Previews & Early Access

Previews cover anything from Alpha and Beta games to Early Access games.

SCP: Fragmented Minds – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

SCP: Fragmented Minds – PC Preview

I love it when studios have a go at making a game of the SCP universe. And HST Studios is shooting their shot. Entering early access is SCP: Fragmented Minds, a new survival horror where we will fight or hide while trying to uncover the truth in an abandoned facility. Its first full chapter is out now on Steam for £7.99. SCP-TC-J [CodeName] Thumb Culture Preview I’m glad to be checking out another single-player SCP game. The amount of creatures and organizations they have gives a lot of chances to tell a new story. The SCP Foundation has something for everyone, from gods to something resembling a cute orange jelly pal. I have already played a couple of other games which are okay, but I’m hoping SCP Fragmented Minds can really push it. One I reviewed not so long ago is Go Home Annie...
Gravelord – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Gravelord – PC Preview

A new early access release called Gravelord has dropped into my library this week. It’s a fast-paced retro-styled shooter, developed by Fatbot Games, s. r. o. We make sure the dead stay dead all the while saying cheesy one-liners and leaving fresh corpses in our wake. Gravelord is out now on Steam for £18.48. Warning! This article uses GIFS that may contain flashing images.  Is it worth it, or should it stay dead, buried, and forgotten? We get a simple set-up to Gravelord’s story with the main character Queedo narrating. He explains that it’s his job as the Grave Digger to ensure the dead get their last rest. Now, you think it would be easy but nope. Thanks to a rival, an elixir of life has been made and the dead now walk. So now it's Queedo's job to make sure they stay dead. So wit...
Assetto Corsa Evo – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Assetto Corsa Evo – PC Preview

As the racing game genre continues to evolve, few titles have remained as respected and beloved as the Assetto Corsa series. With the early access of Assetto Corsa Evo released on 16th January to PC, the developers at Kunos Simulazioni are poised to elevate the franchise to new heights. Building upon the solid foundation of its predecessor while introducing exciting new features and improvements, Assetto Corsa Evo is set to deliver a thrilling racing experience unlike any other. Realism to the extreme How does Assetto Corsa Evo feel at the moment? What can be expected from the highly anticipated title before its full release? Gameplay The early access roadmap currently means that there are 5 available tracks to sample along with 75 highly detailed cars. The gameplay mechanics of As...
Premier League Player VR – Quest 3 Preview
Previews & Early Access, VR Reviews

Premier League Player VR – Quest 3 Preview

Premier League Player VR is the first ever officially licensed VR football game. Sounds like it should be a massive hit then. Least this is what I had hoped. Developed and published by Rezzil, a company that uses both XR and VR to help train in a number of sports, the game was released earlier in December. Rezzil aimed to give fans a glimpse into the on-pitch action from a footballer's perspective. Do they succeed, or should we leave them on the bench? I Don't Know Jeff! As a football fan, there is a lot of promise here, or at least there's a lot of potential for promise. Let's take a look and see just what to expect in Premier League Player VR. Gameplay When you first fire up Premier League Player VR you are greeted with a really brief tutorial. Hit the ball in the back of the net. So...
Phantom Squad – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Phantom Squad – PC Preview

Phantom Squad is an intense 1-4 player tactical top down shooter with some simple old school graphics, combining fast-paced combat with real-time strategy. Assemble a team of winners or end up a total disaster as you plan and extract from each mission. This is the first game developed by Ctrl Freak and will be published by Super Rare Originals! The demo for Phantom Squad is now available on Steam. The game puts you in the very well equipped but maybe not so well controlled SWAT members, dependant on your skill level, and put you through stressful situation, so be ready to grit your teeth and argue with friends over tactics as this is going to be a good one. Did I give up on the stealth and phantom approach after I broke the window? ABSOLUTELY If you have already played the demo, let u...
VOIN – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

VOIN – PC Preview

VOIN is a new rogue-lite game with loot mechanics from Nikita Sozidar and tinyBuild. As of yesterday (10th December) it has launched into early access on Steam at an introductory price of £15.07. I played the demo a little time ago and enjoyed the gameplay then. So here’s hoping the early access is just as promising! Rise my great creation! Did you get to play the VOIN demo? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below. Gameplay VOIN’s intro begins with a voice of someone known as “Master”.  This ominous voice tells our character (so far a nameless knight) to awaken. We are then led to navigate a set of caves and caverns which serve as the tutorial. Once done with the tutorial, we are sent to Amarict. Amarict is the games hub and here we have four portals we can go...
We Who Are About To Die – PC Early Access Preview
Previews & Early Access

We Who Are About To Die – PC Early Access Preview

We Who Are About To Die is a roguelite gladiator simulator with a heavy focus on physics-based combat. It is currently in Early Access and under solo development by Jordy Lakiere. The game recently hit its two years in Early Access mark by celebrating with content patch v0.7, adding a significant amount of content. You can check it out now on Steam. The Best Game I've Sucked at Since Elden Ring Looking at videos of We Who Are About To Die, you kind of get a glimpse that the combat isn't exactly the usual kind. Actually playing it is a completely different experience all together. I don't feel there have been a lot of games over the years that have struck me in such a way as this one has. Have you ever found a game to not quite play as you'd expect? Check out my thoughts on this early acc...
Overthrown – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Overthrown – PC Preview

Overthrown is a new game hitting early access today, December 5th. Created by Brimstone and published by Maximum Entertainment, the game itself is a city builder with you being its ever watchful Queen. I’ve seen TikTok videos of Overthrown and it looks pretty good. If you are curious to play it yourself, then head on over to the Steam page. Nothing is gonna stop me! Gameplay Overthrown offers two map sizes for the player, Foothills, which is medium size and a larger one called Seaside Cliffs. When you drop into your newly created world, a crown will be noticeable in the distances. It gives you the power to build, and this is how we will create our kingdom. A small tutorial is there, but it doesn’t really go that in depth. Unlike other games where you would begin making tool...
Master Leaf Blower – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Master Leaf Blower – PC Preview

Ever wondered what it was like being a Master Leaf Blower? Well thanks to developers, Frix, now you can live out those dreams. Released on November 25th into Early Access, charge your batteries, grab your rake and get ready for an epic journey across multiple locations. Blow. Harder! Being a game in early access means that as it progresses towards a full 1.0 release the game can change. What we are doing now is taking a snapshot of what the game delivers. And boy does it deliver. Gameplay Master Leaf Blower starts off strong. Jumping into the game you are greeted with an awesome introduction. All delivered in a sweet comic book-style story. The story tells of a leaf blower who hands over the reins to you, an ordinary hobo on the streets. It's time to get your hi-viz, charge your batter...
Towers of Aghasba – PC Early Access Preview
Previews & Early Access

Towers of Aghasba – PC Early Access Preview

Towers of Aghasba is a new open-world exploration and adventure survival game by Dreamlit Games. This is the first game by the indie studio, and an ambitious one at that. The self-published title is available now as an Early Access title both on PC via Steam as well as on PlayStation 5. Towers of Aghasba Has Got the Vista Views on Target Towers of Aghasba is another one of those titles that flew well under my radar. Honestly I hadn't even heard of it prior to it popping up on our upcoming list of potential reviews. Even more surprising is that it is already on PlayStation 5 as an Early Access title. I don't feel this is a small feat for an indie studio producing their first game where the base game isn't already available in full on another platform. Though one could argue that many game...