earthtoned
2022
This review contains spoilers
This is objectively probably deserving of a higher rating than I'm giving it, but you've likely read reviews other than mine and/or played it yourself and loved it so this is lower based purely on my individual enjoyment. Tunic is a well-crafted and thought-out experience boasting great music (the music that plays whenever you're shopping is a personal favorite of mine!), beautiful art style, fantastic level design, and of course the best part was the instruction manual the game revolves around.
I played about two hours and initially felt incredibly overwhelmed. While this is more akin to a classic Zelda game, parts of it felt like a metroidvania to me which really is not my style of game. Eventually, I took to turning off and on some of the accessibility features as needed. This made the game much more enjoyable and digestible for me so kudos to the devs for including it. I'm not one to stray away from a challenge, but given that I probably would have quit without them due to my personal taste when it comes to certain mechanics it was a welcome addition and if you're in a similar position don't be afraid to use them!
The premise of Tunic appealed to me for many reasons and I've enjoyed games similar to it. This played like a love letter to many classic games and I can not stress how genius some of the level design is. If you love having A-ha! moments this is something you'll probably enjoy a lot. If I was able to beat the game (yes, both endings however I had to submit to a guide to get a few of the last pages) and enjoy my time with it despite not really vibing with bits of the genres it touches as a whole, I've gotta give it props.
I played about two hours and initially felt incredibly overwhelmed. While this is more akin to a classic Zelda game, parts of it felt like a metroidvania to me which really is not my style of game. Eventually, I took to turning off and on some of the accessibility features as needed. This made the game much more enjoyable and digestible for me so kudos to the devs for including it. I'm not one to stray away from a challenge, but given that I probably would have quit without them due to my personal taste when it comes to certain mechanics it was a welcome addition and if you're in a similar position don't be afraid to use them!
The premise of Tunic appealed to me for many reasons and I've enjoyed games similar to it. This played like a love letter to many classic games and I can not stress how genius some of the level design is. If you love having A-ha! moments this is something you'll probably enjoy a lot. If I was able to beat the game (yes, both endings however I had to submit to a guide to get a few of the last pages) and enjoy my time with it despite not really vibing with bits of the genres it touches as a whole, I've gotta give it props.
2005
She did nothing wrong 😊
Before I could play F.E.A.R. on a modern PC in 2024, I had to put in considerable effort to optimize the game. However, once I had everything set up, I didn't encounter any issues during gameplay. There are numerous helpful guides available that outline how to optimize the game for modern hardware, and I strongly recommend using them if you're playing on recently released equipment.
Unlike the compatibility issues, the game itself did not feel outdated. One aspect of F.E.A.R. that has stood the test of time is the enemy AI. It's often praised as one of the game's best features, and I'd have to agree. The combat never felt unfair or nonsensical. Each encounter was genuinely enjoyable, rather than feeling like a grueling battle against bullet sponges or overpowered enemies that could shoot through walls like other FPS games released around the same time ... and even now.
Before I could play F.E.A.R. on a modern PC in 2024, I had to put in considerable effort to optimize the game. However, once I had everything set up, I didn't encounter any issues during gameplay. There are numerous helpful guides available that outline how to optimize the game for modern hardware, and I strongly recommend using them if you're playing on recently released equipment.
Unlike the compatibility issues, the game itself did not feel outdated. One aspect of F.E.A.R. that has stood the test of time is the enemy AI. It's often praised as one of the game's best features, and I'd have to agree. The combat never felt unfair or nonsensical. Each encounter was genuinely enjoyable, rather than feeling like a grueling battle against bullet sponges or overpowered enemies that could shoot through walls like other FPS games released around the same time ... and even now.
2013
I remember having this in my Steam wishlist/library for years but never got around to playing it until now which is a shame because the offline version doesn't have the same impact. I am a sucker for a concept like this though!
I LOVE this style of game so much. It scratches a similar itch to games like Return of the Obra Dinn so if you're a fan of that or even just good old logic puzzles this will probably be up your alley too.
I grew up very into video games and very into skateboarding so naturally the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series was a huge part of my childhood. I was so stoked to finally get around to playing this and I think its a great example of how a faithful remake should be done. I love the addition of some of my favorite skaters paired with the classics from the original game. The soundtrack continues to slap as always!!
It's more F.E.A.R. and in that sense, it's a good expansion. It had some really neat level designs that kept it feeling fresh from the original with the subway being a particular stand out for me.
Unfortunately, I experienced more bugs here than in the base game. There were a few times throughout several intervals I had a graphical error or the game would crash upon loading. Thankfully there was an easy fix with setting the graphics to low and changing them back after finishing a particular section of an interval, but it sucks that this happens in the first place. Additionally, there was a spot in the L level where a bug related to jumping onto a platform from water made it near impossible to progress and I had to use various tricks found on an old forum post to progress. It genuinely took me about 15 minutes of trying different methods to do something that should have taken 3 seconds.
Issues playing on modern hardware aside, it's still a good DLC and worth playing if you enjoyed the base game.
Unfortunately, I experienced more bugs here than in the base game. There were a few times throughout several intervals I had a graphical error or the game would crash upon loading. Thankfully there was an easy fix with setting the graphics to low and changing them back after finishing a particular section of an interval, but it sucks that this happens in the first place. Additionally, there was a spot in the L level where a bug related to jumping onto a platform from water made it near impossible to progress and I had to use various tricks found on an old forum post to progress. It genuinely took me about 15 minutes of trying different methods to do something that should have taken 3 seconds.
Issues playing on modern hardware aside, it's still a good DLC and worth playing if you enjoyed the base game.
2007
I am very weak and the world’s worst photographer.
I found this on tendog's list The less you know the better and it emits classic flash escape room goodness.
I found this on tendog's list The less you know the better and it emits classic flash escape room goodness.
This review contains spoilers
The developers really said we MUST implement boob physics when the serial killer is about to murder a robot child!
Prior to playing, I saw a lot of people talk about how they felt this entry ruined the entire series so I was a bit worried it would sour the experience of something I’ve enjoyed so much, especially with 999 being one of my favorite games of all time. Fortunately, I was pleased with how things were wrapped up and felt it was a fitting end for the characters. Keeping with the theme of the game - if you disagree maybe there is a happier history where you got a different ending.
When I first started, I was kind of turned off by not having a centralized protagonist and always branching off into different teams. It made things feel more like I was playing a video game than immersed in a narrative at times. However, the more I played the more I warmed up to this format and came to enjoy it. Little did I know I was technically getting what I wanted the whole time.
This isn't my favorite entry in the series, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I still had a good time with the escape rooms, though it felt like they reused more puzzles than in previous games. I've also really come to love the soundtrack of the entire game series and I think it's underrated and deserves more hype. The story drew me in enough to play through fairly quickly and even reminded me a lot of the themes in SOMA at points.
Prior to playing, I saw a lot of people talk about how they felt this entry ruined the entire series so I was a bit worried it would sour the experience of something I’ve enjoyed so much, especially with 999 being one of my favorite games of all time. Fortunately, I was pleased with how things were wrapped up and felt it was a fitting end for the characters. Keeping with the theme of the game - if you disagree maybe there is a happier history where you got a different ending.
When I first started, I was kind of turned off by not having a centralized protagonist and always branching off into different teams. It made things feel more like I was playing a video game than immersed in a narrative at times. However, the more I played the more I warmed up to this format and came to enjoy it. Little did I know I was technically getting what I wanted the whole time.
This isn't my favorite entry in the series, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I still had a good time with the escape rooms, though it felt like they reused more puzzles than in previous games. I've also really come to love the soundtrack of the entire game series and I think it's underrated and deserves more hype. The story drew me in enough to play through fairly quickly and even reminded me a lot of the themes in SOMA at points.
I vaguely remember playing this one a bit as a kid but never being good enough to reach the later levels. I liked the engine behind the skating in this one more than the first two and as someone who loves character creation this was a big step up there as well. A great entry in the series and I had a blast playing through it.
Honestly just a sucker for found footage games so of course the concept appealed to me.
Brilliantly taps into nostalgia with puzzles inspired by beloved childhood toys and themes. Its charming retro aesthetics and intriguing story initially drew me in, however, the actual gameplay doesn't quite live up to this promise.
The puzzles, while nostalgic, often feel more obligatory than engaging. A significant frustration is the need to rewatch tapes and replay entire segments if you miss a clue or make a wrong choice. This repetitive loop turns what could have been a fun exploration of alternate endings into a tedious chore.
The game's concept and nostalgic vibe are its standout features. But the cumbersome replay mechanics and less-than-satisfying puzzles made it more frustrating than enjoyable at times for me as I’d waste my time replaying bits I shouldn’t have to due to a misclick.
The puzzles, while nostalgic, often feel more obligatory than engaging. A significant frustration is the need to rewatch tapes and replay entire segments if you miss a clue or make a wrong choice. This repetitive loop turns what could have been a fun exploration of alternate endings into a tedious chore.
The game's concept and nostalgic vibe are its standout features. But the cumbersome replay mechanics and less-than-satisfying puzzles made it more frustrating than enjoyable at times for me as I’d waste my time replaying bits I shouldn’t have to due to a misclick.
2010
A pretty solid DSiWare game that I think deserves more attention than it gets. I'd play a similar style game if it came out now. Reminded me of that flash game "Sling" that I used to play a lot when I was younger.