diaugupul
Really nice addition to the game. The episode format really works here, and reduces the frustrating sections of the main game while also exploring new mechanics and gameplay. The third one was definitely the better one, with the right balance of exploring, engaging puzzles and lore. The ending alone makes worth it playing.
2017
Started very frustrating and sometimes even boring, but there are some stretches of clever level design with a heavy dose of tension. I enjoyed it for what it is but it's not near games like Inside or Far in terms of polish, presentation and narrative. Like Tove Lo once said, it's not the prettiest you've ever seen, but it has its moments. Good on Deck.
Beautiful soundtrack and Witcher 1 skies. What more could you ask? (A more interesting story.)
2020
Surprisingly interesting world, with sharp writing and lovable characters. Pair this with a really cozy atmosphere and great pixel art, and you get a sincere love letter to coffee shops with some surprises.
Really enjoyed my time with it. The main story is kind of predictable but it really picks up near the end with longer missions, new and more inventive areas, and overall higher production values. The UI and tutorialization are top notch and elevate the pretty faithful D&D 5e-based combat system to a very satisfying, well-translated video game experience. Most of the game are combat encounters, with very little design variations, so I think they made the right choice of focusing their development efforts there. Everything else (graphics, side quests, voice acting/directing...) is very serviceable but not really the highlight.
You can feel the huge jump in polish, quality of life features and moment-to-moment gameplay feel from AC2/AC3 to this. Even though it uses basically the same engine and it has a lot of the same gameplay features, it feels way better and the open world is even ahead of its time (later AC games basically took this formula and run with it). The story is also way better than anything previous in the franchise. My two complaints would be the ship combat, which still felt like cumbersome sometimes, and the way the ending just goes and goes and goes and also features some of the most frustrating combat encounters in the whole game.
2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this. The dice mechanic can seem a little bit limiting at first but it creates rhythm and some interesting choices (even though, you can mostly do everything you want in the game just by resting and doing a bit of resource managing). The world is the characters and damn good characters they are. Great writing, extremely cool artwork and atmosphere thanks to its brilliant soundtrack, and a bunch of different endings.