All review keys have been given by the publisher(s)
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: We here at GameTyrant have been absolutely bombarded with so many games this year. We will be rolling out select quick reviews to let our audience know about games and DLC that may have slipped under their radar. We appreciate the amazing support from all publishers and developers out there!
Phantom Abyss
If there’s ever a game that’s made me feel like Lara Croft, Nathan Drake, or Indiana Jones, it’s Phantom Abyss. This first-person POV adventure game is the game that many of us had only dreamed as children would one day exist.
Phantom Abyss allows players to traverse through complex trap-filled temples as they search for treasures and secrets throughout, testing just how far they can make it. It’s an intensely fun game, thanks to its death-run style of gameplay that pairs perfectly with the movement that it seamlessly allows players to use to traverse its beautiful and dangerous dungeons.
It’s a very solid title that has some depth to it besides mindlessly making it from point A to Z. There’s a lot of variety in getting around places, game modes, and even secret areas for keen adventurers to find. There’s just as much reward as there is risk when playing Phantom Abyss.
The Cub
Tying into developer Demagog Studio’s Golf Club Nostalgia, The Cub brings players back to the seemingly uninhabited Earth following post-apocalyptic events. Though, instead of golfing, players take on the journey of a young Earthling as it ventures deeper into the world that’s rebuilding around them.
It’s a 2D side-scrolling adventure platformer that’s very similar to the likes of Limbo or Inside. It focuses heavily on world-building but very much so excels in its audio. The music used in-game, as well as environmental distortion, like when you go underwater and the music warps to signify that, is always so enjoyable to see. The devs went hard with sound, and it shows.
As someone who played it on the Switch though, I was pretty let down to see just how much this game chugs. It’s a looker for sure, but is not a hardware-intensive title. I think, as with many third-party games released on Switch, this port doesn’t translate well. The Cub needs to be optimized a bit more for a perfect score.
Devil Inside Us: Roots of Evil
Where to begin with Devil Inside Us: Roots of Evil? Well, it isn’t a new game, but it is a new title for consoles. As a player who wants to see games challenged in their most simple form, I played this on Switch. Now aside from some stripped visuals, there really isn’t a difference in how it plays between consoles.
But since visuals are important, let’s talk about them. Even at its highest points on its original PC form, Devil Inside Us: Roots of Evil is not a looker. It utilizes lots of darkened rooms and visuals in order to cloak just how bad the game can look at times. Looks aren’t always everything though, especially in horror.
The problem is, I don’t really like Devil Inside Us: Roots of Evil outside of some of its story ideas. What I specifically hate about this title though is that for its meager length, it utilizes lazy jumpscares for the majority of it. There really aren’t suspenseful moments, so the devs had to make them up with either jumpscares or jarring sounds at every corner.
I also really wasn’t a big fan of gameplay. Though I love me a good survival horror title, this one just didn’t seem to do anything remotely new and stripped everything back really far. It’s really just a walking simulator most of the time, following the haunted house blueprint that’s been done with more care in recent years. Giving credit where it’s due though; that ending is pretty controversial, and they went for it.
