Next Fest 2024
I felt like this time around I wanted to take a deeper look into what thia Next Fest had to offer, mostly since I've been feeling a lot of burn out and I wanted to find something new and interesting. I found a few that I've been fallowing in the past and some I've never heard of before, some good some eh but all still extremely inventive and interesting which is what I love about the Indie scene.
10 Games
I've been fallowing the development of this off and on since 2019 and now that I finally have the chance to play it's such a fun time.
The amazing artstyle and the quirky writing are a stand out and really drive home the fact that the devs and animators know what their doing and love their craft and I love it too.
The combat is a bit janky and some of the UI could use a little bit of tweeking but other then that I can't wait to play the rest I mean it I loved what I played.
STRM's Recommendation Scale: (Golden Age Cartoon Network Billy and Mandy ass kino/10)
The amazing artstyle and the quirky writing are a stand out and really drive home the fact that the devs and animators know what their doing and love their craft and I love it too.
The combat is a bit janky and some of the UI could use a little bit of tweeking but other then that I can't wait to play the rest I mean it I loved what I played.
STRM's Recommendation Scale: (Golden Age Cartoon Network Billy and Mandy ass kino/10)
It finally feels so good to see more footage and play this game after year of what felt like radio silence from the devs.
I didn't get too far into this one because a part of me wants to save some surprise open for the full release but from the very little I played it ticked off all the boxes I was hoping this game would give me along with having such and I really wanna hammer this home such a fantastic looking presentation. It's like if more early career Wes Anderson made a video game and was also aggressively British. I love the isolated tone, I love the characters, I love the setting so much. I just can't wait for this to release I mean it I'm going crazy just thinking about it.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(I'm going goblin mode/10)
I didn't get too far into this one because a part of me wants to save some surprise open for the full release but from the very little I played it ticked off all the boxes I was hoping this game would give me along with having such and I really wanna hammer this home such a fantastic looking presentation. It's like if more early career Wes Anderson made a video game and was also aggressively British. I love the isolated tone, I love the characters, I love the setting so much. I just can't wait for this to release I mean it I'm going crazy just thinking about it.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(I'm going goblin mode/10)
Oh yeah, this is the shit that really gets me going.
Much like other games I've seen try to reach for that 5th gen era art style this one goes for a crossbreed between the chunky low detailed character designs of FF7 and the levels and art akin to RE2 or Silent Hill. It nails all of these influences and craft a truly memorable tribute games of that era. My only problem is I wish the demo was longer so I can get a better feel of how the whole game will play like, which I guess in that case that's just me wanting the game ever more.
This is a day one purchase from me I can't wait.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Insert Counting Crows joke here/10)
Much like other games I've seen try to reach for that 5th gen era art style this one goes for a crossbreed between the chunky low detailed character designs of FF7 and the levels and art akin to RE2 or Silent Hill. It nails all of these influences and craft a truly memorable tribute games of that era. My only problem is I wish the demo was longer so I can get a better feel of how the whole game will play like, which I guess in that case that's just me wanting the game ever more.
This is a day one purchase from me I can't wait.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Insert Counting Crows joke here/10)
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It's a pretty fun if not a little simple detective puzzle game that's held togather by it's cute Papar Mario like characters and it's fun and over the top voice acting. I don't know how long that charm will last and if the mystery the game has will keep me going in the full release but as it stans right now I'll be keeping my eye on this in the future.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(πΏπͺππ π©πππ©ππ«π/10)
It's a pretty fun if not a little simple detective puzzle game that's held togather by it's cute Papar Mario like characters and it's fun and over the top voice acting. I don't know how long that charm will last and if the mystery the game has will keep me going in the full release but as it stans right now I'll be keeping my eye on this in the future.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(πΏπͺππ π©πππ©ππ«π/10)
you have no idea how much anxiety this game gives me.
I'm not even 100% sure on what I played. I think I played a fast paced FPS in the style of Hotline Miami but with a solid recreation of the hand drawn style of 90's anime, but also the gameplay is so fast paced and shooting so many colors at you all at ones it's like a full frontal assault on the senses and my brain just kinda goes dark and enters autopilot mode while blood leaks out of my eyes and ears.
I'd love to keep playing and I'll keep an eye out for it's full release but 20 minutes was all I could take of this at the moment.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(π½ππΌππ πΏππΌππ/10)
I'm not even 100% sure on what I played. I think I played a fast paced FPS in the style of Hotline Miami but with a solid recreation of the hand drawn style of 90's anime, but also the gameplay is so fast paced and shooting so many colors at you all at ones it's like a full frontal assault on the senses and my brain just kinda goes dark and enters autopilot mode while blood leaks out of my eyes and ears.
I'd love to keep playing and I'll keep an eye out for it's full release but 20 minutes was all I could take of this at the moment.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(π½ππΌππ πΏππΌππ/10)
Cryptmaster is a game with a drop dead gorgeous artstyle with pretty fun writing that's given wings thanks to really solid voice acting, the rest of the game however is....well...I don't hate it but I don't love it so far either. I think the idea of having all your attacks and items be used by typing is a fun idea and I'd love to see the game do more with this concept, but I feel as thought I want to see more of what the game has to offer in it's final release before I pass final judgment.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Typing of the Dead X Asshold DM/10)
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Typing of the Dead X Asshold DM/10)
This is the most Tim Burton ass Emily the Strange/Johnny the Homicidal Maniac looking Ruby Gloom sounding Hot Topic circa 2009 dressing MCR playing goth trash.........and I like it.
The game goes for a very basic point and click adventure game style and when I mean basic I mean on the same level as Pajama Sam or very early Moneky Island but without the classic LucasArts lack of logic puzzles. It's not bad but compaired to other PaC games released in the past five years it's really nothing special with the game really being held up by it's style and it's fun writing and VA. If you like......whatever the fuck kind of word soup I said then I think you'll get something out of this but if not then it's best to probably stay far from this.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Goth Trash/10)
The game goes for a very basic point and click adventure game style and when I mean basic I mean on the same level as Pajama Sam or very early Moneky Island but without the classic LucasArts lack of logic puzzles. It's not bad but compaired to other PaC games released in the past five years it's really nothing special with the game really being held up by it's style and it's fun writing and VA. If you like......whatever the fuck kind of word soup I said then I think you'll get something out of this but if not then it's best to probably stay far from this.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Goth Trash/10)
Devolver Digital out here trying to find the wridest shit to put their name on.
I like the gameplay of chaining togather sniper combos in one long shot and the artstyle is pretty stylish and eye eye-catching but a part of me wonders how long this gameplay loop will remain rewarding and engaging before becoming monotonous. This could just be a me thing since this is mostly a puzzle game at the end of the day but overall I like it but I don't know if I love it yet.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Fun but I need to see more before I'm convinced/10)
I like the gameplay of chaining togather sniper combos in one long shot and the artstyle is pretty stylish and eye eye-catching but a part of me wonders how long this gameplay loop will remain rewarding and engaging before becoming monotonous. This could just be a me thing since this is mostly a puzzle game at the end of the day but overall I like it but I don't know if I love it yet.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(Fun but I need to see more before I'm convinced/10)
I thought this was gonna be some kind of "lost game" type horror thing but from the little I played no it just seems like a canned PS2 game released by some devs. I'm sure that's not really the case and it is some kind of "lost game" that's gonna turn into a horror ARG or some shit but as for the game itself....it alright.
The gameplay is really janky almost to it's a detriment where a lot of the time it feels like I'm fighting the controls rather then playing them. The camrea could use a little bit of work and overall the art style is bland and forgettable. I'm sure it didn't help that the only level is a brown and black gloomy swamp with almost zero variety.
I feel like I had a really bad first impression going in and playing through so maybe in it's full release I'll get a better idea of what kind of game this is but as of rn it's not something I'm looking forward too.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(It alright I guess/10)
The gameplay is really janky almost to it's a detriment where a lot of the time it feels like I'm fighting the controls rather then playing them. The camrea could use a little bit of work and overall the art style is bland and forgettable. I'm sure it didn't help that the only level is a brown and black gloomy swamp with almost zero variety.
I feel like I had a really bad first impression going in and playing through so maybe in it's full release I'll get a better idea of what kind of game this is but as of rn it's not something I'm looking forward too.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(It alright I guess/10)
I don't like the Backrooms..............:P
Why the hell did I play this game if I don't like the backrooms and honestly liminal spaces in general? Well the idea of a whole game being set in the backrooms but it's done through that analog horror body cam view sounded like a interesting twist that I'd thought would be fun..........it really wasn't.
I was mostly bored wondering through halls and not knowing where to go even with some obvious context clues and arrows drawn on the wall I still felt lost and had no idea what I had to do or whether or not I was looking for an exit or really anything. I don't even think I saw a monster or anything in the demo it was just nothing but white halls and water for 90% of my time playing until I gave up like 30 minuntes.
This game was probably just not for me so if you like the backrooms I guess try it out but idk I feel like even if you did like this stuff you'd be pretty bored by it.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(I hate the backrooms/10)
Why the hell did I play this game if I don't like the backrooms and honestly liminal spaces in general? Well the idea of a whole game being set in the backrooms but it's done through that analog horror body cam view sounded like a interesting twist that I'd thought would be fun..........it really wasn't.
I was mostly bored wondering through halls and not knowing where to go even with some obvious context clues and arrows drawn on the wall I still felt lost and had no idea what I had to do or whether or not I was looking for an exit or really anything. I don't even think I saw a monster or anything in the demo it was just nothing but white halls and water for 90% of my time playing until I gave up like 30 minuntes.
This game was probably just not for me so if you like the backrooms I guess try it out but idk I feel like even if you did like this stuff you'd be pretty bored by it.
STRM's Recommendation Scale:
(I hate the backrooms/10)