Arcesius
2016
Charming game filled with nice puzzles and not so obvious to find secrets. However, the isometric perspective can result in many frustrating deaths, as it makes difficult to judge where obstacles and pits are in relation to the character.
Completing Old School Mode was fortunately realtively easy after having played through the game already normally, as extra lives are plentyful and you can afford some mistakes.
Completing Old School Mode was fortunately realtively easy after having played through the game already normally, as extra lives are plentyful and you can afford some mistakes.
2015
Helldivers is a truly fun coop game with a sense of community. The learning curve is steep, however, but if you stick with the game, you will feel rewarded.
I distinctly remember struggling initially with low-level planets, just to later be able to clear lv. 12 planets while casually chatting with my team-mates without any issues.
Definitely a game worth trying out if you enjoy cooperateive gameplay and an over-the-top presentation and humor.
I distinctly remember struggling initially with low-level planets, just to later be able to clear lv. 12 planets while casually chatting with my team-mates without any issues.
Definitely a game worth trying out if you enjoy cooperateive gameplay and an over-the-top presentation and humor.
2018
I somewhat enjoyed my time with this game, the ranged combat meant approaching fights in a way I wasn't used to, and the setting definitely is unique.
However, there are many cuestionable design choices and issues, for example invisible enemies that spawn in front of you out of thin air, throw a sticky grenade at you and disappear again before you can react. They result in specific areas being more trial-and-error instead of being able to observe the situation and develop a strategy on how to approach those sections.
I finished the game 7 times (NG up to NG++++, then twice more to get all curses in "The Mask of Pain" DLC), and I never saw anything that would make NG+ cycles worthwhile.
The DLCs did nothing to improve the game.
However, there are many cuestionable design choices and issues, for example invisible enemies that spawn in front of you out of thin air, throw a sticky grenade at you and disappear again before you can react. They result in specific areas being more trial-and-error instead of being able to observe the situation and develop a strategy on how to approach those sections.
I finished the game 7 times (NG up to NG++++, then twice more to get all curses in "The Mask of Pain" DLC), and I never saw anything that would make NG+ cycles worthwhile.
The DLCs did nothing to improve the game.
2018
Fantastic couch-coop game that can be played also with anyone that is not well-versed with videogames, resulting in fun, chaotic moments.
But even if you yell at the monitor every now and then, you will be coming back to get those 3 stars. It's just so much fun!
But even if you yell at the monitor every now and then, you will be coming back to get those 3 stars. It's just so much fun!
2015
Downwell is a very simple game both in its presentation and gameplay. At least on a superficial level.
Beating this roguelike on Hard mode was quite challenging, and required the understanding of synergies between the different item you can collect during your run, as well as understanding how to approach each of the levels, how to effectively use combos, when to break them, or how to best spend your gems.
Definitely no easy feat, but a fun one to accomplish.
Beating this roguelike on Hard mode was quite challenging, and required the understanding of synergies between the different item you can collect during your run, as well as understanding how to approach each of the levels, how to effectively use combos, when to break them, or how to best spend your gems.
Definitely no easy feat, but a fun one to accomplish.
2015
This game can be quite confusing at the beginning, as only within 5 minutes of starting it you will be confronted with many different mechanics and synergies. But once you have had time to get used to its systems, Magicka 2 is quite fun to play, especially in couch coop.
I very much enjoyed its humor and the consequences of the chaotic gameplay and the always on "friendly fire".
I very much enjoyed its humor and the consequences of the chaotic gameplay and the always on "friendly fire".
While I somewhat liked the different storylines and how impactful your own decisions are, the "game" once more confirmed that I need more gameplay than walking around and some QTEs thrown in every now and then in order to enjoy myself.
There cannot be enough praise for this game. Hollow Knight excels at everything it does.
Gorgeous aesthetics, deceivingly deep combat with a simple but effective character customization system and, my personal highlight, an incredible OST. The game works a lot with musical themes, and even tells stories with its compositions. It's fantastic.
From a gameplay perspective, exploring Hallownest is really fun and the size of the world is simply mindblowing. Enemies are varied and fun to engage, and Bosses are very well designed.
The game is fairly easy unless you want to tackle its optional challenges. Completing the Pantheon of Hallownest, a gauntlet of 42 bosses back to back with a single life, was really daunting, but I felt an immense sense of satisfaction when I finally succeeded.
Gorgeous aesthetics, deceivingly deep combat with a simple but effective character customization system and, my personal highlight, an incredible OST. The game works a lot with musical themes, and even tells stories with its compositions. It's fantastic.
From a gameplay perspective, exploring Hallownest is really fun and the size of the world is simply mindblowing. Enemies are varied and fun to engage, and Bosses are very well designed.
The game is fairly easy unless you want to tackle its optional challenges. Completing the Pantheon of Hallownest, a gauntlet of 42 bosses back to back with a single life, was really daunting, but I felt an immense sense of satisfaction when I finally succeeded.
2018
Darksiders III is as over-the-top as the predecessors, and can convince with its level and enemy design, and its fast-paced combat.
However, I cannot rate a game with this many technical issues any higher. Freezing on screen transitions / loading zones, out of bound glitches, floating boxes, stutters, game-breaking glitches. Should not have been released in the state it did.
However, I cannot rate a game with this many technical issues any higher. Freezing on screen transitions / loading zones, out of bound glitches, floating boxes, stutters, game-breaking glitches. Should not have been released in the state it did.
2010
Short but sweet. With an eerie atmosphere and clever puzzles, Limbo is a game that will be stuck in your head long after beating it.
2016
Trackmania Turbo is my first real experience with a proper racing game. A game that starts out easy enough, but will bring you to your limits by the time you reach the final set of tracks.
Achieving gold medals in some of the black tracks was really challenging for me, and by the time I was done with all 200 tracks, I felt exhausted.
Having to get used to a different car every 10 tracks was also a bit unecessary. I would have welcomed if you could progress the campaign on each environment independently.
Achieving gold medals in some of the black tracks was really challenging for me, and by the time I was done with all 200 tracks, I felt exhausted.
Having to get used to a different car every 10 tracks was also a bit unecessary. I would have welcomed if you could progress the campaign on each environment independently.
Good game to showcase what PS VR is about, surprising platforming sequences and relatively straightforward challenges.
Astro Bot does what its supposed to do very well, but it doesn't hold up to other VR games or other platformers.
Astro Bot does what its supposed to do very well, but it doesn't hold up to other VR games or other platformers.
2019
Simple premise, incredibly addicting, skill-based gameplay. With only two swords and minimal assets in the background, Beat Saber is a rhythm game in VR, and the best VR game I have played to date.
Initially you can get used to the VR-setting as well as the gameplay by playing on the easier modes, but slowly working your way up to perfecting Expert or even Expert+ songs is such a rewarding and fun experience!
Fantastic game to show to anyone that has never played something in VR, as it can be easily picked-up by anyone and is immediately super fun.
Initially you can get used to the VR-setting as well as the gameplay by playing on the easier modes, but slowly working your way up to perfecting Expert or even Expert+ songs is such a rewarding and fun experience!
Fantastic game to show to anyone that has never played something in VR, as it can be easily picked-up by anyone and is immediately super fun.
Absolutely fantastic game with one very clear aspect that makes it stand out: combat.
This game shows how focus can help crate something refined, engaging and enjoyable. By removing build-diversity, the devs created a game that forces the player to become good at one specific approach to combat, and the entire game can be designed around one single approach instead of having to be balanced for various playstyles.
Sekiro is, in my opinion, the closes FromSoft has come to perfecting combat in an action game.
This game shows how focus can help crate something refined, engaging and enjoyable. By removing build-diversity, the devs created a game that forces the player to become good at one specific approach to combat, and the entire game can be designed around one single approach instead of having to be balanced for various playstyles.
Sekiro is, in my opinion, the closes FromSoft has come to perfecting combat in an action game.
2018
What the hell is even this game. It's not awful, but it feels more like a VR-demo than an actual game.