grantwardo
Great party game! But not for me sadly, a little too oversimplified for my taste.
2017
Gameplay: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Atmophere: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Atmophere: 10/10
2017
It's a rightful 5 stars for most people, but I just found this too easy. Wish the main campaign gave me a challenge instead of only the rarest of rare moons. Absolutely love every ounce of creativity poured through this game's veins though!
2016
Very fun as you get going! Though once the steam starts to run out it runs out fast. Incredibly cute world to wander around though :)
2019
The perfect puzzle!
2018
Cute!
Feels great and is super addictive. It's like Doom, Risk of Rain, and Pistol Whip all mashed together into a little package. Good fun!
Criminally overlooked and underrated.
Criminally overlooked and underrated.
2022
My heart aches for not loving this as much as I did Boneworks. The devs here made THE best VR physics sandbox out there. They have created what I believe to objectively be the most immersive gaming experience on the market right now. But damn do I wish they found the same type of expertise they had in engineering this damn thing into designing a narrative campaign!
Bonelab is a sandbox first and foremost, and while it's a fantastic sandbox, I'd love to be tasked with things to do in it. The campaign they've got just feels like a tutorial for how to use the tools at your disposal, but not a true journey or adventure in using them.
Bonelab is a sandbox first and foremost, and while it's a fantastic sandbox, I'd love to be tasked with things to do in it. The campaign they've got just feels like a tutorial for how to use the tools at your disposal, but not a true journey or adventure in using them.
2019
This game single-handedly ruined all other VR games for me. IT'S SO GOOD
Physics based sandbox levels where you actually have a physical body makes this the most immersive VR game out right now. No question about it.
Story is eh, but it works well enough to give an excuse to the world you occupy (and increases immersion even more).
Guns feel great, and there's lots of replayability! Though once you beat the game you'll be encouraged to do a collect-athon for every item, weapon, and npc to play with in both sandbox and replayed levels. If you're burnt out or don't want to do all that, I'd highly recommend downloading a 100% save file! Saves you the hassle and allows you to have full sandbox freedom in the sweet levels they made :)
Stress Level Zero, y'all are setting the bar high for VR and I really hope you're getting funded enough to continue making these sorts of games. Everyone who owns a headset HAS to see and feel what this kind of experience is like.
Physics based sandbox levels where you actually have a physical body makes this the most immersive VR game out right now. No question about it.
Story is eh, but it works well enough to give an excuse to the world you occupy (and increases immersion even more).
Guns feel great, and there's lots of replayability! Though once you beat the game you'll be encouraged to do a collect-athon for every item, weapon, and npc to play with in both sandbox and replayed levels. If you're burnt out or don't want to do all that, I'd highly recommend downloading a 100% save file! Saves you the hassle and allows you to have full sandbox freedom in the sweet levels they made :)
Stress Level Zero, y'all are setting the bar high for VR and I really hope you're getting funded enough to continue making these sorts of games. Everyone who owns a headset HAS to see and feel what this kind of experience is like.
2020
Copied from Steam review:
This is EXACTLY the game I've been looking for for so long. I grew up loving Pokemon, but as an adult became annoyed at how easy, uninspiring, and straight up same-old their games had become. I wanted something challenging and engaging, and Temtem is exactly that.
They've addressed pretty much every single issue I've had with Pokemon and either removed it or improved it. Oh how 2v2's and the stamina system ALONE make this such a better experience. The fact that this is still only in early access and I've been able to put in this much time and have this much fun says a lot.
If you've been hungering for something new from Pokemon, this will satisfy your cravings immensely and immediately.
This is EXACTLY the game I've been looking for for so long. I grew up loving Pokemon, but as an adult became annoyed at how easy, uninspiring, and straight up same-old their games had become. I wanted something challenging and engaging, and Temtem is exactly that.
They've addressed pretty much every single issue I've had with Pokemon and either removed it or improved it. Oh how 2v2's and the stamina system ALONE make this such a better experience. The fact that this is still only in early access and I've been able to put in this much time and have this much fun says a lot.
If you've been hungering for something new from Pokemon, this will satisfy your cravings immensely and immediately.
2021
One of, if not the best co-op games I've ever played. An easy enough game to do with someone not too experienced with video games, but is filled with so much creativity, love, wonder, and fun that experienced gamers won't want to put this down till the credits roll.
Great story, amazing level design, and just so jam packed with stuff to do you won't ever stop being engaged.
Best played with a loved one or a close buddy :)
Great story, amazing level design, and just so jam packed with stuff to do you won't ever stop being engaged.
Best played with a loved one or a close buddy :)
2019
Copied from Steam review:
One of the most intense, punishing, and rewarding games I've ever played. You'll need a bit of a workhorse PC to run it, but looks absolutely beautiful when everything loads. Texture pop-in happens quite often and world geometry can fiddle with your movement (sometimes leading to a very annoying death lol). These minor issues don't ruin the experience though. The only thing that continually frustrates me is the fact that your cross-hair isn't centered but located on the lower half of the screen. If you're used to playing FPS's it'll take some retraining to get used to. Though besides that, man is this game an absolute gem.
There's a lot to learn, but once you've come to grips with it all you'll never want to stop. Especially if you've got 1-2 other friends to go hunting with :)
Trust me when I say: THE BEST SOUND DESIGN OF ANY GAME EVER MADE (or at least what I've played). You'll have to play with headphones as sound is THE most important aspect within the gameplay, but wow does it make this world feel alive.
One of the most intense, punishing, and rewarding games I've ever played. You'll need a bit of a workhorse PC to run it, but looks absolutely beautiful when everything loads. Texture pop-in happens quite often and world geometry can fiddle with your movement (sometimes leading to a very annoying death lol). These minor issues don't ruin the experience though. The only thing that continually frustrates me is the fact that your cross-hair isn't centered but located on the lower half of the screen. If you're used to playing FPS's it'll take some retraining to get used to. Though besides that, man is this game an absolute gem.
There's a lot to learn, but once you've come to grips with it all you'll never want to stop. Especially if you've got 1-2 other friends to go hunting with :)
Trust me when I say: THE BEST SOUND DESIGN OF ANY GAME EVER MADE (or at least what I've played). You'll have to play with headphones as sound is THE most important aspect within the gameplay, but wow does it make this world feel alive.
2019
Copied from Steam review:
just... one... more... run...
By far this is the most rewarding rouge-like I've ever played. There's a skill gap that takes time to learn, and as you come to master it, you'll be unlocking more and more items to use for future runs. You'll uncover the secrets of each level and unlock new characters along the way (each one drastically changing your play-style and presenting a new skill gap to clear). The gameplay loop follows a strict path of [progress --> reward --> progress --> reward] that every second you play means the you'll unlock, and subsequently, the more fun you'll have.
Risk of Rain 2 introduced me to the rouge-like genre, and time and time again keeps bringing me back. There's a reason it's sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam. This is a gem, and is already a timeless classic.
<3
just... one... more... run...
By far this is the most rewarding rouge-like I've ever played. There's a skill gap that takes time to learn, and as you come to master it, you'll be unlocking more and more items to use for future runs. You'll uncover the secrets of each level and unlock new characters along the way (each one drastically changing your play-style and presenting a new skill gap to clear). The gameplay loop follows a strict path of [progress --> reward --> progress --> reward] that every second you play means the you'll unlock, and subsequently, the more fun you'll have.
Risk of Rain 2 introduced me to the rouge-like genre, and time and time again keeps bringing me back. There's a reason it's sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam. This is a gem, and is already a timeless classic.
<3
2021
Copied from Steam review:
When I first learned about this game, I was immediately interested. "Outer Wilds" was my favorite game of 2019, and proved how effective, fun, and rewarding the "information-centered time loop" genre can be. I've been craving for another dip into those waters, and while "Deathloop" definitely did a great job working within it's core gameplay "loop", it was a tad too hand-holdy for my taste. Also, the abrupt and lackluster ending left an emptiness that soured the experience quite a bit upon completion. Yet even with that sour taste, "Deathloop" was still an incredibly enjoyable experience through and through.
In the roughly 15 hours it took me to finish the game, this was my experience:
First 2 hours: "This is intriguing, but confusing. Not completely sure if it's for me, though I'll stick with it."
3rd hour: "Jeez, I'm starting to get exhausted. However, I'd feel bad if I stopped now. Let me push just a little further."
4th-6th hour: "Okay, I'm starting to get this. Everything's still pretty disorganized in my head but I see what I gotta do."
7th hour: "Okay! Things are clicking and everything's becoming digestible. Now the fun truly begins."
8th-14th hour: "YES! I dig this. It's all coming together. I've mastered the combat and know each level's layouts; things are feeling good. I see the end in sight and I'm not gonna stop till I get there."
Final hour: "Man! What a rush!! I figured it all out, and here we are. The final piece! And....... mmm. That's it? Really??"
I do recommend this game as the sum of its parts are fantastic! The art direction, voice acting, characters, and hands-on gameplay mechanics are all superb. But as a time-loop puzzle at its core, the constant waypoint following disincentives any true problem-solving, and the ending doesn't serve the world or our actions justice. The journey, though incredibly easy, is fun, but none of it feels meaningful by the end. However, I wouldn't let that stop you from giving this game a shot. If you can work past the clutter that is the first few hours, you'll find a highly enjoyable and unique game that I'm sure you'll have a fun time with. Personally I just wish there was a little more depth to the story before the credits rolled. The build up is incredible, yet not having the proper payoff makes the mystery lose much of its weight.
TL; DR
Fun game and cool world to play in! Though the lack of true problem solving makes this feel more like a sub-linear fps than an "Outer Wilds" like experience. If you can go in without those expectations you'll find a highly enjoyable game worthy of all its critical praise; even with its disappointing ending.
I played this on an RTX 3080 and Ryzen 9 3950x. With a few performance support settings turned on, I still often encountered heavy frame drops upon initially loading in to levels which made the game unplayable (would go away after about a minute of waiting though). I also experienced 3 crashes for random and unknown reasons and a few immersion-breaking (but not game-breaking) bugs. However, the rest of the game ran near-flawlessly. I know many reviews are talking about performance issues though so make sure you keep an eye out to what works with your system.
When I first learned about this game, I was immediately interested. "Outer Wilds" was my favorite game of 2019, and proved how effective, fun, and rewarding the "information-centered time loop" genre can be. I've been craving for another dip into those waters, and while "Deathloop" definitely did a great job working within it's core gameplay "loop", it was a tad too hand-holdy for my taste. Also, the abrupt and lackluster ending left an emptiness that soured the experience quite a bit upon completion. Yet even with that sour taste, "Deathloop" was still an incredibly enjoyable experience through and through.
In the roughly 15 hours it took me to finish the game, this was my experience:
First 2 hours: "This is intriguing, but confusing. Not completely sure if it's for me, though I'll stick with it."
3rd hour: "Jeez, I'm starting to get exhausted. However, I'd feel bad if I stopped now. Let me push just a little further."
4th-6th hour: "Okay, I'm starting to get this. Everything's still pretty disorganized in my head but I see what I gotta do."
7th hour: "Okay! Things are clicking and everything's becoming digestible. Now the fun truly begins."
8th-14th hour: "YES! I dig this. It's all coming together. I've mastered the combat and know each level's layouts; things are feeling good. I see the end in sight and I'm not gonna stop till I get there."
Final hour: "Man! What a rush!! I figured it all out, and here we are. The final piece! And....... mmm. That's it? Really??"
I do recommend this game as the sum of its parts are fantastic! The art direction, voice acting, characters, and hands-on gameplay mechanics are all superb. But as a time-loop puzzle at its core, the constant waypoint following disincentives any true problem-solving, and the ending doesn't serve the world or our actions justice. The journey, though incredibly easy, is fun, but none of it feels meaningful by the end. However, I wouldn't let that stop you from giving this game a shot. If you can work past the clutter that is the first few hours, you'll find a highly enjoyable and unique game that I'm sure you'll have a fun time with. Personally I just wish there was a little more depth to the story before the credits rolled. The build up is incredible, yet not having the proper payoff makes the mystery lose much of its weight.
TL; DR
Fun game and cool world to play in! Though the lack of true problem solving makes this feel more like a sub-linear fps than an "Outer Wilds" like experience. If you can go in without those expectations you'll find a highly enjoyable game worthy of all its critical praise; even with its disappointing ending.
I played this on an RTX 3080 and Ryzen 9 3950x. With a few performance support settings turned on, I still often encountered heavy frame drops upon initially loading in to levels which made the game unplayable (would go away after about a minute of waiting though). I also experienced 3 crashes for random and unknown reasons and a few immersion-breaking (but not game-breaking) bugs. However, the rest of the game ran near-flawlessly. I know many reviews are talking about performance issues though so make sure you keep an eye out to what works with your system.
Great with friends, idk if I have the mental health to play solo though