REVIEW: Midnight Swamp (2026 Video Game) - on PS5

Review by Jon Donnis

Midnight Swamp arrives as a dark point and click adventure that leans heavily into eerie fairy tale energy, dropping the player into a strange world where nothing feels entirely safe or familiar. The setup is simple but effective, a restless night by a lake, a strange laugh from the water, and one wrong step that pulls you into a shifting swamp filled with odd creatures and hidden secrets. From there it builds a compact but focused experience that feels deliberately old school in its structure and pacing.

The strongest part of Midnight Swamp is how confidently it commits to its classic point and click identity. It feels like something that could have comfortably existed in the 1990s Amiga era, not in a dated way, but in a way that understands the charm of that design approach. The puzzles are the highlight, offering a balance that feels challenging without tipping into frustration. There is enough logic and restraint in their design that most solutions feel fair, even when the setting itself is deliberately strange. The hand drawn visuals also deserve credit, with a style that suits the swampy, fairy tale tone and helps sell the unsettling atmosphere without overcomplicating it.

There is also a pleasing variety in how the game builds its world through encounters and mechanics. Meeting unusual inhabitants, following the guidance of a talking Cat, and learning potion basics from a Witch in a gingerbread house all contribute to a sense of playful unease. It is not trying to overwhelm the player with complexity, instead offering small, self contained ideas that fit neatly together. Exploration feels straightforward, and the lack of unnecessary systems keeps everything readable and accessible.

The main drawback is length. Midnight Swamp is very short, and it can realistically be completed in under an hour on a first run. That brevity leaves it feeling more like a concentrated vignette than a full adventure. Completionists will find a bit more to do on a second run, particularly for achievements, but even then the content is limited. One missable achievement involving feeding the cat adds a small layer of replay attention, though it also highlights how easily the experience can be exhausted in a single sitting.

Midnight Swamp is a charming and compact point and click adventure that understands exactly what it wants to be. It is straightforward, lightly eerie, and rooted in old school design principles where puzzles and atmosphere do most of the work. There is no excess here, no overthinking required, just a short journey through a strange swamp world that knows when to end.

I enjoyed Midnight Swamp enough to go back for a second run after missing the "feed the cat" achievement, which feels appropriate for a game of this size and style. For fans of classic point and click adventures, it is an easy recommendation despite its short runtime.

I score Midnight Swamp a solid 8 out of 10.

Out Now on PlayStation

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10017538

REVIEW: The End of the Sun (2026 Video Game) - on Playstation 5

Review by Jon Donnis

The End of the Sun arrives with a quietly confident premise and, to its credit, it largely delivers on that sense of intrigue. Set within a Slavic fantasy world that leans heavily on folklore and ritual, the game casts you as the Ashter, a fire mage able to track echoes of the past. It is an unusual hook, and one that immediately sets it apart. From the moment you step into the abandoned village, with its lingering smoke and fractured sense of time, there is a strong feeling that something meaningful has happened here, even if the game takes its time explaining exactly what.

Visually, it is difficult to fault. The world has been crafted with clear care, and that effort shows in the detail of the buildings, objects, and natural surroundings. The use of photogrammetry gives everything a grounded, almost tactile quality. It does not feel like a generic fantasy setting. Instead, it feels rooted in something older, more specific. That authenticity feeds directly into the atmosphere, which remains one of the game’s strongest elements throughout.

The central gameplay loop is where The End of the Sun becomes most interesting. You move from bonfire to bonfire, bonding with each one to reveal hidden traces and fragments of past events. Follow the smoke, uncover clues, solve a puzzle, then shift through time to see the consequences. It is a simple structure on paper, yet it works surprisingly well in practice. There is a natural rhythm to it, and when everything clicks, it can be genuinely absorbing. Watching history subtly reshape itself as you intervene adds a layer of satisfaction that many puzzle games struggle to achieve.

The puzzles themselves are mostly well judged. They are not overly complex, but they demand attention and a willingness to observe your surroundings carefully. The real appeal comes from how they tie into the wider narrative. Solving a puzzle rarely feels isolated. Instead, it feeds into the broader mystery, revealing new perspectives on the same characters across different points in time. That sense of continuity, of seeing lives unfold across seasons and years, gives the game a quiet emotional weight.

Voice acting is another clear strength. Performances across the board feel natural and convincing, which helps ground the more fantastical elements of the story. Characters come across as real people shaped by their circumstances, rather than simple narrative devices. It adds a layer of immersion that is easy to overlook but difficult to replace.

That said, the experience is not without its frustrations. Technical issues do creep in, and they can be more than minor inconveniences. Encountering a situation where progress is blocked, with no clear way to reset or escape, breaks the flow entirely. It suggests a lack of final polish that is hard to ignore, especially in a game so reliant on careful progression through its systems.

Even outside of outright bugs, there are moments where the game’s structure works against it. It is easy to lose your bearings, leading to stretches of aimless wandering as you try to piece together your next move. While some level of uncertainty fits the investigative tone, it can tip into irritation when direction becomes too vague. The line between discovery and confusion is a fine one, and The End of the Sun does not always stay on the right side of it.

Despite these issues, there is something undeniably compelling at the heart of the experience. Its ideas feel fresh, its world feels lived in, and its approach to storytelling through time and interaction stands out. When it works, it draws you in completely. When it falters, it can push you away just as quickly.

The End of the Sun is a thoughtful and original adventure that does a lot right, even if it stumbles in key areas. It is well worth experiencing for its atmosphere and ideas alone, but patience is required. If you can push through the rough edges, there is a rewarding journey waiting underneath.

Score: 7 out of 10

Out Now on PlayStation

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10017998

REVIEW: INK INSIDE (2025 Video Game) on Playstation

Review by Jon Donnis

INK INSIDE arrives as a confident and genuinely distinctive indie action RPG, built around a visual hook that immediately sets it apart. Inspired by the idea of a lost cartoon pilot, the game drops you into a world that looks like it has been scribbled into existence inside a stack of notebooks. It is colourful, messy, and full of personality, with hand drawn animation that feels deliberately rough around the edges while still moving with real fluidity. This is not a cheap sketchbook gimmick. It feels like a playable cartoon brought to life with care and technical skill.

You play as Stick, an unfinished doodle trapped beneath a leaking ceiling where water seeps into the notebooks and slowly corrupts the world. Friendly characters become soggy monsters, environments twist and buckle, and memories are scattered across the pages. The setup is imaginative and oddly charming, and it provides a strong foundation for the game's story driven approach. The idea of uncovering shared Genetic Memory, or Gene Meme, between creator and creation is woven into the narrative, giving the adventure a surprisingly personal edge.

Combat is where INK INSIDE makes its strongest impression. What initially looks like a straightforward beat em up quickly reveals a deeper system built around dodgeball style mechanics. Battles revolve around movement, timing, and positioning, with projectiles flying across the screen and combos forming through smart play rather than button mashing. The ball combat system adds a tactical layer that keeps encounters lively, and when everything clicks it feels fast, reactive, and genuinely fun. Filling the COOL MOVES bar and breaking through enemy defences adds a satisfying sense of momentum to fights.

The world itself is packed with personality. From Fuzzball Forest to the Sugar Swamp, each area is gorgeously illustrated and bursting with visual detail. Characters are fully voiced, animated, and memorable, helped along by strong performances from Brian David Gilbert and Deneen Melody. There is real effort put into making every major character feel distinct, from Detective Fuzz to Traff, whose rough edged attitude matches her heavy hitting combat style. The overall presentation is one of the game's biggest strengths, blending humour, nostalgia, and creative flair.

That said, INK INSIDE is not without its frustrations. The game leans heavily on dialogue, and there is a lot of it. Too much, frankly. Progress is frequently slowed by long stretches of reading when all you want to do is move, fight, and explore. While the story and characters are well written, the constant interruptions damage the pacing and make it harder to stay engaged. For players who prefer action over exposition, this becomes a real sticking point.

Exploration also struggles to maintain interest outside of combat. Despite the imaginative settings, moving through the world can feel tedious, especially when broken up by repeated dialogue sequences. The core combat loop is enjoyable, but the surrounding structure does not always support it as well as it should. There is a sense that the game wants to be many things at once, and not all of them land equally.

Ultimately, INK INSIDE is a game I admire more than I enjoy. It is original, visually striking, and clearly made with passion by a talented team. The combat is genuinely fun and surprisingly deep, and the living notebook art style is fantastic. However, the heavy reliance on dialogue and the less engaging exploration meant it never fully clicked with me. The jokey humour did not always land, and it is not entirely clear who the game is aimed at, whether kids, adults, or somewhere in between.

INK INSIDE will undoubtedly resonate with many players, particularly those who value creativity, storytelling, and experimental mechanics. For me, though, it falls short of being consistently enjoyable. If this had been a more focused, combat driven beat em up, I suspect I would have come away far more positive. As it stands, it is an interesting and ambitious game that misses the mark for my tastes.

Score. 5 out of 10.

Out Now on Playstation

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10011260