The past few weeks have delivered another varied mix of releases, with developers continuing to find interesting ways to build on established genres and franchises. This roundup covers three very different experiences: an indie action-platformer that blends exploration with classic inspirations, a music pack that injects Linkin Park’s signature sound into one of VR’s best rhythm games, and another licensed crossover for GigaBash that proves the kaiju brawler’s impressive post-launch support is far from over. Whether you’re looking for a brand-new adventure, fresh reasons to return to a favourite game or simply wondering which recent releases deserve your attention, these latest additions all bring something worthwhile to the table – even if they each come with a few caveats of their own.
Clarity: The Seven Demons of Vanguardia review (PS5)
Clarity: The Seven Demons of Vanguardia tells a familiar revenge story, sending a young hero on a quest after the murder of their father at the hands of a powerful demon. While the setup itself is fairly straightforward, it gradually reveals a more heartfelt side by framing its journey around grief and overcoming personal struggles rather than simple vengeance. Those themes never dominate the experience, but they give the adventure more emotional weight than its budget presentation initially suggests, even if the narrative remains fairly light for most of its runtime before delivering a stronger closing note.
Although it borrows ideas from Metroidvanias, Clarity ultimately feels much closer to a traditional action platformer with open-ended stages than a true exploration-heavy adventure. Players can tackle most of the elemental worlds in any order, collecting keys, upgrades and other secrets while earning new weapons that exploit enemy weaknesses in a distinctly Mega Man-inspired progression. The combination of swordplay, ranged magic and plentiful collectibles keeps exploration rewarding, and the manual healing system adds a welcome layer of resource management. At the same time, several mechanics introduced early on never reach their full potential, while the generous checkpoints and limited backtracking keep the challenge approachable rather than demanding.
Movement generally feels fast and capable thanks to abilities like the double jump and air dash, but the controls never achieve the precision the platforming occasionally asks for. Combat can feel slightly inconsistent because of awkward hit detection and attack spacing, while some jumps lack the crisp responsiveness needed for more demanding sections. Boss encounters are usually enjoyable thanks to the elemental system, although a few difficulty spikes stand out more because of environmental hazards than clever enemy design. Exploration fares better, encouraging players to poke around for hidden upgrades and useful abilities that make later stages smoother to navigate.
Visually, Clarity embraces a hand-drawn retro aesthetic that succeeds more through charm than technical polish. The varied environments and enemy designs help distinguish each biome, even if some artwork looks rough around the edges, while character animations add personality throughout the adventure. The soundtrack is less memorable, rarely elevating the action or emotional moments in the way the visuals occasionally manage. At its modest price point, Clarity: The Seven Demons of Vanguardia delivers a competent action platformer with enough exploration and progression to stay engaging, even if uneven controls and underdeveloped ideas prevent it from standing alongside the strongest games in the genre.
Synth Riders – Linkin Park DLC review (Quest)
The Linkin Park Music Pack is another strong addition to Synth Riders’ growing library, bringing thirteen tracks that span the band’s career from early classics to more recent material featuring Emily Armstrong. Rather than simply relying on nostalgia, the selection offers a healthy mix of familiar anthems and newer songs, giving longtime fans and newer listeners alike plenty to enjoy. A few obvious omissions may disappoint die-hard fans, but fitting an entire career into a single DLC pack is always going to involve difficult choices.
What really makes the pack stand out is how well the songs have been adapted to Synth Riders’ movement-focused gameplay. The beatmaps are energetic and varied, making excellent use of walls and obstacles to encourage full-body movement instead of repetitive arm swings, while several of the heavier tracks provide a welcome increase in challenge for experienced players. Songs like Heavy Is The Crown, Breaking the Habit and One Step Closer feel particularly satisfying thanks to inventive choreography that rewards repeat plays. The controls remain as responsive as ever, and the clean, vibrant visual presentation allows the music and note patterns to take centre stage without becoming distracting.
As with any licensed music pack, personal taste plays a significant role. Players who prefer Synth Riders’ electronic roots may be less enthusiastic about another rock-focused expansion, while Linkin Park fans will likely find this one of the strongest DLC collections released for the game so far. Even with a handful of missing fan favourites, the combination of memorable music, creative mapping and consistently polished execution makes this an easy recommendation for anyone looking to inject some extra intensity into their VR rhythm sessions.
GigaBash – Ultraman Zero DLC review (PS5)
GigaBash has steadily grown into one of the best celebrations of giant monster entertainment, and the Ultraman Zero DLC continues that trend by introducing Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Belial as two distinctly different additions to the roster. Drawing from their rivalry in Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie, the pack captures the contrast between heroic precision and overwhelming aggression without relying on story content, instead letting their unique fighting styles tell the tale. While existing GigaBash players will immediately appreciate the fan service and authenticity, newcomers unfamiliar with the Ultra Series may not fully appreciate just how faithfully these characters have been recreated.
The real strength of the DLC lies in how differently both fighters play. Ultraman Zero rewards practice with a technical moveset built around his returning Sluggers, encouraging creative combos and careful timing, while Belial offers a more straightforward but equally satisfying bruiser who dishes out heavy damage with devastating attacks and status effects. Both control responsively within GigaBash’s accessible combat system, although Zero’s complexity gives him a steeper learning curve than his villainous counterpart. That contrast makes the pair complement each other remarkably well and adds meaningful variety rather than simply expanding the roster with cosmetic additions.
Presentation remains a highlight throughout. The character models, animations, signature attacks and sound effects all do an excellent job of recreating the personalities and mannerisms fans expect, making both Ultras feel like natural members of the GigaBash cast. Outside of these two newcomers, however, the DLC doesn’t introduce additional modes or gameplay systems, so its appeal naturally depends on how much value players place on expanding the roster. Even so, for fans of GigaBash, Ultraman or simply well-designed fighting game characters, this is another polished crossover that reinforces why Passion Republic Games continues to set a high standard for licensed DLC.