Daniel Leal's Reviews
As someone who never played the original releases, the clunky controls have little precision, and the lack of quality-of-life features is clear, but overall, the game is still an eye-opening odyssey through the twisted hellscape of Nosgoth. Dismemberment and other animations are well done, and many cool gameplay elements really shine with this new coat of paint.
Voidwrought has solid gameplay mechanics and combat feels satisfying. However, the items and collectibles are overused and it is not made clear what objects actually do, and how they will affect gameplay. It generally has the protagonist adventuring alone, but when he does meet an NPC,the dialogue is so abstract that you my as well need a translation guide just for this game.
Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down Zelda adventure rich in character where the player must use echoes creatively to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. While the lack of combat may be a disadvantage and handicap to some, to others it allows more creative and interesting tactics to be used, and the lack of focus on combat may have encouraged the developers to create a rich, detailed overworld with numerous side quests.
Overall, Planet of Lana is a polished puzzle platformer that lacks combat but makes up for that with cool stealth and satisfying platforming. Atmospheric sound design and terrifying enemies mean that setting traps and using your intelligence is what will help you conquer the game. In terms of art, the game uses an attractive graphical style, and animation is smooth. However, it takes while to get used to the controls and to get used to using Lana’s cat companion Mui to solve puzzles. This results in a few difficulty spikes.
For a game under £10 (or under $10, for that matter), the game is worth it if you like rich, Zelda-like experiences. The game, although the story is rooted (pun intended) in science and research, flirts with the supernatural, so don’t expect a boring story. The progression is satisfying like Metroid or Zelda. While I wouldn’t say that there’s much replay value, since it is a pretty linear journey, what it does give is a puzzle-filled adventure with great characters and a happy, positive vibe. It’s a great adventure and although I played the Switch version, as the Game Boy version is exactly the same, I think it’ll be an asset to the Game Boy’s growing library of modern games.
It’s not that Ufouria: The Saga 2 is a particularly bad game. It’s just that it’s not really much fun, and the gameplay is slow and floaty.
Overall, Penny’s Big Breakaway is a stylish 3D platformer with a novel world, that is limited by dodgy control and imprecise platforming. The game is frustrating at worst but sleek like Sonic 3 (on Genesis) at best.
Another Code: Recollection is a fun experience with a great sense of progression. You really feel like you are investigating the past. The characters you learn about actually had lives and cared for one another. Despite some camera problems and some characters feeling bland, by the end of the experience, you’ll be so invested that you’ll actually feel for and care about them.