Manor Lords doesn't need to be treated as a big budget game (yet), despite what the price tag entails; it's still a passion project made by a small team on their free time, so don't go expecting the triple A treatment.

I ought to suspend my judgement, but what I've seen and what I've played made me really interested in the project and how fun in the City Skyline\Stronghold threshold it could be. Despite village building being snappy and intuitive, there are still some obscure mechanics and both combat and workflow is very alpha-state, with many game-breaking bugs happening in the span of the ten-ish hours I played the game. Yet, when it clicks, it clicks: being a successfull planner means walking through the roads of the settlement and witnessing families working, going to the market and living the life they can. From dirty hovels to big houses, it is a pretty game to play through and to look at, combat being still very early into development but still quite profound it's just the cherry on top.

I'll probably review it in the future once it's done, yet I don't think at its current state it's worth getting into it. It's interesting as a proof of concept and ideally it could blossom into a great game, but it's simply too little too early.

Sonic Rush Adventure took all the lessons from the Sonic Rush and decided:

"You know what would really sell Sonic as a game? Sea exploration!"

The game looks phenomenal for DS standards and despite not having Rush' soundtrack, Adventure's is competent and rocks some synth and great arrangements. You remember the discourse around game design being fun first, balanced later? While grinding for materials after each stage makes you wish for a nuclear winter, levels are cinematic, with clear direction and very few unfair pits. It's worth getting back to a stage in order to explore a new path or, better yet, choose to run with either Sonic or Blaze (she's the cat! and she's back!). Only big con is exploration being tied with the travel minigames, which become tiresome really fast.

Rich in content, exploration, secrets and funny interactions (I love the pirate robot he's so silly), Adventure takes itself way less seriously compared to Rush but still offers a very over the top and bombastic experience, a bit all over the place considering the pace but still outstanding, truly an adventure. Peak summer game honestly.

Petro Log

Hour 1: I have finally gotten used to the bump system, it's so cool that you walk into an enemy and it explodes!

Hour 2: I hate mages

Hour 3: I hate bats a bit more

Hour 7: When are we done getting up this tower?

Hour 10: I have finally mastered VSync and frame perfect bump combat. Dark Fact? More like Dark Opinion.

I enjoyed playing through YS I a lot and XSEED's attempts at polishing the formula and the presentation, from godlike music to addicting combat, feel genuine and well thought. The experience feels modern despite being at least 30 years old, barring some odd game design decisions and the very grindy and infuriating boss fights (if you know, you know).

What I found so charming about YS is how simple it is: you don't need any real reason to go into danger, Adol represents the thirst for adventure and the spirit of justice. A character so straightforward that it comes back as an example of how to make a silent character feel like a real character AND the mirror for the player.

If you can stomach replaying some fights over and over and find the combat addicting, the game is definitely for you, but there are many reasons why this game isn't perfect: it's extremely dependent on exploration and trying things out, so sometimes a guide is required unless you enjoy hitting a wall from time to time. It's also very dependent on your enjoyment of the bump system: if the game doesn't click in the first hour or two, you're not going to change your mind.