Grid Ranger is a fast-paced 3D shoot ‘em up that feels straight out of an arcade. The game is presented in vector graphics reminiscent of arcade games from the 80s. Along with the presentation, the game’s vaporwave aesthetic and heavy synth soundtrack makes it feel very unique in the shoot ‘em up genre. Grid Ranger was developed and published by Pixeljam on Steam and Itch.io.

Unique Controls
One of the unique aspects of Grid Ranger’s gameplay is the game is entirely mouse controlled. On the store page of the game, the devs promote the game to “level up your mouse dexterity”. I would have to agree on the statement just for the fact that I had to constantly steady my movement for certain segments of the game. Much of the game’s difficulty arises from controlling your character and avoiding projectiles and obstacles. I would constantly lose on levels where it involved a lot of precise dodging from obstacles. My downfall came in the form of twitchy mouse movements. Once you are focused and steady your hand movements, it feels incredibly satisfying to progress to the next portions of the game.

And since this is a shoot ‘em up, the firing is also interesting to discuss. Your character shoots from the front and both the left and right sides as well. These all shoot simultaneously, but the side shooting only really felt situational when going through levels. It only ever came into use when certain enemies attacked from the sides. However, these enemies are seldom seen and can be easily avoided by moving up.

Blasting Through a Retro-Future
The levels in Grid Ranger are both short and challenging. Levels are segmented into 3 different parts. The first segment is set at a fast-pace with an emphasis on dodging obstacles. Through those first segments, the boss, or Guardian, of the level appears only to throw projectiles at the player and leave. The second segment is slower paced, but there’s more of a focus on shooting enemies and destructible objects to make a path for yourself. Finally, the last segments are the Guardian fights. These can be pretty harrowing if not for the fact that if you die, you will have to start from the beginning of the level.

Although short, if you got your fill from the 3 main levels there is Hardcore mode. In this mode, you replay the main 3 levels, but there are some slight changes to the levels as well, such as the player character having 4 hit points instead of 3. The layouts of the levels are altered and sport a different background color to show it’s WAY more intense. But that intensity comes from the heightened speed and the increased amount of enemies and projectiles. If you thought Normal mode was difficult, Hardcore mode turns it up to an 11.

Lastly, there is the Infinite game mode. It is exactly what it sounds like. You play through an infinite gauntlet of the previously mentioned 3 level segments. It’s pretty fun if you’re someone who enjoys going for high scores.

Final Thoughts
Grid Ranger is a challenging shoot ‘em up with great visuals. Though harder to get used to, the mouse controls for this fast-paced shoot ‘em up was executed well. Unfortunately, the game is very short with only 3 levels. Grant it, the game is only $4 USD, so I wouldn’t expect a large amount of content. It only has the main 3 levels and an infinite mode, so there’s not a lot to do after playing through all of it. For what it is, it’s an enjoyable shoot ‘em up experience that had me coming back for more every time I died in a level.

Few game genres have dominated the last decade as much as the soulslike. FromSoftware created the basic concept in 2009 with the release of Demon’s Souls, before rocketing to meteoric success with Dark Souls and the more recent Elden Ring. Other developers have begun to catch up, releasing acclaimed titles aping the formula, and many of the signature design characteristics have been gradually incorporated into more traditional action titles.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers represents an interesting development within the genre’s proliferation, given that it comes not from any high-profile western or Japanese teams, but from China. While not an established player in the AAA games space, the Leenzee team from Chengdu proves to be more than up to the task, drawing from the cultural aesthetics of the Ming dynasty and delivering a solid entry into the soulslike canon.

Combat is obviously the main focus, and you’ll be immediately comfortable if you’ve played similar games. Animations are deliberate, forcing you to commit to your choices. A stamina meter governs all of your actions, which means you’ll need to constantly pay attention or risk not being able to evade because you overextended a melee combo. It’s not my preferred combat system, but it functions properly and lays out clear rules for the player. Your stamina can also be upgraded, allowing for a slightly smoother play experience if the default proves too restrictive.

Performing precise dodges will grant you Skyborn Might, a resource that allows you to perform magic and enhances your equipped skills. This adds a bit more flavor to combat, since you’ll be able to attack from range or unleash increased damage up close. I appreciate the developers incentivizing skillful play, but the dodge timing required can feel a bit inconsistent at times. However, this is somewhat negated by your skill tree; certain upgrades will unlock new avenues to earn Skyborn Might, better tailoring the experience to your preferred weapon type.

Leenzee really impresses with their level design. You’ll spend most of your time searching for shrines (where you enhance your character and reset the world state), but that never takes away from the grandeur of the environments. Wuchang is set in a connected world with an impressive variety of locales. The verticality is also admirable, with plenty of secret areas to find should you explore every nook and cranny.

As you progress, you’ll encounter various NPCs who will give you hints about the world or ask you to retrieve certain items. This environmental storytelling represents the majority of Wuchang’s narrative ambitions, mirroring its progenitor, Dark Souls. It’s a technique that has never been my cup of tea, but those who enjoy it will be well served. If nothing else, it will make great fodder for YouTube lore videos.

Playing the game on PS5 Pro, the graphics are noticeably rougher than you would hope for. Character models can appear very pixellated during gameplay, which is disappointing to see in an otherwise gorgeous experience. Thankfully, the frame rate is steady on performance mode, ensuring a smooth play experience. It’s worth mentioning that the PC build was mired with technical issues at launch, though several patches have been released to alleviate these problems.

I’m not someone who has spent a lot of time with games like this, but in my limited experience, it doesn’t seem Wuchang is adding anything meaningful to the genre. It feels like Leenzee set out to create Dark Souls wrapped in traditional Chinese aesthetics, and assuming that was their goal, they should be very proud of themselves. The team’s only previous credit I could find was a VR title, and this game is a significant upgrade in both scope and global exposure. With that being said, other devs have been making games like this for years and have brought their own ideas to the table, making Wuchang feel a bit like well-trodden territory.

Leenzee has built an excellent foundation with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and proven themselves as worthy competitors in the soulslike space. Although the game may not deliver meaningful innovation, it was able to nail the trademark combat and exploration fans have grown to love. The future is bright for these developers, and a sequel could propel them to new heights.

The debut game by Fire Foot Studios, Kick’n Hell, is tongue in cheek what it’s all about. Players control a no name monk with a decent right push kick. The goal is to bounce off glowy brains onto various platforming challenges until you get to Satan. Let’s review how that went. 

From the jump, players have all the signs to see what they have to do. The visuals are simple but polished, with options to toggle pixel blur on or off. Naturally, I went no pixels. The challenge is unique. Kick’n Hell commits to the central mechanic of kicking to ascend, and it pays off. The kick-to-launch mechanic is insanely accurate. No two kicks are the same. Never truly knowing where I’m going to go, or how much maneuvering I’ll have to input. I thought about Anger Foot while playing this, but there kicking and shooting mechanics in that game. This is purely kicking. Kick’n Hell is a fine example of easy to pick up and hard to master.

The small pool of painfully hard games can make one think. Am I good at video games? A lot can go into what defines someone’s experience with a game. How they’re feeling, the condition of their hardware, and whether the game runs as it should are all significant factors. There comes a point in challenging video games that push the uncaring out, and draw out the committed. 

I certainly began facing that in Kick’n Hell. It’s the kind of game very similar to Getting Over It With Bennet Foddy. Suffering for suffering’s sake. It doesn’t want to be a friend. Checkpoints exist only in Apprentice mode, one of the game’s two difficulties. But there are no hidden mechanics to help lock on to the brains, or slow-motion tricks. Players achieve success strictly on their own skill.

Players can kick anything, but few things will interact like NPC’s and enemies. Players can get air from enemies, and they respawn if kicked off the map. NPC’s have arbitrary and filler dialogue so don’t worry about missing any lore or development. The same goes with Satan and his taunting. Hidden in the game are eight Chi orbs found by jumping to every nook and cranny. They don’t offer any upgrades or benefits.

The music goes along with the game. Short spurts of organs, or a choir of hums. IT doesn’t feel out of place, and doesn’t stick around long enough to feel overdone. Some of the sound effects like crunchy kick noises are great, but the static snake noises and monster screams are not so great. Together it forms a solid space to lock in.

For me, the tip of the toe came in the Burning Desert. It’s the level right after the beginning, and the first place combo kicking is mandatory. The location is where I began trying to think outside the box. But I was met with disappointment. Kick’n Hell will let you get away with standing on a chain, or a tiny corner of a tower sometimes. But most of them time, there’s nothing to help. Players must do what the developers want, and get better at it.

Kick’n Hell is a wildly simple game that focuses on gameplay only. The game has a finish rate of 2-5 hours, and the in-game leaderboards are already stacked with absurd speedrun times. Kick’n Hell doesn’t want you to succeed or be happy. The game won’t even let you kick Satan! Truly, there is no reward in this game. I feel comfortable saying that it can sit on the same shelf as Sexy Hiking, and players can expect the same kind of experience.

Phantom Squad, launched on July 18, 2025, for PC via Steam, is a top‑down tactical shooter from indie developer CTRL Freak and publisher Super Rare Originals. Think of it as Hotline Miami’s frenetic pace meets Ready or Not’s SWAT realism. It’s demanding, unforgiving and surprisingly satisfying when executed well. Ghost‑marked and rogue, you and up to three friends plunge into high‑risk missions involving hostage rescue, bomb defusal, stealth infiltrations, and brutal clear-outs. With no matchmaking and no AI backup, it’s a game designed to thrive in tight co‑op coordination. So here is a solo players review.

We are getting more tactical shooters, and I am all for it!

Phantom Squad is a top down shooter with limited vision, gadgets and ammo. But also Every mission has access to the, Assault Coordination Engine (A.C.E.), where squads draw routes, mark entries, tag enemies, and outline objectives. This is an essential mechanic; friendly fire is enabled, and coordination failures can be fatal. Proper use of A.C.E. can feel like conducting a SWAT drill, miss it, and your team pays the price. As for solo players. A.C.E. was still an extremely useful resource. marking off cleared rooms, tagging safe hostages for easy extraction route on the way back or marking down booby traps and locked doors.

Phantom Squad offers over 13 weapons and 20+ tactical gadgets, heartbeat sensors, door cams, flashbangs, grenades, breaching tools, and more. These tools are indispensable when used thoughtfully, especially in multi‑layered objectives and dynamic maps. However, in solo mode, many gear options feel wasted unless carefully adapted mid‑mission. A huge change between co-op and solo is that when alone players will have a defibrator allowing for 3 revives during the mission. But I do wish as a solo player I could also hold more gadgets with either more slots or a higher number of them.

Combat is lethal: both enemies and players can die in one or two hits. The top‑down visual clarity, lighting effects, and gadgets help, but mistakes are brutally punished. The game runs brilliantly with consistent frame rates and solid optimization. However, AI inconsistencies, sometimes seeing too little, sometimes hitting across walls, can add unpredictability to encounter. As a solo player I felt like I was practicing for speed runs, learning the maps and enemy positions with every failure and eventually executing the perfect run.

Lots to do while staying fun all the way through

Phantom Squad launched with 11 missions, each offering distinct objectives, rescue operations, stealth infiltrations, hostage crisis, bomb defuses, across varied locales like museums, compounds, and labs. Levels feel well‑designed in layout and environmental detail. The star system is also more interesting than simple ‘rescue all hostages’. There are challenges like extracting all hostages instead of leaving them, or defusing ALL traps in trap infested warehouse. The variety makes grabbing 3 stars in every mission a lot more engaging especially since the levels are not procedurally generated and enemies have their set positions and patrol routes.

Playing alone is possible, but far from optimal. There is no matchmaking or AI squad mates, so you’re on your own, aided only by a pair of self‑revives and your limited loadout. With the ever growing responsibilities of adulthood and tight schedules I have mostly played Solo as I did with Ready or Not and I have to say. Solo play is unbalanced, tedious, and considerably more punishing than intended, more trial than triumph. Where Phantom Squad truly shines is within a co‑ordinated team of friends. Communication, shared planning, and tactical synergy transform chaos into choreographed action. Room clears, synchronized flashes, and multi‑angle breaches feel impactful. Friendlies saved, targets neutralized with precision, these moments are rewarding in ways solo play simply can’t match.

With match making it could of been something special

Phantom Squad, is a bold and uncompromising tactical shooter that rewards planning, precision, and communication above all else. If you’re someone who thrives on cooperative tension, enjoys coordinating breaches, and can laugh off repeated failures, you’ll find something special here. That said, if you’re looking for streamlined solo play or gradual difficulty, Phantom Squad may be too steep.

In summary, Phantom Squad offers a powerful tactical experience. It’s tailored for squad-based gameplay, where the planning tools, gadget roster, and high-risk gunplay hit their peak. Solo? It’s rough, unbalanced, sometimes frustrating, and often exhausting. As a solo player I have to say it will not beat Ready or Not But get a team together, share a plan ,and when that plan unfolds flawlessly it’s something genuinely memorable. If you’ve got at least one friend (or two) ready to squad up and are willing to embrace the chaos, Phantom Squad is a compelling, adrenaline-fueled co‑op tactic game worth playing.

Drill Core uniquely combines elements of roguelikes, mining games, and tower defense. In a grim futuristic setting, you manage a drilling platform for a corporation that focuses on extracting valuable materials for profit, all while claiming to prioritize “safeguarding the future”—whatever that means. During the day, you drill down toward the planet’s core, hoping that you have sufficiently prepared to fend off the monstrous hordes of bugs that descend from the night sky.

The Foundations of Drilling

Stages, or contracts, are categorized by difficulty levels (1-10) and can take place in one of three biomes: Cavernous, Frost, and Jungle. During my 35 hours of gameplay, I primarily focused on the Cavernous variant, while tackling a few contracts in the other two. From my experience, I found that each biome presents unique challenges that necessitate adaptation; however, switching between them felt more like minor knowledge checks instead of fresh experiences. 

Before starting a contract, you’re provided a digging platform that is stocked with an energy core, three types of buildings, and two basic turrets. The buildings consist of barracks that allow you to hire workers (miners, carriers, and guards), factories that produce construction materials, and laboratories that unlock upgrades for your workers. As you progress, you can unlock two additional platforms, each with different buildings and workers. I chose to stick with the starting platform to learn the basics.

From Dusk Till Dawn Till Dusk

You begin by directing your platform to dig down one level toward the required depth specified by the contract, which typically involves three or more levels. Throughout the day, you’ll direct your miners to drill through individual blocks of varying hardness, some of which contain ore or hazards. The ores that your carriers collect can be used for construction, platform digging, or for permanent upgrades purchased between contracts.

You can utilize the ores to enhance existing buildings, increasing their speed or capacity. Additionally, you can construct buildings that become randomly available as you collect Technology ores. These buildings yield both daytime and nighttime abilities, such as command over drones that assist with ore collection or ones that attack enemies. Technology ores also offer options for turrets and worker upgrades, requiring you to make frequent decisions on how to develop your platform. 

It’s crucial to efficiently route your miners’ drilling to reach the ores that will help you progress through the day/night cycle, especially coals, which enable your platform to dig to the next level once you have collected a certain amount. In addition to careful routing, responding appropriately to hazards while mining is essential to avoid losses. For instance, drilling beneath a Boulder block can crush all your miners in an instant, while neglecting a Hatch block when you are low on guards can lead to your carriers being defenseless against newborn bugs, forcing you to spend precious ores on rehiring units. The act of navigating blocks and making spending decisions creates a tension that keeps you on your toes, but unfortunately, the lack of precise control over your units can occasionally lead to frustrating deaths. 

When night falls, waves of bugs come to assault your platform. During the first couple of nights, they can be easily handled by your starter turrets. Though as the nights progress, particularly on higher difficulties, enemies can quickly breach your defenses and destroy your core, ending your run. 

Nighttime generally demands less micromanaging due to brevity and fewer options. You can pause the action to set up the perfect shot from a rocket launcher or build a last-second shield to defend the core, but a lot of the action relies on how your various turrets are arranged. There are multiple enemy types with varying amounts of health, speed, and unique abilities, such as shooting webs at turrets to slow them down. Extra-large enemies appear in later night cycles and may require adjustments to your offensive setup to counter their attack. 

Drill Core is at its best when your experience is put to good use, allowing you to effectively balance all the resources at your disposal. A genuine sense of accomplishment comes from successfully mining a surplus of ores while minimizing worker losses once you have learned how to mine quickly and avoid hazards. Additionally, it’s incredibly satisfying to perfectly arrange your turrets to slow down, weaken, and ultimately eliminate large groups of enemies at night. You’ll soon find yourself quickly finishing contracts that once held you back.

Cracks in World Building

Drill Core’s presentation feels disorganized. While the premise of the game is satisfactory, the objectives and stakes are not clearly defined. Additionally, the game lacks originality and cohesiveness in its art design. The sprites are animated with sufficient detail, and the effects suitably convey the actions taking place. However, the intros, menus, and in-game visuals fail to create a consistent or standout style. Lastly, the music is adequate but tends to fade into the background; a greater variety of tracks could help alleviate the monotony.

The Core Experience Matters Most

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Drill Core. Its approach to gameplay offers enough novelty, especially for someone like me who hasn’t been overly exposed to these genres. For better or worse, the game has some steep difficulty spikes. I found myself hitting a wall at the 8th difficulty level due to both the challenge and my growing fatigue. My experience could have been less tiring if the game had prioritized onboarding, providing more instructional guidance instead of relying so heavily on repetitive trial and error. Fortunately, I eventually found my rhythm, and most of my playthrough felt satisfying. Ultimately, Hungry Couch Games has demonstrated with Drill Core that they can create a solid game, and I will be looking out for their future projects.