GrimGrimoire OnceMore | PS4

Long before Harry Potter, and the wizarding world was ever a thing there existed Vanillaware's, "GrimGrimoire". A PS2 era tower defense and resource management game centered around a student named Lillet Blan, and a school for magicians known as the Silver Star. Much Like Harry Potter's own misadventures, Lillet Blan also found herself as the chosen one amidst a sinister plot to resurrect the infamous school's Archmage, and his army of demons.

Lillet enters the school as a fledgling apprentice eager to learn, and do right by her brothers. She meets her would be teachers at Silver Star, and in turn begins her studies of grimoires, and the ability to summon familiars of varying types using mana. First meeting with the elder headmaster then a devil, a cursed beast, and a necromancy professor before butting heads with the unleashed Archmage himself. Setting into motion a groundhogs' day worth of repeated encounters slowly helping Lillet and her trusted acquaintances find out the who, what, when, where, and why of the perplexing situation. Enabling Lillet to grow in power as she does what needs to be done to save the day.

Saga of Sins | Switch Review

Staying true to the biblical origins of sin, and playing out like a living stained glass world, we find in 'Saga of Sins', a kingdom known as Sinwell that has been decimated by the black death. A plague brought on by sinners, and their lack of repentance. The only hope for salvation there being a returning crusader named Cecil. A man of tested faith who finds out from his master Ulric that the only way to rid his people of the plague is to enter their minds as demonic manifestations. Turning into a werewolf, a gargoyle, and a griffin as well as other beasts as he does so. Using their abilities to conquer nightmarish realms of Heironymus Bosch inspiration while obtaining the forbidden fruit therein. Each realm coinciding with the person's sin, and that sin in turn being of the seven deadly sort. 

As he does his best to resist the ongoing temptations of Satan that haunt him Cecil faces his own demons, and questions his own place in the balance of good and evil. Coming to terms with the truth by the end of it all. Is he truly doing God's bidding by haunting the people with demonic visions, or is he aiding the devil in his end goal? These are the questions that Cecil must find out for himself ...

Pirates Outlaws | PS4 Review

It's high rolling high sea adventures with Blitwork's and Fabled Game's latest console port of the seafaring roguelike, "Pirates Outlaws"!!! A deckbuilding turn based battle for booty!!! Featuring class and ability based pirates and outlaws banking it all on bountiful boss fight laden excursions filled with all sorts of lucrative opportunities. Whether you're scouting for bounties, completing quests, or building upon your reputation you'll find plenty to satiate your unquenchable thirst for more on your journey out into the wild blue yonder. 

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem | PS4

In a blend of mmorpg, and arpg sub-genres with inspiration drawn from the creations of three genre pioneers, "Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" tries hard to make it's way into relevancy among the greats. What it brings to the table, and to the paying player is a Frankensteinian amalgamation of PoE (Path of Exile), Diablo 3, and Warhammer 40K's Inquisitor series.

It's basically a combination of slightly reworked systems from each of these three franchises inline with a story that also harbors hints of past creations. Coming together in such a way as to be somewhat more complicated, and less user friendly by comparison due to the amount of management options made available. Making access to features, and functions a cumbersome time consuming chore that eats away at half of the game's intended fun which is looting for builds via mob and boss battles. Culminating in a collective of conjoined content which is wholly centered around a deeply involved and ongoing religious conflict of fantastical proportions. 

Dredge | PS4 Review

Nothing goes together quite like Lovecraftian horror, and seafaring villages. In fact I'd be so bold as to say that Team17's latest fishing based sim, "Dredge", showcases this complimentary bond by taking some notes from the pages of Lovecraft's lore. Both the psychological, and otherworldly aspects of those literary works of horror ...

Featuring a capsized captain conveniently washed ashore on the docks of a coastal village known as Greater Marrow the story of 'Dredge' begins with a deal offered from the surprisingly expectant resident mayor. Trading a working ship for helping out the village the mayor sets the stage for the fisherman's journey into madness. Thus the fisherman hoists the anchor, and begins a seemingly fruitful career spanning across several island villages. Dredging the deep and shallows for fish, materials, and trinkets at the behest of those who would request such services from him. Unbeknownst to him though there are otherworldly things at play, and not just in the depths of the great below. Certain key characters harbor an unusual interest in the fisherman's exploits, and are more than willing to pay him for pursuing their odd requests. Each in their own personal way. 

Overloop | PS4 Review

Digerati's dystopian puzzle platformer, "Overloop" shows us a mirror image of our real world society so true that it comes off as being a stern warning as to why certain things should not be accepted. Science turned into a cultist religion being one of those very things. Something that would result in exactly what this game forecasts. 

As an inventor of a quantum replication device working for a certain Douglas Infinity you spearhead what is supposed to be a leap in scientific achievement so profound that it will change the world. This cloning gun, as one might expect, is at first hailed as a breakthrough for the betterment of life. Leading to an easier living for non-clones, and an overabundance of food for everyone. Sadly, this breakthrough quickly turns sour as the debate of what it is to be a living being arises among a laundry list of other issues that raise their ugly heads. Things like infertility through cloned food being among those issues. That, and the unquestioning worship of science as if it were a savior.

Post Void | PS4 Review

Post Void is a fever pitched and frenzied futile fight to the finish. A flashy first person shooter centered around a man/being longing for peace in the void, and a new beginning from within. Carrying a bleeding head in hand that is the life essence, and a gun with which he can kill and refill said life source the man/being ventures forth against all odds in an attempt to make it to the end of his suffering. Not pausing in his efforts, but relentlessly running forth against the clock and against the loss of life itself.

Trails to Azure | PS4 Review

NISA's and Nihon Falcom's "The Legend of Heroes" series is one of deep seeded political and religious intrigue. Centered around a district known as Crossbell, and it's militarized detective agency known as the SSS or Special Section Support it weaves a timeline of events revolving around key characters and corruption. Spanning multiple releases with their own unique take on combat and storytelling the series has maintained it's focus on flagship, and legacy characters while continuously building upon the established war between criminals and authority. Be it on the corrupt political front, involving the series' own brand of mafia, or the cult side of things wherein a drug called gnosis causes the demonic transformation of those who take it. The SSS continuously lending their services, in all these instances to thwart the plans of evil doers while looking after their own.

EvilUP | PS4 Review

Ratalaika's "EvilUp" is a rock solid RPG adventure presented in a board game fashion with a turn based, and roguelike focus. It features nine unique class specific heroes or heroines with distinct playstyles, and skill sets dependent upon the class archetype. Each of which have embarked on a journey across the lands to conquer dragons, and save the local townsfolk. Ultimately harvesting the winged serpents' power so that they can face off against the mother of all dragons. Through enemy clearing, looting, and survival these would be heroes, and heroines will be well suited for the challenges ahead. 

Little Witch Nobeta | PS4 Review

The merger between soulsborne and anime has finally been realized! Thanks to Idea Factory, and their onboard developers, "Little Witch Nobeta" gives anime fans a reason to celebrate! This cute cat guided story about an amnesiac witch on her way to a castle's throne has the player fighting along with her to discover her identity. Along the way the little witch encounters various castle residents who are out to stop her progress. Be it deadly soul infused denizens or wicked witches. Utilizing elemental magic for attack spells, and enchantments for traversal abilities she is able to bypass these roadblocks though. Collecting the fallens' souls when the job is done, and spending said souls to grow in power. Additionally finding clues of the past through hidden items that contain lore inclusive information. Bringing the wayward witch one step closer to sorting out her identity crisis.

LEAP | PS4 Review

With poor marketing efforts, and little light shed on "LEAP" from the gaming community this futuristic FPS with a mobility twist has fallen to the wayside not far from it's launch debut. While it is innovative, creative, and harbors precision gunplay with 3 unique ways to traverse a map it does not have the current player population to support it or warrant an investment from anyone looking to jump onboard. Even with two modes of play, four exo-suit classes to choose from, and larger scale modes comparative to games like Battlefield it still struggles to gain traction. In the following paragraphs I will go over the features in an attempt to enlighten you about it's contents, and what it offers at the current price point. Letting you decide for yourself whether or not it's something you'd like to get into ...

The Last Spell | PS4 Review

Ishtar Games', "The Last Spell" is a tactical turn based roguelike RPG all about the dangers of power. It takes place in a medieval fantasy world on the brink of total destruction brought on by magic gone awry. With the source of destruction coming from a mage looking to put the fear of war into the surrounding nations in order to stop war. By willfully unleashing a devastating purple flame through spell casting the mage raises an unsuspecting kingdom from the ground. Killing off all of it's peoples in the process including that of royal lineage. In doing so creating an adversary of a surviving king who lost his own family amidst the devastation. Thus causing said king to retaliate in kind through his own mages. Forming in the wake of the events a vicious cycle of death and war amongst neighboring kingdoms. Putting at risk all life.

In the midst of the ensuing and ongoing chaos the king's band of mages search for and eventually find in that search a spell that might just save what's left of their world. That spell being "The Last Spell". The end of all magic, if it were to be cast. The problem is only a handful of heroes exist willing to protect these heroic mages as they do their required casting ritual. An undertaking that takes time, and focus. Something the people have very little of considering the nightly unleashed plague of clawers that are sent against the would be saviors ...

Zapling Bygone | PS4 Review

In JanduSoft's, "Zapling Bygone" we find a planet sized hive minded entity known as the Zap on a quest to win a war against an encroaching parasite that seeks to devour both the living and the dead across the universe. With the Zap keeping the balance between life and death by consuming the dead this parasitic threat will effectively kill off it's existence, and disrupt that harmony altogether. 

As a Zapling sent out on a history seeking quest among dead planets from the Zap hive mind itself you must find out the facts through found fossils while fighting off the relentless scavengers left behind by bleeding them dry of their plasma. Utilizing spilt blood as a means of traversing biomes while collecting memories, relic abilities, and skulls that will gift new means for further exploration.

Gunman Tales | PS4 Review

Retro inspired indie game "Gunman Tales" from Ratalaika Games is a tough as nails turn based party game, and arcade shooting gallery experience made for one to four players. It features three modes of play with rules tied to treasure hunting, looting, and shooting. Playing as one of four functionally different pistol packing bounty hunters with special abilities you'll encounter helpful townsfolk, and an Indian Shaman as you take on wild western enemies while searching for missing pieces of a map that leads to a legendary treasure. Taking turns each day to explore action stages as the moon cycles, and the threat of werewolves grows imminent. Acquiring items and coin, in turn, that will aid you in your quest. Assisting in your attempt to beat three other bounty hunters to the prize, and make off with the haul.

Pretty Girls Breakers! PLUS | PS4

Brick breaking games are nothing new. Atari started the genre back in the 70's, and since then copycat clones have emerged a dime a dozen on various platforms. Each featuring different gimmicks that build upon the basic premise that is brick breaking with a pong style paddle. What if I were to tell you that EastAsiaSoft has created such a game that gives Atari's version a run for it's money? A brick breaking game with pretty anime girls, two modes of play, and an innovative scoring system tied to several different features? Well, buckle up my friends, because that game is here and for under $10!!! It's called, "Pretty Girls Breakers! PLUS" ...

BROK the InvestiGator | PS4

This game marks the first time I think I've ever seen a point and click hybrid of this nature. COWCAT Games does good in giving to us, through this blending of oddly paired genres, a crime solving action brawler with a crocodilian cyber sleuth as it's lead protagonist. Brok the Croc, in his dystopian future world, leads the gamer through chapter after chapter of interactive environments, and character inclusive conversations from the animal kingdom he is a part of. 

Haunted by a hellish nightmare of a lost wife, Brok does his best to make ends meet for him and his son. This entails taking on detective jobs for the Slumers and Drumers. A hierarchy of poor and elite governed by questionable authorities, and a government surveillance state. Rife with true to life goings on like religion, as well as moral and ethical dilemma Brok finds himself entrenched in others' affairs. Helping paid, and non-paid clients solve their issues. This is accomplished with everything seamlessly interconnected through easy map travel, on scene exploration, and puzzle solving. That, and quickly applied combat transition for battles that occur. All unfolding a case at a time and effecting Brok as well as those he holds dear as he fights the good fight.