TheLordReylus
2016
This review contains spoilers
I Am Setsuna is a homage to the classic JRPGs of the past, like the original Final Fantasy games. The story is bleak, but hopeful as you play as a mercenary who is tasked with killing a young woman who is on a pilgrimage to stop a growing threat of monsters by becoming a human sacrifice. The story introduces multiple characters from across the snow covered world and each has interesting back stories and personalities.
The gameplay focuses on a Momentum system and ATB gauge. You attack when your ATB is filled and if you wait until your Momentum is also filled, you will get bonuses to your attacks such as additional damage or status effects.
The combat is entertaining enough but the enemy types are repeated using various colors or slight design changes as you become stronger in new areas.
I finished both versions of the final boss and completed the side missions to get all the characters' ultimate abilities, but ended up passing on getting 100% database entries such as enemy drops and items.
It's a solid RPG with a bit of some grindy gameplay, but the story is where is shines the most IMO.
The gameplay focuses on a Momentum system and ATB gauge. You attack when your ATB is filled and if you wait until your Momentum is also filled, you will get bonuses to your attacks such as additional damage or status effects.
The combat is entertaining enough but the enemy types are repeated using various colors or slight design changes as you become stronger in new areas.
I finished both versions of the final boss and completed the side missions to get all the characters' ultimate abilities, but ended up passing on getting 100% database entries such as enemy drops and items.
It's a solid RPG with a bit of some grindy gameplay, but the story is where is shines the most IMO.
2022
What an awesome game! I am not the biggest fan of roguelites, but Loot River converted me. The sliding puzzle level design and fast combat with awesome gothic plague pixel art style and some cool ambient music made this a great title.
The achievements are simple and pretty much walk you through the entire game with only a few secrets for the true ending. I died A LOT in the game and over 17 hours of gameplay finally finished my first escape.
The achievements are simple and pretty much walk you through the entire game with only a few secrets for the true ending. I died A LOT in the game and over 17 hours of gameplay finally finished my first escape.
2023
"Alice in Wonderland" meets "The Legend of Zelda" in Ravenlok. A short but fantastical adventure hack & slash that blends 3D and pixel graphics together with breathtaking landscapes, enemies, and effects.
The story follows a girl named "Ravenlok" as she enters a fantasy world and helps the townsfolk take down the even queen. The influence from Alice in Wonderland is very obvious but it is a delight.
Achievements/Trophies are simple to get and I only wish the game was longer.
The story follows a girl named "Ravenlok" as she enters a fantasy world and helps the townsfolk take down the even queen. The influence from Alice in Wonderland is very obvious but it is a delight.
Achievements/Trophies are simple to get and I only wish the game was longer.
2019
A silly and colorful platformer. The story is about a character named Piku who is trying to stop a corporate magnate from taking over the world and enslaving it's people to be his personal servants.
Lots of silly writing and at times some challenging platforming. There are collectables and a good array of achievements/trophies to unlock as well.
Co-Op is also a lot of fun and should be enjoyed with a friend or family member.
Lots of silly writing and at times some challenging platforming. There are collectables and a good array of achievements/trophies to unlock as well.
Co-Op is also a lot of fun and should be enjoyed with a friend or family member.
2024
A fantastical story of a handyman on a crashed spaceship trying to escape an alien planet with his fellow shipmates. Stranded in an ocean based planet, Harold must assist with the relaunch plan while also befriending those around him and moving around government bureaucracy. The story is one of exploration and learning of the unknown.
The entire game is made of stop motion puppets and craft materials and is a beauty to witness. Every scene is detailed and awesome.
The story is extremely well written and has humor, sadness, and action throughout making this a great title that I hope gets awards.
I finished in 17 hours and missed only 2 achievements due to glitches, but will return later when they have been patched.
The entire game is made of stop motion puppets and craft materials and is a beauty to witness. Every scene is detailed and awesome.
The story is extremely well written and has humor, sadness, and action throughout making this a great title that I hope gets awards.
I finished in 17 hours and missed only 2 achievements due to glitches, but will return later when they have been patched.
2024
AFK has good potential to be a long running online title. I played through the first two chapters, doing daily tasks and collecting all the heroes but noticed more and more than I was not playing it anywhere as much as my other mobile titles. Much like the original AFK Arena I enjoyed it for a bit and then abandoned it.
If you want a good online RPG of sorts, this is a good title for that but if you don't play actively, your are not getting the full experience.
If you want a good online RPG of sorts, this is a good title for that but if you don't play actively, your are not getting the full experience.
By far the best finale to a TellTale series. I loved every minute of this game and seeing Clementine's story reach it's conclusion. I laughed, felt excited and even sad at times. Such a wonderful game and series.
2019
Sea of Solitude tells a story about a girl going through hardships in all aspects of her life. A broken home, a troubled brother, and a distant romantic relationship on top of her own depression and loneliness.
The gameplay focuses on exploration and platforming to avoid massive monsters. Using a boat to traverse a sunken city, the main character is not just avoiding the demons around her, but moving towards them in order to help.
There were some issues with collectables when I was trying to finish the achievements. Having missed one seagull and one message in a bottle, I had to go through multiple levels to locate what I missed with no indication of which chapter the missing items were located.
Some of the other achievements are a bit tedious such as swimming a long distance when you use the boat mainly, or dying to enemies when you normally play without dying.
Overall I thought the story was the best part of the game, the graphics were smooth and lovely. I wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, but I don't think it is needed.
The gameplay focuses on exploration and platforming to avoid massive monsters. Using a boat to traverse a sunken city, the main character is not just avoiding the demons around her, but moving towards them in order to help.
There were some issues with collectables when I was trying to finish the achievements. Having missed one seagull and one message in a bottle, I had to go through multiple levels to locate what I missed with no indication of which chapter the missing items were located.
Some of the other achievements are a bit tedious such as swimming a long distance when you use the boat mainly, or dying to enemies when you normally play without dying.
Overall I thought the story was the best part of the game, the graphics were smooth and lovely. I wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, but I don't think it is needed.
Spirit of the North was a very touching adventure game where you play as a fox on a journey to the end of a red light across the wilderness. Shortly after starting, you find a spirit fox that helps guide you through the miasma that has killed the people that once lived in the land. Gaining spirit abilities through runes and energy flora, you learn to dash, project, and expel the energy collected to destroy the parasite that is killing the land and work your way to the top of the mountain and the source of the red light.
The music in this game is so relaxing and made for a comfortable play session. I played once to get the story and then used the Chapter Select to gather the collectables and misc achievements.
A solid title on GamePass.
The music in this game is so relaxing and made for a comfortable play session. I played once to get the story and then used the Chapter Select to gather the collectables and misc achievements.
A solid title on GamePass.
2024
Botany Manor is a fantastic and relaxing puzzle game where you play as a 19th Century botanist who is trying to get her botanical research book published. You explore her family manor and figure out how to successfully grow the various plants by collecting clues in each area.
The achievements are easy and the game can be finished in a short play session. No guides are needed as the game explains the steps needed for each flower to bloom very well.
Worth checking out if you enjoy puzzles games or period pieces.
The achievements are easy and the game can be finished in a short play session. No guides are needed as the game explains the steps needed for each flower to bloom very well.
Worth checking out if you enjoy puzzles games or period pieces.
This review contains spoilers
Coffee Talk Episode 2 was a great sequel to the original. Getting to catch up with friends from the first game and meet new ones made the city feel alive once more. The storylines between patrons of your coffee shop were diverse and well written (with various outcomes as well).
The drink making mechanics were the same as the first game but with two new tea ingredients to mix it up a bit and even influence the story at times. With this and the addition of holding and giving items to patrons, the lore developed more depth that I enjoyed very much.
The achievements are simple to get and the secret ending made me tear up a bit as it is a goodbye to the creator of the series. I would love to see the world continue in more episodes, but if this is it for Coffee Talk, I am okay with that.
Rest easy, Mr. Fahmi, and thank you for this game.
The drink making mechanics were the same as the first game but with two new tea ingredients to mix it up a bit and even influence the story at times. With this and the addition of holding and giving items to patrons, the lore developed more depth that I enjoyed very much.
The achievements are simple to get and the secret ending made me tear up a bit as it is a goodbye to the creator of the series. I would love to see the world continue in more episodes, but if this is it for Coffee Talk, I am okay with that.
Rest easy, Mr. Fahmi, and thank you for this game.
2022
This review contains spoilers
Lil Gator Game is a wonderful and imaginative experience. You play as a gator and his Big Sis as they make adventures on an island as they wait for the videogame that inspired their adventures to release.
Across the island are cardboard monsters to destroy and friends to help with quests to fulfill your Hero's Journey. The story is touching as the now older gator doesn't get to play with it's sister anymore as they are focused on school and tries to get her to join the adventure once more.
There are lots of references to games (mostly Zelda) and great humor to the story. The art style is super cute and feels like the adventure that we all wanted as kids.
Across the island are cardboard monsters to destroy and friends to help with quests to fulfill your Hero's Journey. The story is touching as the now older gator doesn't get to play with it's sister anymore as they are focused on school and tries to get her to join the adventure once more.
There are lots of references to games (mostly Zelda) and great humor to the story. The art style is super cute and feels like the adventure that we all wanted as kids.
2024
A visual novel that follows a teenage girl and her mother on an adventure to discover their family's secrets after the passing of the grandmother. The story is told via the items and letters that you, Tess, pick up and discuss with your mother, Opal. It's a funny story of growth and understanding between a daughter and her mother.
The game looks really nice and the VA work from Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever was well done and made connecting to the family easy. The 2002 set piece reminded me a lot of my childhood homes as I recognized items that I would see in my own home or my family's growing up.
There are issues where the controls (Series X) would get jammed when looking around, or even jerk my view in a direction I wasn't moving to but overall the walking and interaction selections worked fine.
There is some replayability with the dialogue options you can choose from, but the full story can be told in one sitting. I gained all achievements as well.
It's worth playing once for the story. Annapurna makes some of my favorite titles.
The game looks really nice and the VA work from Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever was well done and made connecting to the family easy. The 2002 set piece reminded me a lot of my childhood homes as I recognized items that I would see in my own home or my family's growing up.
There are issues where the controls (Series X) would get jammed when looking around, or even jerk my view in a direction I wasn't moving to but overall the walking and interaction selections worked fine.
There is some replayability with the dialogue options you can choose from, but the full story can be told in one sitting. I gained all achievements as well.
It's worth playing once for the story. Annapurna makes some of my favorite titles.
2023
*Played with review copy provided by publisher on Xbox Series X prior to release.
7Days Heroes is a fun action platformer where you control three teens and their pug who were raised by an AI named MAI in a lab and developed abilities (Psychic Powers, Weapons Proficiency, Explosives Proficiency, Jumping) while under the watch of the government. When the government decides to try and weaponize these powers using nanomachines, they uncover that the machines are turning humans into zombies. After MAI goes rogue, the teens travel across the land to save their "mother figure" and stop her from destroying the world.
The game has lots of influence on level design from the general Mega-Man style platform/shooter, to Sonic influenced level designs, and even a levels that feel like Battletoads/TMNT where you are on a car dodging attacks. The story is genuinely funny and I enjoyed it.
However, the game does have some bugs. The menu system is broken to where opening the Hero's inventory to upgrade your guns will kick you back to the title screen (thankfully with no loss of data) and require you to reload the save to continue. Other times I had issues with the three characters following my main being unable to jump on their own to reach me, or even the HUD blocking part of the screen.
The levels can be difficult when fighting bosses for the first time, but they are easy to adapt to once you figure out the routine or a cheese such as staying out of range of the attacks.
The game releases on March 28, 2024 on consoles and it worth checking out if you want to support a small indie company from Spain.
7Days Heroes is a fun action platformer where you control three teens and their pug who were raised by an AI named MAI in a lab and developed abilities (Psychic Powers, Weapons Proficiency, Explosives Proficiency, Jumping) while under the watch of the government. When the government decides to try and weaponize these powers using nanomachines, they uncover that the machines are turning humans into zombies. After MAI goes rogue, the teens travel across the land to save their "mother figure" and stop her from destroying the world.
The game has lots of influence on level design from the general Mega-Man style platform/shooter, to Sonic influenced level designs, and even a levels that feel like Battletoads/TMNT where you are on a car dodging attacks. The story is genuinely funny and I enjoyed it.
However, the game does have some bugs. The menu system is broken to where opening the Hero's inventory to upgrade your guns will kick you back to the title screen (thankfully with no loss of data) and require you to reload the save to continue. Other times I had issues with the three characters following my main being unable to jump on their own to reach me, or even the HUD blocking part of the screen.
The levels can be difficult when fighting bosses for the first time, but they are easy to adapt to once you figure out the routine or a cheese such as staying out of range of the attacks.
The game releases on March 28, 2024 on consoles and it worth checking out if you want to support a small indie company from Spain.
2019
Unsure if I can give this a 0 star rating but this game is horrible and the worst Nonogram/picross title I have ever played.
Buggy, poor execution and just lazy designs that are repeated on different parts of the game. I couldn't finish 3 puzzles as the game gave me two colors but multiple selections for each color (as in 3 options for the same white) and I had to guess which to use.
Avoid this game.
Buggy, poor execution and just lazy designs that are repeated on different parts of the game. I couldn't finish 3 puzzles as the game gave me two colors but multiple selections for each color (as in 3 options for the same white) and I had to guess which to use.
Avoid this game.