139 reviews liked by Kolbo
named one of the characters after my high school crush but then i didnt tell him bc i thought hed think it was weird so i just imagined we were playing together in my sick head
Lucius
2012
I still can't believe this was a real game made by real people. It's beyond bad and only worth checking out if you want to laugh at how bad it is.
Lucius
2012
Great concept, so it's a damn shame it plays more like an illogical point'n'click adventure rather than Hitman. Needed half the length and twice the depth.
Lucius
2012
I once had a magazine article covering the Lucius series killed by the magazine editor because of just how deeply bigoted the entire series was and how much of a storm I was kicking about it. Maybe I'll bring it back some day but I just don't have any desire to think about this series more than the moment I noticed it randomly on backloggd just now.
I wish I could give the game a lower rating.
I wish I could give the game a lower rating.
Supraland
2019
There's a more to Supraland than meets the eye - on first glance you might get hints of a Steam asset swap special but persevere just a few minutes and you realise you're in for a bit of a treat as you leave your little town and fully enter a literal sandbox filled with puzzles and platforming. You're handed upgrades at a steady pace and the challenge ramps up at a decent rate while you explore a surprisingly intricate and aesthetically pleasing world.
Unfortunately, the last couple of hours were a bit of a slog to get through thanks to an increased level of already pretty tedious combat towards the end of the game. This was amplified a little by something outside of the game's control - illness - and my patience definitely started to wear thin when I reached a massive difficulty spike just before the final boss. I also had a glitch where a very important environmental asset just would not load at all, so had to Macgyver my way around that which was way too mentally taxing for the state I was in.
But it seems harsh to criticise a game for me being unwell - I still had a good time with Supraland overall and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a 3D Metroidvania puzzle fix. You just need to be aware that it's a much longer game than it might look on the surface
Unfortunately, the last couple of hours were a bit of a slog to get through thanks to an increased level of already pretty tedious combat towards the end of the game. This was amplified a little by something outside of the game's control - illness - and my patience definitely started to wear thin when I reached a massive difficulty spike just before the final boss. I also had a glitch where a very important environmental asset just would not load at all, so had to Macgyver my way around that which was way too mentally taxing for the state I was in.
But it seems harsh to criticise a game for me being unwell - I still had a good time with Supraland overall and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a 3D Metroidvania puzzle fix. You just need to be aware that it's a much longer game than it might look on the surface
Supraland
2019
How did this game go unnoticed, I am in shock that this isn’t one of the indie darlings of last year as it’s maybe a top 5 puzzle game of all time. Imagine a puzzle game that has the spirit of metroid and the ingenuity of portal. It’s a first person game with an interconnected world that you explore by gaining new abilities to solve more puzzles that let you access more areas. There is a sword and later there is then a gun which is there for combat that isn’t great; it’s mostly there just to put some obstacles in your path. You play a tiny red toy in a crazy toy world created by a kid in his backyard, this is your game world that comes to life with good Unreal engine graphics with nice popping colors.
It begins with a wooden sword and upgrades for double and triple jumping. Doing portal like puzzles where you hit switches that can launch you and so on. Then the upgrades start to come at an incredible pace and these aren’t just simple additions, there are game altering mechanics that each could be used as the inspiration for one game. But you get a bunch of these items in one game and every single one has multiple uses. I have often talked about the multi tier puzzle, the best puzzles have at least two parts to them. Zelda for instance recently before BOTW was doing a lot of one tier puzzles, do X to solve X, it’s almost a glorified key. Supraland is almost ALL multi tier puzzles, every area has multiple puzzles that make you think carefully about every object in the area and every tool you have.
If you know me you know I love secrets in my game, well a huge chunk of this game is all about secrets. Hidden crevices, optional puzzles and more litter the world each rewarding with a small upgrade to your guns, powers and health. Some upgrades are great like the ones that increase your rate of fire and one that actually lets you access new areas. But for the most part these upgrades tie into the worst part of the game which is the combat. There are about 7 enemy times, all very simple enemies that basically charge at you or shoot at you from a distance. They come out of spawn points that eventually much much later in the game you can destroy, but till then they serve as busy work. In a game where exploration is key getting to an area with the same enemies populating it again and again is annoying especially when combat is basically just you shooting wilding as you strafe around. There are two boss battles but they know that puzzles are the star so they are really puzzle focused rather than combat focused. With a lot of work this aspect could make this game feel almost like a metroid prime but till then it’s just annoying busy work.
Don’t let that stop you from trying this get of a game out. The puzzles truly are genius, giving that great feeling of satisfaction when you solve it. I was in constant awe of all these new mechanics that kept arriving every two hours or so. Just when I thought there is no way they could add more to these puzzles then you get some ball teleporting thing which opens all sorts of new possibilities. That’s when I started to realize EVERYTHING in this world as a purpose. The placement of all objects deliberate, if it looks like it has no use it will later on, it’s brilliantly designed.
I can’t help but feel like if this game was made by Valve or Nintendo it would get GOTY level attention but it seemed to get overlooked sadly. Perhaps this game is asking too much of the player, it is a step up to most puzzles in Zelda or Portal. Clearly it’s rough around the edges with combat but again done by a small team so this is expected. A sequel and DLC is already in the works and I will be very excited to try it out as you all should too. If you love puzzle games, if you like exploration and gaining abilities metroid style than this is for you.
It begins with a wooden sword and upgrades for double and triple jumping. Doing portal like puzzles where you hit switches that can launch you and so on. Then the upgrades start to come at an incredible pace and these aren’t just simple additions, there are game altering mechanics that each could be used as the inspiration for one game. But you get a bunch of these items in one game and every single one has multiple uses. I have often talked about the multi tier puzzle, the best puzzles have at least two parts to them. Zelda for instance recently before BOTW was doing a lot of one tier puzzles, do X to solve X, it’s almost a glorified key. Supraland is almost ALL multi tier puzzles, every area has multiple puzzles that make you think carefully about every object in the area and every tool you have.
If you know me you know I love secrets in my game, well a huge chunk of this game is all about secrets. Hidden crevices, optional puzzles and more litter the world each rewarding with a small upgrade to your guns, powers and health. Some upgrades are great like the ones that increase your rate of fire and one that actually lets you access new areas. But for the most part these upgrades tie into the worst part of the game which is the combat. There are about 7 enemy times, all very simple enemies that basically charge at you or shoot at you from a distance. They come out of spawn points that eventually much much later in the game you can destroy, but till then they serve as busy work. In a game where exploration is key getting to an area with the same enemies populating it again and again is annoying especially when combat is basically just you shooting wilding as you strafe around. There are two boss battles but they know that puzzles are the star so they are really puzzle focused rather than combat focused. With a lot of work this aspect could make this game feel almost like a metroid prime but till then it’s just annoying busy work.
Don’t let that stop you from trying this get of a game out. The puzzles truly are genius, giving that great feeling of satisfaction when you solve it. I was in constant awe of all these new mechanics that kept arriving every two hours or so. Just when I thought there is no way they could add more to these puzzles then you get some ball teleporting thing which opens all sorts of new possibilities. That’s when I started to realize EVERYTHING in this world as a purpose. The placement of all objects deliberate, if it looks like it has no use it will later on, it’s brilliantly designed.
I can’t help but feel like if this game was made by Valve or Nintendo it would get GOTY level attention but it seemed to get overlooked sadly. Perhaps this game is asking too much of the player, it is a step up to most puzzles in Zelda or Portal. Clearly it’s rough around the edges with combat but again done by a small team so this is expected. A sequel and DLC is already in the works and I will be very excited to try it out as you all should too. If you love puzzle games, if you like exploration and gaining abilities metroid style than this is for you.
Anarcute
2016
Whatever redeemable qualities Anarcute has (already few and far between) are completely lost within the void of its intensely cynical non-ideology. Revolutionary aestheticism, combined with a total refusal to engage with the subject of those aesthetics, results in a text with nothing to say--doing no favors to the foundation laid by a shallow and frequently frustrating gameplay loop.
Anarcute
2016
The infantilized revolution of the smol beans
Anarcute
2016
Fans of absolute trite like The State and Revolution and Blackshirts and Reds only hate this because it’s an actually revolutionary text unlike those two
This review contains spoilers
As the title implies, Batman: The TellTale Series is an adventure game that features a rather unique spin on Batman’s character and mythos. You not only play as Batman in this game, but also Bruce Wayne himself, and you’re frequently tasked with managing Bruce’s dual identities. The game does an excellent job balancing the familiar elements of the world of Batman with interesting and in some cases, dramatic twists on classic characters and their backgrounds. Sadly though, it falls victim to the problem that befalls most of the adventure titles from TellTale Games: despite how much emphasis and importance the game places on the choices that you make throughout it, they ultimately don’t affect the plot nearly as much as the game would have you believe. While I think this greatly hindered the game’s potential, I still really enjoyed the story it had to offer.
One of the biggest and most prominent changes is that Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne, was actually a corrupt member of Gotham’s elite, and a truly evil man. Almost every single interpretation of Batman has portrayed the Wanye family as virtuous, using their power and wealth to help the people of Gotham as best as they can, but that’s not the case in TellTale’s Gotham. Here, Thomas Wayne had worked hand in hand with mobster Carmine Falcone and the corrupt Mayor Hill to maintain control of Gotham’s elite as well as its underworld. Thomas would commit any potential whistleblowers of the pact the three of them had to Arkham Asylum, and the Wayne family fortune truly ended up being built on blood. The loyal butler to the Wayne family, Alfred, was even prepared to walk out on the Waynes just before their death at the hands of Mayor Hill. 2022’s The Batman film had a similar twist regarding Thomas Wayne, however he was still an upstanding man that made an awful mistake in trusting terrible people for the sake of his political campaign, which is a far safer interpretation compared to TellTale’s take on the character. I love this twist on Thomas Wayne. If you choose to make your Bruce duty-bound and heroic, this change to Thomas Wayne makes how Bruce turns out all the more impressive.
I never thought I would enjoy playing as Bruce Wayne as much as I did. It was actually really suspenseful and I loved having to decide if it was best to tackle certain issues as Bruce or Batman. Trying to manage public relations, support Bruce’s friends and make difficult decisions regarding Wayne Enterprises was surprisingly captivating and I really enjoyed it. Lately, a frequent criticism of the character of Batman and Bruce Wayne I’ve seen is that Bruce should be using his resources to help the poor and that instead he chooses to prey on them and the mentally unwell. This game actually tackles that idea and I think it does so in a pretty decent manner. While the game does leave the decision-making to the player, you are able to be a merciful Batman, avoiding violence unless absolutely necessary, and you also have a say in how Bruce Wayne uses his resources to help people, especially with the final decision you make at the game’s end. The game goes so far as to point this out to you in the results screen at the end of episodes as well.
I also really love what the game does with Vicki Vale, making her into the exclusive new villain Lady Arkham. Vicki has never really had that prominent of a role in Batman’s history aside from a couple of stories where she tries to expose Batman’s secret identity. The twist of making her the main antagonist of the game is fantastic, and definitely not one I saw coming as a long time Batman fan. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the most interesting thing that’s ever been done with the character.
The “TellTale Problem” is most evident with how the game handles the character of Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face. You are frequently given opportunities to side with him, protect him, and suggest to him that he gets the help that he needs. Yet no matter what you do, no matter how many times you make choices that are in Harvey’s best interest, there is nothing that you can do to keep Harvey from succumbing to his inner demons and developing his split personality. You can even prevent him from getting the facial scarring that traditionally triggers his transformation in the various interpretations of the character, but it still doesn’t matter. Truth be told, I don’t think I’d really mind this if it wasn’t for the fact that the “TellTale Problem” was such a consistent issue throughout games made by the studio. By the time Batman: The TellTale Series came out, I had played through multiple seasons of The Walking Dead as well as The Wolf Among Us so I was aware of and used to the issue by the time I got to playing Batman. There is a strong sense of tragedy in how futile your choices are when it comes to protecting your best friend, but because TellTale games do this so frequently, the impact of Harvey’s fall is greatly lessened and largely lost on most players of this game, based on comments I’ve read from other people.
Despite how little of a difference certain choices make on the overall narrative, I still think that Batman: The TellTale Series is very enjoyable, and a great interpretation of Batman and his world. I was still immersed and heavily invested in the story that was told. I found it to be thrilling and surprising, even during my second playthrough. While the Arkham games do an excellent job at putting the player in the shoes of Batman, The TellTale Series is equally as impressive at putting you in the mind of Bruce Wayne. I don’t think it’s the best title that TellTale Games has put out, but I do consider it a must-play for hardcore Batman fans.
One of the biggest and most prominent changes is that Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne, was actually a corrupt member of Gotham’s elite, and a truly evil man. Almost every single interpretation of Batman has portrayed the Wanye family as virtuous, using their power and wealth to help the people of Gotham as best as they can, but that’s not the case in TellTale’s Gotham. Here, Thomas Wayne had worked hand in hand with mobster Carmine Falcone and the corrupt Mayor Hill to maintain control of Gotham’s elite as well as its underworld. Thomas would commit any potential whistleblowers of the pact the three of them had to Arkham Asylum, and the Wayne family fortune truly ended up being built on blood. The loyal butler to the Wayne family, Alfred, was even prepared to walk out on the Waynes just before their death at the hands of Mayor Hill. 2022’s The Batman film had a similar twist regarding Thomas Wayne, however he was still an upstanding man that made an awful mistake in trusting terrible people for the sake of his political campaign, which is a far safer interpretation compared to TellTale’s take on the character. I love this twist on Thomas Wayne. If you choose to make your Bruce duty-bound and heroic, this change to Thomas Wayne makes how Bruce turns out all the more impressive.
I never thought I would enjoy playing as Bruce Wayne as much as I did. It was actually really suspenseful and I loved having to decide if it was best to tackle certain issues as Bruce or Batman. Trying to manage public relations, support Bruce’s friends and make difficult decisions regarding Wayne Enterprises was surprisingly captivating and I really enjoyed it. Lately, a frequent criticism of the character of Batman and Bruce Wayne I’ve seen is that Bruce should be using his resources to help the poor and that instead he chooses to prey on them and the mentally unwell. This game actually tackles that idea and I think it does so in a pretty decent manner. While the game does leave the decision-making to the player, you are able to be a merciful Batman, avoiding violence unless absolutely necessary, and you also have a say in how Bruce Wayne uses his resources to help people, especially with the final decision you make at the game’s end. The game goes so far as to point this out to you in the results screen at the end of episodes as well.
I also really love what the game does with Vicki Vale, making her into the exclusive new villain Lady Arkham. Vicki has never really had that prominent of a role in Batman’s history aside from a couple of stories where she tries to expose Batman’s secret identity. The twist of making her the main antagonist of the game is fantastic, and definitely not one I saw coming as a long time Batman fan. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the most interesting thing that’s ever been done with the character.
The “TellTale Problem” is most evident with how the game handles the character of Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face. You are frequently given opportunities to side with him, protect him, and suggest to him that he gets the help that he needs. Yet no matter what you do, no matter how many times you make choices that are in Harvey’s best interest, there is nothing that you can do to keep Harvey from succumbing to his inner demons and developing his split personality. You can even prevent him from getting the facial scarring that traditionally triggers his transformation in the various interpretations of the character, but it still doesn’t matter. Truth be told, I don’t think I’d really mind this if it wasn’t for the fact that the “TellTale Problem” was such a consistent issue throughout games made by the studio. By the time Batman: The TellTale Series came out, I had played through multiple seasons of The Walking Dead as well as The Wolf Among Us so I was aware of and used to the issue by the time I got to playing Batman. There is a strong sense of tragedy in how futile your choices are when it comes to protecting your best friend, but because TellTale games do this so frequently, the impact of Harvey’s fall is greatly lessened and largely lost on most players of this game, based on comments I’ve read from other people.
Despite how little of a difference certain choices make on the overall narrative, I still think that Batman: The TellTale Series is very enjoyable, and a great interpretation of Batman and his world. I was still immersed and heavily invested in the story that was told. I found it to be thrilling and surprising, even during my second playthrough. While the Arkham games do an excellent job at putting the player in the shoes of Batman, The TellTale Series is equally as impressive at putting you in the mind of Bruce Wayne. I don’t think it’s the best title that TellTale Games has put out, but I do consider it a must-play for hardcore Batman fans.
2 lists liked by Kolbo
