Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Xbox Series X Review 8.5/10 "New life to an old soul" ⚔️🔥 @AspyrMedia #IndieGame #GameDev

A quarter of a century on from the first release included here (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, 1999), Aspyr continue their mission of updating vintage classics for a modern audience. With this title, they have created such a celebration of the Legacy of Kain series that is so rich with a treasure trove of historic goodies that it’s almost sure to please fans of the franchise, and it will certainly be an important release for a lot of people that hold the games dear.

Tetris Forever PC Review 8/10 "The Story Is the Star" 💣 @DigitalEclipse #Retrogaming

My Tetris is Nintendo Game Boy era Tetris. Once you had that chunky Game Boy in your hand and a copy of Tetris inserted into the back of that pocket gem it meant that was all you were going to play for the next 6 months until the kid at school who had 15 game carts was able to lend you another game to play on your Game Boy.

Tetris Forever fills in the gaps of what came before Nintendo's 1989 Tetris and also what came after. During this wonderful character led journey Digital Eclipse prove once again that they are the masters of the interactive video game documentary.

Taito Milestones 3 Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A Glorious Collection of Classics" 👾 @TAITO @TaitoCorp #Retrogaming

The third entry in Taito’s ‘Milestone’ series, this selection of solid gold feels the strongest overall in terms of the games included here.

The ten games included are Bubble Bobble (1986), Rainbow Islands (1987), Rastan Saga (1987), Rastan Saga 2 (1988), Dead Connection (1992), Cadash (1989), Champion Wrestler (1989), Runark (1990), Warrior Blade (1991), and Thunder Fox (1990).

49 Keys Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 🗝️ @2Pcom @49chiavi

A game based on a celebrated Italian gamebook titled ‘49 Chiavi’, released in 2022, 49 keys has been adapted for consoles adapted by the original author, and hits all the right notes as a slow-burning text-heavy adventure title.

Set in 1520, your character travels to a distant abbey - following the last wishes of your former master - on a quest to unveil the secrets held within. Presented as if in the form of an ancient manuscript, 49 keys features incredibly evocative writing, crisp visuals and puzzles that will get your grey matter pulsating. Keening, aching music will accompany you as you make your way around the island, collecting items and taking notes – all the while getting closer to the centre of the mystery.

Mining Mechs Xbox Review 7.5/10 "A budget title that drills down deep into the well of fun" ⛏️ @DelayedVictory_ @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

It’s always fun to cover smaller games that are under a fiver, as it’s always pleasant to be surprised by a game that may otherwise have passed me by. Mining Mechs is a game that was released on Steam in 2023 and has now been ported to consoles. I played Mining Mechs on the XSX, and was quite won over by the core gameplay loop, surprisingly catchy music, silly humour, and pixel visuals.

EDGE OF SANITY Xbox Series X review 7/10 "Is that a horrible tentacled thing ahead?" 🐙 @Vixa_Games #GameDev #IndieGame

Edge of Sanity is a game that brings together those obvious bedfellows of Lovecraftian horror and inventory management.

I jest, slightly, given that this is a survival horror, which is very much in keeping with a lot of games inspired by HP himself. Set in the wilds of Alaska following a mysterious industrial accident, you play Carter, sent in by the company to find out what's happened and, possibly, save the day.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage Xbox Review 8.5/10 "Gory, gruesome, and great fun!" 😼🛹 @GoriCarnage @AngryDemonGames @wiredp #IndieGame #GameDev

I’d been following the development of Gori: Cuddly Carnage for a while, and was hoping that the promised blend of cutesy innocence and uber-violence, combined with the neon, graphic-novel visuals would scratch my turbo-arcade itch...and yes, yes it has.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem Xbox Review 7/10 "Stunt fun for the young ‘uns" 🔥🛻 @GameMillEnt @3DClouds #Indie #GameDev

As the father of a three year old, I’m very familiar with Hot Wheels, and, whilst the Hot Wheels Unleashed games are a permanent fixture on my Xbox, the promise of a game more suited to the monster truck side of things – and with a simpler, more child-centric focus – was definitely tickling my gherkins.

Moving away from the primarily race-driven previous Hot Wheels games,  Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem instead leans towards – as the title suggests – stunts in various arenas.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A highlight reel of classic late ‘90s platformers" 🐲 @GamesVea #IndieGame #GameDev

I’d never heard of Nikoderiko: The Magical World before receiving it for review, but within seconds of playing, I knew exactly what treats I was in for. This is very much a game that tips its hat to titles such as Donkey Kong Country, and Crash Bandicoot, as we follow the adventurous mongoose duo Niko and Luna as they try to retrieve a magical artefact from the devious Grimbald and his army of ‘Cobrings’. 

A Night on the Farm Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A bite-sized slice of spookiness" 👨‍🌾👽 @FrozenFlameInt #IndieGame #Horror #GameDev #IndieGameDev

Frozen Flame Interactive deliver us a mysterious tale that follows the events of a car crash at night. Our protagonist begins the tale by clambering out of their wrecked vehicle before heading off into the night, happening across a seemingly abandoned farm.

What follows is a short romp around the farm and its grounds, as you find out more about the strange notes and items that you find scattered in this lonely locale.

Horror Tales: The Beggar | Xbox Review 8/10 “It’s Morvin Time” 👽 @CarlosGameDev #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev

Horror tales: The Beggar begins with introducing the titular Beggar a human(ish) creature who has been locked away. Now freed by a helpful robot he claims he will guide you out and help you on your way.

You notice very quickly the world is broken and has been for a very long time, you will find little sign of life, unluckily for the Beggar there is one being that follows him Morvin a product of his own imagination who isn't particularly friendly and will happily attack you on sight, luckily you have powers which are introduced as the game goes on, so you aren't completely helpless when old Morvin turns up, you have the power of telekinesis so not only can you move objects that are in your way, you can also hurl objects at your stalker, which after you have hurled enough objects at him you will get some respite and can continue traversing the fractured world.

Rewind or Die PS5 Review 8/10 “The Good Stuff” 📼 @PuppetCombo @torturestar #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev #HorrorCommunity

Puppet Combo games have been my jam, I think I have reviewed one of their games every month for the last several months (I have another in the pipeline already, for next month). 

I’ve enjoyed every game, and the last few releases have been some of their most diverse - with Lakeview Cabin Collection being a side scroller and The Glass Staircase being a PS2 zombie horror inspired by classic Italian films. 

Rewind or Die gets back to what I imagine when I think of Puppet Combo - A grubby, dirty slasher-inspired romp with PS1 style graphics mixed with VHS. It’s not only what I think of… it’s what I love.

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Xbox Series X Review 7/10 "Formulaic Fun" 🏹 @emberlab #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev

Hey you! Yeah, you! You like platforming games, yeah? And a bit of puzzling floats your boat? How about a bit of combat to keep things interesting? Yeah? You like that? Well then, step right this way, I’ve got something I think you might enjoy, even if you’ve probably played it before. 

CONSCRIPT Xbox Review 8/10 "It captures the grinding, stifling atmosphere of war really, really well" ☠️ @ConscriptGame #IndieGame #GameDev #IndieGameDev

War is hell. Thus spoke US Civil War veteran General William T. Sherman, and, let's face it, he's not wrong. Conscript is a top-down pixel-art survival horror set during World War I, specifically the 1916 Battle of Verdun. 

You control young French soldier Andre, slogging through unending miles of trenches and bunkers ridden with sucking mud, enemy soldiers, rats and mustard gas, in search of your captured brother Pierre and a safe return home.

Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "Detective Guy and his canine sidekick Cleo return to Switch!" 🕵️ @HitherYonGames #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev

Back in November 2023 I covered the first title in the ‘Murder is Game Over’ series, a fun title created in RPG Maker that puts you in the shoes of Detective Guy and his trusty canine sidekick Cleo as they work together to solve the murder of the eccentric video game designer ‘Lord’ Russell Gallant.

It’s a title that can be completed in a couple of hours, but the blend of basic fact-finding and breezy investigative work – bulked up a dog-treat collecting mini-game – made for a light evening of easy, crime-solving fun. 

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Xbox Review 8/10 "Satisfying Combat and more frowning men than you can shake a stick at" ⚔️ @Focus_entmt #SpaceMarine2

There are certain franchises that can feel quite overwhelming to jump into if you haven’t been involved with them since the start, the Warhammer 40k franchise has been on the periphery for me for decades; yes, I’ve dabbled with the board games and a handful of scattered video games along the way, but as for the lore and terminology? 

Mate, I don’t know my Ultramarine from my Burnt Umber.

Thief Simulator 2 Xbox Review 7/10 "Out on the nick, again!" 🦸 @ULTGames #IndieGames #IndieGameDev #GameDev

The Thief Simulator games have been on my radar for a few years now. I played the original on Switch, and - whilst it was a flawed game - there was a bizarre moreish-ness and sense of fun to just, well… going out on the nick, quite frankly. 

This is a game made by one individual which is very commendable, but – as with a lot of 3D open-world titles made by incredibly small teams - also falls into the usual issues of overreaching its grasp in some areas - much like the Autobahn Police Simulator series does. 

However, games such as these often stand out for me and become real pleasures to play.

Yes, they may not be smooth, tight or polished experiences - but there’s a vision, charm and idiosyncrasy that makes these sorts of games a very memorable experience that more often than not resonate with me as a player.

Lakeview Cabin Collection PS5 Review 8.5/10 “A Love Letter To Classic Horror” 🔪🏚️ #indieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev

Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, all giant staples of the slasher genre. Large, masked angry men on a mission to gut mostly teenagers - but they are happy to brutalise pretty much anyone. 

Whilst watching one of these films we've all thought, ‘what a stupid man, don’t drop your weapon, and then go into the basement blindfolded after just having sex while telling everyone “I’ll be right back’, that's a great way to get killed! 

I would definitely know what to do if a hulking, masked, machete-wielding maniac appeared suddenly in my house, I’m super smart and would not panic, or give into my fear, I would 100 percent survive, and would wipe the floor with those stupid hulking maniacs.

Just Crow Things Xbox Review 8/10 "Welcome to the Poopy Party" 🐦‍⬛ @UnboundCreation #IndieGame #IndieGameDev #GameDev

I find real pleasure in diving into games that are suitable for all the family, especially those that have a humorous streak running through them. My three-year-old is a bit of a litmus test when it comes to the child-friendly titles I cover here at GF, and when Just Crow Things came on, he was intrigued, but when he found out there was a poop button? He was sold.

From Unbound Creations – the team behind Rain On Your Parade – Just Crow Things ostensibly casts you in the role of a young crow that is on a quest to get her sunglasses back from bullies, but the real meat of the game is just having fun and causing carnage throughout the game’s stages. 

Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand Xbox Review 7.5 / 10 "Atlas falls, and rises again!" ⚔️ @Deck13_de @Focus_entmt #IndieGame #GameDev

Atlas Fallen is the newest release from Deck13 - the team behind Lords of the Fallen and the Surge series – and, whilst it was initially released in 2023 to mixed reviews, this free update to the Reign of Sand edition aims to fix some key issues that affected the initial release, namely:

• An expanded world
• New enemies and challenges
• Revamped progression
• New quests
• Reworked voice acting
• Additional difficulty mode and a New Game+ mode

I didn’t cover the initial release and so can’t really do direct comparisons; and so I’ll review the Reign of Sand version of Atlas Fallen completely on its own merits.