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Devil Engine is a merciless shooter channelling the spirit of the arcade

Devil Engine
Developer: Protoculture Games
Publisher: Dangen Entertainment
Switch, PC

From mechanics, aesthetics, down to the extra modes and gameplay options, Devil Engine is saturated with homage to arcade shooters, new and old. It’d be easy to catalog them, and breakdown every influence it takes from its arcade family. But in the heat of the action, Devil Engine gave me an almost racer like vibe. Momentum is deeply important, and losing it feels a lot like running yourself off the road. Knowing how to control my speed and where to attack the stage’s corners and enemy formations is key. Explaining exactly why is complicated, so let’s break it down.

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Reverie is a Zelda-like adventure with New Zealand flair

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Reverie
Developer: Rainbite
Publisher: Eastasiasoft
Switch, PS4, Vita

“Earthbound meets Zelda”. It’s really difficult to describe Reverie in any other way. You can dance around it, play up its New Zealand mythology, or use a phrase like “quirky top down action-adventure game” but the influences are worn very openly. Often imitated, but rarely replicated, invoking them means living up to a lot of people’s high expectations. So does Reverie clear the high bar it sets?

Maybe. Sorta?

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Tangledeep is a harsh roguelike that lets you bend it to your playstyle

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Tangledeep
Developer Impact Gameworks
Publisher Impact Gameworks
Switch, PC

As someone who spends a lot of their limited time trying to keep up with games, the phrase “rogue-like” tends to get me to immediately back away. I enjoy what a lot of games bring to the style, but the threat of losing all progress each time tends to guarantee I won’t see more than the first or second stage on most runs and ironically shortens my interest in the game.

So knowing Tangledeep gives you the option to opt out of the harshest penalties single-handedly saved it from being ignored. A good thing too, because not only did I find a lot of what I enjoy about rogue-likes in Tangledeep, but it turns out it’s even more varied and customizable than I thought.

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Rainswept Review

By: RJ (@rga_02)

Rainswept
Developer/Publisher - Frostwood
PC

There is that old movie cliche where your typical Americana small town is littered with dirty secrets, that are masked by beautiful scenery. Rainswept brings that tried and true trope into the gaming medium. But does it go beyond the Scooby Doo level of engagement?

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Wargroove’s capsule strategy is held back by a few major problems

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Wargroove
Developers: Chucklefish
Publishers: Chucklfish
PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One

I love Wargroove. At least, when it isn’t seriously pissing me off. When it’s in the groove, it sets up wonderful capsule strategy scenarios. Each of these make me consider the terrain, the set of units I’m restricted to and forces me to experiment and make hard choices to overcome the enemy. The wonderful animations and lovingly rendered maps enhance every victory and mistake, making me hold my breath as I hope that I’ve made the right move.

All of this helps Wargroove perfectly capture the appeal of the old Advance Wars style strategy games. It’s a refreshing return whose capsule battles generally feel more accessible to people who aren’t strategy mavens. And yet, it isn’t the rousing success it should be, thanks to some BIG problems that soured any high points.

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Sky Gamblers: Afterburner Review

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Sky Burners: Afterburner
Developer: Atypical Games
Publisher: Atypical Games
Nintendo Switch

Sky Gamblers gets by a lot on the sheer appeal of its concept. Let me get this out of the way here–this game is a mess, with plenty of bugs, inconsistent performance, long load times, strange controls and a laughable story. Despite that, I finished it in a single day on the strength of the sheer novelty of engaging in aerial dogfights. None of the planes or weapon options felt meaningfully different, but the there’s no luster lost for the process of tracking down an enemy through the air.

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Odallus Review

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Odallus
Developer: Joymasher
Publisher: Digerati
Switch, PC

Odallus is definitely the more ambitious of Joymasher’s two retro style games. In contrast to Oniken’s discrete levels and eclectic sci-fi aesthetic, Odallus brings a sprawling map, RPG elements, and a grotesque gothic art direction. The map branches into different paths, and each stage has several passages to take and items that open up new ones. The heavy atmosphere is delightful, but the sprawling approach overreaches and creates an uneven game.

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Scandal Delta

By: RJ (@rga_02)

Our weekly recs is back!

Every week we’ll be recommending you a game, and either an album or a movie to check out. This week I am going to recommend the album Baby Action by SCANDAL and Soul Sacrifice Delta.

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