Latest

Platformer

rps@pax-2023:-hell-of-an-office-is-a-fiendishly-fast-action-platformer-in-the-vein-of-neon-white Rock,Paper,Shotgun

RPS@PAX 2023: Hell Of An Office is a fiendishly fast action-platformer in the vein of Neon White

March 26, 2023RockPaperShotgun

I’ve played a bunch of indie game demos at PAX East, but none left my head reeling as much as 43 Studios’ fiendishly frantic action platfotmer Hell Of An Office. It’s a super fast parkour adventure in the vein of Neon White, and after ten minutes with the demo my heart race was through the roof. If I owned a fitbit it would have been screaming at me to have a nice sit down with a cuppa. Check out my full impressions in the video below: Hell Of An Office puts your platforming reflexes to the test as you’re tasked…

Read More
20-years-ago,-prince-of-persia:-sands-of-time-proved-we-don’t-need-remakes VG247

20 years ago, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time proved we don’t need remakes

March 13, 2023VG247

Rewinding back to a time when reboots were good, and necessary, and different. No no no, that’s not what happened. The idea of an entire story told in flashback has been used many times in cinema and books, definitely less so in games. But there are many ways to tell a story, so even the wrong ones might be considered. What about if the story takes a sudden turn and the main character dies? Well, he would have no other choice than to interrupt the flashback, break the fourth wall by talking directly to us and wind the story back…

Read More
blanc-review:-heartwarming-co-op,-but-its-weak-second-half-leaves-you-out-in-the-cold Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Blanc review: heartwarming co-op, but its weak second half leaves you out in the cold

February 14, 2023RockPaperShotgun

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if there’s a cute animal game that looks like it’s going to make me cry, then sign me up, I’m ready to go. In fairness, though, co-op adventure Blanc looks like it’s going to be a lot lighter than games like Endling: Extinction is Forever and the notoriously upsetting Shelter series at first glance, but I’ve learned to never let my guard down around these kinds of games. Those cute art styles are almost always a front for a brutal sneak attack on your emotions. Blanc is very much aiming for…

Read More
sonic-origins-plus-rating-in-korea-suggests-an-extended-edition-is-on-the-way VG247

Sonic Origins Plus rating in Korea suggests an extended edition is on the way

February 11, 2023VG247

Is SEGA planning to follow in Sonic Mania’s footsteps? Sure sounds like it. The Korean Game Rating Board has given Sonic Origins Plus a provisional rating, suggesting that an extended edition of Sonic Origins is in development. This is according to a listing on the rating site dug up by Gematsu. Sonic Origins launch trailer – speed through four remastered titles that defined a generation. With “Plus” added to the end of the title, it suggests the publisher is going the same route as 2018’s Sonic Mania Plus which released with additional content not included initially. The extended edition could…

Read More
vg247’s-the-best-games-ever-podcast-–-ep.38:-the-best-game-you’d-never-believe-was-from-that-developer VG247

VG247’s The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.38: The best game you’d never believe was from that developer

February 10, 2023VG247

Sometimes a game developer just goes off-piste, and the results are wonderful. Welcome to VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 38 – The best game you’d never believe was from that developer. Hi-Fi Rush is a joyous cel-shaded rush of a rhythm combat game with a tone and art style not unlike Jet Set Radio, and it’s surprising, because it comes from a studio most widely known for Evil Within, a spiritual follow-up to Resident Evil, and Ghostwire Tokyo, which is sort of like Far Cry: Shibuya via Siren Blood Curse. It’s not the only example of a surprising or…

Read More
have-you-played…-duke-nukem? Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Have You Played… Duke Nukem?

February 3, 2023RockPaperShotgun

When Duke Nukem 3D burst onto the FPS scene in the Nineties, young CJ was a bit confused. This Duke wasn’t the purple-shirted acrobat I’d known from Apogee Software’s pair of platformers earlier that decade. He was brash, crude, and and didn’t side-scroll anymore. It wasn’t for me, so I moved on to other games. I still occasionally loaded up those earlier platformers though, wistfully remembering a time when Duke presumably used actual toilets when he needed to answer a call of nature. Read more

Read More
alas,-i-am-too-slow-to-parry-all-these-bullets-with-my-katana Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Alas, I am too slow to parry all these bullets with my katana

January 25, 2023RockPaperShotgun

A fast-paced game that’s all about reflecting bullets back with a katana sounds great to me, a known fan of parrying projectiles. I bought new indie game Agent In Depth within 20 seconds of seeing it. Then I played it. Oh no. I feel old. Am I too old? What I can tell you is, if you like fast-paced action platformers with bullets to parry, instadeath to punish you, and no checkpoints to support you, you might enjoy this. It’s only £2 to find out. Read more

Read More
the-rps-selection-box:-liam’s-bonus-games-of-the-year-2022 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

The RPS Selection Box: Liam’s bonus games of the year 2022

January 2, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Oh. OK. I guess it’s time for me to publicly confess which games I voted for in this year’s advent calendar but that didn’t get it, and without the usual protection of anonymity granted by group lists. Listen: please don’t judge me. I just want to say that up top before you find out where I live and start sending me pizzas or something. I am fallible. You cut me, I bleed red. I put my bread in the toaster one slice at a time. Anyway, with that out the way, here’s a list of things I liked this year…

Read More
the-rps-selection-box:-cj’s-bonus-games-of-the-year-2022 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

The RPS Selection Box: CJ’s bonus games of the year 2022

December 31, 2022RockPaperShotgun

As both a parent and the resident news lad here, I probably spend way more time talking and writing about games than getting hundreds of hours to actually play them. While most of the games I’ve snuck the odd minutes with – I hesitate to say hours – made it onto our Advent Calendar for Horace’s approval, the three below were a few that made me and my family smile at different points throughout 2022. Roll on 2023 – and even more games. Possibly my most magical Christmas as a kid was in 1997, aged 12. I got a Saturn…

Read More
vg247’s-the-best-games-ever-podcast-–-ep.31:-the-best-game-that-reminds-you-of-christmas VG247

VG247’s The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.31: The best game that reminds you of Christmas

December 23, 2022VG247

Special guests from across the games media join us in the spirit of togetherness. Welcome to VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 31 – the best game that made reminds you of Christmas. Christmas is a time of togetherness, of sharing your table with family, friends, and strangers. In that spirit, we invited a number of our friends and colleagues from across the games media to contribute to this, our first ever Christmas edition of the VG247 Best Games Ever podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and wish you all a…

Read More
sonic-frontiers-has-dreamcast-era-jank-and-pop-in-galore-–-but-i-can’t-stop-playing-it VG247

Sonic Frontiers has Dreamcast-era jank and pop-in galore – but I can’t stop playing it

November 15, 2022VG247

Despite some horrible bad bits, there are some incredible good bits – but that’s sort-of par for the course with Sonic at this point, isn’t it? Am I a glutton for punishment? I can’t stop thinking about or playing Sonic Frontiers right now, even though it has some pretty heavyweight rivals vying for my attention (including a couple of high-profile reviews). I’m liking those other games I’m working on well enough – a lot, in fact. But, man… There’s something about Sonic Frontiers. Something that works, even though the game is a little bit crap. Playing Frontiers over the last…

Read More
it-takes-two’s-merch-is-all-boring-apart-from-the-dismember-me-elephant Rock,Paper,Shotgun

It Takes Two’s merch is all boring apart from the dismember-me-elephant

November 11, 2022RockPaperShotgun

I slammed back into the team chat after an appointment this morning, and Katharine asked me to take a look at the new It Takes Two merch – specifically the plushy elephant. And I was like, “Sure!” and toddled off to have a look. I was delighted! But I think Katharine was anticipating it would arouse a different emotional response in me to what it actually did, because she used the word “horrifying”. Read more

Read More
pepper-grinder-is-a-fab-looking-pixel-platformer-about-drilling-and-grappling Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Pepper Grinder is a fab-looking pixel platformer about drilling and grappling

November 10, 2022RockPaperShotgun

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Pepper Grinder since I saw a series of tweets with GIFs several years ago. It’s a pixel platformer in which the protagonist, Pepper, has a drill which she uses to plow through scenery, and a grappling hook for all the moments when she’s not underground. It’s now been officially announced with Devolver as publisher and there’s a reveal trailer below. Read more

Read More
i-pity-anyone-playing-sonic-frontiers-on-nintendo-switch VG247

I pity anyone playing Sonic Frontiers on Nintendo Switch

November 10, 2022VG247

An uneven game in its best form, on Switch Sonic Frontiers is a mess of pixels and is plain ugly. Sonic Frontiers on Switch is quite the experience. On the most powerful hardware (PC, PS5, Series X) the Blue Blur’s latest outing is a perfectly pleasant-looking game. It has problems, but it’s not ugly. You wouldn’t walk past it with your eyebrows raised, mouth agog, staring like Sonic’s pants had fallen to his ankles. It’s just fine. On Switch, Sonic’s pants haven’t just fallen down; they’ve been mangled and haphazardly thrown back on the hedgehog. This is the same core…

Read More
sega’s-sonic-the-hedgehog-series-has-sold-an-impressive-1.5-billion-copies-worldwide VG247

SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog series has sold an impressive 1.5 billion copies worldwide

October 29, 2022VG247

That’ll do, Sonic. That’ll do. In SEGA’s latest financial report, the company shared a rather remarkable figure for its Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. According to the company, the series has sold over 1.5 billion copies worldwide. The figure spans both full games and free-to-play titles as of March 2022 (thanks, GI.biz). The figure will surely go up once Sonic Frontiers is released, and the company is also working on several Sonic IP projects for the fiscal year ending March 2024 and beyond. The company feels these new projects will “add to the franchise’s popularity and help sell more games.”. Sonic…

Read More