thatdiesel
TBD
The washed-out low poly aesthetic of the world does make for an enjoyable look of the city and its inhabitants, but the combat is weightless and unrewarding, the audio is flat with steadily obnoxious pulsating background music, and the storyline is about 30 minutes long if you’re generous with your step count. It’s a neat project that would’ve really done better if it leaned more into the storyline and the crime scene investigations, but with the weak combat taking up the majority of your time, the road traveled is not gonna be a super enjoyable one.
2024
Sonar Shock has provided me with a gaming experience in a genre I seldom play but in a quality I seldom get. It shows a masterful guidance of dread-filled ambience with a stressful but fair combat system that provides enough rewards to handle the risks. I found myself second guessing every turn, jumping at every unexpected noise, but eating up every square foot of area this submarine and its angry, angry inhabitants provided me. I’ve already started my second run and will be getting another one done shortly after that one is done. Sonar Shock is a stomach-churning treat of a title and is worth facing the fears in front of you for a fascinatingly fun time.
Sirhaian's sinister achievement to painting the player with heavy strokes of depression and the lack of self-worth comes with a price. A price that will either resonate and stick with players that struggle with the complications and difficulties of depression in their every day life, or shine a light for players like myself who never knew how disturbingly far the rabbit hole goes. When the Darkness comes touts itself as a game that nobody should play, and if the world was a perfect place, no one would have to. But it's a somber and deafening clash of emotions that seeks to drown its players, if only to embrace the knowledge that sometimes, a head above water and a light to guide you can be enough to get through the river.
All-in-all, We Were Here Together picks up where everyone returning to the franchise expected, and that's perfectly okay. It boasts some really clever puzzles and lays down the solid foundation on constructive teamwork. While some puzzles require a couple retries along some trial and error, and the plot feels like a misguided stepping stone to leading our two players into a derelict castle in the middle of nowhere, it's still worth hunkering down and working out your brain with a buddy for a few hours.
2019
The comic book inspired graphics, the tense moments of planning a route knowing good and well whats between you and what you need could get you killed, and some pitch black humor to break the bleakness of space: Void Bastards manages to keep a repetitive romp through space entertaining enough to make you want to keep looting ships for hours on end, even if that one extra ship may be your last.
2017
Subsurface Circular feels like it's over right when it's starting to pick up steam, but it will use its 2-3 hour run time to send you on a surprisingly emotional journey through the lives and pursuits of the artificial mind that human hands believed they would never have. It's a tightly wound think-piece that will keep you guessing with its inventive writing and solid twists, and does an exceptional job of keeping you on your toes, even though you're sitting down for this ride.
2018
I'm a sucker for this genre and this aesthetic, and there's a lot to love with Slipstream. But for every perfect turn, gorgeous backdrop, and larger-than-life experience, there's a frustrating misstep that kills the momentum and blows Slipstream's proverbial engine; and for a game that lives and dies on the quick thrills, it's too much to glance over: Check the Engine Light and proceed with caution.
2019
No matter the problems, River City Girls is absolutely worth the time invested. I fell in love with the art style, the flashy gameplay, the pitch-perfect humor, and just the amount of care to the product shown on the screen. It's a near-perfect addition to the beat-em-up genre, and with the extra content after the credits roll, will give you plenty of reasons to strap in for more than a few runs through the City.
2018
While The Quiet Man has been a punching bag for critics, I can take away some enjoyment with my time spent. It's got a solid premise with an interesting plot and well cast leads who work magic with what they are given. But with the one-dimensional combat and the questionable design choices, The Quiet Man makes me feel that it would've done better as a Netflix Original than a Steam Purchase.
Through all the death and dismay, there is a lot to love in Amicia's story. A Plague Tale has built a dark, brooding, and disturbing world taken over by a nightmarish enemy: an enemy that should be recognized as one of the most harrowing and terrifying in recent years. With all the darkness, a light shines through, showing the power of family: the ones by blood, and the ones by bond, and the will to survive in a world that does nothing to help. It's a light that commands your attention from beginning to end, and is a shining achievement for Asobo Studio.
2019
For all the speed bumps in the road for Photographs, it is a title worth playing through. While the puzzles and grind for the different endings can be off-putting: Photographs offers intriguing, Black Mirror-like stories that catch all the imperfect angles of humanity, showing that the road to Hell is paved by good intentions, and that even a perfect photo can be blemished.
2018
Discussing sensitive topics such as the betrayal of one's trust can be like playing with fire, and The Other Half paints a melancholic picture of the coping and inevitable understanding of one's actions. While the combat isn't anything to write home about, it does enough to keep players glued to a story that demands to be felt as well as heard, no matter how much it burns in the process.
2018
For what Old School Musical brings to the table, it certainly feels like the known classics of old: boasting a sizable and catchy soundtrack, lovable characters with fantastic writing, and addicting game play. La Moutarde and Playdius gift gamers with a beautiful, nostalgic, and well-polished love letter to the grown-ups who never grew up.
2019
It's sad that all you can do is really laugh at the idea that you were having an amazing time playing these beautifully crafted levels, dishing out creatively devastating moments and enjoying every new aspect that had been fit perfectly into this hilariously violent puzzle: and within an hour be at a point where you're questioning finishing the game at all. While I thoroughly enjoyed what My Friend Pedro introduced me to in the first couple hours, the hilariously bad intentions to make the game harder jam the guns at the worst possible moment, and are not worth going back to see how it felt when they shot just fine before.
2015
While Murder does a fine job giving a taste of the dishonest relationships between the consciousness of AI and the lack of empathy from humans, it's over all too soon. We see moments where Minori starts to understand little by little the way AI is starting to turn the page in becoming a sentient equal to their human counterparts, but when the stake is about to be driven into the heart, Murder pulls away, letting the credits roll. I know Peter Moorhead is trying to intrigue and tempt the player into making a few discoveries within their own judgment, but a 20-30 minute run-time only gives enough time to present the thesis for the paper, but forgets to include the body and conclusion.