Vessels of Decay (PS5) | REVIEW | Scandinavian Soulslike About Life & Death

HeadUp's Vessels of Decay is a post-apocalyptic action RPG set in a dying world steeped in Scandinavian folklore. It stars two sisters named Freya and Mud who aim to restore their dead mother to the realm of the living. The only way to do this is through a vessel of decay, a shaman who uses decay to rejuvenate life. Centered wholly around this theme you'll take turns playing as each sister in a joint adventure that has them facing off against supernatural creatures using a sword, and earned powers through said enemy encounters. All of which will alter the way in which you traverse the world, solve the puzzles therein, and eventually meet up with the vessel of decay.

Chronicles of the Wolf (PS5) | REVIEW | The Castlevania Clone That Cried Wolf

Castlevania, and Metroid were the two games, and series that sparked the video game genre known as Metroidvania. Since their inception there have been plenty of games with similar mechanics as those found in said Metroidvanias. All of which include inspired features that have attempted to pay homage and sometimes surpass these trendsetters. Some have managed to improve upon what these flagship games have accomplished and others have fallen short into the realm of mediocrity. 

Dare I say it, but "Chronicles of the Wolf" falls under the latter category. Though developed by obviously passionate creators, and having worthwhile talent onboard alongside an indie collaboration with Bloodstained's developer this Castlevania clone does little to be as inspiring as that which inspired it. It comes off as being a crude nostalgia trip that should have been modernized to make it worth the effort and the money.

Skull Kid (PS5) | REVIEW | Roguelike Arena Brawler With Soul . . .

If life teaches us anything it is that immortality in a world full of the living is overrated. History tends to repeat itself in the worst ways, and being around for each historical cataclysm or reset would be an absolute nightmare. This is something the protagonist of Skull Kid learns firsthand. As a member of a cult that sought to bury the mechanism that dealt in life and death for the gain of immortality he sets forth to restore that very device so that life and death can once again run it's course. This endeavor entails going down deep into eight layers of an ancient well that requires the aid of three souls to access. Each layer being guarded by it's own assortment of creatures. Creatures that must be culled for their soul energy in order to gain access to the next layer down.

Keeper's Toll (PS5) | REVIEW | The Vampire Survivors Killer!?

You've heard of Vampire Survivors, right? The indie invention that spear-headed the survivors-like trend amongst indie devs? Well, I'd like to introduce to you a potential Vampire Survivors killer. That game being Keeper's Toll. With Keeper's Toll nothing is really new with the set-in-stone formula, but it is better in a lot of ways, regardless. 

In Keeper's Toll you have access to six different classes of characters. Each with their own gameplay gimmicks in tow. This and four larger than life maps with unique themes, looting opportunities, and a variety of animated monsters and creatures that really set a new standard for this genre. In fact it's the massive variety of enemies, their quality design, the fun to play characters, and the ability to play longer than you would in other survivors-likes that sets Keeper's Toll apart from the competition.