gaming related items to buy, even though I haven't really got the room and I generally settle for emulation over physical hardware due to space constraints.

But sometimes I just like looking around eBay and fantasising about owning an AMSTRAD CPC and playing football manager 2 on it all day long.

⛏️ Death Tales | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | "Cometh The Reaper" ⛏️ @ArcadeDistiller #GameDev #IndieGames

In Death Tales you play as a new reaper, completing quests, collecting spells, and gathering equipment to fight through hordes of enemies in this grim but whimsical 2D adventure!

⚔️🐲 Outward | Ten Minute Taster | PART II | PC Gameplay | "Lets Make A Character" ⚔️🐲 @deepsilver #GameDev #IndieGames

No remarkable journey is achieved without great effort. Outward is an open-world RPG where the cold of the night or an infected wound can be as dangerous as a predator lurking in the dark. Explore the vast world of Aurai, embark on memorable adventures alone or with your friend.

⚔️🔥🍗 OUTWARD | Ten Minute Taster | PART I | PC | "Buckle Up For An Old School Adventure!" ⚔️🔥🍗 @Outwardgame #outwardgame #IndieGames #GameDev

Outward is an open-world RPG where the cold of the night or an infected wound can be as dangerous as a predator lurking in the dark. 

Explore the vast world of Aurai, embark on memorable adventures alone or with your friend.

🎄🎁 Geeky Christmas Jumpers From Numskull | "Willy Wonka & Sonic The Hedgehog Join Forces!" 🎄🎁 @NumskullDesigns

 

Rich takes a look at the Willy Wonka and Sonic The hedgehog Christmas Jumpers from Numskull Designs

http://www.numskull.com/christmas-jumpers-sweaters/

🎮🎮 XBOX SERIES X & S VENOM Single Dock Charging Station | Unboxing & Impressions 🎮🎮

 
XBOX SERIES X & S VENOM Single dock charging station complete with rechargeable battery pack Powerful 850Mah rechargeable battery pack offers fast efficient charging and up to 15 hours of gameplay off one full charge Drop and go design removes the need to connect fiddly wires Designed to aesthetically complement the Xbox One series x console front LED charge indicator glows red when charging before turning Green when power is fully Restored Includes Detachable 2 metre USB cable to allow flexible placement additional rear USB port to allow charging of other devices Continues to charge when the console is placed in standby mode Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3q3RxwO

🐲 Bubble Bobble 4 Friends | The Baron Is Back | Ten-minute Taster | "Pop Some Bubbles With Bub N Bob" 🐲 @TAITO

The popular Dragons Bub and Bob are back! Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is the latest game in the legendary Bubble Bobble series from Taito.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends on the PS4 for around £36

BACK OF THE BOX QUOTE

"Pop Some Bubbles With Bub n Bob"

🌉 Bridge Constructor The Walking Dead | PS4 | Ten Minute Taster | Zombie Lemmings 🌉 @HeadupGames #BCTWD #IndieGames #GameDev

 

Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead combines the legendary and challenging puzzle gameplay of Bridge Constructor™ with the post-apocalyptic zombie universe of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

☢️🪓 Endzone: A World Apart | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | Part 2 | Tutorial ☢️🪓 @AssembleTeam #GameDev #IndieGames

Endzone is a post-apocalyptic survival city builder, where you start a new civilization with a group of people after a global nuclear disaster. Build them a new home and ensure their survival in a shattered world, threatened by constant radiation, toxic rain, sandstorms and droughts.

🛠️☢️ Endzone: A World Apart | Ten Minute Taster | PC | PART 1 "It's Time To Rebuild The World" ☢️🛠️ @AssembleTeam #IndieGames #GameDev

Endzone is a post-apocalyptic survival city builder, where you start a new civilization with a group of people after a global nuclear disaster. 

Build them a new home and ensure their survival in a shattered world, threatened by constant radiation, toxic rain, sandstorms and droughts.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/933820/Endzone__A_World_Apart

🧠 Observer : System Redux | Gameplay | No Commentary | "Eat Their Dreams!" 🧠 @BlooberTeam #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Observer: System Redux 

EAT THEIR DREAMS

Using a device known as the Dream Eater, hack into the minds of the dead and dying to relive their final moments, to explore their fears and obsessions. Delve into these twisted neural mazes and search for clues that will help you find the elusive killer. But beware: the deeper you go, the greater the risk of losing your own sanity.

🧠 Observer: System Redux | Ten Minute Taster | PART II 🧠 @BlooberTeam #IndieGames #GameDev

 

BECOME A NEURAL DETECTIVE

You play as Daniel Lazarski, an elite investigator of the future portrayed by late cyberpunk icon Rutger Hauer. As an Observer, you hack into the minds of suspects to extract clues and evidence. Anything they felt, thought, or remembered can and will be used to solve your case.

🧟‍♂️ Outbreak: The Nightmare Chronicles | Review | Nintendo Switch | "claustrophobic, early survival horror tropes return" 🧟‍♂️ @deaddropstudios #GameDev #IndieGames

Game Title: Outbreak: The Nightmare Chronicles

Developer: Dead Drop Studios LLC

Platform Reviewed: Switch 

Rating: 6/10

Having recently played the preceding titles in Dead Drop Studios LLC’s Outbreak series, I was keen to see how the third entry would play out. As it turns out, this is more akin to the first in the series – Outbreak: The New Nightmare – in that the fixed camera angles and more claustrophobic, early survival horror tropes return. 

This is a good thing, though, as the studio has improved on a lot of irritations from that early game, although some issues do remain.