Video Game News & Reviews from hardcore gamers.
Zero Medal: The Galaxy Champions is an upcoming beat ’em up game that channels the golden age of arcade action, blending nostalgia with fresh creative energy. Developed single-handedly by Rogerio Ferraz da Silva, known as Roger Ferraz, this project is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the enduring power of childhood dreams. In this exclusive interview, Roger shares the journey behind Zero Medal, the challenges faced along the way, and what makes this game a unique addition to the genre.
Albatroz, developed by Among Giants and published by SOEDESCO, is a backpacking RPG that invites players to step into the shoes of Isla, a young woman searching for her lost brother, Kai, across the mystical “Forbidden Lands.” Available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, the game offers a compelling blend of narrative depth, survival mechanics, and exploration, all wrapped in a visually striking world where two realms converge.
As Isla, you abandon city life and set out on a personal quest that quickly evolves into a journey of self-discovery, loss, and resilience. The game’s world is rich with mysticism, featuring the legendary Albatroz Mountain-known as “the walking mountain”-which serves as both a literal and metaphorical goal. Along the way, you encounter a diverse cast of characters, each with their own stories and cultures, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.
LAVALAMP is a unique 3D first-person walking simulator that immediately stands out for its vivid, psychedelic visuals and eccentric storytelling. The game invites players into a surreal world where exploration and ambiance take center stage, weaving a narrative around the quirky mission of helping space lemmings. Developed primarily by Gabriel Ledoux, a music composer turned game developer, LAVALAMP offers a fresh take on the walking simulator genre, blending minimalist mechanics with an explosion of color and sound.
The experience is intentionally offbeat and whimsical, with each room in the game serving as a portal to a new, vibrant dimension. The story is deceptively simple-helping lemmings from space-but the journey is filled with unexpected perspectives, playful interactions, and a soundtrack that elevates the entire adventure. LAVALAMP is a testament to the creative freedom found in indie game development, where limitations can become the foundation for originality and charm.
Too Kyo Games, the studio behind narrative-heavy cult hits like Danganronpa, is back with a brand-new vision—The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. Exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, this game marks a bold and emotional departure that still carries the team’s unmistakable DNA: psychological drama, high stakes, and characters that stay with you long after the credits roll.
The premise is simple, but potent: You are Yuki, an ordinary high school student suddenly drafted into the mysterious Last Defense Academy. Your mission? Survive 100 days and defend the school from waves of monstrous invaders while uncovering the truth about your strange new reality. The “hundred line” isn’t just a countdown—it’s a ticking time bomb of emotional and strategic pressure.
The narrative blends sci-fi dystopia, school-life simulation, and mystery in equal measure. While comparisons to Danganronpa are inevitable, The Hundred Line shifts away from murder mysteries and toward existential reflection and camaraderie under pressure. It’s more Neon Genesis Evangelion than Battle Royale—and it works.
Gameplay is divided between visual novel segments and strategic tower-defense-like battle phases. During the school day, you’ll form bonds with fellow students, uncover hidden lore, and make critical choices that affect the unfolding story. At night, it’s war: real-time defense missions that demand smart resource use, positioning, and sometimes sacrifices.
This hybrid approach keeps things fresh and intense. The choices you make during the day directly influence your effectiveness in battle—friendships can unlock powerful support skills or dramatically shift the odds. Each day is a step forward, a piece of the puzzle, and a risk.
Koichi Yotsui’s art direction (known for Moonlight Syndrome and other titles) gives the game a distinct and eerie atmosphere. Characters are expressive, the monsters are unsettling, and the environment—though largely limited to the academy—manages to feel claustrophobically vast in emotional scope. The haunting soundtrack adds weight to every interaction, and voice acting (in both Japanese and English) hits the emotional beats convincingly.
What truly sets The Hundred Line apart is its emotional core. The game asks big questions: What would you sacrifice to save others? Who are you without the world you once knew? How do you stay human in inhuman circumstances? These themes aren’t just window dressing—they’re interwoven into the gameplay and character arcs, making each in-game day feel like a chapter in a psychological novel.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is not for everyone—it’s heavy, complex, and sometimes overwhelming. But for players who love narrative-rich experiences with experimental gameplay and high emotional stakes, it’s one of the most ambitious and rewarding titles on the Switch this year.
KIBORG, developed by Sobaka Studio, storms onto PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S and One, and PC via Steam on April 30, 2025. This relentless rogue-lite beat ’em up thrusts players into the shoes of Morgan Lee, a wrongly accused convict sentenced to 1,300 years on the galaxy’s most notorious prison planet. The only hope for freedom? Survive and win “The Last Ticket,” a blood-soaked game show broadcast for the entertainment of a dystopian universe.
The wait is over for simulation enthusiasts and virtual commuters alike. Publisher Aerosoft and developer Simuverse Interactive have officially launched SubwaySim 2 on PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S as of April 29, 2025. This highly anticipated sequel invites players to step into the driver’s cabin and take command of some of Germany’s most iconic and bustling underground rail networks, promising a state-of-the-art experience built upon a foundation of realism and meticulous detail. Building on the success of its predecessor, SubwaySim 2 expands its scope significantly, offering both seasoned virtual operators and newcomers a deeply engaging simulation.
The core appeal lies in its authentic recreation of real-world transit systems. Players are no longer confined to a single city; SubwaySim 2 masterfully brings to life the intricate operations of both the Berlin U-Bahn (specifically the U1 and U3 lines) and the Hamburg U-Bahn (U3 line). This dual-city approach provides remarkable environmental diversity and operational challenges, solidifying its position as potentially the most comprehensive subway simulation available today. The developers have poured considerable effort into ensuring these virtual environments mirror their real-world counterparts with impressive fidelity.
Wizordum, developed by Emberheart Games and published by Apogee Entertainment, has officially exited Early Access with the release of its third episode and full 1.0 launch on PC. Priced at $19.99 (with a 15% discount until May 6th, 2025), Wizordum is a modern homage to the classic fantasy shooters of the 1990s, blending retro visuals, intricate level design, and a robust arsenal of magical weaponry into a unique first-person spellcasting experience.
Supercar Collection Simulator, developed by indie studio Kiki Games, is making its official debut on Steam Early Access on April 14, 2025. After generating buzz with a free Prologue and a hands-on Steam Demo, the game is now ready to offer players the full experience of building, managing, and racing in their very own supercar store. This title stands out by combining retail management, obsessive collecting, strategic racing, and community-driven features, all wrapped in a charming, colorful package.
Out of Hands is an indie card RPG developed solely by Yang Zeyu, the creative force behind Game River. The game thrusts players into a nightmarish dreamscape, where the protagonist, shattered by the loss of a loved one, must navigate a world that is as eerie as it is emotionally charged. Each step through this surreal landscape is a confrontation with repressed memories and psychological scars, with the narrative constantly shaped by three fragmented states of mind-logic, cryptic intuition, and instinct. These mental voices not only influence the protagonist’s actions but also lead players to question what is real, what is delusion, and what lies in the unspeakable abyss that lurks beneath trauma.
Sitting down with Alon Kaplan, CEO, Team lead, and composer at Biohex Studios, at the Olamot convention, I was eager to uncover the story behind Moduwar-an RTS unlike any other. Alon recounted how the journey began nearly a decade ago, when he and co-creator Alon Tzarafi (CTO & Lead Game Designer), both passionate about real-time strategy games, gathered friends to brainstorm a new concept. Inspired by the cult classic NetStorm, they envisioned a game where players connect floating islands and build modular weapons. The twist? In Moduwar, these islands would be living creatures, not static landmasses.
After a pivotal phone call, the core mechanic of splitting and merging living entities was born. The team quickly built a tiny prototype, but the road ahead was anything but straightforward. Showcasing early builds at conventions, they received positive feedback but struggled to find a publisher willing to take a risk on such an unconventional idea. It wasn’t until a chance meeting with Firesquid at Gamescom that things finally clicked, leading to a publishing deal and a renewed sense of purpose to finish the game.
