Author: Rob Warmoeskerken

Do you know that feeling when a game from your childhood lingers in your memory? You’re pretty sure it was good, because you remember having a ton of fun. But when you go back, reality hits. That “awesome” game turns out to be clunky, frustrating, and far from what you pictured. That happened to me when I revisited Down in the Dumps (available on GoG.com). Let me explain. Down in the Dumps was made by the French developer Haiku Studios and published by Philips Media. If you’ve never heard of Haiku, that’s no surprise. The studio went bankrupt not long…

In the Credit Roll Chronicles, Rob (DM4S for his online friends) takes on all the games he left unfinished over the years. From childhood classics that beat him back in the day to forgotten gems that slipped through the cracks, he is determined to finally see the credits roll. Along the way he shares memories, frustrations, and the joy of rediscovering the adventures that shaped his love for gaming. A Return to Simon’s World In the first entry of my new article series you read how I went back to the magical adventures of Simon the Sorcerer. I shared my…

In the Credit Roll Chronicles, Rob (DM4S for his online friends) takes on all the games he left unfinished over the years. From childhood classics that beat him back in the day to forgotten gems that slipped through the cracks, he is determined to finally see the credits roll. Along the way he shares memories, frustrations, and the joy of rediscovering the adventures that shaped his love for gaming. The past few weeks have been a real blast from the past. I decided to go back and play some of the games I left unfinished when I was just a…

Remakes, remasters, and re-releases are coming at us constantly. Many publishers are more than happy to join in, such as Capcom with their Resident Evil series and Sony with their first-party games. Even Xbox can’t avoid this path; just look at the Halo remasters and the Master Chief Collection. Ultimately, we ourselves have a big influence on this, because as long as we keep accepting it without complaint, major publishers will continue to see easy money in these re-releases. But even for mainstream games it may seem like developers have been opting for the easiest route more often in recent…

This Musashi vs. Cthulhu review is based on the Xbox Series X version. Musashi vs. Cthulhu is also available for Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5 and PC. Nostalgic flashback Do you remember those old-school flash games you could play on the internet? I used to play a lot of those during my high school days. They were easy to pick up and could get you hooked for hours. Especially when there were leaderboards involved, I would go into ultra-challenge mode with my friends to reach the top. My first look at Musashi vs. Cthulhu brought back those memories. Musashi vs. Cthulhu lets…

São Luís, a small island in northeast Brazil, is best known for its folklore about a giant enchanted serpent that purportedly resides in the underground galleries of downtown. According to the myth, different parts of the reptile are believed to be located in various areas of the island’s center. Legend has it that when the head and tail of the serpent finally meet, the island will be doomed and destined to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Brazilian folklore Brazilian game developer Ops Game Studio brings us a story based on this folklore with their newest game, Lunar Axe.…

This review of Geometry Survivor is based on the XBox Series S/X version of the game. It is also released on Steam (PC), Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 and 5. At the end of 2022, Vampire Survivors breathed new life into the roguelite genre. I’ve spent many hours playing this gem, with its simple yet addictive gameplay keeping me hooked for hours (92 hours to date). It’s no surprise that it spawned numerous clones trying to capitalize on its success. One of the latest clones is Geometry Survivor. If I hadn’t looked up the developer, I would have thought it…

This review was done on a Xbox Series s/x, Lords of exile is also available on Nintendo switch, Playstation 4 and Steam. One of my most favorite franchises by far is the Castlevania series. I grew up with entries like Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow, which took the Castlevania concept to new heights. Together with the Metroid franchise, it developed a whole new genre commonly known as Metroidvania, which remains relevant for the franchise to this day. Its earlier installments, on the other hand, were much more platforming action-based. I have to confess that I didn’t play…

In 2020, Belgian game studio Rogueside brought us the well-praised Hidden Through Time, a fun and relaxing hidden objects game that took players through various parts of humanity’s history. Together with my son (who was 3 years old back then), I spent some time finding all the objects. It was a good experience as I could introduce my son to gaming in a relaxing way. You’ll understand I was thrilled to pick up this second installment so I could enjoy some quality father and son time. Nonetheless, I was curious to see if it offered more compared to the first…

Point-and-click adventures – you either love them or hate them. It’s a slow-paced genre centered around delivering a compelling story and mind-boggling puzzles. One thing is for sure: back in the ’80s and ’90s, the genre thrived thanks to developers like LucasArts and Sierra, bringing us hit after hit. I devoured many of these classics like fresh bread. Games such as King’s Quest, Monkey Island, and Discworld kept me wrecking my brain over their puzzles. Nowadays, the genre has been overshadowed by fast-paced shooters, action games, and sports games. Fortunately, there are still a handful of developers who still give…