Malty
2021
Less game, more experience.
Allowed me to reflect upon a time in my life, early 20s, when my problems seemed monumental and life seemed scary. But through my current lens of a settled 3X year old it makes me realise that I was living in a bubble and things weren't so bad or so scary. The reminder served to make me more grateful for what I currently have and where I am now at this point in my life.
As a game, 1 star
As an experience that makes you grateful for life, I suppose it'd have to be 5 stars.
Allowed me to reflect upon a time in my life, early 20s, when my problems seemed monumental and life seemed scary. But through my current lens of a settled 3X year old it makes me realise that I was living in a bubble and things weren't so bad or so scary. The reminder served to make me more grateful for what I currently have and where I am now at this point in my life.
As a game, 1 star
As an experience that makes you grateful for life, I suppose it'd have to be 5 stars.
Short but visually stunning. Relaxed atmosphere. The story told here is nice and the free DLC tied it up in a neat little bow. Puzzles are nice but ultimately are separate from the storytelling and from the mid point on only serve to break immersion a little bit.
A Good game with a terribly slow introduction period. If you can make it through the first 3 levels, the fun factor really starts to pick up.
Collectables were pretty fun to get, the story was told wordlessly and while heartwarming and, at times, thought provoking... was not an interesting story at all.
Collectables were pretty fun to get, the story was told wordlessly and while heartwarming and, at times, thought provoking... was not an interesting story at all.
2021
It was quite cathartic hoovering up all the gunk. The story told was nice, the level design was good, and the game ramped up in difficulty for the third and final act.
Before that, it was too easy. No incentive to upgrade or use the upgrades you got, and when you got some of the later combat-specific ones, mostly all the combat parts were over.
One of the characters got a bit annoying too.
Before that, it was too easy. No incentive to upgrade or use the upgrades you got, and when you got some of the later combat-specific ones, mostly all the combat parts were over.
One of the characters got a bit annoying too.
A Twin-stick shooter that's excellent for newcomers to the genre, as it's not super difficult at the start but ramps up to a difficult but satisfying final boss. Art, music and gameplay are all very solid, and although I have forgotten all the details, I did really like the story.
Twin-stick shooter veterans seem to find it too easy, though.
Twin-stick shooter veterans seem to find it too easy, though.
A Fantastic metroidvania with a lot of depth. A really great story, and lots of customization options for the way you play. Many side-quests and miscellaneous things to do will be sure to keep you entertained for hours.
As an art-creator tool, its pretty great. As a game, it's not amazing. I'm not good at art, and had a few hours of fun messing around with things, but ultimately I couldn't wait to put this game behind me.
If you ARE the creative type and like to spend an hour or two drawing/painting every now and then, definitely give this a shot.
If you're like me, it's probably better to avoid this one.
If you ARE the creative type and like to spend an hour or two drawing/painting every now and then, definitely give this a shot.
If you're like me, it's probably better to avoid this one.
2022
I LOVED this game. One of my favourite tropes in books/TV shows/movies is the con artist character.
Here, you have a whole group of them, teaching you how to do REAL tricks and cons, with cards, coins and more, to rake in some money.
It doesn't stop there though, this is actually, primarily, a game about the story, which is a masterful alternate history tale with political intrigue and drama that could rival game of thrones.
The art style put me off at first, but along with the music, it really serves to just suck you in to the story and I now think it is fantastic.
This is vastly underrated and one of my favourite games.
Here, you have a whole group of them, teaching you how to do REAL tricks and cons, with cards, coins and more, to rake in some money.
It doesn't stop there though, this is actually, primarily, a game about the story, which is a masterful alternate history tale with political intrigue and drama that could rival game of thrones.
The art style put me off at first, but along with the music, it really serves to just suck you in to the story and I now think it is fantastic.
This is vastly underrated and one of my favourite games.
A Masterful puzzle game, perfectly satisfying and grants that endorphin hit when you beat a puzzle.
For those who want more, the stars and subsequent puzzle rooms ramp up the difficulty from a 7 to a 10, really requiring some think-outside-the-box solutions.
The story is there for those who want it, with religious overtones. It will make you question morality, humanity, faith, and a multitude of other things, but really it just lost me.
For those who want more, the stars and subsequent puzzle rooms ramp up the difficulty from a 7 to a 10, really requiring some think-outside-the-box solutions.
The story is there for those who want it, with religious overtones. It will make you question morality, humanity, faith, and a multitude of other things, but really it just lost me.
2009
I wanted to like this more, being a big fan of point and click adventure games of the past, and this having such glaringly positive reviews, I expected great things.
Ultimately I was let down, as, although it was good, it wasn't great. The movement is frustratingly slow, some of the minigames are really needlessly long, and it just didn't really do anything to stand out. Perhaps it has aged poorly, as I am playing it rather late on in it's life.
Ultimately I was let down, as, although it was good, it wasn't great. The movement is frustratingly slow, some of the minigames are really needlessly long, and it just didn't really do anything to stand out. Perhaps it has aged poorly, as I am playing it rather late on in it's life.
2021
Fantastic. What is essentially a single player board game designed from the ground up to be played digitally, so plays without the limitations that physical board games present.
A masterclass in the area, which I think is niche but a growing market, and hope other publishers follow suit with some equally impressive designed-for-digital board games.
A masterclass in the area, which I think is niche but a growing market, and hope other publishers follow suit with some equally impressive designed-for-digital board games.
2017
An RPG that is full of humour. Ultimately, the sheer amount of dialogue and side-quests goes against it here, as it becomes hard to track what you were doing over multiple play-sessions.
It would be unfair to mark down an RPG for being too in-depth and I do remember my time with this game vividly and quite fondly, but I don't want to have to keep notes of the game I'm playing so I am marking it down anyway.
Recommended, just maybe come prepared with a notepad.
It would be unfair to mark down an RPG for being too in-depth and I do remember my time with this game vividly and quite fondly, but I don't want to have to keep notes of the game I'm playing so I am marking it down anyway.
Recommended, just maybe come prepared with a notepad.
2019
In what I know is an unpopular opinion, I didn't enjoy Outer Wilds. I technically discovered almost everything I had to discover and was ready to try and trigger the ending when I DNF'd it.
I DID experience a couple of 'Eureka' moments, flying around was fun, the universe was pretty beautiful, but I just didn't have fun. Like, at all, really. I watched the ending on youtube and was glad I didn't finish it, because its terrible.
Slant magazine said the journey here is more reward than the destination, and I couldn't agree more, but the journey for me wasn't fun either.
A Masterfully made go-at-your-own-pace story-discovery game that isn't for everyone, including me.
I DID experience a couple of 'Eureka' moments, flying around was fun, the universe was pretty beautiful, but I just didn't have fun. Like, at all, really. I watched the ending on youtube and was glad I didn't finish it, because its terrible.
Slant magazine said the journey here is more reward than the destination, and I couldn't agree more, but the journey for me wasn't fun either.
A Masterfully made go-at-your-own-pace story-discovery game that isn't for everyone, including me.
2021
Some of the best fun you can have in Couch Co-op.
Me and my wife laughed so hard we cried, and there were none of those argument-inducing levels you sometimes get in other games like overcooked for example.
Me and my wife laughed so hard we cried, and there were none of those argument-inducing levels you sometimes get in other games like overcooked for example.
A great setting, with a beautiful art style. Music and own-language voice-overs really served to transport me to colonial-era Taiwan.
Cast was entertaining, story was good, gameplay was fun and satisfyingly challenging at times.
Great game.
Cast was entertaining, story was good, gameplay was fun and satisfyingly challenging at times.
Great game.