kaprikornus
257 Reviews liked by kaprikornus
DataJack
2013
its fun, reminds me a lot of syndicate but more single character focused which i really like. its a bit janky and poorly balanced (trust me once you get the machine pistol or s&w autopistol you really dont need any other gun, i beat hard without ever buying a primary weapon) but for my weird standards thats not a negative.
Marathon
1994
A revolutionary game in story telling. Does so much with so little. Level design has been artfully extracted from the darkest recesses of a rats brain and extrapolated into an fps and as a result is labyrinthian enough to make a minotaur grow annoyed. But the story is so fascinatingly layered, and really sets the stage for the rest of this trilogy.
he exhibits behaviors highly typical of myself
WaveShaper
2017
No more than a time killer, but a good one at that. I've always loved quick-reaction games, personally, and this does a simple, yet still very good job. There are of course some things that can be drastically improved in my opinion, such as the graphics (edit 2022-12-15: do not stand by this, the simplicity is fine) and the music, but all I feel matters in this case is that it's fun.
Larn
1986
Played the NLarn remake.
Pretty underrated game, unique main concept (your daughter's ill and you need magical potion to cure her, but the potion's extremely expensive and you need to make money with dungeon crawling) a shame it's not as big of a name as other roguelikes of the time. Bit easy by comparison though.
Pretty underrated game, unique main concept (your daughter's ill and you need magical potion to cure her, but the potion's extremely expensive and you need to make money with dungeon crawling) a shame it's not as big of a name as other roguelikes of the time. Bit easy by comparison though.
Sorcerian
1987
The game is kinda meh by today’s standards but that soundtrack fucking bops too damn hard for 1987.
Sorcerian
1987
Let it not be said that the Dragon Slayer games aren't creative. Unfortunately, the concepts in these games just don't land the execution.
Like its predecessor, it again plays with non-linear gameplay concepts, but this time it lets you build a custom party (with tons of classes) to dungeon crawl with. Having your party follow you around just doesn't make for very good combat, especially when that combat often consists of just getting swarmed by enemies. The dungeon crawling itself also gets repetitive quite often. I do need to note that the music is fantastic and it's a shame that the rest of the game just doesn't come together well.
Like its predecessor, it again plays with non-linear gameplay concepts, but this time it lets you build a custom party (with tons of classes) to dungeon crawl with. Having your party follow you around just doesn't make for very good combat, especially when that combat often consists of just getting swarmed by enemies. The dungeon crawling itself also gets repetitive quite often. I do need to note that the music is fantastic and it's a shame that the rest of the game just doesn't come together well.
Savage XR
2012
One of the first of its kind, this is a community continuation of the original Savage game. It's an RTS which you can assume control of any character and go into a first person shooter, way ahead of its time and quite fun!
Babbdi
2022
Welcome to Babbdi — Token here!
— This review is final, and my score will not change whatsoever.
Babbdi is something that cannot be explained through a video or a review. Play this once, and only once; if you do go back, make sure it counts. The atmosphere is truly unmatched in Babbdi, and it starts to make you think a lot about the world itself. No matter how much you explore, it'll never be enough and most likely outcome will be, "I want more of this." Babbdi doesn't need a sequel at all.
[7/10 - Good] | (Game is literally free)
Full review here: https://youtu.be/Ee1nprhyKYo
Original Steam Review
https://steamcommunity.com/id/tokenmcpe/recommended/2240530/
— This review is final, and my score will not change whatsoever.
Babbdi is something that cannot be explained through a video or a review. Play this once, and only once; if you do go back, make sure it counts. The atmosphere is truly unmatched in Babbdi, and it starts to make you think a lot about the world itself. No matter how much you explore, it'll never be enough and most likely outcome will be, "I want more of this." Babbdi doesn't need a sequel at all.
[7/10 - Good] | (Game is literally free)
Full review here: https://youtu.be/Ee1nprhyKYo
Original Steam Review
https://steamcommunity.com/id/tokenmcpe/recommended/2240530/
Force Reboot
2022
ULTRAREBOOT (x3) — Hola, mi amigos. Forcetony Rebootano here.
— Review was formulated based on an unbiased opinion regarding on my experiences with boomer shooters.
— The game is in early access, and content is subject to change.
Force Reboot is a great case of mixing both two formulas that worked well and were turned into a nice movement shooter, It's got its ups and downs, lefts and rights, horizontals and verticals. Eventually, after finally beating the 3rd stage, I've never felt such immense joy in my life; it overall made me cry... If you're coming here after finishing [post void] or ULTRAKILL then you'll certainly love Force Reboot! Don't wait for a sale; buy the game full-price because it's worth it! (because I said so, 100% — so GET THE DAMN GAME ALREADY...)
[8/10 - Great] | (Game was bought at a full price)
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/E25UoXntB_I
Original Steam Review
https://steamcommunity.com/id/tokenmcpe/recommended/1766010/
— Review was formulated based on an unbiased opinion regarding on my experiences with boomer shooters.
— The game is in early access, and content is subject to change.
Force Reboot is a great case of mixing both two formulas that worked well and were turned into a nice movement shooter, It's got its ups and downs, lefts and rights, horizontals and verticals. Eventually, after finally beating the 3rd stage, I've never felt such immense joy in my life; it overall made me cry... If you're coming here after finishing [post void] or ULTRAKILL then you'll certainly love Force Reboot! Don't wait for a sale; buy the game full-price because it's worth it! (because I said so, 100% — so GET THE DAMN GAME ALREADY...)
[8/10 - Great] | (Game was bought at a full price)
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/E25UoXntB_I
Original Steam Review
https://steamcommunity.com/id/tokenmcpe/recommended/1766010/
Crow Country
2024
Survival horror is a genre I have never viewed as my favorite despite my consistently great experiences with these games. From the thrilling scares to great soundtracks and simple gameplay progression, survival horror has evolved over the years but retains much of what makes the genre so special. Crow Country is the most recent spiritual successor to this genre, being a stellar callback to the horror games of the 90s both in look and play and also making creative choices that make it stand out more.
The game's plot has you playing as agent Mara Forest as she is sent to the titular Crow Country amusement park to locate its owner Edward Crow. From here you set about exploring the amusement park to progress all while fighting a series of increasingly grotesque monsters. The game takes a lot of its inspiration from Resident Evil with the loop of solving puzzles and collecting key items being a staple of this genre. Outside of the usual items one would collect, such as ammo and health, there is also a load of secrets one can uncover that give both upgrades and new weapons.
One of the best aspects of survival horror is exploring every facet of a space whether it be a mansion or a space station. Slowly learning the layout of the amusement park and how it intertwines with the different parts of it is an immensely satisfying feeling. Each bit of progression in the game also causes the status of the rooms to change to be more dangerous so you are always left on your toes especially if you want to comb areas. The basic controls for the game are fine allowing you to line up your shots so as not to waste ammo. I played this game on a keyboard and I would recommend following the game's recommendation and playing with a controller as that will surely lead to a more satisfying experience. I got used to the controls after some time but I never fully felt as in control as I would have been if I used a controller.
The game is a pretty simple entry into the survival horror genre it being pretty easy in both the combat and puzzles. I would say the base difficulty was a little too easy with there being only a few moments where I felt stressed for ammo and health pickups. This also leads to the game not being super scary for me but it still succeeds in setting an unnerving tone throughout. The game is getting a Hard Mode in the future which will hopefully add to increasing the tension. For the most part, the puzzles are fun to solve and not too difficult either. There were a few cases where the solution to a puzzle is found on a note that is located somewhere else resulting in some backtracking and also requiring you to see the note in the first place. One puzzle I had to look up simply because I could not find the note that would give me the answer. This highlights a problem I have where the notes are collected in handbooks found in save rooms. I do not know why these notes could not be simply viewed from your inventory screen as it saves you from having to go back several rooms to read a note.
One aspect of the game that stands out the most for me is its very unique art style. Every part of the game looks like it is part of a plastic toy set with many of the character models looking like a Playmobil figure. This look creates a lighter tone for the game overall and is one of my favorite-looking games I have played all year. Despite its soft look, the art style is used effectively in creature designs making it hard to comprehend exactly what you are looking at at times.
Crow Country is a stellar survival horror game and one I could easily recommend as an entry point into this genre. As soon after I beat it the first time, I quickly did a second run to achieve the highest rank possible. My second run showcased how optimized the game's progression making it ripe for speedrunning. I also loved seeing all of the foreshadowing the story presents early on basically spelling out many of the late-game moments early on. This has been my favorite game to come out this year so far and one I could not recommend enough for fans of the genre.
The game's plot has you playing as agent Mara Forest as she is sent to the titular Crow Country amusement park to locate its owner Edward Crow. From here you set about exploring the amusement park to progress all while fighting a series of increasingly grotesque monsters. The game takes a lot of its inspiration from Resident Evil with the loop of solving puzzles and collecting key items being a staple of this genre. Outside of the usual items one would collect, such as ammo and health, there is also a load of secrets one can uncover that give both upgrades and new weapons.
One of the best aspects of survival horror is exploring every facet of a space whether it be a mansion or a space station. Slowly learning the layout of the amusement park and how it intertwines with the different parts of it is an immensely satisfying feeling. Each bit of progression in the game also causes the status of the rooms to change to be more dangerous so you are always left on your toes especially if you want to comb areas. The basic controls for the game are fine allowing you to line up your shots so as not to waste ammo. I played this game on a keyboard and I would recommend following the game's recommendation and playing with a controller as that will surely lead to a more satisfying experience. I got used to the controls after some time but I never fully felt as in control as I would have been if I used a controller.
The game is a pretty simple entry into the survival horror genre it being pretty easy in both the combat and puzzles. I would say the base difficulty was a little too easy with there being only a few moments where I felt stressed for ammo and health pickups. This also leads to the game not being super scary for me but it still succeeds in setting an unnerving tone throughout. The game is getting a Hard Mode in the future which will hopefully add to increasing the tension. For the most part, the puzzles are fun to solve and not too difficult either. There were a few cases where the solution to a puzzle is found on a note that is located somewhere else resulting in some backtracking and also requiring you to see the note in the first place. One puzzle I had to look up simply because I could not find the note that would give me the answer. This highlights a problem I have where the notes are collected in handbooks found in save rooms. I do not know why these notes could not be simply viewed from your inventory screen as it saves you from having to go back several rooms to read a note.
One aspect of the game that stands out the most for me is its very unique art style. Every part of the game looks like it is part of a plastic toy set with many of the character models looking like a Playmobil figure. This look creates a lighter tone for the game overall and is one of my favorite-looking games I have played all year. Despite its soft look, the art style is used effectively in creature designs making it hard to comprehend exactly what you are looking at at times.
Crow Country is a stellar survival horror game and one I could easily recommend as an entry point into this genre. As soon after I beat it the first time, I quickly did a second run to achieve the highest rank possible. My second run showcased how optimized the game's progression making it ripe for speedrunning. I also loved seeing all of the foreshadowing the story presents early on basically spelling out many of the late-game moments early on. This has been my favorite game to come out this year so far and one I could not recommend enough for fans of the genre.
love this game cuz it says that final fantasy fans need to get a life 😲🤫
Heisei Pistol Show
2008
Heisei Pistol Show is indicative of a lot of the zaniness and beautiful creativity that has come out of the RPG maker community. I had only heard about this game a few months ago with its unique premise and intriguing visuals looking to be up my alley. Having beaten it, practically, one sitting I say it delivered on a lot of its initial intrigue while also not quite matching some of the enthusiasm surrounding it.
You play as Heart, a lolita-dressed hitman who has been betrayed by his ex-lover. Now he is on a quest for vengeance that involves dealing with three fellow top assassins. This initial setup reminds me a lot of "Kill Bill" with a sort of similar structure but is mainly matched with the style and flair in which the story is presented. As you progress you slowly reveal, in typical RPG-maker fashion, that not everything is as it seems.
It surprised me that the game acts as a simple "puzzle" exploration game. I say "puzzle" but all of the obstacles in the game are simple logic and word puzzles including the few gunfights. In reality, the game is more focused on the player exploring the surreal levels the game consists of and how they eventually tie back into the main narrative. It was interesting seeing how a lot of these non-sensical stages eventually made some sense but some parts still felt a lot like the author slapped down some of the basic assets of the engine.
A lot of people seemed to be affected by the game's story which chronicles a lot about "what it means to be in love", "how love is defined" and "how do you maintain your happiness". These subjects were extremely meaningful to the author and to many who experienced it, but I can't say it had the same effect on me. For me, there were a lot of parts of the narrative that felt a little too comical to be taken super seriously with only the last few minutes of the game striking a chord for me emotionally.
Though the narrative did not affect me, I adored this game's style as previously mentioned. For starters, all of the character portraits have this 2000s Deviant Art style that, while maybe ugly to some, I find incredibly charming and wish more of the game looked like this. A lot of the cutscenes of the game also have this really fun energy to it that I have never seen in other games like this. Also, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a while with each track perfectly used to match both the absurdity and emotional elements of the game.
This was not quite the sleeper classic that I was hoping it would be, but I still greatly enjoyed my time with it. Its absurdist style is worth playing alone, especially given its short length. Games like this make exploring the RPG Maker genre worth it.
P.S.: It saddens me to read that this developer passed away as, going off of this game, they had a beautifully creative soul.
You play as Heart, a lolita-dressed hitman who has been betrayed by his ex-lover. Now he is on a quest for vengeance that involves dealing with three fellow top assassins. This initial setup reminds me a lot of "Kill Bill" with a sort of similar structure but is mainly matched with the style and flair in which the story is presented. As you progress you slowly reveal, in typical RPG-maker fashion, that not everything is as it seems.
It surprised me that the game acts as a simple "puzzle" exploration game. I say "puzzle" but all of the obstacles in the game are simple logic and word puzzles including the few gunfights. In reality, the game is more focused on the player exploring the surreal levels the game consists of and how they eventually tie back into the main narrative. It was interesting seeing how a lot of these non-sensical stages eventually made some sense but some parts still felt a lot like the author slapped down some of the basic assets of the engine.
A lot of people seemed to be affected by the game's story which chronicles a lot about "what it means to be in love", "how love is defined" and "how do you maintain your happiness". These subjects were extremely meaningful to the author and to many who experienced it, but I can't say it had the same effect on me. For me, there were a lot of parts of the narrative that felt a little too comical to be taken super seriously with only the last few minutes of the game striking a chord for me emotionally.
Though the narrative did not affect me, I adored this game's style as previously mentioned. For starters, all of the character portraits have this 2000s Deviant Art style that, while maybe ugly to some, I find incredibly charming and wish more of the game looked like this. A lot of the cutscenes of the game also have this really fun energy to it that I have never seen in other games like this. Also, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a while with each track perfectly used to match both the absurdity and emotional elements of the game.
This was not quite the sleeper classic that I was hoping it would be, but I still greatly enjoyed my time with it. Its absurdist style is worth playing alone, especially given its short length. Games like this make exploring the RPG Maker genre worth it.
P.S.: It saddens me to read that this developer passed away as, going off of this game, they had a beautifully creative soul.
Symbiosis
2022
So many unexplored dynamics and story because of time cuts... The dev, however, managed to unfold a really interesting, strong character that kept the plot going. Nice art, easy to play, amazing OST, little time for worldbuilding but it was more than enough to tie the story together. Can't thank Puchi enough for making games about adult, sarcastic women, not very common in RPGMs of the sort.
drip and swag are all that matter in this world; assimilation is underway
the atmosphere here is so oppressively dense that it almost makes me forget i'm playing one of the worst feeling shooters to ever be released by a professional company. it's like if faceball 2000 somehow ran at an even lower framerate and was intended for people who'd never had nice days in their entire lives
but that fucking vibe is immaculate. the premise is hopelessly bleak without feeling tryhard, the industrial soundtrack is somehow more mechanically clunky than the gameplay itself and the cutscene direction rivals actual fucking cinema despite being from 1994. who the fuck made this??
oh - it's the guys behind gadget: past as future
alright that explains everything
the atmosphere here is so oppressively dense that it almost makes me forget i'm playing one of the worst feeling shooters to ever be released by a professional company. it's like if faceball 2000 somehow ran at an even lower framerate and was intended for people who'd never had nice days in their entire lives
but that fucking vibe is immaculate. the premise is hopelessly bleak without feeling tryhard, the industrial soundtrack is somehow more mechanically clunky than the gameplay itself and the cutscene direction rivals actual fucking cinema despite being from 1994. who the fuck made this??
oh - it's the guys behind gadget: past as future
alright that explains everything