INDIE SELECTS DEMO FEST

As part of the 'Indie Selects Demo Fest' on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One from September 9 to 30, you have the opportunity to play 40 game demos, and we highlight 11 of them that we played for you.

Since these are game demos, a deep review is not possible, but here are our first impressions.

BAKI HANMA: BLOOD ARENA

At the very beginning, it is important to emphasize that this series has sold over 100 million copies, and when you play the game itself, you can understand why. The game immediately throws us into the ring where fast and interesting combat reigns. In this game, as in many other fighting games, there isn't much of a story. The hits, the environment, and the animations are at a satisfactory level, and the tension during your or your opponent's fall and the countdown adds a special charm to the fight. The hits and super attack in combat require good timing and knowing exactly what to do and when. Your opponents are quite active in their attacks, so it is important not to follow the saying that attack is the best defense, as you could quickly end up with a K.O. on the screen! To win in combat, in addition to knowing strategy and attack timing, you also need to recognize your opponent's behavior patterns and understand how they attack. The game is therefore challenging, but as is often the case in life, with practice and training, you become better. In conclusion, we can say that we would really recommend this game if you are a fan of fighting games, especially if you are also a fan of anime!

A PIZZA DELIVERY

In this game, we find ourselves in the role of a pizza delivery person on a motorcycle. It is an exploratory game where the act of delivering pizza is quite a secondary matter, and the main focus is on discovering this mystical and strange world within the game itself. The game is like a connector or a puzzle where certain things need to be linked and solved in order to, for example, execute the pizza delivery itself. Another delivery, for instance, requires you to drain water from a certain area so you can proceed with your vespa.

The game also has some funny elements

The two images show the instructions we received for the delivery itself.

After the second delivery, we arrive in a city that exudes dark scenes. The game description perfectly summarizes the feeling we had, "This is not an ordinary place - it is a mental space, an area shared by individuals trapped in a state of limbo. Every corner of this 'non-place' reveals stories of discomfort, instability, and longing."

We rushed through the game, probably because we didn't do certain things as the game requires, so we are providing you with a video of the entire demo gameplay. Although the game had quite a few bugs, it intrigued us enough to try the full version of the game. Our warm recommendation!

ADVENTURES OF A CAT IN SPACE

The cat ended up in space because of the mouse! If this brilliant introduction doesn't motivate you to play, nothing else will. The game is extremely fun and relaxing. It is quite intuitive and simple. Your task is to solve certain things to get back home.

The game has quite a bit of humor, and you can see that true effort was put into it. Our huge recommendation for playing. Although we should immediately hedge a bit as lovers of cat games, the game truly justifies our good impressions.

DEAD RESET

You know that movie Groundhog Day… in this (demo) case, it’s an endless scene. So, this demo game starts with you being lifted off the floor as COLE, a surgeon brought in to perform an operation. You don’t know how you got there or what exactly you need to do, but the first thing you see is a woman on the operating table and the pressure to operate on her as quickly as possible. Of course, everything is filled with tension, emotional intensity, and constant pressure on you. This scene has many endings, and what you learn during gameplay are the pieces of information that help you understand what it’s really about so you can make better decisions. What’s interesting is that during new playthroughs, COLE is aware of this and even prevents previous bad decisions or outcomes without you. The demo version definitely piqued our interest for the continuation!

GLOOMY EYES

If you loved INSIDE and LIMBO, this is a game you definitely need to play.
The game doesn’t have the scary elements like the mentioned games, but there is a connection in solving certain things to successfully navigate the map. You start the game as Gloomy (the main character, a zombie boy), and later Nena joins you, and together you work on bringing back daylight.

LABYRINTHINE

This is a horror game where you navigate through a labyrinth encountering various messages. To be completely honest and brief, we found the game quite boring. We didn’t encounter any monsters, we weren’t scared while playing the game itself, and we didn’t feel a sense of insecurity, which is one of the main elements of horror games. For a player to feel the tension and not know how that scary moment will unfold. There is none of that here, and therefore we do not recommend this game. We had much higher expectations.

MILITARY LOGISTIC SIMULATOR

This is a completely different military simulation game. The emphasis here is not on attack and/or defense and its strategies, but on the logistics of the army itself. The game includes a variety of equipment, units, and vehicles for management and upgrades, including trained dogs and drones. Right at the beginning, we are tasked with organizing a warehouse, which we of course accept with the famous "Yes, Sir!". We recommend the game so that, if you don't know, you can realize the importance of logistics for the military. However, if you are a member of the younger generation and ask Google, you will clearly get the following answer: "Military logistics is crucial because it ensures that military forces have the necessary supplies, personnel, and equipment to function effectively, impacting the ability to launch, sustain, and win operations. Without logistics, even the most skilled soldiers and advanced weaponry are useless, as the force will quickly run out of basic necessities like food, fuel, and ammunition, leading to operational collapse."

POSSESSIONS

The game is very simple. Probably the simplest of all the games we played during this demo fest. The task is to move through several rooms oriented in such a way that you place items in the appropriate spots. And that's basically it. The tasks are extremely simple, and you can complete the full version of the game in just a little over an hour. We recommend it only if you want to play an extremely simple game without the need to engage your brain!

NODE

In this game, you control a robot. Your task is to string together your moves on the bar at the bottom of the screen - for example, move forward for 3 seconds, jump, move forward for 4 seconds, jump, press the execute button, and nervously watch your robot (NODE), armed with your instructions, as it tries to navigate through increasingly complex routes. This is a game where a lot of planning, repetition, and learning from mistakes is needed to progress through the game itself. Final impression: neutral

TORMESTEND SOULS 2

Right at the beginning of the game, you arrive at Villa Hess with your sister. Anna has terrible visions and as a coping mechanism, she draws what she sees. You play as Caroline, her older sister. Supposedly, going to the monastery and finding refuge will fix everything. After you go for an afternoon nap, you wake up to discover that Anna is missing. You soon realize that an evil cult lives in the Villa. They were waiting to get their hands on Anna, and you have brought her straight to them. Caroline faints and wakes up in a hospital bed with countless needles deep in her body. After you remove them, you set out to search for Anna. The game does not hold your hand; you must figure out what needs to be done on your own. The game has a cinematic effect in its scenes. Our recommendation for playing!

TRUCK WORLD AUSTRALIA

This is a truck simulation game set in an Australian environment where, in addition to driving, you have a whole range of accompanying activities such as cargo insurance or lowering the trailer's legs. The game has poor physics and an insufficiently well-developed "behind the wheel" experience. Although the game has potential, we would not recommend it for playing.