It’s Thursday and it’s a new month, which means British video game magazine EDGE has released its latest issue. This new edition features a number of new reviews for a variety of games, including indie games and some titles being released on the Nintendo Switch. Most of the games reviewed this time have at least 7, but there are a few exceptions.
One game you may immediately recognize on the list is Hellblade II. Believe it or not, EDGE wasn’t too happy with the game, giving it a score of 4 out of 10. Homeworld 3 is also on the list, although EDGE was more favorable to the game, giving it a 7. No Case Should Remain Unsolved received the highest score on the list with a score of 9 .You can see the full list, as well as what EDGE has to say about each game, below.
Still Wakes The Deep – 8
Other than that, what’s certain is that over its six-hour run we’re engrossed in Still Wakes The Deep more often than not, eyes fixed on the screen whether Caz is talking or skulking around an unlit laundry room before escaping an unnamed fiend. And in those moments, the exclamation “Shit!” it never feels less than authentic from our hero, no matter what the text says underneath.
Hellblade II – 4
By turns stunning and excruciating, there’s as much here to roll your eyes as it is to widen your eyes. Even the moments when Hellblade II provides an almost unparalleled visual spectacle (see ‘Giant Steps’) are soured by the fact that our involvement in those settings so often feels haphazard. In the long run, it’s akin to watching someone else play, only occasionally – and always reluctantly – handing back the controller. We can’t help but go back to that old chestnut about interactive experience as a conversation between designer and player; there’s an irony that in this, of all games, we can barely get the words out.
Homeland 3 – 7
On the whole, then, Homeworld 3 isn’t quite the homecoming we’d hoped for. Competent at worst, exceptional at best, it’s crafted with obvious care, though the originals still cast a shadow as thick as a black hole’s event horizon. Even with the wrinkles smoothed out, you wonder if he could realistically ever be good enough.
RKGK/Rakugaki – 7
As revolutions go, the RKGK is perhaps a little too well-bred for its own good. But at this point, those grounds are strong enough to forgive her sins. As Valah glides around, marking screens and taking down squads of robots without blinking, the soundtrack serving as a 120-bpm heartbeat, his 3D platforming inspirations—Jet Set Radio, Splatoon, even Super Mario Sunshine—don’t seem far outside his reach. Not a work of art, then, but Wabisabi certainly left its mark on the genre.
Cryptmaster – 8
Otherwise, this dark world – often illuminated by its eccentric characters and cheesy dialogue – is so captivating that a slight loss of late-game momentum is easily forgiven. With challenging puzzles constantly evolving, it seems as if a surprise is around every corner; given the unpredictable nature of world building, you’re likely to find one. The freedom to type almost anything makes the game feel like your own design adventure. Plus, it’s hard to deny the boyish pleasure of unleashing your inner child and indulging in a slice of toilet humor. And the Cryptmaster welcomes a small mouth.
1000x RESISTANCE – 8
This, then, is a cautionary, often bleak story about a group of women bound together by the realization of the mistakes of those who came before them, only to each become someone else’s villain. But it’s a breath of fresh air to play a game that doesn’t just use its sci-fi setting as attractive window dressing, its outstanding writing and voice acting more than making up for its visual shortcomings. Like some of the smartest hard science fiction, from Auxiliary Justice to the works of Ted Chiang, 100oxResist uses its genre lens to make important points about the human condition, thereby reminding us of the true meaning of home and family.
Paper trail – 7
Basically, Paper Trail is a little marvel of show-don’t-tell design; The magazine’s art may be beautiful, but its clumsy presentation is anything but. As a result, the narrative found within these pages rings hollow next to the casual interactions and subtle environmental storytelling within the paper world itself. These interruptions are rare enough not to be terribly damaging, but paired with a rather abrupt ending, they take the shine off an otherwise elegantly constructed eight-hour adventure. Yet if the destination can’t quite live up to the promise of the journey leading up to it, Newfangled Games’ beautifully illustrated coming-of-age tale deftly weaves some important life lessons into its origami puzzles. Balancing discipline and freedom and showing creativity within constraints, it shows that you can shape your own path through life, while also suggesting ways you can build on whatever you learn along the way.
Islands of the sea and the sky – 8
It goes further, with slippery ice, flowing waters and volcanic regions where you can’t stay too close to the heat for too long – each subtly adapting its approach to its challenges. In some places this can be a bit overwhelming: screens returning to their original state (albeit with certain elements still existing) increases the burden of mentally mapping the place. It’s also disheartening to find a new land mass and immediately be faced with a star requirement far beyond your current number. But that will only further encourage dedicated players to unearth the secrets of these enigmatic islands that wrap around the puzzle space like any other (aside from the well and the hotel) we’ve encountered this year.
No case should remain unsolved – 9
Somi sometimes slyly leads you astray: we attribute a series of quotes to one witness before realizing they belong to another as a surprising connection emerges. But as the pillars solidify, the number of fault lines decreases, the color-coded doors open, it gains astonishing momentum. The music gets louder, every instrument input lets you know you’re getting closer to the truth – and we realize we’re constantly using less space. He brings things full circle with a chill-inducing reveal, and Seongyi Yi’s bittersweet piano score only accentuates his power. The neatness of the solution is all the more satisfying given the mess it once was: as the final installment falls into place, the sense of closure for player and protagonist feels as deserved as it does overwhelming.
Little kitty, big city – 7
This world convinces as an urban space, apart from the large pools of water that serve as your main obstacles, a clumsy but effective way to force you to find alternative routes. And with no direction beyond a scribbled 2D map, the puzzling path past these, barking dogs, angry shop owners and various other obstacles is a significant part of the appeal. With two types of jumps, an instant jump or a more measured jump, while holding a button and aiming before releasing to commit – the platforming feels more involved than in Stray, although clipping issues and an inconsistent camera can lead to frustrating crashes. They’re easier to overlook than they might be thanks to the unexpected quality of the writing: witty, characterful and occasionally surreal, his animalistic exchanges are as good a reason as any to put your paws on that homecoming.
Hauntii – 5
Locating exactly where you – and many other things – are in 3D space is a persistent problem, made worse by the way you’re locked into the landscape and how objects in the foreground block your view. Even during cathartic moments, such as inhabiting a firework-shooting creature for a twin-stick shooting setup, you’re faced with irritating limitations: a corrupt bar prevents you from firing, while your final energy source effectively means you have to wait for a reload. Hauntii’s defiance of conventional design wisdom makes it a fascinating curiosity at times, especially when the threats subside and it becomes an unusually beautiful puzzle. But even when its style doesn’t get in the way, like its breezy hero, it lacks substance.
