Jehanne
2023
This isn't really my kind of game. I found the gameplay to be a bit boring, the combat too repetitive. Honestly, I wish horror game devs would stop putting loops in every. single. game. While it was exciting when P.T. did it, it never really hit the mark after that.
Yet I still acknowledge that this is an amazing game. It's experimental in a sense, yes, but I admire its willingness to try out new things. I loved the FMV elements, I adored the voice acting and most of the time, I even enjoyed having no idea what the fuck was going on.
And let's face it, the musical sequence was one of the best things I've ever seen in a video game.
Yet I still acknowledge that this is an amazing game. It's experimental in a sense, yes, but I admire its willingness to try out new things. I loved the FMV elements, I adored the voice acting and most of the time, I even enjoyed having no idea what the fuck was going on.
And let's face it, the musical sequence was one of the best things I've ever seen in a video game.
There's something to be said about my incredibly strong bond with a one hour long visual novel that was made in under a week more than 10 years ago.
2022
Map seems a bit empty, the train is super easy to upgrade but.
I really loved this one.
Yeah, it's silly and campy - in the best way possible. The game offers an incredibly creative story line and it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Horror games are my real passion and yet sometimes, I just get bored of seeing the same things over and over again.
If I had to choose between being attacked by a spider-train from hell and searching for keys while solving puzzles (just so I can open another door to solve another puzzle while some kind of vaguely eldritch horror thing chases me), I would pick the train-spider every time.
I really loved this one.
Yeah, it's silly and campy - in the best way possible. The game offers an incredibly creative story line and it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Horror games are my real passion and yet sometimes, I just get bored of seeing the same things over and over again.
If I had to choose between being attacked by a spider-train from hell and searching for keys while solving puzzles (just so I can open another door to solve another puzzle while some kind of vaguely eldritch horror thing chases me), I would pick the train-spider every time.
2011
Honestly, the nostalgia is strong with this one. When I was a teenager, I watched so many people play this on Youtube. Used to have a real soft spot for it, too.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed playing it myself for the first time. Sometimes, the game really doesn't do a great job of telling you what you're meant to be doing and it's frustratingly easy to get a bad ending.
The writing is mostly fine but not the plot not particularly scary or well constructed. This very much has that edgy, gory vibe that was essential to older pixel horror games. Younger me loved Corpse Party for that just but now, as an adult, I can't really bring myself to care much about it anymore.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed playing it myself for the first time. Sometimes, the game really doesn't do a great job of telling you what you're meant to be doing and it's frustratingly easy to get a bad ending.
The writing is mostly fine but not the plot not particularly scary or well constructed. This very much has that edgy, gory vibe that was essential to older pixel horror games. Younger me loved Corpse Party for that just but now, as an adult, I can't really bring myself to care much about it anymore.
2017
A point-and-click adventure with an extremely unique sense of style. The game brings baroque paintings to life - it's just wonderful to look at.
Mechanically, it's nothing to write home about, combing rather easy puzzles with humour that's rather hit-or-miss. Personally, I wasn't that amused by it but Four Last Things still felt oddly charming.
The experience itself is rather short but I think it's worth it for the art style alone.
Mechanically, it's nothing to write home about, combing rather easy puzzles with humour that's rather hit-or-miss. Personally, I wasn't that amused by it but Four Last Things still felt oddly charming.
The experience itself is rather short but I think it's worth it for the art style alone.
Granted, this one might not be for everyone.
It describes itself as "a cross between a walking sim and a tarot card reading" but I rather think of it as a short, intense experience, unlike anything I've ever played before.
I am quite fond of titles like these: highly vague, highly stylized, immersed in its own aesthetics. Not much in terms of gameplay but then again, it never claims to be a game at all. It's beautiful to look at, the atmosphere is utterly unique and it stayed with me for a while after I found all the endings.
It describes itself as "a cross between a walking sim and a tarot card reading" but I rather think of it as a short, intense experience, unlike anything I've ever played before.
I am quite fond of titles like these: highly vague, highly stylized, immersed in its own aesthetics. Not much in terms of gameplay but then again, it never claims to be a game at all. It's beautiful to look at, the atmosphere is utterly unique and it stayed with me for a while after I found all the endings.
This game will always have a special place in my heart as the original version was the first video game I've ever played.
I fondly remember lazy Sundays, spent on the computer with my older sister, trying to figure out what exactly we need to do with that damn clown nose. It certainly made me fall in love with point and click adventures, a love that is still very much alive today.
The Director's Cut does a wonderful job of reviving one of the most iconic games of the genre (and some of my dearest memories).
Goofy, yet charming voice acting, paired with a lovely art style and interesting puzzles. The plot is quite ridiculous at times but honestly? Broken Sword never claimed to take itself too seriously.
This one is a gem.
I fondly remember lazy Sundays, spent on the computer with my older sister, trying to figure out what exactly we need to do with that damn clown nose. It certainly made me fall in love with point and click adventures, a love that is still very much alive today.
The Director's Cut does a wonderful job of reviving one of the most iconic games of the genre (and some of my dearest memories).
Goofy, yet charming voice acting, paired with a lovely art style and interesting puzzles. The plot is quite ridiculous at times but honestly? Broken Sword never claimed to take itself too seriously.
This one is a gem.
A lovely story about guilt and loss.
How We Know We're Alive has a wonderful atmosphere that does a great job at capturing the protagonist's loneliness and grief. I really loved the soundtrack, calming and kinda melancholy. It's short but I feel like it does a lot in its 30 minute playtime.
However, I feel like this could have been much more than it actually was. The plot is simple and yet the game feels the need to explain every notion in great detail, as if it was afraid the player wouldn't quite get the implications. In a way, this really ruined my experience - I think letting the player interpret and figure things out themselves would have been the better choice here.
How We Know We're Alive has a wonderful atmosphere that does a great job at capturing the protagonist's loneliness and grief. I really loved the soundtrack, calming and kinda melancholy. It's short but I feel like it does a lot in its 30 minute playtime.
However, I feel like this could have been much more than it actually was. The plot is simple and yet the game feels the need to explain every notion in great detail, as if it was afraid the player wouldn't quite get the implications. In a way, this really ruined my experience - I think letting the player interpret and figure things out themselves would have been the better choice here.
Listen, I would sell my kidney for a longer version of this.
2023
I'm conflicted. On one hand, I really liked the atmosphere and the graphics of the game. Forspoken's world is a beautiful one, movement feels smooth and - if your PC can run it - you're gonna see some really cool stuff.
However, the writing is horrible. Frey seems like the hollow shell of a character, completely unrelatable and honestly, kind of annoying. Seeing things from her perspective conjured intense feelings of frustration because she was so unlikable. Maybe that's on me, though. I just don't enjoy being an asshole, even in video games. I hated most of the dialogue in the game, stiff and unrealistic.
I want to see some complicated female main characters in gaming but this is just not the way to do it.
Combat comes across as a chore. While it looks amazing, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. You're able to pull the same moves over and over again - just press attack a few times and you're done with the encounter. The game lacks variety.
Honestly, I've played worse games. I'd actually say this one is okay. But considering the price tag, I can't really recommend Forspoken to anyone.
However, the writing is horrible. Frey seems like the hollow shell of a character, completely unrelatable and honestly, kind of annoying. Seeing things from her perspective conjured intense feelings of frustration because she was so unlikable. Maybe that's on me, though. I just don't enjoy being an asshole, even in video games. I hated most of the dialogue in the game, stiff and unrealistic.
I want to see some complicated female main characters in gaming but this is just not the way to do it.
Combat comes across as a chore. While it looks amazing, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. You're able to pull the same moves over and over again - just press attack a few times and you're done with the encounter. The game lacks variety.
Honestly, I've played worse games. I'd actually say this one is okay. But considering the price tag, I can't really recommend Forspoken to anyone.
2023
Kowloon used to be a real place with a rather interesting, complex history. This game reflects none of this, in fact, it has very little to do with the actual place you're supposedly exploring. The plot (if you could call it that, it's absolutely nonsensical) is so immensely shallow and soulless that the setting doesn't really matter in any shape or form.
This is your standard indie horror game / walking simulator. Nothing much happens, there's very little to do and it gets boring quickly. The preferred source of horror is random, meaningless jump scares. Thankfully, it's short.
This is your standard indie horror game / walking simulator. Nothing much happens, there's very little to do and it gets boring quickly. The preferred source of horror is random, meaningless jump scares. Thankfully, it's short.
2022
Fun with a friend but that's about it. There's little to no substance here - the plot and characters are as shallow as it gets, the soundtrack is all over the place. There are also some incredibly weird level design choices near the end of the game.
An extra star because most bosses have soundcloud rapper names and that's kinda funny.
An extra star because most bosses have soundcloud rapper names and that's kinda funny.
I had a lot of fun with this one and I do adore the series. The characters are amusing as ever, the art style gorgeous and the world full of details.
Unfortunately, I did like this a bit less than the first game for a couple of reasons: Some parts of the story seem a bit... disjointed. You play as both Nico and George and sometimes, the transition between the two is a bit awkward, mainly because of clumsy time jumps.
In addition to that, a few puzzles proved to be more tedious than fun (looking at you, maze puzzle). I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I had to look up a walkthrough once because I just couldn't wrap my head around the insane point & click adventure logic that the game was throwing at me.
Still, The Smoking Mirror is a great experience that had me hooked from the start. It's fun and nostalgic and really one of the best adventure games out there.
Unfortunately, I did like this a bit less than the first game for a couple of reasons: Some parts of the story seem a bit... disjointed. You play as both Nico and George and sometimes, the transition between the two is a bit awkward, mainly because of clumsy time jumps.
In addition to that, a few puzzles proved to be more tedious than fun (looking at you, maze puzzle). I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I had to look up a walkthrough once because I just couldn't wrap my head around the insane point & click adventure logic that the game was throwing at me.
Still, The Smoking Mirror is a great experience that had me hooked from the start. It's fun and nostalgic and really one of the best adventure games out there.
Let it be said that I don't actually enjoy Backrooms games all that much: I find them dull and mostly repetitive. A lot of them simply drop you off at the world's worst Ikea and throw a bunch of screeching monsters at you which is... not a great concept in my opinion.
However, The Backroom: Lost and Found actually brings something new to the table - interesting mechanics, an unusual plot and a surprisingly endearing cast of miniature giraffes (?). I actually found myself replaying it once to check out the other endings.
Sure, the environment is a bit ugly (in typical Backrooms style) but it is clear that the devs put a lot of thought into this. I never expected to be emotionally invested in a game like this but I was. Granted, this won't change your life but it is a wonderful (free!) experience and a great way to spend a few hours.
However, The Backroom: Lost and Found actually brings something new to the table - interesting mechanics, an unusual plot and a surprisingly endearing cast of miniature giraffes (?). I actually found myself replaying it once to check out the other endings.
Sure, the environment is a bit ugly (in typical Backrooms style) but it is clear that the devs put a lot of thought into this. I never expected to be emotionally invested in a game like this but I was. Granted, this won't change your life but it is a wonderful (free!) experience and a great way to spend a few hours.
Tetris has never looked better - the maps are a sight to see, paired with (mostly) amazing soundtrack and a pretty neat multiplayer- I certainly prefer this version over classic Tetris as it feels more intuitive and modern.
Still, this game has some flaws that really worsen the experience. The UI is a bit clunky at times and there are not a lot of people online, so reach out to a friend if you really want to enjoy the multiplayer options.
Some of the songs are simply awful. There is this weird remix of the classic Tetris song that sounds so bad, I had to turn of the BGM for a bit. I never knew there was a rendition of that song that didn't slap - perhaps this is an achievement in itself.
While the learning curve can be a bit brutal, it never seemed unfair to me. Just a matter of practice!
Still, this game has some flaws that really worsen the experience. The UI is a bit clunky at times and there are not a lot of people online, so reach out to a friend if you really want to enjoy the multiplayer options.
Some of the songs are simply awful. There is this weird remix of the classic Tetris song that sounds so bad, I had to turn of the BGM for a bit. I never knew there was a rendition of that song that didn't slap - perhaps this is an achievement in itself.
While the learning curve can be a bit brutal, it never seemed unfair to me. Just a matter of practice!