Tag: Indie

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Silence of the Sleep Review

Ed Spader ES, PC, Reviews

Any misplaced hopes that you might possess of Silence of the Sleep being an uplifting tale disintegrates in the opening moments when you witness the main character, Jacob Reeves, standing on the edge of a cliff pondering his existence. Having apparently nothing to live for, he jumps to what he considers his eminent mortal demise only to awaken in a dark room some time later in a shadowy netherworld known as “the Blackness.” Portraying Jacob, you must interact with the game’s dark environments and the denizens living out their eternities in the Blackness to find clues, solve puzzles and escape the numerous horrors awaiting you behind the next door. Read more …

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Kraven Manor Review

Ed Spader ES, PC, Reviews

It’s October, the scariest time of the year filled with the sights and sounds of ghouls, ghosts, witches and carved jack-o-lanterns. Fear is an innate emotion we all share, with some of us taking it upon ourselves to find and explore its concepts — if only to prove the fact that we can conquer and dispel it. Survival horror games are one such way to experience fear. Many of those I’ve played forced me to sleep with the lights on while others fizzled, providing only a few cheap thrills. Considering the time of the year, I thought a survival horror review was in order. Enter Kraven Manor, an indie budget title by Demon Wagon Studios recently released on Steam. Read more …

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Bile We Wait

Chris Smith Archive, CS

If I’m honest, I really want to write more articles about how awesome Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is. That, or more laughing at Microsoft, or possibly how much fun I’m having playing Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The latter is one of those games that I’ve owned for far too long without having played all the way through and I’m not letting it stay unfinished any longer. I have been loving every second of it and I both never want it to stop and desperately want to see the ending. I’m pretty sure that’s the sign of an amazing game.

But since I’ve written enough (probably too much) about FFXIV and I’ve only just done an article on the Xbone, I suppose something else is in order. There’s still nothing in particular to be writing about of course, so until something interesting happens, I’ll fall back on that limitless fount of content that dwells ever at the forefront of my mind: bile. Read more …

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Indie Saturation

Chris Smith CS, Editorials

I’ve made my views on “mobile” and “casual” games quite clear in the past: as a rule, I dislike them. They tend to exemplify the worst traits of gaming, from pay-to-win micro-transactions to virtually hijacking your online identity. These are the sort of games that ceaselessly tell all your friends what you’re playing, how you’re playing and wouldn’t THEY like to play? They are also generally poor quality overall, with shallow and repetitive gameplay and horrible graphics. Yet people lap them up, collectively spending millions of hours playing these pieces of crap. To each their own, I suppose.

What bothers me now is the recent surge in Indie titles being released all over the place. While the vast majority of them will be nothing like the worst offenders in the mobile world – blatant cash-grabs or advertising opportunities – there are still a few problems I’m beginning to see. Read more …

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Saturn 9

Joseph Butler-Hartley Horror Show, JB-H

In my opinion, space is probably the best setting for horror. You’re alone on a ship in which the large and vibrant crew have been scattered around various walls and table tops. It ensures a deep and foreboding sense of isolation. It’s a shame that certain recent popular horror games set in space have been about as scary as a pug wearing devil horns. Step up Saturn 9, and show everybody how it’s done. Read more …

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Kentucky Route Zero: Act I

Joseph Butler-Hartley JB-H, PC, Reviews

After The Walking Dead, when somebody says ‘point-and-click adventure game released episodically over five instalments’, there’s bound to be some undead-themed excitement brewing. As fantastic as the aforementioned game was, put zombies and horrific decisions to the back of your mind because aside from the format and genre, Kentucky Route Zero and The Walking Dead have seemingly little to nothing in common. Instead, get up at the wheel with a flask of milky tea and enjoy Kentucky Route Zero and my review of Act I. Read more …