Ripstone Game Reviews
Mini Review Pure Pool (Switch) - As Close To The Real Thing As You'll Get On Switch
A ball game right on cue
Pure Pool does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a pool game through and through, and a darn good one at that. Developer VooFoo Studios has wisely restrained from flooding Pure Pool with wacky flourishes and overblown physics, instead focusing on delivering an experience that’s as close to the real deal as you’re...
Review Snooker 19 (Switch) - One Of The Best Snooker Games Ever, But Not Without Its Faults
Frame by frame
When it comes to nailing a sports simulator, it’s all about finding that sweet spot between authenticity, realism and fun. Even when that sport is a little more niche in its mainstream appeal, if you can’t capture the magic that makes that recreational pastime so unique, then you’re doing its fans a serious injustice. We’ve...
Review Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics (Switch) - Mixing Strategy And Horror To Mostly Good Effect
For the Love of the Craft
If there’s one group of historical nasties you can always rely on to invoke some of literature’s most eldritch nightmares, it’s the Nazis. From the pages of Hellboy to just about every Call of Duty in recent memory, those militarised fascists love dabbling in the occult, so it’s no great shock to see them teaming up...
Review The Spectrum Retreat (Switch) - A Portal-Style Puzzler Worthy Of Your Attention
Four stars on TripAdvisor!
If we were to knock together an old-fashioned ‘someting meets something’ comparison to describe The Spectrum Retreat, ‘Gone Home-meets-Portal in the hotel from The Shining’ would probably fit the bill. That conveys the tone of this FPS narrative puzzler but saddles it with expectations any developer would struggle...
Review Chess Ultra (Switch eShop)
Don't En Pass(ant) on this one
Chess is one of the world's oldest and most finely crafted games. Its strategies and complexities have fascinated players for decades (centuries, even), and at a professional level commands extraordinary dedication and expertise. For the majority of us it's an engaging game that is nevertheless quite casual, as we...
Review Ironcast (Switch eShop)
More than meets the eye
At E3 this year, this writer got the chance to demo an intriguing game called Ironcast, which initially sounded like it was trying to do a bit too much all at once. A match three puzzler that’s also a roguelike, that’s also a strategy RPG with permadeath? Even so, we came away feeling that it just might have what it takes...
Review Extreme Exorcism (Wii U eShop)
A hauntingly good time
Extreme Exorcism is a simple, fun indie title that embraces one of Nintendo's core values: getting people together to play. From its aesthetics to its modes, this game is dripping with retro charm. If you haven't seen or heard of it before, it's a 2D pixel-art shooter that focuses on platforming and run-and-gun mechanics. It...
Review Stick It To The Man (Wii U eShop)
Get out of my thoughts and into my Wii U
You're on the run from the law, hunted for a crime you didn't commit and unable to return to your own home for fear of being caught. A road block looms ahead, halting everyone except for an acclaimed opera singer who is performing later that evening. As the sirens echo through darkened streets, you slowly...
En Passable
VooFoo Studios took on a tough challenge in not only producing cross-platform online chess multiplayer, but achieving it on both the Wii U and the 3DS. Pure Chess immediately earns credit right away, in that case, as a technical example of what can be achieved on what is relatively old tech with the 3DS. Bonus points are due, then, but...
Review Pure Chess (Wii U eShop)
This is a review you should check, mate
When Pure Chess was first announced for the Wii U and 3DS, it created a considerable buzz for a game that's based on a relatively niche, high-brow hobby. However, there was good reason for this; developer VooFoo Studios and its publisher Ripstone were not only determined to deliver a graphically rich...
Review Knytt Underground (Wii U eShop)
An abstract adventure
Knytt Underground is unlike anything else on the Wii U eShop; it's the work of Nicklas Nygren (better known as Nifflas), a developer that's produced some intriguing download titles on PC — including this game's predecessors — as well as the critically acclaimed NightSky. The fact this game stands apart from its eShop...
