therexasaurous
"Wait did I beat that guy? I don't remember beating that guy" - me reading Lore about every mandatory boss in this game
2021
Somewhat interesting game hampered by frustrating mechanics and a choice system that has no allowance for nuance - if you screw up twice, you're locked out of the good ending and thus must be the megacorp bootlicker. Dumb.
Imagine someone gave you all the episodes of a 30 hour sci-fi series and told you to watch them in any order. And you did and the story not only made sense, it was narratively compelling. That's this game.
Seaside Vacation is a jam too
Seaside Vacation is a jam too
2019
A proficient Soulslike/Metroidvania (Soulsmetroidvania?) with fascinating lore and atmosphere. In its best moments the game feels like a symphony of combat and exploration, and it its worst it feels wholly derivative of Dark Souls. In fact, my greatest complaint of Blasphemous is that it tries to ape Dark Souls too closely - for better and for worse. Combat is responsive and rewards thoughtful pattern-learning, especially in the game's magnificent boss fights. The game rewards exploration well, and there are quality of life upgrades available that avoid the late-game metroidvania slog of backtracking across the map.
Overall some of the platforming elements are shaky (stop with the spike pits!), but the world and combat mechanics do well enough to earn Blasphemous a spot in the pantheon of metroidvania canon.
Overall some of the platforming elements are shaky (stop with the spike pits!), but the world and combat mechanics do well enough to earn Blasphemous a spot in the pantheon of metroidvania canon.
2019
A delightful game that evokes the era of GeoCities and AngelFire, but does so in a way that honestly and genuinely captures the earnest spirit of the era as opposed to relegating it to satire. The core gameplay mechanic -- detective sleuthing by way of internet browsing -- is open-ended enough to compel "aha" moments. The story, length, and pacing of the game all feel intentional in their scope, which makes for a well-focused experience.
2021
Deathloop is a game that bills itself as a innovative timeloop game. It certainly reels you in, but ultimately fails to deliver. The central gameplay loop involves navigating 4 levels over 4 different time periods, mastering each in order to create the "perfect loop" of murder to break it. The game presents this mastery as a sprawling set of leads to follow, which can provide interesting variety when things get stale ("I couldn't get Frank in the morning, I'll try for Charlie at noon"). However, as these leads tie up, so does the variety.
This same problem extends to the story. The characters are delightful and voiced by some of the best performances I've ever heard in a video game. However, any characterization is relegated to environmental storytelling and pickups. Moreover, the central story ends with no resolution at all.
All in all, Deathloop is an enjoyable game that doesn't necessarily cash in on all the checks it writes.
This same problem extends to the story. The characters are delightful and voiced by some of the best performances I've ever heard in a video game. However, any characterization is relegated to environmental storytelling and pickups. Moreover, the central story ends with no resolution at all.
All in all, Deathloop is an enjoyable game that doesn't necessarily cash in on all the checks it writes.
2019
This game captures the quintessential charm of a really nice day in the woods. The stakes are low - take a short hike! - but the quaint peace of exploring the park keeps a smile on my face for the appropriately short runtime. This is a nice game that I think my mom would enjoy, and I think we should have more of these in the world.
2021
This review contains spoilers
Inscrpytion is a game that subverts expectations and reinvents itself, all the while employing a fundamental gameplay mechanic that is enjoyable throughout. The ingenuity wanes, however, as you progress through the game's three acts.
Nothing is as thrilling as trying to escape the old hut in the first act, and Leshy's descriptions are gripping. This is the game at its best, a robust deck builder roguelike within a tense escape room puzzle box.
The second act relies on the subversion of genre to drive the interest, while adding gameplay elements that keep things fresh, if a little overwhelming. The tension of escape from the previous act is replaced by a curiosity of exploration, as I found myself trying to connect the dots of how this act eventually becomes the first.
The last act is in similar structure to the first, but with all of the vivid description disappointingly stripped. At one point, this removal of narrative description is lampshaded - your captor mentions that "Leshy was better at that." It makes sense for the character - P03 is driven by the strategy of card games - it still makes for a duller experience than the rich world of Leshy's cabin.
Overall, Inscryption is an incredible game that never quite hits the peak of its first act. You should play it.
Nothing is as thrilling as trying to escape the old hut in the first act, and Leshy's descriptions are gripping. This is the game at its best, a robust deck builder roguelike within a tense escape room puzzle box.
The second act relies on the subversion of genre to drive the interest, while adding gameplay elements that keep things fresh, if a little overwhelming. The tension of escape from the previous act is replaced by a curiosity of exploration, as I found myself trying to connect the dots of how this act eventually becomes the first.
The last act is in similar structure to the first, but with all of the vivid description disappointingly stripped. At one point, this removal of narrative description is lampshaded - your captor mentions that "Leshy was better at that." It makes sense for the character - P03 is driven by the strategy of card games - it still makes for a duller experience than the rich world of Leshy's cabin.
Overall, Inscryption is an incredible game that never quite hits the peak of its first act. You should play it.
2014
This game sort of runs through the entire Resident Evil franchise in a single game. There is intentionality is setting up a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere - the third person camera closes in and cuts Sebastián to appropriately modify tension and disorient comfortable players. Some of the enemy design is ripped from the best of Silent Hill. But the dialogue is awkwardly stilted and the game overstays its welcome, becoming a 2010s action thriller when it was much better as a dread-filled tone piece. The Evil Within is certainly worth playing - and maybe worth finishing - but I can't help but think if paring down the game would've elevated it to a masterpiece of the horror genre.
2017
GRID LOCK
This review contains spoilers
Hard to imagine anything could compare to Outer Wilds' base experience. This is probably as close as we could expect. Exchanging sandbox-style planetary exploration for a more focused, linear Myst-like experience, Echoes of the Eye still has the eureka moments and a captivating atmosphere I loved about the base game. Incredibly, the DLC expounds on the thematic elements of existentialism found in the base game, offering a viewpoint that made me seriously consider my own views on mortality. Very much worth checking out.
2018
This game made me realize I do not like MMOs.
Most of this game is great. The controls feel tight, the spritework is phenomenal, and the music is some of the best I've heard. However, sometimes I feel like the game is worse than the sum of its parts. For example, the game's art direction is clearly inspired by Chrono Trigger and is beautiful to observe. And there are goodies to find that invite exploration of these beautiful spaces. But the graphics can make it impossible to determine which plane you're on, during otherwise interesting platforming bits into frustrating struggles. Similarly, there are complex loot and trading opportunities for those thay enjoy armor building (I don't). And there's interesting combat encounters that could prompt careful examination of a complex combat system. But it's not clear to me when I need to "git gud" or get better gear.
Overall, I think I enjoyed the majority of my time with Crosscode. But I often found myself wanting to put it down. I eventually did at the final boss, and felt great for doing so.
Most of this game is great. The controls feel tight, the spritework is phenomenal, and the music is some of the best I've heard. However, sometimes I feel like the game is worse than the sum of its parts. For example, the game's art direction is clearly inspired by Chrono Trigger and is beautiful to observe. And there are goodies to find that invite exploration of these beautiful spaces. But the graphics can make it impossible to determine which plane you're on, during otherwise interesting platforming bits into frustrating struggles. Similarly, there are complex loot and trading opportunities for those thay enjoy armor building (I don't). And there's interesting combat encounters that could prompt careful examination of a complex combat system. But it's not clear to me when I need to "git gud" or get better gear.
Overall, I think I enjoyed the majority of my time with Crosscode. But I often found myself wanting to put it down. I eventually did at the final boss, and felt great for doing so.
2021
I didn't like it as much as Chapter 1. I think the appeal of Deltaone and Undertale is the earnest story accompanied by silly trappings. This chapter felt more rooted in silly, wacky antics that felt somewhat directionless. The gameplay is still right on. Looking forward to chapter 3.
2021
It's cute! Love the Paper Mario aesthetic. Some of the game - both in the adventure game parts and the microgame parts - felt confusing or padded out. I wish there were more varied microgames as well, especially in the first episode. But the charm drives the experience well.
I think I overplayed this game. My first route was a very good time! The core loop was engaging (Persona meets RTS), the characters were charming, and the story was good in the realm of Fire Emblem stories. My problem is that the game really wants you to play through all routes to get the full picture. I played through the Edel route and felt like some of the plot points missed their punch. I then tried to pick up Golden Deer to get more of the story and - by that point - found the gameplay loop quite tedious. Maybe with some distance I'll be able to come back and enjoy the other routes.