Well Played

• PS4
• 8 / 10
• Australie

Sessions with BPM: Bullets Per Minute always left me with my hands aching, my heart racing and my ears filled with the glory of sweet, sweet metal. Initial runs were embarrassing and frustrating, but the gradual sense of discovery of the game’s systems and the increasing knowledge of enemies’ attack patterns and combinations made me feel like each run things were becoming a little easier. You’re at the mercy of lady luck to some extent, with certain factors in the early game going a hell of a long way to setting up the recipe for success, but if you’re up for a roguelike with a twist then Bullets Per Minute is a great time. At any rate, the gift of metal will be bestowed upon thee. Rejoice!

• PC
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie

Really, it’s parents and their very young kids that are the target audience of Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan. RPG veterans and Fortnite students may reel at the adorable visuals and simple gameplay, but those looking to simply spend time with their lil’ loved ones will forgive the sacrifices made for the game’s undeniably great accessibility.

• PC
• 6 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 5.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS4
• 5.5 / 10
• Australie

A Juggler’s Tale is almost the game it thinks it is, peaking at the potential highs of a narratively-complex side-scroller with a unique twist on how you engage with the world around you. In falling short the way it does it won’t leave you entirely wanting, there is fun to be had and wonders to marvel at in its beautiful world. But a limited runtime and unrealised script make Abby’s quest for freedom a little too caught up in its own strings.

• PC
• 6 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

• XSX/S
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie

A question that comes to mind, and perhaps part of the reason I found In Sound Mind to be a bit polarising, is how do you pinpoint the value of a horror game that somewhat fails to be scary? Because despite its shortcomings there’s an enjoyable action-adventure game behind the cheap thrills and inconsistent ambience. The puzzles are varied, iterating on each mechanic introduced, and exploring the dreamlike worlds is a real pleasure. I guess, as with most media, you have to judge it as a whole rather than any one individual element. In Sound Mind is thus the message it preaches, flawed but fixable. So if you have a calloused flight or fight response from scarier games, you’ll probably find more fun in the adventure game side of things. If you’re prone to easy scares though, In Sound Mind could be just the right amount of scary for you.

• PC
• 9 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 8 / 10
• Australie

If I had to pick one word to summarise my opinion of Medieval Dynasty, it would be “investment”. I really enjoyed my time in its gorgeous valley and I’ll no doubt keep coming back to watch things grow when I feel like chilling out, but the initial amazement of its deep systems has slightly worn off for now. Thankfully, the developers are fairly active, already announcing a content roadmap and that they plan to continue to support the game by adding new features in the future. If you enjoy things moving at a slower pace, long-term payoffs, and you are a fan of games like Ark: Survival evolved, Conan Exiles and Green Hell, this is a game for you. If nothing else, creating my town from absolutely nothing definitely satisfied that primitive impulse in my brain.

• PS5
• 7.5 / 10
• Australie

• SWITCH
• 10 / 10
• Australie

• XSX/S
• 8.5 / 10
• Australie

• PS5
• 9.5 / 10
• Australie

Souls-like games have never been my thing, so I was a little apprehensive going into Tails of Iron as I have had to wave the white flag before. But I am glad I took on the challenge because Tails of Iron’s mix of medieval storybook art, Souls-inspired combat and Geralt of Rivia’s voice makes for an incredible experience – one of the best of the year.

• XSX/S
• 6.5 / 10
• Australie

• PC
• 8 / 10
• Australie

There’s something great about being able to turn on a game for one or two hours at a time and just smile and jam out. SkateBIRD gives you the chance to channel your inner Tony Hawk in the most adorable and fun five-to-seven hour arcade style experience that I’ve played in a while. It’s a simple game about a birb trying to help out their Big Friend by skating their little heart out, what isn’t there to like?

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Australie