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Punch, punch, kick, thwack! We're all used to our beloved retro games getting slaughtered 20 years later by a reboot that introduces a bunch of modern mechanics that don't belong.

Rage 4 is the opposite of that - in terms of the basic gameplay loop, you could believe this side-scrolling co-op beat-em-up with simple combos was released a few years after the originals, with sharper pixels but the same punky street art style.

A true continuation of a classic franchise, it only adds elements that complement the original - like the 2D weight physics on swinging objects that always ends with up hilarious results.

For those who feel the original games were too easy, there's also the option of Mania difficulty, which increases the number of enemies so much that you'll need pretty good optimisation not to slowly get your health worn down, despite the simplicity of the controls.

This sequel was made with great taste and delivers in every area. The game is a little short as it sticks to having just a few detailed levels as did the original, so the only major update I'd like to have seen is a random map generation, which could have opened up a much richer co-op experience. I think they missed a trick there - or maybe we'll see that in the next sequel! This is a game that could go a little more in the Rampage Knights direction.

Polished, satisfying and a complete and true sequel to an eternal classic that was hard to top.

This Whac-A-Mole-style timeless masterpiece FPS is finally playable and beautiful out of the box without needing to hunt around online for patches, thanks to this 25th Anniversary update.

Since 1996, I had forgotten the sheer creativity the devs ID had in finding every possible way to surprise you.

Fresh surprises I found in 2024 were how well the slick and satisfying movement mechanics and weapons still held up today, how enemies popped up from surprise platforms 360 degrees around, how consistently foreboding the visual and sound atmosphere was (thanks to the Nine Inch Nails ambient soundtrack and sound effects), and also how much challenge the grenade-launching chainsaw ogres still posed decades later.

Thanks to Doom 1993, there were hundreds of other FPSes around by the time Quake came out, however they were all of the "enemies slowly file towards you from when they see you" style. Quake was the first game that fully used player-triggered moving walls and doors to truly surprise you by opening entrances and moving platforms to hidden enemies right next to you - and it did it a lot.

By the end of the first few episodes, you feel like virtually every floating pickup is just another way for the sadistic devs to jumpscare you, and you start doing a 180 every time you go near a nice item. Every possible angle - ceilings, walls, floors - was packed with sneaky enemies and secrets. Towards the end, the devs knew you'd be getting used to that, so they then moved on to moving huge sections of floor around you, sucking you through giant pipes Mario-style and filling the room with multiple airborne enemy types at once, like the bouncy-ball-like spawn that are much harder to hit.

Another bonus for anyone picking this up today is the newly created episode from Machine Games of Wolfenstein fame - Dimension of the Machine. Absolutely top notch and varied level design that ramps up the detail, intricacy and player challenge of Quake level design, with some lovely renaissance, industrial-themed and platforming levels that feel like something out of Thief or Half-Life, and some set pieces even looking like Doom 2016.

The 25th anniversary edition also includes some of the top community-made episodes from over the years, including those from mappers who eventually joined the major game studios, which is a brilliant introduction to Quake's fan scene. Many of these exceed what you could expect could be done in the engine.

Finally a fitting version of this masterpiece on Steam.

The apex and big hit of the mom/dad cozy game genre, Unpacking asks you to sort through a girl and, later, woman's belongings each time she moves home through her life.

It strips away all overt storytelling except what you can tell from examining someone's personal possessions, and that's all you need to know how life is going.

A relaxing, sentimental and nostalgic game of fiddling about with pretty pixellated objects and beloved toys, spinning them around, and putting them in the right place with a satisfying thunk.

It's okay, you can like games this. Getting old is okay.

Ultrameta fun half hour point and click that must be some kind of record for number of puzzle types per minute.

A satisfying Witness spoof, this one surprises not only with the witty flippancy of its maze puzzles, but also some creative puzzles that could have been in the original game.

Anyone who feels the pretentiousness of puzzle games needs puncturing will enjoy this. (Or, perhaps, try Grand Inquisitor, which does its own ridiculing.)

There are some technical downsides. It's prone to crashes, and often paths need to be redrawn because of pixellation rather than having the wrong idea.

Nevertheless, at the price of free, this is one of the better spoof games out there, and one I can't help wondering would earn Jonathan Blow's nod.

I do hope Bradley Lovell's Subcreation Studio can get to a full-length puzzler – or more quality spoofs – soon. I think the Myst series could do with the treatment...

Good Sunday afternoon fun.

The most meta game imaginable, this art-house story about a self-defeating game designer manages to outdo the Stanley Parable at its own self-referential game.

Like Stanley, it's an superbly narrated visual novel, and while it's not as witty or fun-filled as Stanley, it's a fascinating glimpse into what it takes to create true art in a game, and what compromises need to be made.

Relaxing, gothic, funny, and made me feel somewhat reflective about life.

Gameplay-wise, it's a set of simple physics, item combination and hidden object games linked by a loose story where you're a slightly evil landlord, but that's okay because everyone else is just as bad.

It's part of the new genre of "make it fit" games such as Unpacking or A Little to the Left that can be enjoyed for their satisfying interaction mechanics, particularly animations and sounds. The difference is that Madison Karrh's stories have a macabre edge that gives a feeling of more depth, as well as a bit of humour as you enjoy the bizarre ways the characters live.

All Madison Karrh's games so far have been top notch. She's a unique dev to keep an eye on.

15 minutes of surreal interactive rainbow-coloured claymation.

Free, didn't outstay its welcome and pleased the senses.

The video game version of thinking over your life and where it fits into the universe while looking into the reflections of two facing mirrors.

A surreal, jazzy interactive movie with scenes that you spin around, zoom in to, fast forward or rewind, like a pop up book where the scenes sometimes move themselves.

Full of imagination, artistry and creativity, and low on puzzle solving and clear answers.

I was okay with that, a relaxing trip was what I needed.

No Man's story continues in sequel Nirvana Noir Kickstarted by the Feral Cat Den devs.

Simply the best "choices matter" point-and-click game of all time, a decade before the subgenre became popular, and the top video game movie adaptation of all time, faithfully adapting but avoiding duplication of one of the top sci-fi movies of all time.

That's a lot of superlatives, but however you feel about the dated tech, for those who love the film and have not played this game, it should be an immediate buy.

The main thing you're getting here that almost every other game in the genre lacks for budget, licensing and public perception reasons is the quality of the writing. It's a sad truth that the lack of decent writing is the main thing holding back gaming from going truly mainstream - although some titles in recent years (most often from smaller studios) are beginning to change this. This game has the goldmine of a Hampton Fancher / David Peoples script to use as a base, but then adds its own similar story in a 50/50 mix.

It's very hard to find faults with the game beyond the technical. Westwood had a much more full licence to use movie assets than I think is usual - and they also took that licence further than most, down to recreating specific shots from the movie in minute detail, using parts of the legendary Vangelis soundtrack, using lines from the movie script, using actors from the movie, and even including a surprising police scene from the Philip K ♥♥♥♥ novel that the movie omitted.

The best thing about the adaptation is the good taste, restraint and balance the devs showed in recreating enough of the movie that players will feel immense nostalgia, while at the same time making it clear to players that the story is parallel but not the same - surprises still hit. (If you have finished the game, I would recommend reading the deleted lines and scenes from the game that can be found online, to see the care the writers took in preserving characters' ambiguity).

Surprises are where the strongest two original design features of the game come through - the freedom to end every conflict how you like, plus the randomisation of which characters are replicants. Even today games are very limited by budget in terms of making their stories branch, but Blade Runner was the first time I saw this done in a meaningful way, with changes affecting your path even early game, rather than tacked on at the end.

To be clear, the freedom this game offers is still about choices made at key selected points rather than the kind of line-by-line freedom of expression that some games in recent years can now offer - this is no Disco Elysium or Red Strings Club. But it's a polished movie-like experience in a way they aren't, despite coming 20 years before them.

Downsides
There is one rather bizarre omission from the game, which it's incredible to believe the original devs overlooked, considering the freedom this game offered was more or less unique at the time. At no point does the game tell you that choices matter. You could concievably complete a full playthrough wondering why dialogue options are so limited, not realising that you have the choice to not attack replicants, to let them walk away, or even to help their cause - the game always draws your gun for you. If ever there was a chance to show off a game's main feature with a 30-second tutorial screen this was it... My advice would be: Every time you are about to meet a character you've been looking for, save the game and look for different ways to resolve things.

The game's art is still superb and fits the story perfectly, but there's a tiresome accessibility problem with miniscule pixellated clues you can barely see. It's always been a contradiction in the detective genre, but that shouldn't excuse this game, particularly as it's been re-released a number of times now.

Thoughts on the port
This review won't mark down the 2022 Nightdive Enhanced version of the game, as there is simply no other choice on Steam or GOG. The game is also available elsewhere. I'd still recommend purchasing in a Steam sale even if you are a purist, because the game does include a launch option to play a classic version.

I don't hate the 2022 version, but Nightdive have done little to justify the game's new subtitle. (But then Ridley Scott hardly added much between his various versions, some of which detracted from the experience...)
The main changes are to the interface, which is cleaned up and made more user-friendly, and subtitles are clearer to read.
It does add a graphic smoothing filter that can be toggled on and off. I don't mind that either - because the original 1997 version was always a grainy mess as it was downscaled for computers of the time.
However, Nightdive missed a big trick with their interface changes by not adding an accessible "show interactive items" button, as several objects are tiresomely tiny - I found several clues simply because I remembered they were there rather than by sight.

My personal preference short of a full 3D reworking of the whole game (please, someone, it's been 25 years!), would be for future editions to focus on value added: Developer commentary and interviews, soundtrack (for the non-Vangelis parts), and either the option to play with deleted content, or a separate deletions gallery. When a development team has shown such good judgement in their adaptation, I think they would have a lot to say.

The road home
The only other adaptations I've seen that come close to this would be Star Trek: 25th Anniversary and Judgment Rites, but they don't have the polish of BR.

One of the absolute high points of point-and-click games, movie adaptations, detective games, and sci-fi games. A landmark in gaming history, with some janky pixels.