Umair Khalid's Reviews
DAVE THE DIVER is an astonishingly addictive game, and the best bit is that every time you think that you have seen everything from the game, it comes out and throws something new your way to experience. The subtle mix of RPG mechanics with deep-diving and restaurant management sim is really good, and it keeps the gameplay loop fresh. While playing DAVE THE DIVER, it feels like you are in a completely new world as it has lovable characters, a fully functional social media platform, an underground environment that feels alive, and a thriving restaurant that looks really cool. DAVE THE DIVER is literally the best single-player experience for me since the beginning of this year, and I am sure that you are going to love it as well. If you are looking for a casual yet highly addictive game to burn off hours of your time, and you have a PC, look no further than DAVE THE DIVER on Steam.
Lake: Season’s Greetings is a great prequel to an already amazing game. While the original Lake was a delightful experience on its own, Season’s Greetings makes it even cozier with a holiday theme and delivers a brand-new perspective on Providence Oaks and its people. The only problem with it is that it ends too soon and does not come with any post-completion content. The little town of Providence Oaks is a delight to explore in winter, and if you enjoyed the base game, you would certainly love the new prequel. It is the perfect game to tuck into on a cold evening and enjoy as you can easily complete it in one sitting. If you are looking for some cozy and enjoyable games to play this Christmas, Lake: Season’s Greetings should be on your list.
While Arizona Sunshine 2 is still miles away from normal PC zombie shooters, it is a massive improvement over the first title in the franchise and is bloody good fun as well. The shooting feels good, and the headshots are especially satisfying. Every time you pop a zombie’s head with a single shot, you will feel it in your entire body. The art style, the gameplay, and the overall gameplay combine together to deliver one of the best VR zombie shooting titles. Just make sure not to mess up the controls because that happens a lot when a whole horde is about to land right in your face. If you love VR shooters and are currently looking for a decent zombie shooter, Arizona Sunshine 2 is the perfect title for you to spend your holidays.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a breath of fresh air for this long-forgotten franchise, and if the 2D visuals and the Metroidvania game design are not looking appealing, you should first try it out at least. Good thing it comes with a free demo, and I am sure that if you love classic titles such as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will deliver the same experience with a brand-new look and feel. The gameplay mechanics are solid, and the world design is gorgeous. Whether you are a fan of Metroidvania titles or just want to get back into the Prince of Persia franchise, The Lost Crown is a brilliant title that satisfies both niches and will be considered one of the best titles in the franchise.
I absolutely loved playing the Sport Mode in Offroad Truck Simulation: Heavy Duty Challenge, but anything beyond that is a hit-or-miss for me. The Cargo Mode feels limited and rushed, while the maps in Off-Road Trips are too buggy to enjoy. This, coupled with choppy visuals and poor framerates, raises serious concerns for the Xbox Series X version of the game. While it has a strong base underneath, it requires more optimization work and speed because otherwise the game will continue to lose its player base and will not be able to establish a strong foothold in its genre. If you are a fan of the Europa Truck Trial, you are going to love this game because the trucks in the game are amazing, and the courses are challenging as well. However, I would wait a little longer to give developers more time to optimize it before jumping into the game. If you want to jump right now, it is still a fun game, nonetheless, but be ready to face multiple glitches, bugs, and poor performance.
Last Epoch may not have a AAA brand name attached to it, but the level of optimization and content found in the game takes it beyond what most AAA developers deliver today. While a lot of players are already comparing it with Diablo 4 and Path of Exile, it may not have the complexity level of Path of Exile, but it easily overtakes Diablo 4 in my eyes to sit below Path of Exile in the top three ARPG spots. The accessible skill trees, diverse classes to play around, and tons of loot keep things interesting long after you have completed the main story. I would appreciate it if Last Epoch received more Endgame content in the coming months, but even if it stays the same, there is enough to keep you busy for tons of hours. If you are tired of Diablo 4, jump into Last Epoch, and you will have a solid time exploring dungeons, collecting loot, and creating some epic builds. Highly recommended for ARPG fans, even if you are just curious to explore this genre.
There is no doubt that the original Tomb Raider trilogy was a masterpiece in its own time, and everyone, including me, loved playing them on our older systems. However, compared to what sort of remasters we have been getting in the past, Tomb Raider I – III Remastered caters to hardcore fans of the franchise instead of trying to pull in new players. It is very difficult for modern players to get accustomed to these dated mechanics, and while the visuals and modern controls do provide some respite to the troubles of the original, they still fall short in a lot of ways, which makes this a tough choice to recommend. If you played and loved the original games, you will want to jump back into them to experience the trilogy with modern visuals. However, if you started gaming with modern Tomb Raider titles, you may want to steer clear of them because you may end up hating them.
Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a must-have game for all PS5 owners because it takes you back to the PS1 era when we used to have simple platforming games with open sandbox worlds like Ratchet & Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and similar titles. It offers a charmful world, combined with solid gameplay mechanics and no-brainer puzzles that suit players of every age and skill level. You do not need to think about playing this game, and anyone can just pick up a controller and join in the fun. If you miss the nostalgic open-world sandbox gameplay of those early PS1 titles, Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is here with its gorgeous level design and visuals and stellar gameplay mechanics to keep you entertained for hours. If you own a PS5, you must give this game a shot because, with the next-gen upgrade, you can now watch the destruction in silky smooth frames in the best possible resolution.
Cat and Ghostly Road is a fun point-and-click adventure with simple puzzles that will barely tickle your brain. The main charm of the game lies within its cute little cat as the main character and the haunting world all around you. Looking at the same location from two different perspectives offers a unique experience, especially if you are a fan of both point-and-click games and horror games. After getting used to the controls, it is all smooth sailing to the end with this simple yet captivating adventure that will see you exploring a diverse set of environments. It is highly recommended if you love unique concepts and are currently looking for a decent point-and-click title on the PS5.
Quadroids is truly a challenging platformer, not because the levels are designed to kill you again and again, but because you need to be extremely good with your motor skills. Controlling multiple Quadroids across four different screens requires skills that I never thought I would need while playing a video game. The challenge only ramps up as you progress in the game, and if you are looking for a platformer that really tests your mettle across every level, you must get your hands on Quadroids and try to beat every level perfectly. This is where the real challenge lies. With its simple yet extremely tough gameplay mechanics, Quadroids is certainly our best strategy platformer of this year so far because not only does it feel tight and responsive, but it also really tests your skills in different ways.
While Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is a great title on its own, it may be a little letdown for the franchise veterans who loved playing the cute, little farming title. The unique direction it takes may be new for its fans, but it manages to deliver a fun yet tricky new way to experience this wholesome franchise. The puzzles are tricky, but the farming aspect is nothing more than a theme of the game. Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is a nonogram puzzle game and a great one at that. Some UI improvements would have been amazing but even in its current state, if you love puzzle games and more specifically if you love nonogram puzzle games, you are going to love playing Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons. I can recommend Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons to players who are fans of puzzle games only and for fans of this particular franchise, it may not be up to mark since there is no farm building.
Sticky Business is really a calming video game, no matter how you play it. There is no rushing or challenge of any sort, and the only thing you will be doing is creating some cool stickers, printing them, and shipping them off to buyers. On the wholeness scale, Sticky Business easily sits at the top. It features calming music, and the gameplay is pretty cool. The UI is simple to understand, and once you have spent some time with it, you can quickly move around the screen without any trouble. If you have always wanted to run your very own sticker shop business, Sticky Business is the best way to do it, and on the Nintendo Switch, it just sits perfectly well because it is the perfect game to wind down on the go after a hectic day.
Ready, Steady, Ship! is easily one of the best new co-op titles to release across the PS5. It is not only easy to get into, but the challenge level increases at a pace that is easy to understand and enjoy at the same time. It manages to remain fun while being challenging at the same time. If you love to play challenging co-op competitive titles, you must try Ready, Steady, Ship! because it not only is unique and feels different, but it is also greatly accessible for players of all skill levels. Highly recommended for PS5 players currently looking for fun co-op titles or fans of games like Overcooked.
Our recommendation? Bring at least 3 or 4 of your friends if you want to have a good time in the game. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a community that really likes to kick people and send them to the other world without much deduction. Deceit 2 may look like a buggy and unoptimized title on the front, but underneath, it is a fun and actually good multiplayer game to enjoy with your friends. It also desperately needs a playable tutorial to retain fresh players who are just leaving the game out of frustration, since they are unable to understand the mechanics properly. Recommended for players who want something along the lines of Among Us but in 3D and with more detailed gameplay.
Fabledom is a gorgeous city-builder that offers you low-stress gameplay as you continue to build your very own kingdom in a fable world. It is easy to understand, and the gameplay mechanics are fairly simple. The low-stress gameplay means that you can enjoy the game no matter how experienced you are with city-builders of the past. The combination of a fairy tale world with a city-builder is perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to this genre. Fabledom is no doubt filled with excellent moments, and in the starting hours, you will absolutely love it, but the excitement only lasts for a few hours if you are not a fan of fairy tale worlds and the fables that we grew up reading. If you are looking for a beautiful and calm city building with cool mechanics, Fabledom is a great option, and if you love fairy tales and old-school fables, you can expect to sink tons of hours into the game easily.
Indika is an experience that is unique and covers a sensitive topic that very few developers tend to tackle. It does this in a way that feels different, beautiful, and grief at the same time. The dull and grey world of Indika somehow feels alive after every colorful minigame you complete, and by the end of the game, you feel satisfied and fulfilled. Very few games of Indika’s nature tend to give this feeling upon completion. Indika is a narrative-heavy title, which makes it best for players who love adventures revolving around story and thought-provoking narration rather than fighting off villains or liberating entire countries. If you are looking for a strictly narrative experience with a twist and something different, Indika is the game you should definitely check out.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a great off-roading sim for players who are looking for a more approachable title. Unlike the original MudRunner and SnowRunner, Expeditions offers a more linear approach to the off-roading, exploration, and resource management formula introduced by the franchise initially. If you are a hardcore franchise veteran, it may take you some time to get used to all the handholding, but in the end, this title is a more mainstream off-roading experience rather than just focusing on the hardcore community. Tons of new features, like added off-road assist devices, specialists, and more customizable options, certainly add more ways for you to tackle each mission in the game. If you are looking for a decent off-roading simulation game where you can drive plenty of cool trucks and explore the wilderness at your own pace, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game must be on your to-play list.
Seeing Stars is a great DLC for A Little to the Left, and if you enjoyed playing the base game, I am sure that you will love playing the new DLC as well. Each of the puzzles is unique, and with multiple solutions on offer, you will be spending a lot of time on each puzzle, scratching your head trying to find all of the solutions. If you love playing puzzle games that really test your cognitive skills and problem-solving skills, you are going to love A Little to the Left: Seeing Stars. With a $9.99 price tag, it certainly offers hours of puzzle-solving. If you are looking for an excuse to jump back into A Little to the Left or want to try out something new in the world of puzzle-solving, you should definitely give the game and its new DLC a shot on the PS5.
HoneyLand sits perfectly on the Nintendo Switch because its short and simple puzzles ensure that you can play them on the go. The puzzles offer a decent balance between challenge and simplicity to keep you entertained for a decent time. However, with simple solutions, there is not much replayability for longer playtimes so once you have played it twice or thrice, there is not much to do. However, considering its price of just $3.99, it is fair to say that it is still a pretty decent puzzle game that will keep you busy for some time. If you love puzzle games and are looking to add something simple yet challenging to your collection, you can definitely consider HoneyLand.
Primal Survivors offers highly addictive gameplay and a lot of options to play around with when it comes to creating your own build. The enemy design is not very diverse, but the crisp gameplay makes up for it. I loved trying out different abilities and seeing how they differ. Another great aspect of Primal Survivors is its pick-and-play nature of gameplay. Being a roguelike, you can pick up, die, and try again later without the worry of losing any progress or important unlocks. If you love playing roguelike survival shooters, you must definitely give Primal Survivors a shot on your Nintendo Switch.