Games of the week – Lost Words: Beyond The Page, Resident Evil 3, Below and Creature In The Well
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Lost Words: Beyond The Page
Platform: Google Stadia
Genre: Fantasy / 2D platformer
Price: £19.99
Easy has never looked so pretty
Most games set out to be challenging, but Lost Words: Beyond The Page unashamedly sets out to do the opposite. If anything, it's a tale that will take you back to childhood, told through the eyes of a girl called Izzy. The game is split into two parts, Izzy's journal and then her imaginary world of Estoria, where you must find the fireflies which have mysteriously gone missing. Some might find this game too easy, and they wouldn't be wrong, but the sweet, well-crafted narrative – which is voiced throughout – coupled with truly stunning art and a marvellous score, make Lost Words: Beyond The Page a soothing experience, something many of us could do with right now. As a Google Stadia exclusive for the moment, the experience was tainted by connection glitches, which is more of a platform problem and no fault of the game's developers, but it did take away some of its shine. It is set to launch on other consoles next year.
Skip to the end: Cute, accessible – if a little easy – Lost Words: Beyond The Page is a friendly sort of game for anyone who doesn't want to be too bogged down by endless challenges.
Score: 7/10
Resident Evil 3
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Survival horror
Price: From £49.99
Remade, refreshed but will it be remembered?
It was never going to be easy to beat the Resident Evil 2 remake, but that doesn't mean Resident Evil 3 – a modern reboot of the 1999 offering – is without success. Raccoon City, along with protagonists Jill and Carlos, have never looked so great, which will be welcome to many of the franchise's longtime fans. But the lack of antagonist Nemesis will be a fatal downside for others, as well as the length of the game given its price tag. You will mostly find yourself contending with hoards of zombies, with a fairly average scare factor more than 20 years after the original, and most of the focus on action. Capcom attempts to freshen things up with a new multiplayer mode called Resident Evil Resistance, in which four of you must escape a Mastermind – not compelling but a welcome addition all the same.
Skip to the end: Gameplay not quite as good as the visuals, but still a must-play game for any Resident Evil fan and a worthwhile play for newcomers.
Score: 6/10
Below
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Action / Adventure
Price: From £19.99
One of the most difficult games pars things down
Below makes its way onto PS4 for the first time, after the Xbox and PC release over a year ago. Anyone who remembers the first outing will recall it being an incredibly – and frustratingly – hard game in the main Survival mode, which creators themselves described as a "punishing challenge". But now there's a new Explore mode, which takes the difficulty down several notches, without losing the mystery and sense of danger. The dark visuals and tense music are also retained in this rogue-like adventure, thankfully. But with little explanation of what is going on, Below still feels as confusing as ever. The fact there are no longer instant fatalities and the ability to freely return to previously unlocked checkpoints, is a saving grace, but might not be enough to keep gamers in still.
Skip to the end: Below is an intriguing survival game but still confusing with a lack of real direction on what you're doing and how to go about it, making moments feel unnecessarily frustrating.
Score: 5/10
Creature In The Well
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Action / Puzzler
Price: From £9.99
A crossover like no other
If you remember the good old days of pinball but want something with a bit more adventure to it, look no further than Creature In The Well. The aim is fairly simple – you play as a Bot-C unit, who explores deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility. In each level, this is achieved by slashing and hitting electrified balls which bounce around the room, targeting areas to recharge and progress forward. It becomes tougher as you advance, with more obstacles and hazards in your way. The cool, alternative visuals are well executed too. Creature In The Well is an interesting blend of pinball and hack and slash, but ultimately, it can start to feel a bit repetitive quite quickly.
Skip to the end: Cool and unique pinball/hack-and-slash hybrid, but could do with some more substance; still worth your attention for the price.
Score: 6/10
