The Hub of Reid Harris Cooper

The following are descriptions of demos from the Steam Next Fest that caught my interest and which I actually was able to successfully complete enough to desire them in my library one day and to present to you as demos worth experiencing and games to put on your wishlists. The Steam Next Fest is a huge virtual show so I shall be presenting it in pieces so as not to bombard you or myself.

REVEIL: I got an early access to this game demo through Terminals. You’ll want this experience even though it’s a demo that leaves you with “more please”. Creepy, sad, and a lot of “What happened?”. Is it a dream, a nightmare, a delusion, a walking day dream through memory distorted through hellish nightscape or just through the breaking of the mind? Clowns, fun houses, circuses, what is past? what is present? https://store.steampowered.com/app/809060/REVEIL/

VENGEANCE OF MR.PEPPERMINT:
Take one part OLDBOY, one part Inception, a bite of Matrix, a little Shutter Island, and toss it in a blender with Final Fight and Streets of Rage, sprinkle with Ju-On, Akira, and some more horror and those ilk and you get a JIST of what this game is. This demo feels like it shows a lot but at the same time leaves you wondering what is truly happening. I was also amazed at how generous the ease was and I wonder if the final game is only using a side scroll beat-em-up as a story telling device instead of it being an actual beat-em-up. If so, I love that narrative concept.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2287560/Vengeance_of_Mr_Peppermint/

THE HOLY GOSH DARN:
A brilliant art style. The latest from the developers of Manual Samuel and Helheim Hassle and continuing that universe. A point and click and puzzle game with time travel manipulation (forwards, backwards and in between). Very clever, very fun to solve. Very interested on how big the game gets as you go along, as it feels it can get very big. Did I mention the art? Cause it’s so good… it looks like Manual Samuel but even better.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466230/The_Holy_Gosh_Darn

FLASHBACK 2:
This is your daddy’s Flashback or even your Flashback. This sequel is a 3D rendered beautiful Open world scroller full of running, jumping, shooting, puzzles and story. The demo gives you a taste of the visuals, the gun play and an idea of where the story is going. It seems you’ll need to get a job, to raise money, to get a mech, to get info to save a friend. I’m sure along the way much more will happen. The demo gave me enough to know I’m in for the ride.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2008420/Flashback_2/

Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express:
A quiet subdued demo and which I hope the game itself is as such. Very good voice acting, an interesting visual design. Moving the story to modern times and creating something new while still revolving around the original mystery and Poroit’s style of investigation is fantastic. I enjoyed the most recent film versions by Kenneth Branagh but Christie work is so easily adapted and this seems to have done it quite well. Investigation work was simple, but will your intuition without enough evidence trip you up? The addition of more than one playable character is also special for this type of game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1904790/Agatha_Christie__Murder_on_the_Orient_Express/

THE GAP: A visual novel that you must pay deep attention to. There are in depth puzzles to solve, interactions to wonder. I reached the end with so much answered and yet so many questions. I also watched a streamer play through a more complete version with the Devs there for discussion. Knowing this is a two person project is also amazing. Alternate realites? Cures for neuro destruction? Excited for this. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1458300/The_Gap/

 REVEIL, a narrative horror experience, has a demo coming soon

THE SHOW IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

Daedalic Entertainment is proud to reveal, for the first time, in front of your very eyes,
a demo of
REVEIL
A narrative horror experience

During the Steam Next Fest, this  October 9 at 10:00 AM PDT (UTC-7) to October 16 at 10:00 AM PDT (UTC-7), you too can marvel at the narrative horror experience within. The sights and sounds within may try to deceive, but don’t be alarmed. The circus is here to entertain, in this psychological horror, first-person narrative and puzzle game in a brief demo.

Revel in the atmospheric telling of the mysteries surrounding Walter Thompson, his missing wife and child, and a circus from his memories.

ABOUT THE GAME

Relive Walter Thompson’s worst memories in this narrative psychological horror experience that feels straight from the brains of Alfred Hitchcock or Stephen King. Explore the decaying labyrinth of Walter’s mind, solving puzzles based on his life at an abandoned 1980s circus.

You wake up. You’re disoriented. Your head hurts. Things seem surreal, yet familiar.

Your wife Martha and your daughter Dorie are not there. Why?

Looking for answers, you explore your environment and fragments of memories. On your journey you are repeatedly confronted with riddling tasks, driven by the desire to find out what’s going on.

What happened last night? Why can’t you think of any other thing aside from your days as a stage builder at the circus?

As things get crazier and more bizarre, the lines between reality, memory, and imagination become more and more blurred and you realize: there is no going back. You have to do whatever it takes to bring this story to an end, no matter at what cost.

The only thing that keeps you from giving up is the will to find Martha and Dorie. Do not shut your eyes to the hints left by the two, but keep them wide open …and try to not lose your mind.

“The feeling of safety is an elusive one. It’s not over yet.”

Features

• A deeply psychological experience that will keep you questioning everything.
• Five playable acts in different, carefully designed environments.
• First-person narrative experience including:
  • Various puzzles and riddles
  • Beautiful and immersive visual experience #madewithunity
  • Multi-layered narrative with psychedelic, visceral,and disturbing elements
  • Atmospheric paintings, posters, writings referring to the circus era of the 1960s.

Take advantage of a special 20% discount during launch week

TOKYO – October 2nd, 2023 – In His Time, the narrative platformer developed by Tearyhand Studios and published by Kodansha Games Creator’s Lab, ventures toward virtue on Steam for PC today for $7.99 thanks to a 20% launch discount until Monday, October 9th.

Meet Olly, a little boy shouldering a big burden. The untimely passing of his father, combined with an illness-stricken mother, places family responsibilities in his hands. Household chores pile up, and grades start slipping. Where can Olly turn for solace? Embark on an emotional journey of faith based on true events experienced by the son of a Japanese pastoral family.

On top of overdue homework, pressure mounts from bullies at school. Navigate the throes of adolescent peer pressure as rule-breaking ruffians Bobby, Mila, and Hugo torment Olly. Succumb to this pressure by inadvertently joining their obstacle-filled extracurricular misadventures.

After following schoolyard troublemakers into a spooky mansion to steal items inside, deal with the ramifications of being caught by the mansion’s owner — a clockmaker named Joseph. Overcome with guilt, solve thought-provoking puzzles and riddles to return Joseph’s stolen goods in a quest to right one’s wrongdoings.

Will Olly be able to convince his classmates to return the watch parts? Will life at home prove unbearable? Can Joseph help cure Olly’s sick mother? Overcome life’s hardships, learn from mistakes, and persuade Bobby’s mischievous crew towards virtue through a series of mini-games. Witness a narrative journey of reconciliation, responsibility, forgiveness, faith, and self-discovery. 

“Growing up in a Christian home and being the son of a pastor,I considered becoming a pastor myself, but instead pursued my dream of game development as my own form of Christian ministry,” said Yona, CEO of Tearyhand Studios. “Thanks to Kodansha, I was able to tell an interactive story of the impact my father had on my life, and also create an aesthetically pleasing Christian gaming experience that will leave a positive impact on the world. My hope is that many gamers both enjoy the gameplay and take away valuable life lessons from the story.”

In His Time is now available for $7.99 until Monday, October 9th on Steam for PC, with language options in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. For more information, follow Yona on Twitter.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – September 27, 2023 – Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness, the 2D pixel-art horror adventure from developer Indiesruption (Nine Witches) and publisher Blowfish Studios, unleashes its terrifying mysteries on PlayStation 4|5 with backwards compatibility, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S with backwards compatibility, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG starting Tuesday, October 17, 2023.

In the year 1921, the beloved Vlad Circus fell to a devastating fire, killing hundreds of innocents and forever scarring the survivors. Haunted by the tragedy, the circus troupe disbanded, only to be reunited by a mysterious invitation from their original ringleader eight years later. 

Explore the eerie halls of the Victorian-inspired Petrescu Manor as Oliver Mills, better known as his clown persona “Lazy Ollie.” Several years in the Pennhurst Asylum have proved ineffective in restoring his memories, but reconnecting with old friends and a lost love may do the trick. Unease festers in Ollie as he explores the shadowy estate, unaware of the sinister secret dying to be set free.

Manage Ollie’s stress and survive horrifying hallucinations while solving perplexing puzzles. Fight or flee from awful abominations. Recover tortured memories to assist with mysteries, and unravel the ghastly truth of that fateful day.

“Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness marries a creepy atmospheric setting with a haunting narrative full of evocative storytelling,” said Diego Cánepa, lead designer, Indiesruption. “Enthralled and disturbed by Ollie’s trauma-induced nightmares, players will be on their toes until the very end.”

Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness will be available on all major platforms, with support for Windows, as well as language support for English, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), French, German, and Russian. 

To learn more about Vlad Circus, visit the official site, make sure to follow the game on Twitter and Instagram, join the community on Discord, and search #vladcircusgame on social media.

Original music!

I’m partial to Stone Monkey and Red Spectre.

Plenty footage and explanation to get one mega excited for the game.

Disclaimer: It’s A Wrap! was provided to PCS for review gratis. This reflected the review in neither positive or negatives, all views are purely from the experience and skill level of the reviewer.

It’s A Wrap! is puzzle platformer where the puzzles and the platforming both start quite easy and then get much harder and at least for me not experentially without a high degree of patience and willinging to try and try again. When it comes to video games that is not me. It does not make the game bad or good, it is just not me. I also don’t have the greatest controller skills. I don’t play FPS for that reason. I tend to stick to games that for the most part are easy or can be set on a “story” mode. That is not an option or setting in this, at least not from my searching at present time. Again, not a deterrent.

The first thing I must praise is the graphics. The art style is excellent, the animation is fantastic, the character designs burst with flavor. The cut scenes are clever and wile have no voice acting seem to still feel cinematic. The sound design and music is also polished, fits the themes and works really well in conjuction. The level design is where the game maybe falters a bit. While the editing bay concept is brilliant for the puzzle portion of the gameplay, I do wish the scripts were less outlandish, causing for scenarios that even when solving the editing pay issue, split second button pushing still matters in the platforming and this is where my personal skill fails me. It isn’t the game… it’s me I am positive. You (the universal you) are probably a better game player than me. I can figure out HOW to do something, physically doing it is another. So I can yell “jump now!” but you better be the one jumping when I saw now… not me yelling at me. You know? Like the director character in this game who has set up elaborate death traps and pretends they are normal stunt scenes. That isn’t the actual plot, just the feeling I got while playing.

Seriously, if you don’t mind having to die many many funny, well animated deaths to finally figure out not just the right puzzle solution but the exact timing on running and jumping than It’s A Wrap! is truly the game for you. On top that you’re getting laughs, three different movies/scenarios of completely different campy action adventure genres (Cave Explorer, Sci-Fi and Robots, Explosions and Crime) and even some human plot of frustration, drama, excitement and laziness from the actors, director, producers and all various other jobs [gaffer, sound, camera, set designers, costume, etc.].

I must state again there is a grind of frustration. This review got delayed because I was hoping maybe just maybe I could get further in the game than I have so it’d be a more polished fully entrenched one. The fact is I can’t even get past scene 4 in the first movie and my thumbs hurt because of it. Once again, NOT a bad thing. Just a truth of the matter. I had fun and tons of it, but at a certain point I realized I had to at called “It’s a Wrap!” so I could write about the game instead of playing it in hopes of completion. I can only hope you’ll do better or maybe you’ll be like me, but since you’re not reading a review and just playing, you have all the time you want.

“It’s A Wrap!” sells for $17.99 reguarly and is available for PC on Steam, Epic Games and GOG. It is also available on the Nintendo Switch.