Staff Article Lists

I have always loved inviting friends over to play silly platformer games like N++, Rayman Legends, Super Mario Bros. games, and the like. Of course, I also have played my fair share of mobile phone games. So a game like “Crossy Road Castle”, developed by Hipster Whale, piqued my interest quickly when I saw it was coming to consoles. I was able to get my hooves on a review copy, and I’ve spent quite a few hours exploring the procedurally-generated floors of the various castles with my wife in local couch co-op, and I’m relieved to say it didn’t let me (or her!) down!

I really enjoyed the first Starship Troopers movie, though I felt it was one of those movies that should’ve been a one and done deal. Sure, Starship Troopers 2: Hero Of The Federation was watchable, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is probably the worst sequel I’ve seen in a long time, and the CGI films I heard are OK (I personally only seen Invasion and that was decent), but I still feel that the first film is probably the best movie. Still, movies aside, you’d think a movie like Starship Troopers would be prime real-estate for games, right? I’d thought that, too, but outside of two real time strategy games and a 2005 first person shooter, there really hasn’t been much in the way of video games for the series. Until recently with the release of Starship Troopers: Extermination; a game that, no joke, is a prime candidate for my Game Of The Year, even with a few issues I have with the title. Would you like to know more?

The best way, I think, that I can describe Nikoderiko: The Magical World is that it’s essentially a Crash Bandicoot-style game. That is, you run on a 2D plane that sometimes transitions to 3D, from one end of the level to the other, collecting various items on the screen while avoiding traps and either avoiding or taking out the various enemies. Nothing really revolutionary but still a fun concept. However, Nikoderiko doesn’t really bring anything new to this genre to make it stand out from the others on the market. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad game, mind you, just that it could’ve been the next great mascot platformer.

I've always been interested in unique gaming gimmicks. Ones that are either using a very used function of a controller or very obviously just a way to get a headline in a gaming article to sell a big piece of plastic that you will only use for one game *coughsteelbettalionforthexboxcough*. Having a gimmick can ruin or enhance an experience, especially if it's one where you don't need any special skills or equipment to use. Enter “Before Your Eyes”. 

Before Your Eyes is an immersive story focused first person experience with a unique gimmick. If you have a webcam, you can control the experience through your eye movements by blinking. You blink to select stuff, blink to skip cutscenes, blink to draw, blink to move objects, etc. There is a mouse option if you do not have a webcam, but to get the full experience you should use your webcam, or in the case of the PSVR2, your VR headset. I played through the game twice, one with the blinking mechanic and one with the mouse. Playing with the mouse almost feels like cheating because there are certain story elements where you are asked to keep your eyes open and there's no suspension or challenge when you can just literally pull your hand away from the mouse for a few seconds. With the webcam, those holding periods feel agonizing and you have to force yourself to keep unblinking for longer then you want it to be, it feels rewarding to do so. The issue with the eye controller is that the game is VERY emotional and you'll start to feel it when you cry, having to blink and you'll see yourself skip important cutscenes because you had to wipe your eyes. So, what is the game about anyway?

You play as Benny, Who just woke up on a small boat in what seems like an ethereal land. A Cat? Fox?...Catfox? with one ear is on the boat with you. This is the Ferryman, and he tells you you're dead and on your way to see the Gatekeeper. He informs you that you will need to give the Gatekeeper a story to see if you are worthy of being brought into paradise. You are then taken to your memories to go through your story, starting from your youth to your eventual death and everything that happens in between.

The story does not sugar coat anything and this is where the premise of the eyes being the controller can falter. A lot of the scenes in this game are very emotional. To the point where you will be crying or have issues with keeping your eyes open. However these scenes are where the game will demand you to keep your eyes open for longer periods of time then normal and this can physically hurt while you play. Again, you can switch to mouse controls at any time, but then it does not feel like a full experience because the game was built around you using your eyes. So if you do play this game, please make sure to do some eye exercises beforehand. 

The visuals are very simplistic, but great at showing off the little details that the developers put in with every action. The hand drawn action commands and the pop it gives whenever you make a selection is a good touch that connects well with Benny’s story and background. The feel of the different scenes fit well with the themes as well, with all the memories being set like a play and limited visibility like you would if you had to remember specific events from your own past. The soundtrack fits well with the visuals as well, lots of piano and string music throughout with the occasional percussion and synth sounds that punctuate the memories you will encounter.

Initially I was going to go into more detail about the story of Before Your Eyes, but after writing an entire page and a half about it, I decided against it. This review was going to be a short one anyway since this is a game that you need to experience first hand and it may have a different effect on you. Much like how games like “What Remains of Edith Finch” and “Undertale”, your experience may differ from mine and I wanted to explore my feelings on the game. However, that would ruin the experience for you to go give it a shot yourself. So, I implore you, go play Before Your Eyes. It's a 2 hour experience that you won't forget. 

Elestrals is a new face in the TCG world. Designed and created by YouTuber aDrive and his amazing team, Elestrals sees players harness the powers of elemental spirits to call upon powerful enchanted creatures called Elestrals. It's a full blown card game complete with varied mechanics and even an in-universe origin story and lore. They’ve put a lot of love into it and it shows. Their website is filled with information about the various cards, how to play, the lore and much more. 

The TCG game was announced back in 2022 and reached massive success on Kickstarter with almost $1.5 million pledged from thousands of backers! It has continued to grow, garnering the interest and attention of card game fanatics and influencers alike. As of this writing, it's currently on its 4th set, Daybreak and the next set Moonrise is on the horizon.

Recently, they’ve returned to Kickstarter with the newly announced Elestrals Clash! A digital version of the game that’ll open it up to new players. Developed by the team who created the Pixelborn app(a digital version of Lorcana), it's already reached its main goal. A mobile and steam release is sure to be on the way but we may also see a Nintendo Switch release if it gets sufficient backing. At present, the Kickstarter is going all the way to the start of November so there’s plenty of time to get in there. Special bonuses like promo cards and exclusive cosmetics await the backers who embark on this journey to Elestria. It looks like a really fun game and I’m excited to check more of it out. They currently have an app on the Google Play store and a Discord server for players where they also host tournaments and you can learn the game. There’s also a YouTube channel where you can keep up with all the updates and learn about the game. If that sounds like your thing, check out the trailer for the Kickstarter below! 

Another GIANT list of games we have this season for the Fall 2024 Steam Next Fest! We're looking forward to a ton of these games and have compiled as many as we could find with animals and/or anthropomorphic characters featured in them! Be sure to let us know of any others you find by commenting below!

We'll be playing some of these demos this week and next, and hopefully providing some previews and progress updates throughout development! Additionally, we have an actively updated Furry & Animal Games List over at @GamingFurever that you can follow and get constant updates for lots of indie titles with TONS of lovely furry characters! If you're a developer of any of these games, feel free to hit us up on email over on our Contact Us page!

Here's your October 2024 Steam Next Fest list:

So, today was the Xbox Partner Preview showcase, where the latest in third-party games coming to Xbox were shown and to be perfectly honest? Outside of a few select titles, there really wasn’t much noteworthy here to really get excited about, which is a shame as, usually, I find a good bit of games that look fun, but not this time, sadly. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t anything good on the show, just that nothing really screamed MUST GET, for me at least.

Strategy focused RPGs are always some of my favorites. I’m not always good at them, but I enjoy them. So when I saw the announcement for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven a few months ago, I was intrigued. A non-linear rpg with multiple characters and different formations? That doesn’t involve a standard exp system? This promises to be pretty interesting, especially since I’ve never heard of the SaGa franchise before this game. Fortunately, like Final Fantasy, the number is mostly a formality: knowledge of other entries in the series is not all required to play or enjoy this one. Which means we can jump straight in.

Ever dreamed of being an alchemist in a fantasy town full of anthropomorphic villagers, slightly dangerous monsters, and a wealth of ingredients for your potion-crafting needs? Alchemist: The Potion Monger is all of those things and more, and provides a heaping dose of things to do in a casual setting that allows for you to grow your knowledge and skills at your own speed. Even after spending numerous hours with the game, there’s still more for me to find and do. Though it takes some time to craft the more funny potions in the game, the journey to get there can be a rewarding one, even if it takes a little longer to get there than I expected.

The concept for Copycat is rife with opportunity. Lovingly and fully voice acted by a cast of Australian locals, Copycat is driven by the concept of a nature documentary narrator following your cat, Dawn’s, adventures through adoption and rehoming. Your new life is upended when a “Copycat” tries to take your newly found place in the family with an elderly lady named Olive. Olive and her daughter also have a lot of real life issues that they’re having to handle, and you get caught up in the effects of all of them, while also battling with the implied trauma from your last family. People tell me I’m an emotional guy, and this game does nothing to prove them wrong. Throughout the game I was on a rollercoaster of emotions, all of them culminating in an incredibly fulfilling ending that was worth the price of admission.