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We’re always looking for the next interesting thing as gamers, whether it be new mechanics or a blending of styles we haven’t seen before. This could be on account of two things. Firstly, we’re absolutely spoiled for choice; with so much coming at us all the time we find it difficult to nail ourselves down to something we’re really going to love. Secondly, we’re all becoming a bit jaded and it’s hard for us to find things that we haven’t seen before. Either way, this motivates development teams to constantly try new tactics and engineer new ways to wow us. When this works, marvelous things occur. Sadly, good intentions don’t always prove as fruitful as we’d like. This brings me neatly to this less than optimistic review of Pharmakon which you’ll be able to find over on Steam.

Let’s be fair. Nothing is ever all bad and redeeming features can be found in every title. Pharmakon has a few little glowing gems that give it an interesting allure. Let’s start with these as I don’t want to come across as trashing someone’s hard work. This is just a review after all, and while entirely my honest opinion, it isn’t intended to upset anyone. I’d really like to be optimistic and chirpy but sadly this is a game that while clearly trying to do something marvelous just doesn’t seem to be hitting the mark.

So what you have here is essentially a puzzle shooter. You take control of a drone and fit it with various Tetris-esque blocks. These blocks correspond to an elemental type and, depending on what you put in, reflect the amount of damage you can do to the various enemies you’re going to come across throughout the game. Each monster has it’s own elemental affinity; it’s a matter of hitting it with the right element to kill it the quickest. The blending of puzzle and shooter mechanics is actually something I haven’t seen that often so this is a definite plus.

Following this mode of thought, there is a fairly cool little mechanic whereby you can shove your enemies into each other. Different monsters will do varying amounts of damage to their allies depending on their size and element. I think the idea here is to get good enough to rack up killer combos and take multiple foes out more quickly. This is certainly something that would appeal to the high score fanatics among you.

As you are attacked (these things don’t just sit there and let you hit them), the drone is damaged and this is reflected by the blocks you have so carefully placed being ejected from your vehicle, which in turn means that you are doing less damage. Fires are also created which prevent you placing your blocks back until you have extinguished them. I don’t have an issue with this; it makes the puzzling a bit more exciting especially when you come to a point where you can’t put the fires out.

All this is well and good and I really like the theory behind Pharmakon. When this is put into practice, however, what we end up with is something that feels like it fell out of a vault from the early 90s. To begin with, the graphics are pretty basic. If this was just simply a block buster or other puzzle game with a very basic premise that would be fine, but the minute you add a story you start wanting to see something more than badly drawn monsters and pretty bleak looking backdrops.

The problem is that this is kind of all you do. You move from area to area blasting monsters and putting different combinations of blocks into your drone. There’s a skill tree involved and there are upgrades to unlock but to be honest, this doesn’t add any real level of excitement to the game. When you start adding things like upgrades and skills you really need to be adding them to a solid framework which in turn embellishes the overall enjoyment of the game. If that skeleton isn’t strong in the first place, then what should be other neat little additions feel like a bit more of an afterthought.

Sound is also on the minimal side. The effects are irritating at best and there is little to no music. It’s been a long time since I’ve turned the sound off on a game, not because I was listening to something else, but because it was giving me a headache. The little sound that the game does have is comprised of a series of annoying bleeps. I understand that sometimes things need to be minimalistic and I’m all for things not being over done. This, however, is more of a case of sometimes nothing at all is better that something that just doesn’t work.

Then we move to the story. You get a bit of this at the end of each level, but unfortunately there’s very little of interest happening. I could actually forgive the unbelievably basic look and feel of the game if the plot completely hooked me and drew me in, making me want to play further through story alone. Sadly. this aspect of the game couldn’t even save it for me.

All in all, this doesn’t feel like something that has been created by an experienced team of devs. If Pharmakon where a flash game, I’d have plenty of nice things to say about it because I wouldn’t be expecting as much from it; a lot of those games are created by novices, so I have a lot of love for people teaching themselves from scratch. If this where something I’d found in the free to play section of Steam, I could even be a bit more forgiving. Sadly, This is literally the sort of thing I download purely because it sounds interesting, play for five minutes then delete.

For me a game needs to pull the player in from the very beginning. Whether it be through clever mechanics or a really solid story, something has to hook you. I was interested for the first few rounds then it started feeling monotonous. This isn’t good. I hate that feeling in gaming. It has nothing to do with the game being too hard, or putting it down on account of a lack of understanding. I just need to want to continue and sadly I just didn’t here. As always this is my opinion you may find something in Pharmakon that I just couldn’t see.

I honestly want to have nice things to say about Pharmakon. I know I’ve been immensely brutal but I really can’t find that many redeeming points to make. There is a good little idea there which is screaming to get out but honestly, if you’re a puzzle addict like I am, there are a ton of other games on the market that I’d suggest playing before mentioning this one.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

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All Wall Must Fall is a tactics game that takes place in a future Berlin that is still stuck in the Cold War. You play as an agent that is tasked with completing missions for a seemingly all-knowing agency. The first mission is simple, enter a club and kill a VIP. It’s in the execution of this task that the game really shines. Movement is done by clicking on a direction. The game slightly reminded me of my time playing Runescape. The action also takes this wait-and-see approach. Bullets only come flying at you while you are moving or attacking so motions need to be planned carefully less you be riddled with bullets.

The point-and-click controls make this game challenging as we as frustrating at times. The action is meant to be thought out. If you just run into a situation, you will end up dead seeing as your guy can take about three to four bullets before dying. Damage also doesn’t seem to heal, so if you take damage in a previous encounter you will carry those wounds into the next encounter. You may be thinking is that the simple answer to this is just to go slow, but this is the point where I mention that the missions are also timed. Managing that stress of choosing when to go slow or fast is all part of the fun that is All Walls Must Fall.

Levels are randomly generated with your objective being in a different part of the area every time you load in. Your agent has a host of abilities that can be unlocked to make your mission taking easier. One such ability is called Rewind. Rewind, much like the name suggests, allows you to rewind time. However, while everyone else is going back in time around you, your agent stands completely still. This is very useful when enemies are triggered and you need a little more time to finish the objective.

All Walls Must Fall has an almost haunting allure to it. The art style combined with the setting paints the picture of the world that has descended into madness and debauchery. Your character, an unlikely hero, doesn’t seem to have much control over the situations he is placed in.Walking into missions he is tasked with, eliminating targets, defusing bombs, interrogating targets, and whatever else his elusive mission handlers tell him to do.

So far All Walls Must Fall is very promising. The setting is attractive enough for me to want to spend some time in that world. My only gripe so far is that I feel the setting is being wasted. I don’t really know why I was doing what I was doing. Why did my target need to die? Why were bombs planted in a club? Why are these club guards so heavily armed? I hope developer Inbetweengames answers these questions in the final release of All Walls Must Fall, but even with the lackluster story, the gameplay gives the game a fantastic start thus far.

This preview is based on an early access copy of the game provided by the publisher.

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Going back about a year now I was searching Steam for something interesting, (and preferably free,) to play. Having sat there for about thirty minutes trawling through god knows what I finally settled on a game called Relic Hunters Zero. What I got was an awesome little time guzzling shooter that didn’t come with a price tag. With this being said I’m rather excited to bring you this little bit of news. The first gameplay trailer for Relic Hunters Legend has just been announced.

Titanic videogame publishing company Ubisoft have just revealed a brand new game. Does anyone else find that weird? No publicity stunts, no E3 sneak previews, not even a press release to let us know that something was in the pipeline. Just, BANG, here’s Atomega, we hope you like it.

To be quite frank, I’m a little offended.

Atomega is – according to the website, which presumably didn’t exist until yesterday either – a FPS shooter set at the dwindling end of our universe. Take control of an Exoform, a distant cousin of the human being with a desire to grow, fight, and dominate. Whether you choose to battle it out with other players or avoid conflict altogether, the goal is the same: collect as much mass as you can – and as many points as you can – within the time limit to win. Rounds last 10 minutes, and will all take place within arenas a little like Quake.

Collecting mass allows your Exoform to evolve, and I quote, “from nimble Atom to Godlike Omega (hence, Atomega).” In practice, this means changing from a single cube all the way up to a collection of cubes resembling a giant humanoid, with extra steps in between. If this is making no sense to you, check out the trailer below:

SEGA, Capcom and ATLUS have teamed up today to create the Humble Tri-Publisher Bundle. As with other Humble Bundle…bundles, this bundle is pay-what-you-want with a $12 minimum despite the games being worth an incredible $216.88 in total. The Humble Tri-Publisher Bundle features essential PC fan favourites and famous titles from all three publishers.

Proceeds from this bundle will go to multiple charities, including:

Playdead, along with publisher 505 Games, have officially announced the release of the INSIDE/LIMBO Double Pack for PS4 and Xbox One.

Who knew 2D puzzle-platformers could be so creepy? An indie developer out of Denmark answered this question when they released LIMBO in 2010. Playdead received numerous accolades for their success. They replicated their success with the follow-up title, INSIDE. Garnering just as much attention as its predecessor, INSIDE became just as popular among the growing fan base.

Fans of the critically acclaimed platformers can now relive the mystery of each story in one sitting. This combo pack revisits the innovative art styles that made each game popular.

LIMBO focuses on a film noir, black-and-white aesthetic. This element adds to the horrific imagery throughout the game. Coupled with the minimalist gameplay, LIMBO reinvented the 2D platformer. After its release, the game won several awards including Best Platformer of 2010 and Top 10 Games of the Year.

On the other hand, INSIDE introduces a 2.5D environment for the player to explore. The environment here plays a pivotal role in whether the faceless protagonist will survive. Chased by strangers and ravenous dogs, you use foreground and background elements to escape or avoid notice. Released in 2016, INSIDE was lauded with praise as well, earning two separate best indie games awards.

With Playdead’s release of the INSIDE/LIMBO Double Pack, it’s easy to compare the similarities in gameplay and story structure. Each experience plays as a young, faceless boy throughout. Use the environment to progress the story, avoid danger, and unravel the mystery. Furthermore, each game has a common theme of dark foreboding nature. After going through events in each game, what lies in the end is questionable at best.

The release is already available for North America and will roll-out to retailers in Europe September 14th. Along with the special edition double pack, fans will receive a limited edition run poster and art card. If you have yet to experience the dark worlds Playdead has created, here is your chance. Check out the trailer for the double packs release here:

A year after the NES Classic Edition was the hottest sought out item of the Christmas season, Nintendo announced today that the tiny throwback system will be making a return to America and Europe in 2018. Slated to be coming back in the summertime, the NES Classic was constantly sold out last year, with scalpers selling the consoles on Ebay for hundreds more than the retail price.

Nintendo did not specify if this will be the same exact console sold last year or if there will be any improvements or changes made to it. One of the big criticisms last year was that the controller’s cords were too short, and there was a way to add more games onto the console that obviously Nintendo did not intend to happen. If there are a few changes to the new shipments of NES Classics I would assume it would still sell for its original $60 price tag.

With the SNES Classic about to come out and the same fears of stock issues that fueled the search for the NES Classic present, this might be an indication of what could happen in the years to come if you don’t receive the new retro console. I know missing out on the SNES Classic is one thing I am currently worrying about after missing preorders a few weeks ago.

Regardless, the NES Classic will be making a return next summer with hopefully enough stock this time to go around so everyone who still wants one can get one. In all honesty, after the release of the SNES Classic this fall I am not sure how big the demand will be for the older games again, but usually nostalgia breaks through so I would not be surprised to see a big demand once again.

You can check out Gamespot’s post on the situation here.

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Lumo, a retro-style isometric platform game, is set to launch on Nintendo Switch in October. The game will be available for both download and as a physical release.

Lumo can best be described as a throwback to some of the classic platformers of the 80s, but with a modern twist in terms of gameplay mechanics.

The game has been hailed in many quarters for its use of music and irreverent humour and from the trailer (see below) it certainly looks like a fun game for Switch users to enjoy. We’re certainly looking forward to its release and getting our hands on a copy!

My Arcade is looking to bring controller functionality for the Super Nes Classic Edition by launching the Super Gamepad.

It has wireless functionality, turbo capabilities and also a home button that allows you to directly access the game selection menu.

Aditionally, the Super Gamepad will also be compatible with the NES Classic Edition and certain supported classic Virtual Console titles on Wii/WiiU.



“The Super NES™ has one of my favorite controllers of all-time and instead of fixing what isn’t broken, the My Arcade team combined the best of retro and modern day controllers,” said Crystal Dugan, My Arcade’s Marketing Manager. “We hope fans will appreciate the features packed into our Super Gamepad; from wireless functionality and TURBO capabilities to the ergonomic design for better grip and control.”

No word yet on release date or prices, but this looks to be a piece of kit to look out for.

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