Augusto A.'s Reviews
Heart of Chornobyl continues the long-lived Stalker tradition of releasing great immersive sims with loads of performance issues, which are still enjoyed by the fans due to their charming atmospheres and immersive gameplay. Stalker 2 is far from a perfect title, but it delivers in terms of content and story to those who want to see more of the zone.
Lords of the Fallen is better than its predecessor, mostly because it’s half of a good game instead of an entirely bad one, but it’s quite difficult to recommend it. The amount of work that was put into this reboot is technically impressive, enough to make me interested in trying out its sequel; let’s just hope that one can stick the landing.
The blueprint for a title like this has already been set by 2017’s Deadwood, so it’s disappointing to see Edge of Sanity completely miss the mark in such a way, failing to provide a competent horror experience as it chooses to ignore its strengths to focus on tedium and repetition instead.
It doesn’t feel great to criticize a title that has clearly had effort put into it and is even somewhat charming in its execution, but Tails of Iron 2 simply fails to be different or interesting, at least to someone who is more than familiar with the genres it borrows from.
The Rangers in the South does the bare minimum to be considered an ARPG and thoroughly fails at being a roguelike. This is a game that would have benefitted a lot from player input and more development time, as it feels rushed and lacking in content.
A game that consistently feeds players with such raw dopamine hasn’t come along since Vampire Survivors initially released, and it shows that indie developers can turn anything into a fun roguelike experience. If you are still in the fence about it, give Balatro a try, you won’t regret it.
It’s very easy to like the game’s characters thanks to how much personality they have, and things like the voice acted cutscenes are the cherry on top of the whole experience. If Pizza Tower looks a little too daunting, then look towards Antonblast for an easier entry into the world of fast-paced 2D platformers; you won’t regret it.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a cinematic title that manages to fulfill the “playable movie” premise in a positive way. Fans of the franchise will be right at home with the Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired plot, and given the game’s positive reception, it might even open the door for a new era of Indiana Jones media.
Crypt Custodian doesn’t deviate far from the very basics of the Metroidvania formula, but it polishes simplicity to the point where you can’t help but be engaged by it. Having a tight combat system, exploration that doesn’t screech to a halt every five minutes, and a pleasant aesthetic is more than enough to create a fun experience, and Crypt Custodian does exactly that.
Grunn is fully committed to being a surreal experience, but doesn’t go too far to the point where it becomes nonsense, instead striking a good balance between the mundane and weird. It deserves its place as one of the most charming horror titles released this year, and is more than worth playing if you enjoy feeling isolated, uncomfortable, and Dutch.
Fairy Tail: Dungeons is not necessarily a good game to pick up if you aren’t familiar with the roguelike card battler genre, but it is a decent product for Fairy Tail fans and it does enough with its premise to be fun for a few hours, even if lacking in content.
It’s definitely not wrong to make a Metrovania with a higher focus on exploration and platforming, but Voidwrought hurts itself by having very simple levels and barely any platforming challenges. This lack of commitment to a premise makes the game feel safe and mostly forgettable, as it doesn’t bring anything new to the overcrowded Metrovania genre.
There’s a good chance you’ll be able to enjoy Foresight‘s gameplay and story content like you would any other dungeon-crawling RPG, unless you are a die-hard Touhou Project fan who expects a very specific thing from the Genso Wanderer series.
Rogue Waters is a solid title for those who like the weirdly common overlap that pirates and the supernatural have, and will definitely please those who enjoy a good Firaxis-adjacent turn-based combat system.
Overall, Funko Fusion looks, plays, and runs like an Unreal Engine fan project, while simultaneously having no charm of its own or any real art style aside from the game’s characters being Funko vinyls. The game’s attempts to replicate more popular things fall flat and don’t feel in sync with any of its source materials, as it fails to deliver anything interesting.
The game does its best to stretch its playtime by having you half-explore places before being able to come back with the correct gadget and access one or two extra rooms, which would be enjoyable if its puzzles and gameplay weren’t simple to a fault, instead creating an overall forgettable experience.
Into the Pit is a must-play for fans of the franchise, or horror fans in general. It is an overall approachable title for newcomers, but you should be at least passingly familiar with FNAF‘s lore to understand some of its deeper cuts and references.
The game’s last boss may be a little overtuned if you are trying for a no-hit run, which is a platinum requirement, but considering how NanoApostle gets balance patches nearly daily, this might be tweaked in the future. The amount of work that has gone into the game post-release is more than commendable, and shows that the 18Light Game team is not messing around.
Even though the game suffers from performance issues, weak gameplay, and repetitive content, Shoulders of Giants is not unplayable by any means; it’s just difficult to find reasons to play it when most roguelikes currently available are much more enjoyable.
If you aren’t bothered by long runs and enjoy turn-based combat, then HELLCARD is a pretty good choice for a roguelike. The Bruja DLC is also a very solid addition to the game and worth picking up.