Tag: Games

Hauntsville PlayStation 5 Review

Hauntsville on PlayStation 5 was sent my way by Indie Io, which I always appreciate. Hauntsville was actually created by one person, by the name of Michael Janisch. So if you happen to read this, please don’t take anything I say as how I feel about you as a person. I can’t do what you do.

First, let’s get what I like about the game out of the way. I love the concept here. Trapped in the wild west, monsters stalking the area, a town haunted by a creature because it was built on a cemetery. This just screams amazing horror story. Added to this its a survival game that isn’t punishing for no reason in terms of having to eat and drink? I love that the game treats eating and drinking like eating and drinking.

The monsters are also kind of nice, I think, as well. While the game isn’t the best looking, there is a pretty nice variety of things lurking around. I pretty quickly ran into what appears to be a flaming werewolf, a banshee, and a few different skeleton-looking things. It was pretty cool.

Sadly, this is basically where the game falls to pieces. The game is beyond janky to the point I would struggle to get in the doors to the bases I built. Combat is not only shallow, I felt like I was playing an old PlayStation 2 game. Short also would be an understatement, as the game has around 3 weapons and about 3-5 hours of gameplay. This comes with a price point of $19. This is insane to me, considering the amount of similar games you can get for around the same price or slightly more that are just flat out better. This is a 4/10 experience you are better off skipping, even on a deep sale. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Acclaim and Wabisabi Games Take the Slopes by Storm With New HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate Gameplay Trailer

During BitSummit in Kyoto, Japan, publisher Acclaim, Inc. unveiled an all-new gameplay trailer for HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate, the explosive new arcade snowboarding game making its way to PC and all major consoles. 
Developed by Mexican indie studio Wabisabi Games (RKGK / Rakugaki), HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate pays homage to the fast-paced gameplay and trick-fueled action of classics like SSX and Jet Grind Radio.
“As Mexican 90s kids, we grew up watching anime on national TV and playing Japanese games nonstop,” said Anward Noriega, CEO and co-founder of Wabisabi Games. “We’ve always been deeply in love with Japanese pop culture, so having the chance to showcase HYPERyuki to a Japanese audience at BitSummit truly feels like a full-circle moment.”
The HYPERyuki BitSummit trailer carves through the competition with unmatched style, showcasing the game’s diverse roster of snowboarders, a selection of snowy locales to shred your way through, and more gravity-defying tricks than you can shake a snowboard at.

Key Features

  • Challenge – Think you have what it takes to impress? In Challenge mode you’ll have to complete objectives to hit the highest score possible. Ride rails, collect trinkets, and hit impressive tricks to top the leaderboard.
  • Race – Speed down the slopes against NPCs or other players in this fast-paced game mode. Tricks will increase your boost meter, making style and speed an important balance.
  • Chill – Enjoy a calm experience, hang around the tracks, and enjoy the view in this endless mode. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even find some secrets along the way!
  • Multiplayer – Compete against friends both online and in person! Play online with up to seven of your friends or play local multiplayer through split screen.
  • Shred – Bomb the slopes as a sentient snowboarding taco!

Thrifty Business Steam Review

Thirfty Business was sent my way by Spellgarden Games, which is always appreciated. The game and concept are very simple: you run your very own thrift store. Every day you get new stock, set up the shelves, decide where to place items, and check out customers. It is, however, done in a very cozy way. You won’t be worried about hitting buttons on a cash register or setting prices.

That isn’t to say what you do doesn’t matter. Where you place items definitely seems to matter. If you toss toys and kitchen stuff on the same shelf next to each other, people are less likely to buy them. Customers also love to toss garbage on the floor, so make sure you clean it up; this also upsets them.

Getting to know your customers is also a very nice touch. The only real issue I have with the game is less of an issue with the game and is more of an issue with me, and that is, you will quickly run out of things to do. Now, for $13, I don’t expect a huge amount of content, and for many, the amount of content available is just fine. There are hours of collecting and setting up your shop to do. How much fun that actually will depend on you. It is sitting at very positive reviews for a good reason. The game is colorful, and the game loop is going to be a love or hate it thing. If you love to collect things and relax, this game will be something you love. If you want an in-depth sim, you will want to look elsewhere. This is an 8/10 title. While I wasn’t a huge fan, I can see why many people love it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past Announced For 2027

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past Announced

CD PROJEKT RED today announced that a third expansion to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling role-playing games of all time, is coming next year.

Snapshot

  • Songs of the Past is a third expansion coming to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • It will launch in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
  • CD PROJEKT RED is co-developing Songs of the Past with Fool’s Theory
  • Songs of the Past will return players to the role of legendary monster slayer Geralt of Rivia for a brand new adventure when it launches in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

CD PROJEKT RED is co-developing the expansion with Fool’s Theory, a team comprising industry veterans who worked on The Witcher 3. More details on Songs of the Past will be released in late summer 2026.

The Witcher 3 has sold more than 60 million copies since its release in 2015 and is the winner of more than 250 Game of the Year awards and 1,000 industry awards. It lets players explore a dark fantasy open world as witcher Geralt of Rivia as he takes on the most important contract of his life: saving his daughter Ciri.

More information about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can be found on its official website as well as Facebook, Bluesky, and X.

BREAK THE CYCLE AND REWRITE YOUR DESTINY! REALM OF INK OUT NOW

About Realm of Ink

Realm of Ink is a fast-paced, ink-washed action roguelite where the line between fate and freedom begins to blur. As Red pursues the Fox Demon, she discovers she exists inside a story not of her own making, and the only path to freedom is rebellion.

In this living manuscript, every death reshapes the narrative. Players unlock new combat forms, supernatural abilities, and evolving Story Relics that transform each run into a new battle for survival. Along the way, they will confront powerful bosses guarding the truth behind the Ink Realm and encounter more than 20 mythical beings inspired by Chinese folklore and literature. 

With every slash, revelation, and rebirth, players move closer to breaking the cycle and writing their own ending.

Key Features

  • Endless Cycles & Rebirth – Break free from prewritten fate as you unlock powerful new forms with every run. Harness the Fox Demon’s immortal abilities, uncover evolving Story Relics, and challenge four unique bosses standing between you and the truth.
  • Creative, Fierce & Fluid Combat – Master 9 distinct combat forms and weapons, each with unique playstyles. Equip more than 40 elemental Ink Gems to forge devastating synergies and enhance your build with 200+ unlockable perks and artifacts.
  • Evolving Ink Pets – Fight alongside deadly Ink Pets capable of evolving into more than 15 unique forms depending on your chosen Ink Gem combinations and combat style.
  • A Vibrant Eastern Fantasy World – Explore four atmospheric realms inspired by Chinese folklore, battle more than 20 mythical creatures, and uncover hidden stories through lore encounters and character interactions.

Prepare to defy destiny and rewrite the story. Realm of Ink is out now on PC V1.0 via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.

How My Review Scoring Works

Recently, I was asked how my scoring system works. This is a fair question, considering I always consider myself quite transparent. For example, plenty of companies send me review keys, and I always reveal this, and those are the games I give real scores to. I feel like this helps people know the difference between a game I am simply playing and a game I am reviewing. A fail-safe, if you will, if you happen to miss me thanking the company for the game, you will see the score. If you see neither, you know I am just playing a game. Also, I’m adding random ferret pictures for your enjoyment.

Also, I judge games based on what is expected. I will never compare a $20 indie title against a $60 AAA title. I didn’t review these games as I was not sent copies, nor are these the scores I would give them. But IF I said Final Fantasy 7 Remake was an 8 and Vampire Survivors was a 9, that does NOT mean Vampire Survivors is a better game; it simply means Vampire Survivors is a better game than what one would expect from an indie game at that price point.

Now, how did I come up with the actual numbers? Basically, my scale is 1-10, with a 1 being the lowest score possible. I have never been sent a 1, but a 1 would have to be quite literally unplayable and have no redeeming qualities. This would be the type of game that proves God is dead, and this is the weapon that killed it. It would have to crash constantly, have no story, or make no sense, falling through the levels. It is hard to describe how bad this would have to be.

Now in the middle is a 5. This means the game functions as intended for the most part. The game has no or an acceptable amount of issues that don’t prevent someone from enjoying the game. I have been sent a few of these. The concepts in the game are nice, but they aren’t done better or worse than anything else out there, and the game does nothing interesting, but it also doesn’t do anything wrong. It is a fun playthrough, at least it will be for some people. You are probably better off waiting for a sale than risking your hard-earned money.

I have never been sent a 10; these games are damn near perfect. Anything wrong with them is being nitpicky to the point that it is meaningless to bring it up. These are the holy grail of gaming, and very few of these exist in my opinion. One of my biggest pet peeves in the game reviewing community is how often people toss this score out there. Almost every time I have ever bought a “Perfect 10” game, I have been left feeling lied to. Some deserve it absolutely; Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 are legendary, for example. Baldur’s Gate 3, for as good as it was, was not a 10. Phantom Pain was also not a 10. Anyway, I digress; that is essentially how it works. Depending on how bad or good things like glitches, music, and graphics are, or just how fun the game is, determines where I move it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory. Also, I hope you enjoyed the ferrets.

Psyvariar 3 Xbox Review

Psyvariar 3 was sent my way by Red Art Games, something I always appreciate. First, a little good news, bad news. Bad news, Psyvariar 3 takes place many years after Psyvariar 2, and the stories are connected. Good news, it doesn’t really matter. Reading the game’s description, or my review, will catch you right up. Basically, a group of people decided Earth was too important to leave abandoned and went back and resettled it. Now an alien signal sends everyone off to war. I am, of course, paraphrasing.

Ok, now that the story is out of the way, which let’s be honest, I can’t be the only one that didn’t care, I just wanted to fly cool ships and blow stuff up. With 7 playable characters and Cotton from the Cotton series to fly around as each with their own way of shooting and their own bomb type, there are plenty of ways to play. On top of this there are numerous game modes, ranging from arcade to quicker mission based modes.

The gameplay felt a bit, odd to me however. You don’t really collect power ups and level up in the typical way. See you get “buzzed” by enemy fire, this is essentially getting hit but not quite hit to gain shields and levels that power you up. This is basically skilled flying giving you an advantage. It takes a lot of getting used to, and at times it felt like what counted as getting “buzzed” one time got you blown up the next. This may have been on me, but sometimes it felt more luck based than skill based. That isn’t to say the game isn’t fun, I had plenty of fun with it.

More importantly, the game stacks up well against games at a much higher price point while this one cost less than $20. For fans of the genre this is easy to recommend. it is a 8/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Florist-Gardens of Death gameplay trailer

So once again I came across a game channeling some old school horror vibes ala the Tortured Souls series. Admittedly this game gives off a huge, classic Resident Evil 1 vibe with the scenery. What I think is cool is the idea of killer plants and plant monsters. In that regard I was getting a lil bit of Poison Ivy’s section of Batman: Arkham Asylum feel too. The tank camera is a lil bit of a con but if the game is smoother, I’ll be ok with it. In the end, I’d definately would keep on eye out for it when it comes to PS5. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ledgerbound, the comedy tactical RPG from former Helldivers 2 leads comes to Steam on 14th July!

Get your paperwork in order, because Ledgerbound’s launching on Steam on 14th July! The turn-based tactical RPG, featuring comedic writing from Helldivers 2’s former Narrative Director, blends tactical party-based combat, bureaucratic worldbuilding, and very peculiar love interests to romance (all HR approved, of course.)


Processing paperwork and saving the world may seem like the most crucial tasks ahead, but even Employee-of-Every-Month Rayna knows that love is worth fighting for. Meet the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the new Release Dating Announcement trailer:

About the game:

Life as an insurance adjuster was fantastic: overtime, exceeding quotas, denying claims and increasing profits for the Shareholders’ benefits. But when world-shattering tragedy strikes, it’s your turn to step onto the battlefield as a company-sponsored Hero. With a quest to fulfill, goals to hit, and a peculiar party of characters to join you in battle and get to know in a (HR-approved) dating simulator, overtime is looking likely.

Features:

  • Pencil Pusher: Explore the bureaucratic realm of Eldarra, where corporate culture reigns supreme.
  • Compelling coworkers: Form a D&D style party of allies, and deepen relationships over time.
  • Workplace romance: Grow even closer to your party via the HR-approved dating simulator.
  • Turn-based combat: Conquer all who stand in your way with a Rock Paper Scissors battle mechanic.
  • Quarterly bonus: Trade in a company vouchers for stat-boosting corporate swag

Directive 8020 PlayStation 5 Review

Directive 8020 was sent my way by Supermassive Games, and anyone who has played their games knows they are sort of hit and miss, even for their fans. They are narrative-heavy cinematic games, and while they are all beautiful, if you don’t get sucked into the story, all is pretty much lost. I thought Until Dawn was fantastic, but The Quarry left me feeling meh. So, how does Directive 8020 stack up?

Well, like many sci-fi games, Earth is dying, and you are on a crewed ship sent to find a new home. Tau Ceti F seems to be a good place to look, 12 light-years from home. You start playing as one character to set you up, and you will see different viewpoints as the story unfolds. Some may live, and some may die; this is up to the choices you make. Luckily, with the new turning point system, this is easier than ever. You can see branching paths easier than ever. I love this system because I can make a choice, see what happens, then simply go back and see what happens the other way. You can realistically see everything the game offers in around 20-30 hours, depending on how you play. You can also just play straight through like a movie in about 9.

I don’t want to get to indepth with the story; anything I say will involve plenty of spoilers. The game looks great on base PSS5, however. There are plenty of things for people who want to explore and discover more of the story, but if you want to just blaze straight from plot point to plot point, feel free; the game makes this pretty easy to do. This brings me to my only real sticking point with the game. While the atmosphere is tense and the music and sound are top-notch, they, for some reason, feel the need to use jump scares more than they need to. It isn’t really a lot, admittedly, but they never really had to. The story does an amazing job building tension, and cheap jump scares took away from that for me, especially when they were so telegraphed at where they would be.

The game is great, all the same, it won’t bring new fans into the genre, but it is a 9/10 for existing fans. This is Supermassive Games at their best. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.