Escape From Ever After Playstation 5 Review

Escape From Ever After was sent to me by Hypetrain Digital, and I always appreciate it, and honestly, they are one of those companies you have probably heard of, even if you don’t realize it. This time, they hit us with a Paper Mario-style RPG that wears its homage right on its sleeve, and doesn’t even try to hide its love for the game it imitates.

You play as Flynt Buckler, Hero, Adventurer, Dragon Slayer. On your most recent attempt to slay the vile Tinder, your arch nemesis, you discover his layer is now home to Ever After Incs corperate office, and Tinder is now in prison and a shadow of his former self. So what is a dragon slayer and his new not-so-good buddy dragon to do? Get a job, of course.

What follows are hours of traveling through storybooks to meet characters like the Big Bad Wolf, which is apparently just a stage name, and combat that includes all the features you love, such as timed attacks and defenses, holding buttons until the perfect time, etc. Solving puzzles, finding ink to upgrade skills, and Sun Stones to buy powerful trinkets. The leveling system is the same: gather 100 experience and pick between HP, MP, or points to equip more skills/trinkets.

Don’t make any mistake, this is not a complete rip-off of Paper Mario. The gameplay may be the same, but this isn’t an easy game. It has different difficulty settings, and playing on hard will test your abilities in a way Paper Mario never did. There is also an optional tower that you will have to fight from level 1 to level 100 in one go, with no ability to heal except for items you bring with you. The rewards are great, but it is not an easy trip.

This brings me to my only real complaint about the game. The economy is rough. There never seems to be enough money to buy healing items, and the cost of healing isn’t cheap either. This doesn’t take away from the joy I found in the game; it is honestly one of the best games I have played all year, and I have played a lot of them already. This is a 9/10 experience that is probably the first must-buy RPG of the year. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot Steam Review

Dwarves: Glory, Death, and Loot was sent to me by Sidekick Publishing and is a mix of RPG, roguelike, and Autobattler, and honestly sounds like it wouldn’t work. Picking a few dwarves, loading them with weapons, then watching them fight just doesn’t sound like fun. Doing this over and over again to unlock new things until you lose and starting over again didn’t sound too appealing to me.

I will be 100% honest here: this game won’t be for everyone. What I described is basically the gameplay loop in a nutshell. The battles get harder, you recruit more dwarves, some are better than others, and there are multiple difficulty levels. There are also plenty of things to unlock and jobs to unlock as you go.

There is also a weapon forging system where you can combine weapons into new weapons, sometimes it is random, but if you know what weapons to combine, you will get certain things, and yes, there is a book of recipes for you to unlock. The game is far deeper than you realize at a glance. Now you can get away with ignoring this, but it does make the game far harder than it needs to be.

Picking which battles to get involved in is important as well. Do you want the extra money and experience? Do you want the safe win? This is entirely up to you, and some enemies are even easier to beat based on your equipment. Maybe that goblin with the magic just isn’t worth the risk with your dwarf loadout. Do you want extra healers at the cost of DPS? These are all valid strategies.

For me these is an 8/10 experience that I very much enjoyed and will be playing more of. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Bearer & The Last Flame Now Available for Pre-order on PlayStation 5

Meridiem is pleased to announce that The Bearer & The Last Flame is now available for pre-order on PlayStation 5. The game will also be available on Steam and in physical format, with two editions available on March 6, 2026, for PlayStation 5. Developed by Dark Reaper Studio, The Bearer & The Last Flame is an epic action-adventure dark fantasy game, created by a single developer, inspired by classic Soulslike titles that will immerse you in a world ravaged by death.

Meridiem has been responsible for the design and creation of these physical editions: The Bearer & The Last Flame – Standard Edition for PlayStation 5 which includes the PlayStation 5 game and The Bearer & The Last Flame – The Knight’s Edition, which includes, in addition to the PS5 game, a game guide and a special sleeve. 

In the far reaches of the extinct land of men, darkness has ravaged every sign of life. The lost souls of bloodthirsty warriors seek rest in the underworld, where demons of the abyss, the darkest creatures, and soulless sorcerers dwell. Darkness looms over the land, and only faint traces of light remain. There is no solace for life,  yet in the high mountains of Selender, a glimmer of hope has emerged.

A living soul has received its charge. Carry the last flame, illuminate the lands of night, and return the fearsome creatures back into the abyss.

Features:

  • Relive the essence of classic Soulslike games: experience strategic combat in a world full of mysteries and a deep story told through the environment and the enigmatic characters you encounter on your journey.
  • Choose from various characters: forge your destiny in this unforgettable adventure. Select your hero from different characters originating from unique worlds.
  • Challenging difficulty: master a combat system where every strike matters. Face demanding enemies with mechanics that reward precision, strategy, and constant learning.
  • Variety of enemies across different environments: confront a vast range of unique creatures, night beasts, demons, and soulless undead, each designed to exploit your weaknesses.
  • Memorable enemies and bosses: prepare for epic battles against terrifying creatures and colossal guardians. Each encounter is a unique challenge filled with tension and reward.
  • Choose your fighting style: customize your strategy with an arsenal of over 200 unique weapons. Master melee combat, ranged attacks, or the arcane power of magic.
  • Explore the vast landscapes of Hyperborea: traverse dungeons, caves, and castles in an epic medieval fantasy adventure.

The game will feature an original soundtrack composed by Francisco Arroyo, bringing a fresh and distinctive musical style to the experience.

The Bearer & The Last Flame will be released in physical format in two editions for PlayStation 5 and digitally for PlayStation 5 and Steam on 6 March 2026.

Apartment No. 129 Xbox Review

Apartment No 129 on Xbox is another game sent to me by Axyos Games, you may remember I recently covered Ebola Village from them. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers to work with because everything they send me seems to fall into the same B-game horror level, and I mean this as a compliment.

The story here is that you play as Emir, a man who creates content on haunted places, and you have found the holy grail, so to speak. Apartment no 129, a place where something so messed up, so demented, has occurred that the government has locked it off. The location has been forgotten, even hidden to the point that people speak of it as a legend. Thankfully, your brother knows a guy that lived in the building. The coward won’t go with you, but you are convinced to check it out.

The first thing to know about this game is if you are sensitive, emotionally, I mean, don’t play this game. A lot of games come with that sort of warning, and it is a marketing gimmick or a legal thing. This one is a valid warning. The game is quite creepy as you use your flashlight, which does require batteries every so often, to find your way through this dark and dilapidated apartment building.

Finding news articles and hidden writings is also important to progressing the story; doing so also means that once safe places may not be anymore. I don’t want to say too much about the story because doing so will spoil a lot of things, as the story isn’t exactly long and can be finished in a few hours.

The gameplay is honestly where this game suffers. It isn’t truly bad; it is simply unpolished. Enemies at times seem to be super spongy while dealing a ton of damage, and surviving certain encounters felt more like luck than skill. At launch, the game also had a ton of glitches, some of which were even game-breaking towards the end. I didn’t run into any, but I am told this also may have just been luck on my end. While the story is fantastic, the gameplay does leave a lot to be desired. This 4/10 experience is probably best left to wait for a sale, though I have read that the PC version doesn’t suffer from these technical issues. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

PS5 AND PC Exclusive ‘Genigods: Nezha’ Revealed in WORLD FIRST Gameplay Video

Genigods: Nezha is a premium, pay upfront, hardcore action role-playing game set against the chaotic backdrop of ancient Chinese genesis mythology. You are the Spirit Pearl—the very first spark of life forged by Nüwa, the Goddess of Life, from the essence of earth, water, and fire. 

In this epic journey, you will evolve from a celestial artifact into the first human, a woman crafted from water and clay, before eventually being reborn as the legendary Nezha. Your journey is shared by legendary heroes: Yi, the sun-feller, and Yu, the flood-tamer. Beside you also dwells the Heart of Sacred Water—Nüwa’s sentient gift that grows with you, serving as your vital companion to solve ancient puzzles, conquer the toughest trials and learn the dark truth behind this new world.

Genigods Lab’s 100-person team previously made the critically and commercially acclaimed My Hero Academia mobile game published by Sony Crunchyroll. The team also developed the popular Condor Heroes series for mobile platforms, which recently surpassed over 10 million downloads worldwide. 

“Our mission is to ignite the epic celestial battles of Chinese mythology. In Genigods: Nezha, every skill you cast, every choice you make, writes a new line in an ancient epic—forged in your image,” explained Erdi Yao, co-founder and Head of Creative & Design at Genigods Lab. “Players will wield the heart of creation, soar between realms, awaken the three-headed and eight-armed form, and step onto the primordial battlefield to mend the shattered heavens. This is not about hearing a story; it is about etching your name into its very fabric,” he added.

For a full feature breakdown of this exciting new story-driven adventure, please see below: 

  • Celestial Combat
    Experience the dynamic scale of Chinese mythic warfare, where battle flows seamlessly between Heaven and Earth. Switch seamlessly between ground and aerial combat utilising dual stances, awaken temporary mythic abilities to perform devastating combos and mid-air strikes, and combine treasures discovered in the game world to create unique skills.
  • Colossal Gods and the Sun Tree
    Built with Unreal Engine 5 and optimized for Playstation, Genigods: Nezha delivers a one-of-a-kind Chinese-style colossal adventure: climb ancient gods towering like mountains and fight by traversing the contours of their bodies. With the help of the giant Kuafu, scale the Sun Tree that bridges mortal and celestial realms, then draw your bow to extinguish The Nine Suns and end the scorching catastrophe.
  • Water Philosophy & Jeet Kune Do Mechanics
    Genigods: Nezha’s combat is inspired by Bruce Lee’s iconic ‘Be Water’ philosophy through the Divine Water within Nezha. Her techniques adapt the essence of Jeet Kune Do. Condense water into a piercing One-Inch Flash for armor-breaking blows, or unleash water all at once, as a sweeping Dragon’s Kick to tackle crowds of enemies at once. This system encourages players to master a defensive, reactive style of combat— and requires perfect timing to parry and counter with the adaptable precision of water itself.

To learn more about Genigods: Nezha, please visit the official Steam and Epic Games Store product pages. GeniGods Lab also invites everyone to Genigods: Nezha’s official Discord channel, where you can get insights and updates on the game’s ongoing development and features.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

So you know Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Bloodborne but do you know of FromSoftware’s (arguably) most challenging masterpiece of them all? After almost a year playing on and off, I do.

Sekiro tells the story of Wolf, a shinobi in ancient Japan tasked with protecting his lord, Kumo, a young boy plagued with a great and terrible curse. Dragon’s Blood- immortality. They’re are forces that want eternal life and will go to any length for it. After losing his arm and his lord to a rival, Wolf is resurrected and granted a special prosthetic from a mysterious sculptor that can be fitted with deadly and useful attachments. With his new arm, Wolf must embark on a epic quest to save his lord and stop this curse…

Is Sekiro a Soulsborne game- one of gaming’s hottest debates. Honestly, I’m torn but ultimately believe it qualifies. Sekiro is easily the hardest of the group I’ve played. It requires intense focus, creativity, patience, and Jedi fast reflexes. I’ve gotten my ass kicked and pulverized harder in my 60+ hours in Sekiro than I did my 100+ hours in dark souls 2 and multiple playthroughs of bloodborne but after it was all done, I felt true accomplishment I’ve rarely gotten in gaming. The game flows incredibly well and can be extremely challenging without ever really feeling like bullshit (I’m looking at you Souls 1 and 2). Swordplay is fast, responsive and thrilling. Stealth is smooth and easy. The platforming has a few rocky moments but mostly is solid overall and adds alot of depth to combat and exploration. Visually, the game is utterly breathtaking with stunning color and environments. The bosses are memorable, especially Genichiro, The Guardian Ape, and Ishinn the Sword Saint; Ishinn is hands down one of my favorite final bosses.

In the end, I think Sekiro beats Bloodborne as my favorite Fromsoftware game and like Bloodborne, I consider it a masterpiece. Like all the games in the category, it won’t be for all. Especially, and I cannot stress this enough, if you aren’t good at parrying- I don’t recommend this game if you aren’t a parry god or able to learn. If you are, then you’re in for a divine treat. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Conquest Tactics: Realm of Sin Steam Review

Conquest Tactics: Realm of Sin is another title by Thousand Generation Games that they were kind enough to send me recently. This one is a bit different, however. This is a dark fantasy roguelike where you will be conquering tiles and fighting your enemy to essentially deal damage to the enemy flag to win battles.

Unlike most games like this, where the story takes a back seat to the gameplay, Conquest Tactics has sort of flipped this on its head. The battles are fun, make no mistake. There is quite a bit of strategy involved. Do you use your more defense-oriented people to expand and protect your area, or recall them and attack? Is it time to risk losing ground to win the battle? These are all choices you have to make for yourself at any given time. These, however, pale in comparison to the most important choice of all as you make your way through the game.

The world is in chaos, a great darkness is taking over, and in true video game fashion, it is up to you to stop this from occurring. While you have the power to end this, you also have the power to simply encourage it to happen. What kind of person do you choose to be? A hero for the world, or the villain of all villains? There is no wrong answer, only what is in your heart, or I guess lack of one, you evil bastard you.

While the game is simplistic to learn, mastering it is far from, I still haven’t truly managed to do it myself. With a new twist on having a command stage and your troops being more like game pieces on a board that twist and attack in directions, and the story being the main selling point, I highly encourage people to check this one out. It is a 9/10 experience for me. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Deep Fringe Steam Review

Every so often, a game is sent to me and is described as a “deep tactical” or occasionally brutal, and my brain says, ” well let me be the judge of that. After all, I have been reviewing games for about a decade, and I have been gaming for over 30 years. From Demon Souls to the days of Ninja Turtles on NES, I have played them all. So when Thousand Generation Games offered me Deep Fringe, I jumped at the chance.

This is, as I said, a tactical game first and foremost. It has a steampunk feel to it, but most importantly, two different views are easy to switch between, and you will do well to do so. One will give you a good view of all your troops, the other the environment. You must take advantage of the environment, or you will lose. Small things, from simply pushing enemies from ledges to give you tactical advantages, to more major things, such as dropping rocks from the ceilings to crush more powerful foes, will make or break battles. I lost entire battles when I missed such oppotunities but finding them made those same fights a cake walk.

Each unit also has its own abilities and weaknesses, and you have to know what those are to succeed. Another interesting aspect is that you are given missions before each fight, and there are opportunities at times during battles to take on extra things. You may have to choose to save a third party or continue with the mission as you were ordered. This may help or hinder you; this is for you to decide. The only advice I will give is that many times, a good military leader needs to be heartless and carry on with the mission, but sometimes orders need to be ignored. You need to know which is which, and those decisions aren’t always simple.

So is this game truly deep tactics? Well, it definitely put my skills to the test. It won’t be for everyone, but it is fair and challenging, and I am far from being done playing it. It is an 8/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ebola Village Playstation 5 Review

Ebola Village was recently released on PlayStation 5, and Axyos Games was nice enough to send me a copy. It’s worth noting that for the purpose of this review, it was developed by Indie Games Studios, which is actually just a Russian guy named Victor.

Now on to my probably very unpopular opinion on Ebola Village. Let me start off by saying the game has a reputation as being a Resident Evil rip-off, and I won’t lie, the similarities are there. Let’s call a spade a spade, as they say. If you watch any zombie movie made before Resident Evil games were made, did Resident Evil rip them off, or did they pay homage? Is the zombie genre just retelling similar stories because placing them in the real world simply lends itself to having things in common? This is a discussion worth having.

You will start out in a run down busted up apartment in Russia as Maria. You will leave to find your mother in a new town, I won’t disrespect the russian language by trying to spell these town names. There are some puzzles to solve in this apartment, and you will quickly notice the inventory is very Resident Evil-like. Hey, I said the similarities were there. You will soon drive your car and run out of gas, stumble on a police car, and encounter your first zombie. Ok, I reiterate I said the similatires were there, you can stop rolling your eyes now.

Yes, I will stop talking about the story now. You will solve puzzles, shoot zombies, and make your way through a basic and predictable story. Let’s talk about the gameplay. It’s janky as hell. You can tell it is a port from PC, and you are supposed to be shooting these guns with a mouse; it works, but it’s janky.

Here is the thing most reviews won’t tell you. The game is fun. Shooting and stabbing zombies will see pieces fly off, to the point I’ve had zombies that basically just had skulls left, trying to eat me.

Is this game good? No, not really. It is a 5/10. Some of it functions badly, but what it lacks in function, it makes up for in just being fun. This is the gaming version of a B-movie on Tubi or the Syfy channel. You aren’t signing up for a good movie; you are signing up for a ridiculous one that’s fun. Is it worth $20? For some of you, yes; for most of you, no. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Roguematch : The Extraplanar Invasion Playstation 5 Review

StarStruck Games was kind enough to send me a copy of Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion on PlayStation 5, and I have to admit I am normally not a fan of these puzzle-matching games, but I am known to dabble here and there. But we all know how I feel about rogue-likes and RPGs, so when I had the chance to check out one that filled all those boxes, of course, I wanted to try it.

The gameplay is very basic: match the gems, which are colored by elements. Green is wind, red is fire, and so on and so forth. As you match these, you collect them to cast spells, and if you do this next to enemies, you damage them. You can also just move into enemies to damage them with your base attack, but doing this allows them to do the same to you, so be careful. It has its uses, but it is safer to use elements.

Certain areas will require you to step on switches or activate crystals, or simply defeat every enemy to move on to the next room. Some of these rooms have items to collect that work as spells. Some marked doors lead to a floor boss as you attempt to get to the bottom of the pyramid. You can attempt to speed run the boss; it is a viable strategy or you can find items and level up.

Leveling up allows you to strengthen an element

The story is pretty straightforward, but it’s nice. Three friends attempt to investigate a temple and discover that only one at a time may enter. The wizard goes in first, trying to find a magic tomb, and gets lost. The paladin rushes in to save him once the shield comes down, and also gets lost. And now you control the final member on the rescue attempt. Once you find them, you will be able to control them on later attempts, with each character, of course, having different abilities and play styles. During the rescue attempt, you will discover more about this temple, but I won’t spoil this for you.

This is going to be a very niche title; fans of games like this will enjoy this 7/10 title, but I don’t see it bringing new fans into the fold. At $20, it has a nice amount of replay value, is free of any glitches or problems, and looks nice. Don’t expect it to wow you, but it will entertain you for a few hours. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.