It’s been a really strong year for indie games, with titles like Dredge, Jusant and Cocoon all delighting us. It’s only fitting that we shine the spotlight on indies once more before the year is out, so today we’re checking out Aztec Tiki Talisman, The Traveler’s Path, Bob the Elementalist and Battle Stations Blockade.
Aztec Tiki Talisman review (PS5)
Aztec Tiki Talisman, developed by Josep Monzonis Hernandez and published by JanduSoft for the PlayStation 5, invites players on an adventurous yet casual romp through the ancient Aztec jungle. Boasting 50 levels across five chapters, the game weaves platforming, combat, and puzzles into a visually charming journey. Despite its simplicity, Aztec Tiki Talisman aims to engage players with a basic premise: collect blue gems to unlock portals and progress through the levels.
The gameplay, however, at times tends to lean more towards frustration than engagement. The controls, limited to jumping and axe throwing, prove a tad floaty and imprecise. Combat, in particular, feels disempowering, with thrown axes behaving unpredictably and a lack of a lock-on mechanism to compensate for this. The absence of a compelling narrative or varied level design further diminishes the overall experience, making it challenging to identify the target audience beyond achievement hunters or people looking for an easy challenge.
Visually, the game features a soft and colorful Aztec design that leaves a positive initial impression. However, the lack of environmental variation beyond the jungle setting becomes evident as the game progresses. While Aztec Tiki Talisman manages to run smoothly without glitches or crashes, its repetitive level structure and uninspiring combat contribute to a sense of staleness.
In conclusion, Aztec Tiki Talisman falls into the category of a budget 3D platformer with a single developer behind its creation. For that reason it’s commendable and there’s a degree of charm to it as well, but the game’s shortcomings, including weak controls, monotonous level design, and uninspired combat, prevent it from standing out in a genre filled with more compelling options. While priced fairly and suitable for those seeking a straightforward experience, it struggles to offer anything beyond a mediocre and forgettable adventure.
The Traveler’s Path review (PS5)
The Traveler’s Path, a puzzle game by White Rose Games, is being brought to life on multiple platforms by Eastasiasoft. The game invites players into a cute little world filled with charming graphics and an immersive soundtrack, promising a challenging and fun experience that puts puzzle-solving skills to the test. The premise revolves around guiding a hero through 50 challenging levels, each presenting a unique combination of paths and obstacles, requiring creativity and skill to find the perfect solution.
The gameplay of The Traveler’s Path draws inspiration from classic “create a path” games like Pipe Mania, offering a grid of squares with various path pieces. The challenge lies in swapping and rotating these pieces to construct an unbroken path for the hero. The game introduces interesting variations, such as multiple travelers with different exit points and the inclusion of coins, adding depth to the puzzle-solving experience. The controls, though generally intuitive, come with a minor quirk where the initial highlighting of the first piece can lead to accidental swaps, but overall, the puzzles are easy to grasp and a mishap is usually quickly undone.
Visually, the game is charming, featuring different terrains like forests, deserts, and snowfields. While the 3D graphics may not be mesmerizing, they align with the casual approach of the game. The audio, with its soothing soundtrack, adds a relaxing element to the overall experience. However, the simplicity of the puzzles might leave some players wanting more complexity, as the game tends to offer multiple solutions for many of its puzzles, making it less challenging than anticipated.
The Traveler’s Path shines in terms of accessible gameplay and the sheer number of levels, offering a decent value for its price. Yet, its reluctance to present truly challenging puzzles and the abundance of multiple solutions might diminish the sense of accomplishment for some players. It provides a breezy and enjoyable experience, especially suitable for those seeking a casual puzzle-solving adventure on a budget. Whether you are a trophy hunter or a casual puzzle enthusiast, The Traveler’s Path offers a charming, albeit not overly demanding, gaming journey.
Bob the Elementalist review (PS5)
Bob The Elementalist by 9Ratones and published by Ratalaika offers a puzzle platformer experience set in a pixelated world. Across 80 carefully designed levels, players delve into a challenging narrative where mastering the elemental powers of wind, water, fire, and earth becomes crucial for humanity’s survival. The game deviates from the norm by introducing a gem-collecting mechanic instead of the traditional navigation to an exit, adding strategic depth to each level.
Navigating our nimble protagonist Bob is surprisingly smooth, with responsive controls enhancing the overall platforming experience. The introduction of elemental potions brings a creative twist, transforming Bob into different forms, each with its unique abilities. However, the game’s reluctance to include multiple elements in some levels could be seen as a missed opportunity for a more dynamic gameplay experience that builds more on this interesting central concept.
Despite the minor quirks associated with each elemental power, such as the Wind element requiring a lot of precision, the game’s entertainment value as a budget-friendly platformer shines through. With 60 levels, Bob The Elementalist strikes a balance between challenge and enjoyment.
In summary, Bob The Elementalist successfully blends challenging puzzles, precise platforming, and creative elemental transformations into an engaging experience, with its minor flaws being overshadowed by its overall entertainment value and competitive price point.
Battle Stations Blockade review (PS5)
Battle Stations Blockade, a 3D rail shooter from Mission Critical Studios and published by Eastasiasoft for multiple platforms including the PlayStation 5, propels players into a voxel-style maritime battleground. Taking command of a gunboat, you take on an urgent mission to recover stolen military intelligence. With dual turrets at your disposal, you navigate through eleven stages, engaging in intense battles against diverse enemies, including aircraft, submarines, and even giant mecha creatures.
The game’s tutorial provides a basic overview, though a lack of detailed explanations for the nine varied weapon types may leave players figuring things out on the fly – as you would have in the classic arcade era that made this genre popular. The straightforward controls involve moving a cursor with the left stick, shooting with the triggers, and selecting turret types from a radial dial. While the default 50-Cal guns offer a reliable choice, the game introduces various weapons like missile launchers and rail guns, each with unique characteristics. However, the radial dial selection method could use refinement, occasionally leading to frustrations and breaks in immersion in the heat of battle.
Battle Stations Blockade offers an arcade rail shooter experience that, while visually simplistic with its voxel design, adds a touch of creativity with imaginative enemy encounters. The game’s default difficulty tends toward the easy side, and the lengthy levels may cause some monotony, but co-op multiplayer injects additional fun into the formula. Despite some design flaws and a lack of dynamism in its action, the game presents an enjoyable and straightforward shooting experience, particularly for those seeking casual gaming sessions and cooperative arcade-like play.
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