I’ve been playing quite a few video games recently across both my Steam Deck and my PC and there have been quite a few that I found incredibly impressive. Some of these games have been popular releases but then others seem to be, in my personal opinion, overlooked by the greater gaming population. Therefore, I thought that it might be interesting to take a look at some of the best video games that I’ve played recently and highlight some titles that I think are worthy of achieving greater success.
Wild Guns Reloaded
I wasn’t exactly sure what type of game Wild Guns Reloaded was as I sat down to play it for the first time. I’d heard it referred to as a rail shooter but I also heard that it contained platforming and bullet hell as well. Turns out that the genre Wild Guns Reloaded belongs to is “Shooting Gallery” and that the original game, Wild Guns, was seen as one of the best shooting gallery games. Wild Guns Reloaded is a remaster of the 1994 original and takes place in the American Wild West that also features robots, laser guns and other sci-fi elements. You control one of four characters who have to dodge incoming bullets while mowing down the enemies and bosses that come wave after wave. The game can be quite challenging to get to grips with, definitely worth looking up the controls before you start playing, but the superb music, gorgeous pixel art, tight controls and more make it a game that is well worth learning, playing and mastering.
htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary
Yes, you read that right. The bizarre title often catches people’s attention but don’t let that put you off. htoL#NiQ is a minimalist game when it comes to the story with no dialogue while using environmental storytelling and flashbacks to allow you to piece it together. You guide a girl called Mion through deadly levels using two fireflies, Lumen and Umbra, to interact both with her and the environment itself. The game can, at points, be pretty sadistic when it comes to its difficulty with a few deaths coming down to trial and error but the atmosphere of the game is entrancing, the graphics gorgeous in a picture book style and the gameplay distinct and memorable in how unique it is. Be prepared to die again and again but it’s a good time overall and definitely worth experiencing.
Mighty Gunvolt Burst
I’ve praised the work that Inti Creates puts out and I recently had the pleasure to play another superb game from them, Mighty Gunvolt Burst. An action platformer, the player chooses one of three characters from the Azure Striker Gunvolt, Mighty No. 9 or Gal Gun franchises and makes their way through levels in order to fight a boss and progress the game. Easily the most unique aspect of this game is the customisation system where, by gaining points and acquiring upgrades, you can adjust various components of your arsenal such as the bullet type, bullet speed, bullet number, how much damage you take, whether you receive knockback etc. It’s a superb system that proves to be surprisingly in-depth and encourages you to experiment to find the style that best helps you beat a level you may be stuck on.
Demon Turf: Neon Splash
I really enjoyed the first Demon Turf game but that’s not to say that it didn’t have issues, mainly the combat with regular enemies and bosses. Demon Turf: Neon Splash purges these elements and, while it’s quite a short game, it turns out to be a superb refinement which focuses far more on its strength, that being tight, satisfying 3D platforming that allows you to string abilities together to jump long distances while remaining precise as you speed through the levels to win a golden trophy. It’s a great experience and it’s even better now that it’s part of the Queen’s Edition that includes the main game as well as other content.
The fact that, as of this article, each of these games has less than 500 user reviews on Steam is a great shame and I’d fully encourage you to check these games out and give them what I’m sure is much needed support. Let me know your thoughts on these video games, which ones you’ve played, whether you liked them or disliked them, what video games you’ve played recently and which ones you’d recommend and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Thanks for reading and if you wish to seek any of the titles I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs! Also feel free to follow my curator page on Steam “JRPG Reviews” for thoughts and opinions on any JRPGs that I play and my YouTube channel “Victory Achieved Gaming” where I guide my friend through challenging games.