rmanthorp
2022
that's a great cat right there.
it's going to be easy to tear this game down and a lot of those criticisms will be valid. does it commit to just being a cat and running around? not at all! i do wish it was less video game-y and i had hoped for more exploration in both gameplay and the, almost there, post-human story.
overall though i can’t help myself when those little cat animations play out. the game is clearly built on a genuine and sincere love for cats and that rules. i’d meow 10 times in a row, scratch at every wall, rug, door, and couch i found. taking a pause to map out how i would scale boxes, pipes, and a vending machine to get onto a roof before pushing vaguely in that direction and watching it all awkwardly play out. it all feels comforting in a special way.
there are moments that you can curl up and sleep while the camera slowly pans out and shows you the surrounding area and i don’t think they ‘do anything’ because the exploration isn’t all that deep. however, you’re never really forced to stop and look around so those became my favourite thing and i would settle for a good 5 minute catnap every time. i just hope this means more cats as the player characters outside of silly cat simulator games.
my least favourite bits were anytime the cat was put in some trouble. genuine ‘i’m not sure how much of this i can take’ stuff that i’d rather have seen gone as the ‘failure’ points felt unnecessary. the game also has a very French vibe and that checks out with the developers so idk if that sways you one way or the other? there’s also an arrow to the knee joke at one point but i understand that the game has been in development for a while..
even in writing this, it all feels like i’m being a lot more critical than i’d like but i can’t overstate how much simply controlling a cat was a wonderful experience. it's also very pretty and the music is nice.
lots of minor annoyances but overall incredibly charming and soul-rejuvenating and i’m better for experiencing it. that's cat ownership baby!
it's going to be easy to tear this game down and a lot of those criticisms will be valid. does it commit to just being a cat and running around? not at all! i do wish it was less video game-y and i had hoped for more exploration in both gameplay and the, almost there, post-human story.
overall though i can’t help myself when those little cat animations play out. the game is clearly built on a genuine and sincere love for cats and that rules. i’d meow 10 times in a row, scratch at every wall, rug, door, and couch i found. taking a pause to map out how i would scale boxes, pipes, and a vending machine to get onto a roof before pushing vaguely in that direction and watching it all awkwardly play out. it all feels comforting in a special way.
there are moments that you can curl up and sleep while the camera slowly pans out and shows you the surrounding area and i don’t think they ‘do anything’ because the exploration isn’t all that deep. however, you’re never really forced to stop and look around so those became my favourite thing and i would settle for a good 5 minute catnap every time. i just hope this means more cats as the player characters outside of silly cat simulator games.
my least favourite bits were anytime the cat was put in some trouble. genuine ‘i’m not sure how much of this i can take’ stuff that i’d rather have seen gone as the ‘failure’ points felt unnecessary. the game also has a very French vibe and that checks out with the developers so idk if that sways you one way or the other? there’s also an arrow to the knee joke at one point but i understand that the game has been in development for a while..
even in writing this, it all feels like i’m being a lot more critical than i’d like but i can’t overstate how much simply controlling a cat was a wonderful experience. it's also very pretty and the music is nice.
lots of minor annoyances but overall incredibly charming and soul-rejuvenating and i’m better for experiencing it. that's cat ownership baby!
2022
2022
banger game. a level design and mechanic layering tour de force. i didn't think the score chasing would keep me hooked for 25~30 hours but i couldn't stop. grabbed the ace medal on all 121 levels and swept up all the gifts and side-missions. will be back to shave off the milliseconds and dive into the level rushes for suuuure.
they are going for a vibe and i have to respect it - imagine not knowing what this was and picking it up for dreamcast in the early 2000. class.
look, yeah the writing is pretty weak but it can be easily ignored and honestly the story was a fine break from the action and enough to keep me curious to the end.
soundtrack was super great!! but one worlds song sounded like the main theme from fall guys and i couldn't stop laughing at the image of little jellybean guys fighting demons with magic guns.
if you're a pal, get me on steam and then @ me when you beat my times so i'm encouraged to go back. make me your rival!
they are going for a vibe and i have to respect it - imagine not knowing what this was and picking it up for dreamcast in the early 2000. class.
look, yeah the writing is pretty weak but it can be easily ignored and honestly the story was a fine break from the action and enough to keep me curious to the end.
soundtrack was super great!! but one worlds song sounded like the main theme from fall guys and i couldn't stop laughing at the image of little jellybean guys fighting demons with magic guns.
if you're a pal, get me on steam and then @ me when you beat my times so i'm encouraged to go back. make me your rival!
2022
i finished it pretty disappointed and relieved it was over. it tries to do too many things and doesn't quite nail any of them. i ran into a lot of bad bugs on the xbox version! it's all just a shame because the look and style is absolutely MWAH and the game it sells itself as coulda been an 11/10 but it simply didn't land for me.
2022
2016
2022
not sure if roguelikes are just not nailing it at the moment or my tastes are changing? i 'finished' it but honestly all the shovel knight visuals and musical vibes did for me was make want to go back and dig into the masterpiece that was the original game and spinoffs. might check back in on updates but i said the same for pocket dungeon and never went back to that after the first few weeks...
2022
ah fuck. they got me.
i've never really built a deck in game like this before. now i've built over 6.
i say 'finished' but only because i completed the battle pass and collected all of the pool 1 cards. don't see myself stopping for a good while.
a game that i go 'aye i've got a time to squeeze in a rapid 5 min game' and then 3 hours pass.
it's dangerous and brilliantly designed.
got the normal money pitfalls of a f2p mobile game but you can easily avoid them.
i can't stop thinking about it.
they did my boy cyclops heavy dirty with his trash card. very sad.
i've never really built a deck in game like this before. now i've built over 6.
i say 'finished' but only because i completed the battle pass and collected all of the pool 1 cards. don't see myself stopping for a good while.
a game that i go 'aye i've got a time to squeeze in a rapid 5 min game' and then 3 hours pass.
it's dangerous and brilliantly designed.
got the normal money pitfalls of a f2p mobile game but you can easily avoid them.
i can't stop thinking about it.
they did my boy cyclops heavy dirty with his trash card. very sad.
2022
i'm a sucker..
the game is astoundingly rough! even when excusing the poor performance and issues, things like cutscenes that should-100%-be-voiced simply being silent is WILD for a franchise that makes this much money
AND YET
oooo game make me feel like a kid again.
it's equally as charming as it is rough and i couldn't help myself from smiling for most of my playthrough.
the characters are really fun, new structure and open world/no random battles is a fantastic step forward and overall the story was interesting enough and well written.
shoutout to larry, i love you man.
even the silly teraforming thing reminds me of those fake shiny sticker pokemon cards you would get when you went on holiday to turkey.
music is fantastic.
got online with the lads, trading, running about doing goofy shit and taking on raids.
tinkaton is a new fav mon.
yeah. POKEMON!
the game is astoundingly rough! even when excusing the poor performance and issues, things like cutscenes that should-100%-be-voiced simply being silent is WILD for a franchise that makes this much money
AND YET
oooo game make me feel like a kid again.
it's equally as charming as it is rough and i couldn't help myself from smiling for most of my playthrough.
the characters are really fun, new structure and open world/no random battles is a fantastic step forward and overall the story was interesting enough and well written.
shoutout to larry, i love you man.
even the silly teraforming thing reminds me of those fake shiny sticker pokemon cards you would get when you went on holiday to turkey.
music is fantastic.
got online with the lads, trading, running about doing goofy shit and taking on raids.
tinkaton is a new fav mon.
yeah. POKEMON!
2022
2023
2023
2023
hey little man hows it goin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrqR6my-Juo
...
yea
they effortlessly introduce new level gimmicks that could be the hook for entire indie games and then throw them away in the same level~ not since Nintendo etc.
the confidence and the craft to fine tune the chaos and instability is just chefs kiss
didn't expect to fall for it this much but i love it and can't recommend it enough
it's sent me down a warioland path and i'm not mad about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrqR6my-Juo
...
yea
they effortlessly introduce new level gimmicks that could be the hook for entire indie games and then throw them away in the same level~ not since Nintendo etc.
the confidence and the craft to fine tune the chaos and instability is just chefs kiss
didn't expect to fall for it this much but i love it and can't recommend it enough
it's sent me down a warioland path and i'm not mad about it
2020
I know you've got your little issues with it and I'm sure they are all valid. I genuinely can't comprehend the way I feel about this game. Playing it is an escape unlike any other and I easily poured 250 hours into it and I'd gladly do it all over again. I went back to BOTW and it now feels like playing half a game. A total triumph. You can't beat it. Well... they probably can and will.