thundafellow
2015
One of the most badass games I've played. The Lovecraftian inspiration, the incredible lore and worldbuilding, the Victorian architecture, the fast-paced aggressive combat, the insane enemy designs, the gorgeously foreboding environments/atmosphere, and the live recorded symphonic soundtrack shows that this game was truly a labor of love. I got the platinum on this, which is rare for me to do unless I really love the game. I recommend this to any FromSoftware veteran who hasn't played it yet, and to anyone new to the franchise, this is a great starting point.
Everything a sequel should be and more.
I've owned my copy of the game for a couple years at this point, patiently waiting for the full release. I took a weekend to myself when it dropped and I ended up 100% completing it over the weekend, clocking in about 30 hours of playtime, and boy oh boy did I have a blast. I plan to go back in and craft every upgrade and every vehicle possible, and work on expanding my base.
While the original Subnautica was an impressive and downright incredible yet terrifying experience in and of itself, Below Zero turns it up a notch by bringing you to an even more inhospitable underwater environment: the arctic. With an all-new map, new flora and fauna, multiple quality of life improvements, new tools, new vehicles, updated graphics, a dynamic weather system, a new main protagonist and a fresh plot that expands upon the lore of the first game while introducing new characters and bringing back some old ones, Subnautica Below Zero is a fantastic open-world survival experience like none other.
The new biomes are fresh and unique. None of them really overlap with the biomes from the previous game. You get crazy, twisty coral formations, hydrothermal vents, deep arctic expanses, diverse and beautiful cave systems, and even a biome with gigantic lilypads! And in these new biomes are a plethora of new creatures. Some are cute and friendly, and some you want to stay far away from.
In addition to the underwater exploration, there is even more land exploration in BZ. You can explore the vast reaches of the Glacial Basin and Arctic Spires, uncovering Alterra research facilities and ancient alien structures while interacting with actual land creatures and facing off against a terrifying new leviathan. Much is to be discovered in these areas, and it's a lot of fun!
In terms of the OST, Simon Chylinski is no longer the composer, and in his place Ben Prunty takes the helm, and he delivers on every front. Ben's soundtrack is as good, if not better in some areas, than Simon's, though I enjoy both of theirs equally in their own rights. The atmospheric ambient synth tracks mixed with elements of chillout fits the sci-fi underwater aesthetic perfectly, and I always find myself with the melodies stuck in my head for days.
This game has definitely been one of my top gaming experiences this year, and I will continue to dump hours into it, even replaying it all over again, just because it's so good, and I want to explore every inch of the map and discover everything the game has to offer.
Definitely pick it up if you can!
I've owned my copy of the game for a couple years at this point, patiently waiting for the full release. I took a weekend to myself when it dropped and I ended up 100% completing it over the weekend, clocking in about 30 hours of playtime, and boy oh boy did I have a blast. I plan to go back in and craft every upgrade and every vehicle possible, and work on expanding my base.
While the original Subnautica was an impressive and downright incredible yet terrifying experience in and of itself, Below Zero turns it up a notch by bringing you to an even more inhospitable underwater environment: the arctic. With an all-new map, new flora and fauna, multiple quality of life improvements, new tools, new vehicles, updated graphics, a dynamic weather system, a new main protagonist and a fresh plot that expands upon the lore of the first game while introducing new characters and bringing back some old ones, Subnautica Below Zero is a fantastic open-world survival experience like none other.
The new biomes are fresh and unique. None of them really overlap with the biomes from the previous game. You get crazy, twisty coral formations, hydrothermal vents, deep arctic expanses, diverse and beautiful cave systems, and even a biome with gigantic lilypads! And in these new biomes are a plethora of new creatures. Some are cute and friendly, and some you want to stay far away from.
In addition to the underwater exploration, there is even more land exploration in BZ. You can explore the vast reaches of the Glacial Basin and Arctic Spires, uncovering Alterra research facilities and ancient alien structures while interacting with actual land creatures and facing off against a terrifying new leviathan. Much is to be discovered in these areas, and it's a lot of fun!
In terms of the OST, Simon Chylinski is no longer the composer, and in his place Ben Prunty takes the helm, and he delivers on every front. Ben's soundtrack is as good, if not better in some areas, than Simon's, though I enjoy both of theirs equally in their own rights. The atmospheric ambient synth tracks mixed with elements of chillout fits the sci-fi underwater aesthetic perfectly, and I always find myself with the melodies stuck in my head for days.
This game has definitely been one of my top gaming experiences this year, and I will continue to dump hours into it, even replaying it all over again, just because it's so good, and I want to explore every inch of the map and discover everything the game has to offer.
Definitely pick it up if you can!
2019
This is an interesting game due to the fact that it is a remake of an early game in the developer's career. Thomas Brush created the game "Coma" in Adobe Flash a while ago and it gained some viral attention. It focused on a kid named Pete who suffered a coma and is suspended in a sort of dreamlike world. It took less than an hour to complete.
This game was created years later in Unity (under the working title of "Once Upon a Coma") with more of a team, has much more plot and gameplay (takes about 6 hours to beat), and expands on the original story. It focuses on Peet, as he goes on an adventure to save his childhood crush Wren, who has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Smile. Hidden beneath the cutesy and slightly macabre artstyle lies a dark and tragic metaphor about growing up, loss, and guilt. It's a narrative puzzle-platformer with a handful of interesting boss fights, a cast of weird but engaging characters, and rudimentary combat. The small-ish worldmap is built in a Mario-esque sidescroller fasion with bits of Metroidvania sprinkled in. It boasts a subtle and dreamlike soundtrack to accompany Thomas' surreal artstyle and has some decent voice acting to complement the dialogue, which has its moments but falters occasionally.
For an indie game, it's a neat creative effort, but it leaves a little more to be desired from a gameplay standpoint. Some other things that put me off were the childishly vulgar mannerisms (I get it, it's a game about childhood neighborhood shenanigans, but the "booty bum", "poop", and "fart" stuff comes across as a little forced sometimes).
I would recommend it for those who have more than a passing interest in indie games. For anyone else, it might seem short and a bit boring. I personally enjoyed it, due to the themes of nostalgia resonating with me.
This game was created years later in Unity (under the working title of "Once Upon a Coma") with more of a team, has much more plot and gameplay (takes about 6 hours to beat), and expands on the original story. It focuses on Peet, as he goes on an adventure to save his childhood crush Wren, who has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Smile. Hidden beneath the cutesy and slightly macabre artstyle lies a dark and tragic metaphor about growing up, loss, and guilt. It's a narrative puzzle-platformer with a handful of interesting boss fights, a cast of weird but engaging characters, and rudimentary combat. The small-ish worldmap is built in a Mario-esque sidescroller fasion with bits of Metroidvania sprinkled in. It boasts a subtle and dreamlike soundtrack to accompany Thomas' surreal artstyle and has some decent voice acting to complement the dialogue, which has its moments but falters occasionally.
For an indie game, it's a neat creative effort, but it leaves a little more to be desired from a gameplay standpoint. Some other things that put me off were the childishly vulgar mannerisms (I get it, it's a game about childhood neighborhood shenanigans, but the "booty bum", "poop", and "fart" stuff comes across as a little forced sometimes).
I would recommend it for those who have more than a passing interest in indie games. For anyone else, it might seem short and a bit boring. I personally enjoyed it, due to the themes of nostalgia resonating with me.
2009
Similar to Journey and ABZU, Flower is a short-form indie game with minimalistic and focused gameplay surrounding a single concept. More of an experience than an actual game, it runs you about 2 hours and you play as a flower petal, gathering more petals and seemingly bringing life to areas of land that were previously dead or dried out. It seems to be an allegory for environmentalism and how we seem to forget how important nature and the earth is as we expand our industry. In the end, it seems to promote a symbiosis between the two, and that's about it. It's a short and sweet message that doesn't overstay its welcome and is perfect for a relaxing evening. It controls a bit goofy on the PC as opposed to the motion controls of the PS3 but it's still playable. Music is great, and the visuals are pretty and stylistic. An enjoyable experience for sure.
2004
I actually played this on an emulator because I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to also try playing it with a controller. Blazed through the base game in about two hours total and got silver and gold stars on most levels, but then I got the final zone and the boss made me want to punch something. It actually ended up taking me longer to beat that boss than it did to get to that point. I ended up becoming frustrated and used save states to beat it because no way was I going to take all the time to start the game again from the title screen, navigate through the hub world, fight the penultimate boss (which would cost me a life or two), and then finally lose to some bullshit rng. I've also already beaten it multiple times before as a kid. It's a fine Sonic game but that last boss is not really worth it. All the other levels are pretty fun though, and the music SLAPS. Fantastic soundtrack.
2011
Damn, early Valve games have so much charm to them. Portal 2 improves on its predecessor with updated graphics, more levels, a more interesting story, new characters, new abilities, and even more excellent writing that hits the funny bone just right.
This was as much fun in the gameplay department as it was entertaining in the storytelling department: and that's to say it was immensely both! A couple of my friends didn't like Wheatley, but I thought he was great! GladOS makes a return as well, as petty and sarcastic as ever, and I even got to witness the legendary lemons speech for myself.
I don't believe I have any major criticism for this game, I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through, and I love how it incorporated the puzzle solving into exploring the facility instead of just pushing you through rooms similar to how the original did.
I would highly recommend this one! Deserves its classic status!
This was as much fun in the gameplay department as it was entertaining in the storytelling department: and that's to say it was immensely both! A couple of my friends didn't like Wheatley, but I thought he was great! GladOS makes a return as well, as petty and sarcastic as ever, and I even got to witness the legendary lemons speech for myself.
I don't believe I have any major criticism for this game, I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through, and I love how it incorporated the puzzle solving into exploring the facility instead of just pushing you through rooms similar to how the original did.
I would highly recommend this one! Deserves its classic status!
Played through on "I'm Too Young to Die". The epic conclusion to the Slayer's saga definitely feels like an epic conclusion. Although shorter and relatively easier than The Ancient Gods Part 1, it still delivers even more incredible maps, fantastic cutscenes, new demons (some of which are more annoying than cool but whatever), and a new weapon. Its presentation is amazing, the final level is more epic than anything I've played in recent memory aside from Dark Souls 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn. The final boss is no pushover, but feels great once you get the pattern down. The ending you'll have to see for yourself, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm excited for what Id has in store next.
I played this on "I'm Too Young to Die" and thought it was tough, and this is post-nerf apparently.
An exhilerating and challenging continuation to the base game that puts your combat mastery to the test amid stunning locations, breathtaking setpieces, and, as always, badass demons that you can kick the shit out of in all its gory glory. If you crave more chaos after beating the base game, this is the next logical step.
An exhilerating and challenging continuation to the base game that puts your combat mastery to the test amid stunning locations, breathtaking setpieces, and, as always, badass demons that you can kick the shit out of in all its gory glory. If you crave more chaos after beating the base game, this is the next logical step.
I finished this game at 3am and it definitely made me feel some type of way. Playing this after beating DOOM Eternal twice in a row was a huge pace switch, but a much needed one to be sure.
The thing that intrigued me about this game from the get go was the incredible introduction to the house, poking out of the forest in the distance. It's such a striking silhouette, and that, accompanied by the beautiful orchestral soundtrack and the journal-like narration got me hooked from the get go.
"What Remains of Edith Finch" is a narrative-focused walking simulator that tells of the mysterious Finch family, who believes they have been cursed. You play as Edith, the only surviving Finch family member, as she returns to her childhood home in search of answers to the many questions she had growing up.
What follows is a recountal of the family's history, stretching all the way back to the 1930s, when the Finch family sailed to America with their house in tow, only to have it sink offshore of Orcas Island, where they rebuild and settle, allowing the rest of the story to unfold.
The game is centered around death, and one of the main themes seems to be generational trauma, and how buying too much into stories and tales can have real-world repercussions. It's a pretty heavy subject matter, and it's an emotional experience for sure. I got teary-eyed at the end.
Technically, this game is astonishing. Though it may be a walking simulator at its core, it contains ingenious mechanics that weave seamlessly into the storytelling, the most stunning of which happens late-game (no spoilers). Graphically, it's incredible. There is so much detail put into the environment. It's genuinely one of the most immersive home environments I've seen put together in a videogame. It feels lived in, to be sure, but there's also this constant mystery tugging at every nook and cranny. Secret crawlspaces, sealed up rooms...hell the outside of the house itself is crazy, seeing rooms built haphazardly atop the existing structure. It really feels like you step inside of a storybook, and you come out feeling like you've lived through an entire REAL family's history (even though they are entirely fictional) in just two hours.
This game is truly something. The story, the writing, the characters, the music, the aesthetic...it's a masterpiece.
Only gripes that take a star off is that some parts feel a little jarring and the balance of story and gameplay gets a little too far into the gameplay side to be fully immersive as a story. Overall, it's put together very well. But even masterpieces have flaws.
If you have an evening to yourself, definitely pick up this game. It's easy, and a really cool experience that anyone can get into.
The thing that intrigued me about this game from the get go was the incredible introduction to the house, poking out of the forest in the distance. It's such a striking silhouette, and that, accompanied by the beautiful orchestral soundtrack and the journal-like narration got me hooked from the get go.
"What Remains of Edith Finch" is a narrative-focused walking simulator that tells of the mysterious Finch family, who believes they have been cursed. You play as Edith, the only surviving Finch family member, as she returns to her childhood home in search of answers to the many questions she had growing up.
What follows is a recountal of the family's history, stretching all the way back to the 1930s, when the Finch family sailed to America with their house in tow, only to have it sink offshore of Orcas Island, where they rebuild and settle, allowing the rest of the story to unfold.
The game is centered around death, and one of the main themes seems to be generational trauma, and how buying too much into stories and tales can have real-world repercussions. It's a pretty heavy subject matter, and it's an emotional experience for sure. I got teary-eyed at the end.
Technically, this game is astonishing. Though it may be a walking simulator at its core, it contains ingenious mechanics that weave seamlessly into the storytelling, the most stunning of which happens late-game (no spoilers). Graphically, it's incredible. There is so much detail put into the environment. It's genuinely one of the most immersive home environments I've seen put together in a videogame. It feels lived in, to be sure, but there's also this constant mystery tugging at every nook and cranny. Secret crawlspaces, sealed up rooms...hell the outside of the house itself is crazy, seeing rooms built haphazardly atop the existing structure. It really feels like you step inside of a storybook, and you come out feeling like you've lived through an entire REAL family's history (even though they are entirely fictional) in just two hours.
This game is truly something. The story, the writing, the characters, the music, the aesthetic...it's a masterpiece.
Only gripes that take a star off is that some parts feel a little jarring and the balance of story and gameplay gets a little too far into the gameplay side to be fully immersive as a story. Overall, it's put together very well. But even masterpieces have flaws.
If you have an evening to yourself, definitely pick up this game. It's easy, and a really cool experience that anyone can get into.
2020
One of the best games I've played in a long while. I played through the campaign on the "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty and had one hell of a time (pun intended).
Improvements over the previous entry include a wider and more diverse variety of enemies, a wider variety of glory kill animations, a thoughtfully expanded arsenal, more movement mechanics, more maps, larger maps, a hub world full of easter eggs, more boss fights, more interesting combat encounters, and a massively climactic ending.
Things that are present in both games: top-tier optimization (seriously this game ran at 60+ fps on the highest graphics settings while I was rendering something in After Effects), buttery-smooth and intuitive movement and gunplay, incredible environments, genius level design, gorgeous graphics, sound design that is pure ear candy, and a phenomenal, angry, hard-hitting and expertly produced and mixed soundtrack to drive it all home.
This game is a pure adrenaline rush as well. Everything I mentioned above made me feel like a god when I pulled off crazy shots and narrowly escaped death via clever use of the mechanics. Not only that, but introductions, reveals, and payoffs all hit their mark in the presentation department.
Even the story, for me, was really interesting. I get that not many care for it too much (DOOM was never a game you play for the story), but the dedication to its presentation did not go unnoticed. All the voice acting was fantastic as well, and I love when the Slayer's personality shines through in the cinematics.
Any gripes I have with the game are small. I ended up getting fatigued in the last level due to all the back-to-back encounters that I surpassed only by the skin of my teeth, and the final boss was one of the longest boss fights I've played in recent memory. Additionally, some enemies felt more annoying than challenging (I'm looking at you, Whiplash). But again, these are small gripes that would probably disappear if I just got better at the game. One other small complaint is how the Crucible is originally bound to V, but that's customizable as well so it's not a big deal.
If you like shooters at all, this is definitely a game I'd recommend. Even if you don't like shooters, this one could definitely turn you into a fan.
High-energy, brutal, gory fun for the whole family. 10/10 would Rip and Tear again.
Improvements over the previous entry include a wider and more diverse variety of enemies, a wider variety of glory kill animations, a thoughtfully expanded arsenal, more movement mechanics, more maps, larger maps, a hub world full of easter eggs, more boss fights, more interesting combat encounters, and a massively climactic ending.
Things that are present in both games: top-tier optimization (seriously this game ran at 60+ fps on the highest graphics settings while I was rendering something in After Effects), buttery-smooth and intuitive movement and gunplay, incredible environments, genius level design, gorgeous graphics, sound design that is pure ear candy, and a phenomenal, angry, hard-hitting and expertly produced and mixed soundtrack to drive it all home.
This game is a pure adrenaline rush as well. Everything I mentioned above made me feel like a god when I pulled off crazy shots and narrowly escaped death via clever use of the mechanics. Not only that, but introductions, reveals, and payoffs all hit their mark in the presentation department.
Even the story, for me, was really interesting. I get that not many care for it too much (DOOM was never a game you play for the story), but the dedication to its presentation did not go unnoticed. All the voice acting was fantastic as well, and I love when the Slayer's personality shines through in the cinematics.
Any gripes I have with the game are small. I ended up getting fatigued in the last level due to all the back-to-back encounters that I surpassed only by the skin of my teeth, and the final boss was one of the longest boss fights I've played in recent memory. Additionally, some enemies felt more annoying than challenging (I'm looking at you, Whiplash). But again, these are small gripes that would probably disappear if I just got better at the game. One other small complaint is how the Crucible is originally bound to V, but that's customizable as well so it's not a big deal.
If you like shooters at all, this is definitely a game I'd recommend. Even if you don't like shooters, this one could definitely turn you into a fan.
High-energy, brutal, gory fun for the whole family. 10/10 would Rip and Tear again.
I know this game is praised by many, but I just didn't get it. The game doesn't even know what it wants to be half the time, the mechanics are so out of left field and the dialogue is so ham-fisted that it feels like it's way up its own pretentious ass. Character designs are okay, and the overall concept is interesting...as a concept and not much more. As a disclaimer, I normally don't enjoy anime games, but I gave this one a chance and played through the first chapter.
It's pulled in so many directions at once. It wants to be dark and serious but also wants to be satirical and goofy. It wants to be a point-and-click mystery game while also wanting to be an on-the-rails shooter and moonlights as an Ace Attorney wannabe.
The over-explaining and needless flashbacks feel like they're trying to tell us how clever they are and show off their writing skills. It's a try-hard "big brain" game that leaves nothing up to the imagination or creativity of the player, and makes it impossible to lose, so there are very little stakes once you realize the story is set and there's not much you can do about it in the way of choices. Lazy and artifically high-brow. I only got through the first chapter because my friends and I decided to voice-act the characters ourselves.
It's pulled in so many directions at once. It wants to be dark and serious but also wants to be satirical and goofy. It wants to be a point-and-click mystery game while also wanting to be an on-the-rails shooter and moonlights as an Ace Attorney wannabe.
The over-explaining and needless flashbacks feel like they're trying to tell us how clever they are and show off their writing skills. It's a try-hard "big brain" game that leaves nothing up to the imagination or creativity of the player, and makes it impossible to lose, so there are very little stakes once you realize the story is set and there's not much you can do about it in the way of choices. Lazy and artifically high-brow. I only got through the first chapter because my friends and I decided to voice-act the characters ourselves.
2016
DOOM is one of the most exhilerating games I've played to date. The killer soundtrack, the absolutely bonkers gunplay paired with the quick movement, the visuals, everything. This game makes me feel like a badass and I don't know why I didn't log this here earlier.
If you're new to the DOOM series, jump in here. It's aged beautifully and the over-the-top, gratuitious violence as you rip and tear through the hordes of demons of Hell itself while angry synth-metal music hypes you up in the background is a feeling like no other.
If you're new to the DOOM series, jump in here. It's aged beautifully and the over-the-top, gratuitious violence as you rip and tear through the hordes of demons of Hell itself while angry synth-metal music hypes you up in the background is a feeling like no other.
2016
Radios, ghosts, and coming-of-age. Oxenfree is a narrative indie title with elements of a walking simulator, a puzzle game, and a choose-your-own-adventure that follows a group of high school friends and acquaintances as they take a ferry to an island for a weekend party, and end up uncovering the island's mysterious secrets.
Dialogue is a near constant throughout the game, as much of the primary narrative - and backstory - is given to us through the many conversations the characters have. One of the primary gameplay elements is the option to choose what Alex, the protagonist, says during these conversations. The other element is the radio.
The radio-scanning mechanic is something pretty unique to this game. It's used to progress the plot, unlock doors, and gather bits of optional lore scattered throughout the game. Sometimes finding the key points on the scanner can be a bit tedious, especially when you feel like you're supposed to be in a high-stakes situation. For me, I had a bug that caused my controller to vibrate constantly unless I re-opened the scanner and turned through a few channels, and then put it away.
Every other mechanic in this game isn't as interesting. In fact, the movement often seems sluggish and cumbersome, which makes some sections a bore.
Narratively, this game is solid. It's not the greatest narrative I've been told through a video game, but it was intriguing, and the writing and voice acting was done well enough that I got invested in the characters and what they were going through. It's a thoughtful coming-of-age story with elements of mystery and the supernatural, which is a mixture I really want to explore more of.
The music was atmospheric at most, and didn't stand out to me too much, though I did enjoy what I heard.
Overall, Oxenfree was a middling game for me. It wasn't great, but it also wasn't bad. If you have a weekend with not much to do, give this game a shot. It's definitely worth trying!
Dialogue is a near constant throughout the game, as much of the primary narrative - and backstory - is given to us through the many conversations the characters have. One of the primary gameplay elements is the option to choose what Alex, the protagonist, says during these conversations. The other element is the radio.
The radio-scanning mechanic is something pretty unique to this game. It's used to progress the plot, unlock doors, and gather bits of optional lore scattered throughout the game. Sometimes finding the key points on the scanner can be a bit tedious, especially when you feel like you're supposed to be in a high-stakes situation. For me, I had a bug that caused my controller to vibrate constantly unless I re-opened the scanner and turned through a few channels, and then put it away.
Every other mechanic in this game isn't as interesting. In fact, the movement often seems sluggish and cumbersome, which makes some sections a bore.
Narratively, this game is solid. It's not the greatest narrative I've been told through a video game, but it was intriguing, and the writing and voice acting was done well enough that I got invested in the characters and what they were going through. It's a thoughtful coming-of-age story with elements of mystery and the supernatural, which is a mixture I really want to explore more of.
The music was atmospheric at most, and didn't stand out to me too much, though I did enjoy what I heard.
Overall, Oxenfree was a middling game for me. It wasn't great, but it also wasn't bad. If you have a weekend with not much to do, give this game a shot. It's definitely worth trying!
2019
A combination of bullet-hell and metroidvania, TouHou Luna Nights is a fast-paced thrill ride with bangin tunes and challenging bossfights, all wrapped up into a nice, concise 5-6 hours of total playtime.
Whereas I'm not very keen on pixel-art indie titles (especially those with an anime theme), this one broke the mold by having a really slick and fluid animation style that made the game fun to look at.
The story wasn't amazing by any stretch, but it was at least intriguing, and the dialogue was quite charming. The focus obviously lies on the gameplay, which was handled very well.
Like a classic metroivania, you start off with little abilities aside from basic movement, a jump, and your basic attack (throwing daggers). As you explore and progress throughout the map, you find more abilites that allow you to progress even further and become more powerful.
Combat is tight and precise, and the integration of time stop/slow mechanics in combination with both the combat and the platforming made overcoming obstacles really rewarding. Regaining MP, HP, and Time was fun too as it involved needing to "graze" incoming attacks (narrowly dodge).
Some gripes include the inability to look up/down, making some platforming challenges a bit of a gamble if you weren't already familiar with them. This game also includes enemies who can move and attack through walls, which is a pet peeve of mine, especially when they aren't ghosts or something that makes sense, and they just don't have hitboxes that collide with walls. In my opinion, those kinds of enemies are just artificial difficulty and lazy enemy design. Additionally, I felt the difficulty of some rooms was cheap and lazy as well, being packed with enemies who target you directly alongside little fireballs that can dodge your attacks, so that by the time you get through a certain room, it feels like luck more than skill.
All of this considered, this would've been a 3-star were it not for the awesome bossfights. Those weren't lazy at all, and were super fun to fight, especially once you got into the rhythm.
Overall, a fun little game that you can probably beat in a weekend if you're a seasoned gamer with experience in either bullet-hell or metroidvanias, or just titles that are known to be difficult. This game would be hard to get into for a newcomer, as the entry bar is pretty high in terms of difficulty.
I recommend.
Whereas I'm not very keen on pixel-art indie titles (especially those with an anime theme), this one broke the mold by having a really slick and fluid animation style that made the game fun to look at.
The story wasn't amazing by any stretch, but it was at least intriguing, and the dialogue was quite charming. The focus obviously lies on the gameplay, which was handled very well.
Like a classic metroivania, you start off with little abilities aside from basic movement, a jump, and your basic attack (throwing daggers). As you explore and progress throughout the map, you find more abilites that allow you to progress even further and become more powerful.
Combat is tight and precise, and the integration of time stop/slow mechanics in combination with both the combat and the platforming made overcoming obstacles really rewarding. Regaining MP, HP, and Time was fun too as it involved needing to "graze" incoming attacks (narrowly dodge).
Some gripes include the inability to look up/down, making some platforming challenges a bit of a gamble if you weren't already familiar with them. This game also includes enemies who can move and attack through walls, which is a pet peeve of mine, especially when they aren't ghosts or something that makes sense, and they just don't have hitboxes that collide with walls. In my opinion, those kinds of enemies are just artificial difficulty and lazy enemy design. Additionally, I felt the difficulty of some rooms was cheap and lazy as well, being packed with enemies who target you directly alongside little fireballs that can dodge your attacks, so that by the time you get through a certain room, it feels like luck more than skill.
All of this considered, this would've been a 3-star were it not for the awesome bossfights. Those weren't lazy at all, and were super fun to fight, especially once you got into the rhythm.
Overall, a fun little game that you can probably beat in a weekend if you're a seasoned gamer with experience in either bullet-hell or metroidvanias, or just titles that are known to be difficult. This game would be hard to get into for a newcomer, as the entry bar is pretty high in terms of difficulty.
I recommend.
2017
Like the lovechild of Dead Space and BioShock (but more similar to System Shock if we're being really specific), Prey is an immersive sim that takes place in space, aboard Talos I, where you play as Morgan Yu, a scientist and the vice president and Director of Research of TranStar Industries.
You're given a variety of tools and weapons to use at your disposal, including mind powers inherited from the alien race you fight against in-game. Your arsenal allows for open-ended gameplay and gives the player opportunities to be creative in the ways they approach the challenges within.
It's mechanically ingenious, and the gameplay loop is very satisfying. The graphics are beautiful, seeing as the game was made in CryEngine. The world is well crafted and the narrative is solid. Characters are well-written and have exceptional voice acting. Enemies are diverse and require a varied array of tactics to kill or incapacitate each one. The music, done by Mick Gordon (the genius behind the iconic Doom soundtracks), is very atmospheric and does a good job setting the mood. Overall, it's a very good game.
However, where it falls short is in its polish. Sometimes after exiting a menu, I would try sprinting and it would instead open up the Steam overlay. Enemy AI would sometimes stop being intelligent and just break during encounters. The game crashed a handful of times. The end of the game seemed especially buggy, as I had two questlines bug out on me, and during Alex's cutscene where he gives you the fabrication plan for the Prototype Nullwave Transmitter, his character model freaked out and started trying to walk in all directions at once. Saving Dahl was a pain, as he kept dying for no reason, and I left him for dead several times until at one point, randomly, the quest worked and I saved him. Afterward, I had to reload the game a few times to get a fabricator to work properly so I could craft said Nullwave Transmitter.
Aside from that, most other frustrating situations mainly were due to me failing to properly prepare myself or just being unlucky and ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even just trying to rush things and ending up paying the price.
There is a difficulty setting, so if you feel like it's too hard, you can tone it down, or crank it up if you want maximum punishment.
Length wise, I feel it can overstay its welcome, but only by a bit. I did some extra quests, so my playtime was at an inflated 22 hours compared to the standard 17 on HowLongToBeat.
If you like BioShock/System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex, or other immersive sims, it's very likely you'll thoroughly enjoy this one.
You're given a variety of tools and weapons to use at your disposal, including mind powers inherited from the alien race you fight against in-game. Your arsenal allows for open-ended gameplay and gives the player opportunities to be creative in the ways they approach the challenges within.
It's mechanically ingenious, and the gameplay loop is very satisfying. The graphics are beautiful, seeing as the game was made in CryEngine. The world is well crafted and the narrative is solid. Characters are well-written and have exceptional voice acting. Enemies are diverse and require a varied array of tactics to kill or incapacitate each one. The music, done by Mick Gordon (the genius behind the iconic Doom soundtracks), is very atmospheric and does a good job setting the mood. Overall, it's a very good game.
However, where it falls short is in its polish. Sometimes after exiting a menu, I would try sprinting and it would instead open up the Steam overlay. Enemy AI would sometimes stop being intelligent and just break during encounters. The game crashed a handful of times. The end of the game seemed especially buggy, as I had two questlines bug out on me, and during Alex's cutscene where he gives you the fabrication plan for the Prototype Nullwave Transmitter, his character model freaked out and started trying to walk in all directions at once. Saving Dahl was a pain, as he kept dying for no reason, and I left him for dead several times until at one point, randomly, the quest worked and I saved him. Afterward, I had to reload the game a few times to get a fabricator to work properly so I could craft said Nullwave Transmitter.
Aside from that, most other frustrating situations mainly were due to me failing to properly prepare myself or just being unlucky and ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even just trying to rush things and ending up paying the price.
There is a difficulty setting, so if you feel like it's too hard, you can tone it down, or crank it up if you want maximum punishment.
Length wise, I feel it can overstay its welcome, but only by a bit. I did some extra quests, so my playtime was at an inflated 22 hours compared to the standard 17 on HowLongToBeat.
If you like BioShock/System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex, or other immersive sims, it's very likely you'll thoroughly enjoy this one.