PapaJaeger
BACKER
2022
This review contains spoilers
This game was made as a love letter to Zelda by a person who always dreamed of making video games. I felt their heart and soul poured into this game, and it gave me those same exact nostalgic memories of running around Hyrule solving puzzles as a kid.
In this game you play as a lil gator who is bored, literally waiting for the next Zelda game to come out, and wants his Big Sis to play with him. I so aptly named this gator the Hero of Time for my playthrough and it was fun seeing all my lil animal friends call me such.
The gameplay is simple. You have a little weapon that you swing at cardboard "monsters." That's the extent of the combat, but it's effective for the aesthetic of the game. There are simple puzzles you solve throughout, none of which are challenging but still feel rewarding when you complete them.
My favorite part of the game is the characters though. In the game you are recruiting everyone on the island to come play in your game to impress Big Sis. You recruit them by various means - you help them set up a tea party, you race them, you collect junk for them, etc. But each kid on the island, a different animal, is so cute and have their own personalities and their own jokes. The game really does capture the essence of being a child and having childlike fun.
The ending left me sad - Big Sis was a girl who grew up making games for her lil brother, but now doesn't have time for it anymore because of schoolwork. She absolutely loved it, but then later on in the game you learn that it was also exhausting coming up with games for Lil Gator (as a DnD DM, I relate to her). You then learn that the schoolwork she's been working on the entire time was a video game class, and she was still exhausted. So exhausted form school she couldn't enjoy time with her lil gator brother. It was such a heartfelt revelation for her and seeing Lil Gator light up when she came back to play warmed my heart.
This is definitely one of the most adorable games I've ever played. I love this game like I love a great Pixar movie.
In this game you play as a lil gator who is bored, literally waiting for the next Zelda game to come out, and wants his Big Sis to play with him. I so aptly named this gator the Hero of Time for my playthrough and it was fun seeing all my lil animal friends call me such.
The gameplay is simple. You have a little weapon that you swing at cardboard "monsters." That's the extent of the combat, but it's effective for the aesthetic of the game. There are simple puzzles you solve throughout, none of which are challenging but still feel rewarding when you complete them.
My favorite part of the game is the characters though. In the game you are recruiting everyone on the island to come play in your game to impress Big Sis. You recruit them by various means - you help them set up a tea party, you race them, you collect junk for them, etc. But each kid on the island, a different animal, is so cute and have their own personalities and their own jokes. The game really does capture the essence of being a child and having childlike fun.
The ending left me sad - Big Sis was a girl who grew up making games for her lil brother, but now doesn't have time for it anymore because of schoolwork. She absolutely loved it, but then later on in the game you learn that it was also exhausting coming up with games for Lil Gator (as a DnD DM, I relate to her). You then learn that the schoolwork she's been working on the entire time was a video game class, and she was still exhausted. So exhausted form school she couldn't enjoy time with her lil gator brother. It was such a heartfelt revelation for her and seeing Lil Gator light up when she came back to play warmed my heart.
This is definitely one of the most adorable games I've ever played. I love this game like I love a great Pixar movie.
2017
Played this game with my friend Stephen and we had a great time. The puzzles were fun and engaging, albeit one was a little frustrating.
This kind of game is my bread and butter and we plan on playing the other games as well.
This kind of game is my bread and butter and we plan on playing the other games as well.
2021
Played this game with one of my oldest friends. It is a love letter to video games and has touching lessons of parenthood and marriage.
Co-op, story driven platformer? My absolute bread and butter. This game was literally made my taste in mind, I swear.
Co-op, story driven platformer? My absolute bread and butter. This game was literally made my taste in mind, I swear.
2018
Good upgrade from the first one! Stephen and I loved it. I could see how the studio wants to expand even further and up the quality even more. Looking forward to the third.
Yet again, the games takes its awesome concept and improves upon the previous game. The puzzles were more mature and the storyline was more intiment.
2014
I've gotten so much out out of this game, but the new metas haven't been entertaining for a couple years and the game is toxic now.
However, my roommates and I play these ultra meme highlander decks and it is some of the most fun I've ever had in a card game.
However, my roommates and I play these ultra meme highlander decks and it is some of the most fun I've ever had in a card game.
2020
When I beat this game I had a feeling of emptiness. Not because the game was bad, but because the story ended in such a soul breaking fashion, and I had just spent 60+ hours in this world that I didn't know what to do next.
Here are my game highlights:
- Combat was fluid, engaging, and rewarding, and you consistently unlocked new abilities that kept it alive.
- I enjoyed the not-overly-complicated crafting system,
- I fell in love with some of the activities. Writing haikus, sitting in hot springs, and chasing down foxes gave me an even deeper connection to what I was doing in the game.
- Story and characters were compelling, had depth, and had me very interested
Some criticism:
- Cutscenes looked a gen behind. The graphics are good, but its cutscenes are mainly just two people looking at each other with little movement or activity. Thus it made characters feel a little robotic.
- Minor performance inconsistencies
- Top 5 Gaming Moment
This game also houses one of my favorite moments in gaming history; The Siege of Yarikawa. I know the word is cheesy, but it was truly truly EPIC. The whole sequence was the highlight of the game for me.
Starting off as an outlaw of this land, hated by its people, having to gain their trust and respect. Then, the siege begins. Jin, an outlaw in this land, leading the people of Yarikawa to the gates, then having to run out and destroy the siege weapons single handedly, then running back to the town and confronting the Mongol general. Fighting the general surrounded by a battle, and finishing the general off by slicing off his head.
And then.... Ghost Form. One of the coolest forms in gaming history. After beheading the general, the entire screen turns white as thunder cracks. You run to the Mongols and slay them and the screen turns red with their blood. Then you run through the town as everyone is cheering your name as The Ghost and you drive the Mongols away.
Holy shit I just can't get over how sick this was. I play with Surround Sound headphones that help me get lost in the game I'm playing, so that helped me here. I was just so into this mission and this game.
Here are my game highlights:
- Combat was fluid, engaging, and rewarding, and you consistently unlocked new abilities that kept it alive.
- I enjoyed the not-overly-complicated crafting system,
- I fell in love with some of the activities. Writing haikus, sitting in hot springs, and chasing down foxes gave me an even deeper connection to what I was doing in the game.
- Story and characters were compelling, had depth, and had me very interested
Some criticism:
- Cutscenes looked a gen behind. The graphics are good, but its cutscenes are mainly just two people looking at each other with little movement or activity. Thus it made characters feel a little robotic.
- Minor performance inconsistencies
- Top 5 Gaming Moment
This game also houses one of my favorite moments in gaming history; The Siege of Yarikawa. I know the word is cheesy, but it was truly truly EPIC. The whole sequence was the highlight of the game for me.
Starting off as an outlaw of this land, hated by its people, having to gain their trust and respect. Then, the siege begins. Jin, an outlaw in this land, leading the people of Yarikawa to the gates, then having to run out and destroy the siege weapons single handedly, then running back to the town and confronting the Mongol general. Fighting the general surrounded by a battle, and finishing the general off by slicing off his head.
And then.... Ghost Form. One of the coolest forms in gaming history. After beheading the general, the entire screen turns white as thunder cracks. You run to the Mongols and slay them and the screen turns red with their blood. Then you run through the town as everyone is cheering your name as The Ghost and you drive the Mongols away.
Holy shit I just can't get over how sick this was. I play with Surround Sound headphones that help me get lost in the game I'm playing, so that helped me here. I was just so into this mission and this game.
2021
Fun game for a little bit! If it wasn't so cheap I wouldn't recommend, but I enjoyed it for the $2 I paid for it.
2022
This review contains spoilers
Jared played this game while Mandi, Joey, Chris, and I watched. We had a great time; yelling at Jared to make certain choices, getting mad at PCs for how unlikeable they are, and for cheering when something good happens.
We definitely screwed up our ending... Abi, Ryan, Laura, and Nick all died. Abi and Ryan were favorites in the group I played with. Saving Dylan and Kaitlyn was nice, though. The two least liked characters were Emma and Jacob and both of them survived.
The ending was a smidge anti-climatic, and it also felt a tad rushed. It was a slow, steady buildup of story and characters in Chapter 1-7, then in 8 it felt like the game was just trying to get through stuff. That could have been just our particular ending; I'm sure we missed out on content based on who died.
Overall, a fun experience of a fantastically designed game.
We definitely screwed up our ending... Abi, Ryan, Laura, and Nick all died. Abi and Ryan were favorites in the group I played with. Saving Dylan and Kaitlyn was nice, though. The two least liked characters were Emma and Jacob and both of them survived.
The ending was a smidge anti-climatic, and it also felt a tad rushed. It was a slow, steady buildup of story and characters in Chapter 1-7, then in 8 it felt like the game was just trying to get through stuff. That could have been just our particular ending; I'm sure we missed out on content based on who died.
Overall, a fun experience of a fantastically designed game.
2020
The Last Campfire is a game about grief, depression, loneliness, and anxiety, and how to come to terms with those things. It was a game I needed right now. Its message is one I've heard before, but still a good reminder: It's okay to ask for help, and it's important to help those that ask for it.
The gameplay is Zelda-dungeon-like puzzle solving with no combat. With a few exceptions, the puzzles were generally pretty easy and I never got frustrated with any of them. They were fun though, and unique, and no two were alike.
The ending is purposely loose and open to interpretation. My interpretation is that the mysterious land you're in throughout the game is similar to purgatory. It is some kind of afterlife that the Embers reach once their lives are over. Many of them don't make it through to The Last Campfire, though, and become Forlorn, turned to stone, their souls lost. It is up to Ember to come along and help them regain their hope.
When you touch a Forlorn you hear their inner thoughts. It seemed like all of them became Forlorn when they were alone. Ember helps guide them through and reignites hope in them, allowing them a second chance at The Last Campfire.
This game was very, very sweet. It had a powerful effect on me. Asking for help is definitely something I need to do and I hope this game can help me do it.
The gameplay is Zelda-dungeon-like puzzle solving with no combat. With a few exceptions, the puzzles were generally pretty easy and I never got frustrated with any of them. They were fun though, and unique, and no two were alike.
The ending is purposely loose and open to interpretation. My interpretation is that the mysterious land you're in throughout the game is similar to purgatory. It is some kind of afterlife that the Embers reach once their lives are over. Many of them don't make it through to The Last Campfire, though, and become Forlorn, turned to stone, their souls lost. It is up to Ember to come along and help them regain their hope.
When you touch a Forlorn you hear their inner thoughts. It seemed like all of them became Forlorn when they were alone. Ember helps guide them through and reignites hope in them, allowing them a second chance at The Last Campfire.
This game was very, very sweet. It had a powerful effect on me. Asking for help is definitely something I need to do and I hope this game can help me do it.
2022
This review contains spoilers
This is truly one of the most unique video game series I have ever played, and this one stepped it up in a big way to the previous three. I have done things in this video game I have never done anywhere else, and for that reason alone I really appreciate it.
Each installment in this series had improved over its predecessors, and the 4th game of this series was the biggest jump in quality yet. The puzzles were more intricate, the storyline was more fleshed out, and the visuals were stronger.
I played this with Stephen, much like the previous three games, and he and I's favorite bit of the game was the underwater area with the Kraken. Never in another video game have I needed to make weird noises over a radio to try to convince Stephen what I was listening to.
The only real criticisms I have are the ending was just little anti-climactic and the story lost us a bit. The last puzzle was visually awesome, with a huge storm looking like the end of the world, but the puzzle itself wasn't quite as creative as the others. And we honestly weren't sure if the Jester was the bad guy or the good guy. But still, the very final scene where the walkies get cut out and we had to follow each others voices was really cool. And then they Titanic'd us. I was the one who died, letting Stephen go.
The best game in a great series - can't wait to see what the studio does next!
Each installment in this series had improved over its predecessors, and the 4th game of this series was the biggest jump in quality yet. The puzzles were more intricate, the storyline was more fleshed out, and the visuals were stronger.
I played this with Stephen, much like the previous three games, and he and I's favorite bit of the game was the underwater area with the Kraken. Never in another video game have I needed to make weird noises over a radio to try to convince Stephen what I was listening to.
The only real criticisms I have are the ending was just little anti-climactic and the story lost us a bit. The last puzzle was visually awesome, with a huge storm looking like the end of the world, but the puzzle itself wasn't quite as creative as the others. And we honestly weren't sure if the Jester was the bad guy or the good guy. But still, the very final scene where the walkies get cut out and we had to follow each others voices was really cool. And then they Titanic'd us. I was the one who died, letting Stephen go.
The best game in a great series - can't wait to see what the studio does next!
I respect the hell out of this game, but I couldn't play it for too long. It took way to long to do anything.
2015
Do you like reading salty sea tales like Moby Dick? This is the video game for you. I wouldn't recommend it to 99% of people though.
Loved this game as a kid
This DLC saved the game. Still, this kind of game usually gets stale. I had fun while it lasted.