Kinglink
2021
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Experience the entirety of humanity.
The fastest explanation of what Humankind is would be to say it’s like a different version of Civilization. There are a lot of changes here, such as not choosing a single civilization, but rather adopting a new culture with different bonuses for each era and a far superior battle system, but at the end of the day, this has all the same computer board game type of appeal that Civilization has, as well as all the complexity.
However, a lot of people have turned on this game after a long time citing the AI isn’t that strong, or cheats. This is the first game in this franchise, and while this is Amplitude Studio known for the Endless Space franchise, it does feel a little lacking. At the same time, if this is seen as a first entry in a longer franchise, there’s a lot of potential. However, that’s potential in future titles. Also, the text on the UI is frighteningly small. I usually play all games on my 50-inch TV connected to my computer and this one was unplayable but even on a normal monitor it’s a bit smaller than I would like.
Pick this up if you like Civilization, It’s 12 bucks, and you’ll easily get 20 hours into it and likely more. This has a nice different feel to it and like I said, I prefer this combat system to Civilization’s combat. You will have to learn all the differences but you’ll get a unique experience here.
Also, Humble's version is the definitive edition so all the DLC content is here.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
Experience the entirety of humanity.
The fastest explanation of what Humankind is would be to say it’s like a different version of Civilization. There are a lot of changes here, such as not choosing a single civilization, but rather adopting a new culture with different bonuses for each era and a far superior battle system, but at the end of the day, this has all the same computer board game type of appeal that Civilization has, as well as all the complexity.
However, a lot of people have turned on this game after a long time citing the AI isn’t that strong, or cheats. This is the first game in this franchise, and while this is Amplitude Studio known for the Endless Space franchise, it does feel a little lacking. At the same time, if this is seen as a first entry in a longer franchise, there’s a lot of potential. However, that’s potential in future titles. Also, the text on the UI is frighteningly small. I usually play all games on my 50-inch TV connected to my computer and this one was unplayable but even on a normal monitor it’s a bit smaller than I would like.
Pick this up if you like Civilization, It’s 12 bucks, and you’ll easily get 20 hours into it and likely more. This has a nice different feel to it and like I said, I prefer this combat system to Civilization’s combat. You will have to learn all the differences but you’ll get a unique experience here.
Also, Humble's version is the definitive edition so all the DLC content is here.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A mystery in a cozy British town.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow has players arriving at a little town in England with a ton of marshes and barrows. The player is trying to find the person who summoned them there and instead meets a lot of colorful characters at the local pub. If you’ve played any of the Blackwell games, this is by the same company, Wadjet Eye Games. The voice acting is extremely well done and elevates the game quite a bit.
However the game does try to push the envelope with its graphics at times and honestly, I think it fails to nail what it is attempting. It feels almost like it’s not going far enough but also goes too far. The story is a bit slow so far, and while the characters are good, and there’s been a couple of simple puzzles, one of them is an item you might miss if you didn’t think to pick it up, and the other was more of a “what can I do” rather than solving an obvious puzzle.
Pick this up if you like the Blackwell games. I assume it’s going to be paranormal and spooky at some point, but also the writing so far has been really good though I’ve yet to get started on the main mystery.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
A mystery in a cozy British town.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow has players arriving at a little town in England with a ton of marshes and barrows. The player is trying to find the person who summoned them there and instead meets a lot of colorful characters at the local pub. If you’ve played any of the Blackwell games, this is by the same company, Wadjet Eye Games. The voice acting is extremely well done and elevates the game quite a bit.
However the game does try to push the envelope with its graphics at times and honestly, I think it fails to nail what it is attempting. It feels almost like it’s not going far enough but also goes too far. The story is a bit slow so far, and while the characters are good, and there’s been a couple of simple puzzles, one of them is an item you might miss if you didn’t think to pick it up, and the other was more of a “what can I do” rather than solving an obvious puzzle.
Pick this up if you like the Blackwell games. I assume it’s going to be paranormal and spooky at some point, but also the writing so far has been really good though I’ve yet to get started on the main mystery.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
It’s Pokemon
Coromon has such an obvious influence it even ends in Mon. But at the same time, it also does things everyone wants to see. This has a customizable difficulty with interesting choices like limited heals at the doctors, limits to monsters you can catch, and more. Every character also gets a trait when it’s caught and those traits can make two similar creatures vastly different. There’s also the ability to customize the stats of your creature and so much more. Compared to the main genre which feels like it’s stagnating at times, Coromon feels like the breath of fresh area the fans of the genre are begging for.
But at the same time, it’s Pokemon with most of the same negatives. You’ve seen much of this idea before, and while there are tons of fresh moments, the majority of the game is leveling up monsters, fighting x number of bosses, this time you fight Titans or something, and while there are new abilities, you will feel like you’ve done this before. Also, there are only 124 monsters here, and while there’s more content in other areas, having fewer characters than the first Pokemon game is a weird choice. I know, this probably has more animations or art requirements, but It still feels odd.
Pick this up if you like Pokemon. This is a pure Pokemon style game, but it’s also so well done and does enough new that fans who may have been burnt out on the main series will probably find something fresh here. At the same time, it’s not going to change most players' minds if they aren’t already fans of Pokemon.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
It’s Pokemon
Coromon has such an obvious influence it even ends in Mon. But at the same time, it also does things everyone wants to see. This has a customizable difficulty with interesting choices like limited heals at the doctors, limits to monsters you can catch, and more. Every character also gets a trait when it’s caught and those traits can make two similar creatures vastly different. There’s also the ability to customize the stats of your creature and so much more. Compared to the main genre which feels like it’s stagnating at times, Coromon feels like the breath of fresh area the fans of the genre are begging for.
But at the same time, it’s Pokemon with most of the same negatives. You’ve seen much of this idea before, and while there are tons of fresh moments, the majority of the game is leveling up monsters, fighting x number of bosses, this time you fight Titans or something, and while there are new abilities, you will feel like you’ve done this before. Also, there are only 124 monsters here, and while there’s more content in other areas, having fewer characters than the first Pokemon game is a weird choice. I know, this probably has more animations or art requirements, but It still feels odd.
Pick this up if you like Pokemon. This is a pure Pokemon style game, but it’s also so well done and does enough new that fans who may have been burnt out on the main series will probably find something fresh here. At the same time, it’s not going to change most players' minds if they aren’t already fans of Pokemon.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A Song of Fire Emblem and … just fire Fire Emblem.
Symphony of War starts with the main character and a friend going off to fight in a war to get a kidnapped Empress back. During that battle, they met up with people they knew when they were cadets. This is all done in the background of a large Strategy RPG where players will move their characters tactically around a map and take out units. It’s a lot like Fire Emblem, and that’s a good thing because the battle system here is solid but adds a few new tricks.
You can fill out your squad as you want, change your character’s classes to try out new things and build a larger army than the Fire Emblem games.
At the same time, this is more of a pure strategy RPG with the focus more on roleplaying and tactically maneuvering troops rather than just overpowering the enemy. The maps feel overwhelming when you first reach them but then almost feel too small once you finish them. Also, people have pointed out this has a lot of RPG Maker assets, but if that is what enables a team to make a thirty-hour or more game with a small team, the more power to them. This is a twenty-dollar title after all, not a big sixty-dollar one.
Pick this up if you like the Strategy RPG genre, this is more Fire Emblem than anything, but there’s a little bit of a feel of Advance Wars, or Wargroove as well and so far it is delivering on all cylinders. There’s an obvious turn coming but it would be worth playing more to see the story.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
A Song of Fire Emblem and … just fire Fire Emblem.
Symphony of War starts with the main character and a friend going off to fight in a war to get a kidnapped Empress back. During that battle, they met up with people they knew when they were cadets. This is all done in the background of a large Strategy RPG where players will move their characters tactically around a map and take out units. It’s a lot like Fire Emblem, and that’s a good thing because the battle system here is solid but adds a few new tricks.
You can fill out your squad as you want, change your character’s classes to try out new things and build a larger army than the Fire Emblem games.
At the same time, this is more of a pure strategy RPG with the focus more on roleplaying and tactically maneuvering troops rather than just overpowering the enemy. The maps feel overwhelming when you first reach them but then almost feel too small once you finish them. Also, people have pointed out this has a lot of RPG Maker assets, but if that is what enables a team to make a thirty-hour or more game with a small team, the more power to them. This is a twenty-dollar title after all, not a big sixty-dollar one.
Pick this up if you like the Strategy RPG genre, this is more Fire Emblem than anything, but there’s a little bit of a feel of Advance Wars, or Wargroove as well and so far it is delivering on all cylinders. There’s an obvious turn coming but it would be worth playing more to see the story.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Building Mars your way.
Terraformers start with the player building a base on Mars, creating locations for people to live, and then expanding across the surface of Mars. Players will have to spend a lot of time resource harvesting so they can play various structures. Each structure needs specific resources and has a purpose but the goal of the game is to earn victory points. As you proceed in the game you’ll also have to start Terraforming Mars, likely as a way to earn more Victory Points.
This reminded me of playing Eurogames and I mean that in a high form of praise. It also doesn’t feel too difficult but I realize I’m only playing the tutorial, there’s supposedly multiple scenarios after that point that extend the game and likely become much harder.
At the same time, it feels like there’s a significant amount of RNG in the game. Whether it’s which the leaders you can choose from, what buildings appear, or what resources you will find, Players will have to make a lot of decisions and hope for the best. There are probably a few ways to fail, but I imagine on harder difficulties this game becomes more brutally punishing for the wrong choices. It also feels a little micromanagement of the resource but that’s likely because I don’t know exactly how to play the game yet.
Pick this up if you like board games. This isn’t exactly Civilization, but it also feels like it’s in that same family as a distant cousin. Terraformers allows players to challenge the scenario or situation they are in rather than a specific AI.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
Building Mars your way.
Terraformers start with the player building a base on Mars, creating locations for people to live, and then expanding across the surface of Mars. Players will have to spend a lot of time resource harvesting so they can play various structures. Each structure needs specific resources and has a purpose but the goal of the game is to earn victory points. As you proceed in the game you’ll also have to start Terraforming Mars, likely as a way to earn more Victory Points.
This reminded me of playing Eurogames and I mean that in a high form of praise. It also doesn’t feel too difficult but I realize I’m only playing the tutorial, there’s supposedly multiple scenarios after that point that extend the game and likely become much harder.
At the same time, it feels like there’s a significant amount of RNG in the game. Whether it’s which the leaders you can choose from, what buildings appear, or what resources you will find, Players will have to make a lot of decisions and hope for the best. There are probably a few ways to fail, but I imagine on harder difficulties this game becomes more brutally punishing for the wrong choices. It also feels a little micromanagement of the resource but that’s likely because I don’t know exactly how to play the game yet.
Pick this up if you like board games. This isn’t exactly Civilization, but it also feels like it’s in that same family as a distant cousin. Terraformers allows players to challenge the scenario or situation they are in rather than a specific AI.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Finally, someone arrests people wearing Socks with Sandals.
Fashion Police Squad looks like a Boomer Shooter, and it has a taste of that. Players will end up fighting fashion crimes, whether it’s people who have been turned gray, wearing neon shirts, or ill-fitting suits. Players will shoot them with a dye shotgun, a sewing machine gun, or sock gnomes. It sounds insane but it’s actually quite funny with tons of great moments and it’s also well written. I found myself laughing multiple times.
At the same time, this is a humorous take on the shooter genre, but it does have some issues. So far every enemy is only weak to a single weapon, so if you shoot someone wearing a bad suit with the dye shotgun, it does zero damage. In addition, the difficulty here more comes from the number of enemies than specific enemies themselves, and I’m sure the absurdity of it will wear off eventually, definitely not yet, and probably will last the full first playthrough, but it feels more like a joke that’s great the first time, but you’ve heard it the second time.
Pick this up if you want a refreshing boomer shooter. This is unique for what it is, and honestly, I feel compelled to play more of it just to see what else it’s going to do.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
Finally, someone arrests people wearing Socks with Sandals.
Fashion Police Squad looks like a Boomer Shooter, and it has a taste of that. Players will end up fighting fashion crimes, whether it’s people who have been turned gray, wearing neon shirts, or ill-fitting suits. Players will shoot them with a dye shotgun, a sewing machine gun, or sock gnomes. It sounds insane but it’s actually quite funny with tons of great moments and it’s also well written. I found myself laughing multiple times.
At the same time, this is a humorous take on the shooter genre, but it does have some issues. So far every enemy is only weak to a single weapon, so if you shoot someone wearing a bad suit with the dye shotgun, it does zero damage. In addition, the difficulty here more comes from the number of enemies than specific enemies themselves, and I’m sure the absurdity of it will wear off eventually, definitely not yet, and probably will last the full first playthrough, but it feels more like a joke that’s great the first time, but you’ve heard it the second time.
Pick this up if you want a refreshing boomer shooter. This is unique for what it is, and honestly, I feel compelled to play more of it just to see what else it’s going to do.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Deader Space.
The Callisto Protocol is a horror game that doesn’t even try to hide its inspiration on its sleeve, it shows it on the collar. Everything about this game screams Dead Space. From the life bar on the back of your player’s neck to the inventory system floating in mid-air in the game world, The Callisto Protocol tries to evoke memories of Dead Space, which is good because that’s also how it was sold.
I can sum up my problem with the Callisto Protocol in one fact. To dodge enemy attacks you hold left or right on the thumbstick, and then if they try to attack a second time, you hold the opposite direction. Not hit it in time with the attack but just hold a direction. If that doesn’t sound challenging, it’s not.
There was a point also where you changed a club for a stun baton, and the combat didn’t feel like it changed at all. Callisto Protocol also struggles to be scary, because most of its jump scares are pre-scripted. But if you ever are afraid something is going to jump out, hold the stick to the Left just in case. See it’s kind of dumb.
Also just saying I think the third person made it hard to be scared during several of the horror moments because you’re watching actions being done to the player’s avatars, not experiencing those actions.
Pick this up if you were waiting for a heavy discount. This game got a lot of popularity leading up to release and then kind of disappeared quickly. I’m not the person to ask about a horror game, but I also just found this one to be more lacking than scary.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
Deader Space.
The Callisto Protocol is a horror game that doesn’t even try to hide its inspiration on its sleeve, it shows it on the collar. Everything about this game screams Dead Space. From the life bar on the back of your player’s neck to the inventory system floating in mid-air in the game world, The Callisto Protocol tries to evoke memories of Dead Space, which is good because that’s also how it was sold.
I can sum up my problem with the Callisto Protocol in one fact. To dodge enemy attacks you hold left or right on the thumbstick, and then if they try to attack a second time, you hold the opposite direction. Not hit it in time with the attack but just hold a direction. If that doesn’t sound challenging, it’s not.
There was a point also where you changed a club for a stun baton, and the combat didn’t feel like it changed at all. Callisto Protocol also struggles to be scary, because most of its jump scares are pre-scripted. But if you ever are afraid something is going to jump out, hold the stick to the Left just in case. See it’s kind of dumb.
Also just saying I think the third person made it hard to be scared during several of the horror moments because you’re watching actions being done to the player’s avatars, not experiencing those actions.
Pick this up if you were waiting for a heavy discount. This game got a lot of popularity leading up to release and then kind of disappeared quickly. I’m not the person to ask about a horror game, but I also just found this one to be more lacking than scary.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Yet another Paradox game.
Victoria 3 is what Paradox is known for, games that have a large multiple-nation world where you can choose to rule any nation and try to do… anything you want. There are no set victory conditions so it’s just a chance to simulate running a country and building it up like you want. You set the production queue, try to get bills passed, and try to avoid civil war or upsetting too many groups in your country.
Or as someone suggested in my chat, just let the game run at top speed and get about the same result rather than pausing and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. And I think he was right. I’m sure there’s a way to micromanage this stuff, but also a lot of things took minutes of just waiting for actions to be taken or laws to be put in place.
Pick this up if you like Paradox games. Their games tend to need players to watch hours of tutorials or play the game for twenty to forty hours to decide if they like the title. However, I also have heard from people who love these games say that Victoria 3 was pretty weak for Paradox, whereas Victoria 2 was better. Overall though I don’t think this delivers anything I’d want to play again or spend tens of hours learning to realize I don’t want to play it again.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
Yet another Paradox game.
Victoria 3 is what Paradox is known for, games that have a large multiple-nation world where you can choose to rule any nation and try to do… anything you want. There are no set victory conditions so it’s just a chance to simulate running a country and building it up like you want. You set the production queue, try to get bills passed, and try to avoid civil war or upsetting too many groups in your country.
Or as someone suggested in my chat, just let the game run at top speed and get about the same result rather than pausing and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. And I think he was right. I’m sure there’s a way to micromanage this stuff, but also a lot of things took minutes of just waiting for actions to be taken or laws to be put in place.
Pick this up if you like Paradox games. Their games tend to need players to watch hours of tutorials or play the game for twenty to forty hours to decide if they like the title. However, I also have heard from people who love these games say that Victoria 3 was pretty weak for Paradox, whereas Victoria 2 was better. Overall though I don’t think this delivers anything I’d want to play again or spend tens of hours learning to realize I don’t want to play it again.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A simulator game. Not being clever that’s what this is.
This is just a highly technical simulator of a Destroyer, where players take on the role of the captain. Players have limited resources to find and sink submarines They can be shot with cannons, but more likely will be sunk with depth charges. Distance, depth, speed, and more have to be taken into account and every little thing is done extremely realistically in a way many players won’t enjoy. Oh wait, that’s the positives of the game. Uh oh.
This is a simulator and that’s fine. However, the graphics especially in the cutscenes feel like they are from the Playstation 2 era. This was released in 2022 or 2023 depending on who you listen to. I was able to pass missions just by ramming the convoys, failing the missions, and potentially “skipping” the failure screen. I get why this game will be fun, but it’s also going to only be fun for a tiny section of gamers.
Pick this up if you want a destroyer simulator. For what it does, it’s not bad, it’s just very few people will want it for what it does. However, I will say I’m going to give this a thumbs up on Steam because for what it’s trying to do, it does extremely well
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
A simulator game. Not being clever that’s what this is.
This is just a highly technical simulator of a Destroyer, where players take on the role of the captain. Players have limited resources to find and sink submarines They can be shot with cannons, but more likely will be sunk with depth charges. Distance, depth, speed, and more have to be taken into account and every little thing is done extremely realistically in a way many players won’t enjoy. Oh wait, that’s the positives of the game. Uh oh.
This is a simulator and that’s fine. However, the graphics especially in the cutscenes feel like they are from the Playstation 2 era. This was released in 2022 or 2023 depending on who you listen to. I was able to pass missions just by ramming the convoys, failing the missions, and potentially “skipping” the failure screen. I get why this game will be fun, but it’s also going to only be fun for a tiny section of gamers.
Pick this up if you want a destroyer simulator. For what it does, it’s not bad, it’s just very few people will want it for what it does. However, I will say I’m going to give this a thumbs up on Steam because for what it’s trying to do, it does extremely well
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
2023
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A beautiful Metroidvania.
Afterimage has a large world with multiple different paths that tantalize players with its secrets. There are tight controls along with a combat system with multiple different weapons. I’ve already found 5 weapons, including a normal sword, a greatsword, a scythe, and a whip, and also enjoyed using all four of those weapons. Each weapon feels well balanced as well, the slower weapons doing twice the damage of the quicker ones.
Afterimage does a poor job with its signposts telling players which direction is the path to the next area. The story also is a little harder to follow with many characters referring to things players won’t know about. The English voice acting was ok but some viewers of the stream preferred the Japanese, and it is a better version. There’s an Experience level-based system, but try as I might, I have no clue where those values are shown to the player. While the controls are good, they did take a bit to get used to.
Pick this up if you like Metroidvanias. Though this is on the easy side so far it is a great example of the Metroidvania experience, especially building out a map and then backtracking to open up new areas. There’s a number of large open areas too that just make the player feel like there’s a ton of different directions they want to go at the same time.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
A beautiful Metroidvania.
Afterimage has a large world with multiple different paths that tantalize players with its secrets. There are tight controls along with a combat system with multiple different weapons. I’ve already found 5 weapons, including a normal sword, a greatsword, a scythe, and a whip, and also enjoyed using all four of those weapons. Each weapon feels well balanced as well, the slower weapons doing twice the damage of the quicker ones.
Afterimage does a poor job with its signposts telling players which direction is the path to the next area. The story also is a little harder to follow with many characters referring to things players won’t know about. The English voice acting was ok but some viewers of the stream preferred the Japanese, and it is a better version. There’s an Experience level-based system, but try as I might, I have no clue where those values are shown to the player. While the controls are good, they did take a bit to get used to.
Pick this up if you like Metroidvanias. Though this is on the easy side so far it is a great example of the Metroidvania experience, especially building out a map and then backtracking to open up new areas. There’s a number of large open areas too that just make the player feel like there’s a ton of different directions they want to go at the same time.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Bayonetta while missing the charm.
Soulstice is designed as an action game. There are long levels separated into arenas. There’s a scoring system designed for replayability and a ton of mechanics that need to be tried and mastered. While playing Soulstice there were a lot of games that came to mind. Metal Gear Revengeance, God of War, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and even Darksiders. And Soulstice feels like it’s standing on the shoulders of greatness with its combat system.
However Soulstice is missing something important compared to all those games, it’s not one simple thing, but more a style, a presentation, a defining animation, or a character personality that works here. Solstice just feels like it’s lacking an important part of the DNA of this genre, and it’s noticeable.
Pick this up if you like the action-adventure hack and slash, like Devil May Cry, but understand this is a B-tier effort. There are also a lot of different mechanics at play here, perhaps too many but also it allows players to get engrossed in the combat system.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
Bayonetta while missing the charm.
Soulstice is designed as an action game. There are long levels separated into arenas. There’s a scoring system designed for replayability and a ton of mechanics that need to be tried and mastered. While playing Soulstice there were a lot of games that came to mind. Metal Gear Revengeance, God of War, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and even Darksiders. And Soulstice feels like it’s standing on the shoulders of greatness with its combat system.
However Soulstice is missing something important compared to all those games, it’s not one simple thing, but more a style, a presentation, a defining animation, or a character personality that works here. Solstice just feels like it’s lacking an important part of the DNA of this genre, and it’s noticeable.
Pick this up if you like the action-adventure hack and slash, like Devil May Cry, but understand this is a B-tier effort. There are also a lot of different mechanics at play here, perhaps too many but also it allows players to get engrossed in the combat system.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
2021
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A pixel art game that impresses.
I’m not normally a fan of pixel art, but Black Skylands shines. The character models look great, the world looks interesting, and it’s always clear what every object should be. At least mostly. There’s a huge massive world to explore with what appears to be tons of interesting locations. The player pilots a small boat that can shoot cannons at enemies and the player can hookshot between islands, boats, and more.
However, I struggled with the controls. I will say I think it’s more user error, but if it’s not it might take players a while to get used to the game. There are no huge penalties, but it still is a bit frustrating. Also, it’s not always clear what areas are right for the player's experience so I’m not sure if I struggled, or just found areas and enemies that should be fought in the late game.
Pick this up if you like the art style here, and want to explore a large vast world. There’s a lot to discover and find here, and that’s really what worked. I kept wondering what would happen on the next trip. I’d want to continue to play to see where my next trip took me.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
A pixel art game that impresses.
I’m not normally a fan of pixel art, but Black Skylands shines. The character models look great, the world looks interesting, and it’s always clear what every object should be. At least mostly. There’s a huge massive world to explore with what appears to be tons of interesting locations. The player pilots a small boat that can shoot cannons at enemies and the player can hookshot between islands, boats, and more.
However, I struggled with the controls. I will say I think it’s more user error, but if it’s not it might take players a while to get used to the game. There are no huge penalties, but it still is a bit frustrating. Also, it’s not always clear what areas are right for the player's experience so I’m not sure if I struggled, or just found areas and enemies that should be fought in the late game.
Pick this up if you like the art style here, and want to explore a large vast world. There’s a lot to discover and find here, and that’s really what worked. I kept wondering what would happen on the next trip. I’d want to continue to play to see where my next trip took me.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
2022
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A visual novel with resource management.
Citizen Sleeper has good writing and interesting ideas. The writing almost reminds me of Disco Elysium, but I feel like that comparison is a little far. Still, the situations have a real weight on them, it feels like the odds are stacked against the player and the characters are interesting. The gameplay revolves around slotting dice into different actions, to determine the odds of your success. Better dice have better odds, and that influences the actions you can take in a day.
However, having played this in Game Pass, I can tell you after the first hour or so, the game starts to resolve some of the stressful situations, and make the player's lives easier. It feels like every big bad danger seems to get resolved just as it gets intense, and while it feels like your decisions are stressful early on by the end of the game, you’ve amassed so much power that it’s just waiting for time, or just plunking away at a challenge to pass the time. The story loses all its intensity.
Pick this up if you like a good story. The narrative here starts strong and the resolution to the story is well told. The only problem is almost all the highest and most dangerous stakes in the story have been resolved about halfway through the story, and there’s no randomness so a second playthrough means all the same reveals will happen allowing you to manipulate the playthrough to your liking.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
A visual novel with resource management.
Citizen Sleeper has good writing and interesting ideas. The writing almost reminds me of Disco Elysium, but I feel like that comparison is a little far. Still, the situations have a real weight on them, it feels like the odds are stacked against the player and the characters are interesting. The gameplay revolves around slotting dice into different actions, to determine the odds of your success. Better dice have better odds, and that influences the actions you can take in a day.
However, having played this in Game Pass, I can tell you after the first hour or so, the game starts to resolve some of the stressful situations, and make the player's lives easier. It feels like every big bad danger seems to get resolved just as it gets intense, and while it feels like your decisions are stressful early on by the end of the game, you’ve amassed so much power that it’s just waiting for time, or just plunking away at a challenge to pass the time. The story loses all its intensity.
Pick this up if you like a good story. The narrative here starts strong and the resolution to the story is well told. The only problem is almost all the highest and most dangerous stakes in the story have been resolved about halfway through the story, and there’s no randomness so a second playthrough means all the same reveals will happen allowing you to manipulate the playthrough to your liking.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
2020
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Dark Souls if it was made even harder.
Nioh is the Dark Souls Franchise if it was made by even crueler devs. Team Ninja was well known for Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, the latter being an extremely punishing remake. They’re dedicated to excellent fighting systems that will push for excellence in precision. Nioh 2 is no different, with a solid fighting system but it also feels more punishing than most souls-like, which I think is what people are looking for.
But… I’m not. This isn’t necessarily a negative but I found both Nioh 1 and Nioh 2 to have huge cliffs of difficulty, and you will struggle against it at least early. There are interesting enemies, but they all can be brutal in the wrong situation, and I know some people will love that, but for me, I probably won’t tackle this one.
Before I end I will say there’s also a good variety of weapons and each weapon style feels different, along with having four stances per weapon, and skills designed for each stance.
Pick this up if you like Souls-like but want harder challenges or just want more in-depth combat. If there’s one thing Team Ninja knows it’s how to add systems to their combat without making it feel bloated, and Nioh 2 succeeds at that.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
Dark Souls if it was made even harder.
Nioh is the Dark Souls Franchise if it was made by even crueler devs. Team Ninja was well known for Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, the latter being an extremely punishing remake. They’re dedicated to excellent fighting systems that will push for excellence in precision. Nioh 2 is no different, with a solid fighting system but it also feels more punishing than most souls-like, which I think is what people are looking for.
But… I’m not. This isn’t necessarily a negative but I found both Nioh 1 and Nioh 2 to have huge cliffs of difficulty, and you will struggle against it at least early. There are interesting enemies, but they all can be brutal in the wrong situation, and I know some people will love that, but for me, I probably won’t tackle this one.
Before I end I will say there’s also a good variety of weapons and each weapon style feels different, along with having four stances per weapon, and skills designed for each stance.
Pick this up if you like Souls-like but want harder challenges or just want more in-depth combat. If there’s one thing Team Ninja knows it’s how to add systems to their combat without making it feel bloated, and Nioh 2 succeeds at that.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for March 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before April 2nd, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A Tactical RTS with a little more micromanagement focus.
Realms of Ruin is another Warhammer game, and a RTS, similar to the Dawn of War Franchise. This is set in the fantasy realm of the original Warhammer. This feels like a well-made made competent RTS, mostly focused on capturing points in a style similar to Dawn of War or Company of Heroes, rather than building bases. There’s also a strong focus on Melee combat, with the idea that units aren’t allowed to disengage from battle, without using a special skill.
There’s also a conquest mode which is designed to be more like a rogue-lite where you get a randomized map and different “twists” that amount to different rules on some maps. If you’re into this game, that could bring quite a lot of replayability.
At the same time, those special skills can feel a bit more like a MOBA, also you have to find the unit that has the skill you want to use. The forced melee is going to take some time to get used to. I’ve seen the AI do some remarkably stupid actions like walk right past my archers and then fight some fresh melee fighters. Also the multiplayer is… dead. The player count was barely hitting 20 in the week before Humble.
Pick this up if you like the tactical RTS genre or enjoy Warhammer, but get this for the single-player, you probably won’t be able to find a multiplayer game. Also, this game did release in November of Last year, so … that’s a fast turnaround, and probably a bad sign, still the gameplay isn’t bad if you’re looking for a more melee-focused RTS.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg
A Tactical RTS with a little more micromanagement focus.
Realms of Ruin is another Warhammer game, and a RTS, similar to the Dawn of War Franchise. This is set in the fantasy realm of the original Warhammer. This feels like a well-made made competent RTS, mostly focused on capturing points in a style similar to Dawn of War or Company of Heroes, rather than building bases. There’s also a strong focus on Melee combat, with the idea that units aren’t allowed to disengage from battle, without using a special skill.
There’s also a conquest mode which is designed to be more like a rogue-lite where you get a randomized map and different “twists” that amount to different rules on some maps. If you’re into this game, that could bring quite a lot of replayability.
At the same time, those special skills can feel a bit more like a MOBA, also you have to find the unit that has the skill you want to use. The forced melee is going to take some time to get used to. I’ve seen the AI do some remarkably stupid actions like walk right past my archers and then fight some fresh melee fighters. Also the multiplayer is… dead. The player count was barely hitting 20 in the week before Humble.
Pick this up if you like the tactical RTS genre or enjoy Warhammer, but get this for the single-player, you probably won’t be able to find a multiplayer game. Also, this game did release in November of Last year, so … that’s a fast turnaround, and probably a bad sign, still the gameplay isn’t bad if you’re looking for a more melee-focused RTS.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/PX2c6Gm5Jbg