Blazing Trail (PS5) | REVIEW | An Unconventional Military Shmup

Blazing Trail, a game developed by Ratalaika Games and published by EastAsiaSoft, is an unconventional isometric military shoot 'em up. This isometric tank control take on vehicular combat has you, as one of two escaping Brazilian scientists driving from a terrorist owned facility in the combat vehicles they were forced to create in order to make sure said vehicles don't fall into the hands of said terrorists. What you get is a one to two player experience with a tacked on versus mode in which the base goal is to eradicate the enemy using three different projectiles, and two different types of mines all while rescuing other hostages for upgrades.

Kiborg (PS5) | REVIEW | A Badass Brawler Roguelike With Cybernetic Customization

Kiborg, a Sobaka Studio creation, is a roguelike beat 'em up wherein you control a man on a mission named Lee Morgan who is caught up in an alien prison, and made to fight mobs of enemies as he augments his body with enhanced cybernetic limbs for a televised spectacle. With fists, feet, two gun types, and a melee weapon he must preserve his life's energy while dealing death to his opponents or risk rinsing and repeating the run until he beats the final boss of this gruesome galactic gauntlet.

Peglin (PS5) | REVIEW | A Pachinko Roguelike With Heavy RNG

Peglin, developed by Red Nexus Games and published by Blitworks Games for consoles, is a creative fusion of pachinko-like mechanics and roguelike RPG mechanics. Soon to be released on PS5, it offers a unique spin on the addictive ball-bouncing gameplay popularized by Peggle, blending it with turn-based combat and randomized progression. 

NanoApostle (PS5) | REVIEW | A Dark Science Fiction Boss Rush Title With Indie Innovation

NanoApostle, developed by 18Light Game and published by PQube, is a dark sci-fi boss rush action game that hits the PS5 on April 24, 2025, after earlier releases on PC and Nintendo Switch. Set in a grim research facility, you play as Anita, a young girl augmented with sentient nanomachines called Apostle, fighting to escape by battling grotesque cybernetic experiments. With it's intense combat, striking pixel-art visuals, and unforgiving difficulty, NanoApostle aims to carve a niche in the boss rush subgenre alongside titles like Furi and Cuphead.

Once Upon A Puppet (PS5) | REVIEW | A Puppeteering Puzzle-Platformer With Heartfelt Theatrics

Once Upon A Puppet is a 2.5D puzzle-platformer developed by Flatter Than Earth and published by Daedalic Entertainment, released on April 23, 2025, for the PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Set in a whimsical, theater-inspired world, it follows the journey of Nieve, a disgraced stagehand, and Drev, a naive puppet, who are magically bound together by thread and must work as one to return to the "Frontstage" while uncovering the secrets of a kingdom in turmoil. With it's unique puppeteering mechanics and charming aesthetic, the game aims to blend classic platforming with creative puzzle-solving.

AI Limit (PS5) | REVIEW | A Dystopian Soulslike That Attempts to Push the Limits!!!

 AI Limit is an action RPG that hit the PlayStation 5 with high expectations, blending fast paced combat with a dystopian sci-fi aesthetic. Developed by Sense Games, it aims to carve a niche in the crowded Soulslike genre, offering players a challenging experience wrapped in a visually striking package.

SONOKUNI (Switch) | REVIEW | Slashing Through A Neon Nightmare

SONOKUNI crash-landed on the Nintendo Switch on March 31, 2025, bringing with it a whirlwind of biopunk chaos, Japanese mythology, and a hip-hop beat that hits harder than a katana to the gut. Developed by the audacious DON YASA CREW, a collective of seven Japanese rappers turned game creators, and published by Kakehashi Games, this indie gem is a sensory assault that dares you to keep up. Having spent several hours slicing through it's vivid world, I'm here to breakdown why this game is both a thrilling triumph and a frustrating fever dream.

Rendering Ranger: R² [REWIND] (PS5) | REVIEW | Run 'n Gun Meets Shmup In this Hybrid Retro Release

Retro Ranger: R² [REWIND], a Limited Run release published by Ziggurat Interactive, tries to emulate the nostalgia factor by reviving an old arcade style run 'n gunner and shoot 'em up hybrid. Delivering, in full for the first time within the US,  RRR² (The Super Famicom Release) and TARGA (The Original Japanese Version), alongside modernized gameplay customization options, screen filters, and a rewind function. Through the rewind feature alone the rerelease aims to correct the near impossible difficulty of the original experience. Where it shines in attempting to achieve this it also falters with some bugs, and gameplay issues tied to threat visibility and poor level design from that era of gaming. 

Dagger Froggy (PS5) | REVIEW | An Amphibian Led Assault On The Auto-Battler

Dagger Froggy, EastAsiaSoft's latest survivors-like indie, comes to us as an amphibian led assault on what it is to be an auto-battler. Taking away the automated attacks, and replacing them with manually operated twin stick controls that revolve around throwing and picking up daggers it has the main character, a cute little frog dealing damage to waves of enemies in a timed fashion with no bosses to account for, putting forth all the effort in survival. The challenge comes from the forced dodging, and dagger retrieving leaving the RNG of ability drops to pick up the slack in both offense and defense.